Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork
We all know that a massage is a nice way to reduce stress and relax, but did you know that frequent and regular bodywork can effect positive changes in the body that go far beyond simple stress reduction?
Research shows that in response to massage, specific chemical changes cascade throughout the body, creating enormous benefits for acute and chronic disorders. That’s why our licensed massage therapists are educated and experienced in a variety of modalities, including Sports Massage, Craniosacral Therapy, Trigger Point Therapy, Reflexology, Prenatal Massage, Lymphatic Drainage Massage, Myofascial Release and Gua Sha Scraping.
All of Balance Orlando’s therapists have extra education, and can tailor their services to your needs; you get what you need that day.
Learn more about the different types of therapeutic massage treatments offered at Balance Orlando:
Sports Massage
One of the most common complaints experienced by athletes and individuals who work out frequently is Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, or DOMS. DOMS is the soreness that can occur several hours post-exercise, especially after exercises that are unfamiliar to you. Frequent exercise also has the tendency to reduce a muscle’s ability to relax, which can result in chronically tight muscles, loss of flexibility, and poor blood flow. Sports massage can help reduce and prevent the effects of DOMS as you develop a new workout routine, as well as promote blood circulation and aid in relaxation.
Sport massage applied before a major athletic event, such as a marathon, can help warm up the major muscle groups and improve your flexibility. Post-event, it can aid in recovery from possible injury, promote relaxation, and help reduce the amount of lactic acid build-up.
Craniosacral Therapy
CST, or Craniosacral Therapy (also known as Cranial-Sacral Therapy), is a gentle, soft-touch type of therapy that taps into the body’s innate ability to heal itself when possible. Using specifically designed, light pressure, techniques CST releases restrictions and compression in the Craniosacral system.
CST has has been shown to provide benefits to people suffering from a number of chronic disorders including:
- Migraine headaches
- Chronic neck and back pain
- Motor-coordination impairments
- Central nervous system disorders
- Orthopedic problems
- Traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries
- Scoliosis
- Learning disabilities
- Chronic fatigue
- Emotional difficulties
- Stress and tension-related problems
- Fibromyalgia and other connective-tissue disorders
- Temporomandibular joint syndrome (TMJ)
- Neurovascular or immune disorders
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Post-surgical dysfunction
Trigger Point Therapy
Trigger points are essentially small, localized muscle cramps, usually confined to only one or two of the small fibers that comprise the main muscle body. These palpable knots respond to stimuli and are a common source of chronic pain and discomfort. The hypersensitivity of these nodules can also “trigger,” or cause the discomfort to radiate outward, leading to pain, tenderness, tingling, and even numbness in other areas of the body.
Trigger points are treated with direct pressure, for about 10 to 30 seconds at a time. The amount of pressure and how long it’s applied varies, depending on how sensitive the trigger points are and the client’s response to the stimuli. This pressure forces the blood and oxygen from the tissue. When the pressure is released the body responds by forcing blood black into the affected area increasing circulation and re-oxygenating the tissue.
Reflexology
Reflexology deals with the principle that there are reflex areas in the feet and hands which correspond to all of the glands, organs and parts of the body. Properly stimulating these reflexes may help many health problems in a natural way as a type of preventative maintenance.
Reflexology is used primarily for relaxing tension, as well as improving nerve function and blood supply, normalizing the body’s natural systems. Pressure is applied to the feet, using specific thumb, finger and hand techniques.
Prenatal Massage
Pregnancy is a special and joyful time in a woman’s life, but it can bring discomfort and sometimes pain. Massages help! We have several therapists on staff who specialize in prenatal massage. Book an appointment today to address:
- Stress/ anxiety/depression
- Low back pain
- Swollen feet and ankles
- Sleep problems
- Morning sickness
- High risk of miscarriage
- Placental abruption
Lymphatic Drainage Massage
Manual Lymphatic Drainage Massage (MLD) is a type of massage intended to stimulate the lymphatic system by releasing blockages and assisting the natural circulation required for the elimination of metabolic waste, excess fluids, and bacteria from the body.
Consisting of gentle, rhythmic, circular movements, the therapy activates the muscle cells in the walls of the lymph vessels and the surrounding skeletal muscles necessary to propel the lymph through the system.
If you’re feeling tired and low on energy, or if you’ve been sick and feeling like your body is fighting to get back on track, lymphatic massage would likely serve you well. In addition, athletes, surgical patients, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue sufferers may want to consider lymphatic massage.
Myofascial Release
Myofascial release is a form of soft tissue therapy used to treat somatic dysfunction – the impaired or altered function of the musculoskeletal system. This system is made up of the body’s bones, muscles, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, and joints, in addition to the connective tissue that holds it all in place, the fascial web.
Myofascial release treats inflammation, fibrosis and thickening of the connective tissue by releasing the uneven tightness in injured fascia. This is accomplished by relaxing contracted muscles, increasing circulation, increasing venous and lymphatic drainage, and stimulating the stretch reflex of muscles and overlying fascia.
Gua Sha Scraping
Gua Sha is a healing technique used by practitioners of Oriental Medicine. It involves palpation and cutaneous stimulation where the skin is pressured, in strokes, by a round-edged instrument; that results in the appearance of small red petechiae called ‘sha’ that fade in 2 to 3 days.
Raising Sha removes unhealthy blood stagnation, promoting normal circulation and metabolic processes. Gua Sha is generally applied across the back, neck, and shoulders, but on some occasions may be applied across the buttocks, limbs, chest, and abdomen.
If you’d like to know more about how our treatments feel and how they could benefit you, you can schedule a $75 “Consultation & Tryout” session with any of our advanced therapists.