Traditional Massage

I attended Rainstar University in 1997 and 1998. During my education, I was exposed to many different modalities. These included Swedish, Reflexology, Full Body Massage, Deep Tissue Massage, Trigger Point Therapy and Chair massage.

SWEDISH MASSAGE: This is what most people think of when they think of a massage. The aim of Swedish massage is to relax the tissues, relieve stress and improve circulation. It involves that actual touching of the body using effleurage (long flowing strokes), petrissage (kneading), friction and tapotement (tapping). The basic Swedish massage is the template that most therapists use to build on for their different protocols.

REFLEXOLOGY, This is a pressure type massage for the feet and hands. The foot (or hand) is massaged, then the therapist moves down the 5 lines of the foot from the toe to the heel to find areas of restriction that are represented by points in the foot. The toe represents the head of the body and the heel the base of the trunk of the body. An accomplished Reflexologist can find restrictions or maladies by palpating the foot. Also, it is a very relaxing massage to enjoy.

FULL BODY MASSAGE: The full body massage incorporates the entire body. It is generally combined Swedish or Deep Tissue work.

DEEP TISSUE MASSAGE: This massage works deeper into the tissues of the body and is usually concentrated to one area of the body. Great care must be taken not to bruise the tissue or work to a pain level not tolerable by the client. Some discomfort is necessary, but pain is to be avoided.

TRIGGER POINT MASSAGE: This is generally incorporated into a deep tissue massage. The therapist finds areas of hyper contraction (feels like a knot) and applies pressure to force the trigger point to release and relax. The muscle should be stretched to avoid recontraction.

CHAIR MASSAGE: This is a modality that is done with the client fully clothed and leaning forward in a massage chair or table top. Generally, the neck and back are the major areas addressed during this massage.