Your massage will likely incorporate a variety of the below based on what you tell Nina you are experiencing in your body at the time of the session.
Generally, her massage is a combination of swedish, fascial and deep tissue massage.
Deep Tissue
Deep Tissue focuses on the deeper layers of muscle tissue either following fiber direction or going across the fiber orientation of the musculature. Deep tissue is used to ‘strip’ or cleanse areas of chronic muscle tension by moving trapped metabolic waste build-up and other toxins within the muscle back into the blood for removal while restructuring the fiber alignment. It can be painful but if done correctly you will feel immediate relief.
Craniosacral Fascia Therapy (CSFT)
CSFT is conducted without oils (sometimes just enough cream is needed to allow a slight amount of drag). Our bodies have an interconnected 3D web of connective tissue that runs superficial to deep and head and toe. This specialized connective tissue is avascular (no blood therefore heals more slowly) and very strong. When traumatized, fascia can constrict and exert more pounds per square inch to become stronger than steel unbelievably. Considering every muscle group down to each muscle fiber within each group is encased by this special tissue, if the fascia is tight, no amount of muscle therapy will help alleviate the root issue. It's as if a tight sock is compressing the muscle and until that sock is melted, loosened and made more fluid no complete muscle release can occur.
"Fascia" refers to the connective tissues that support and surround the organs, muscles and bones. Myofascial bodywork encompasses a range of manual therapies. CSFT includes techniques which affect the fascial membranes of the central nervous system and the body's cerebrospinal fluid balance. CSFT can be incorporated into a massage session. Usually CSFT and muscle work both need to be done to get relief. The intent is to listen with the hands and follow the body to unwind fascial strains while applying hands-on therapy to enhance the functioning of the craniosacral system. A release is never forced - listening hands go where the body wants to release and facilitates with manipulative therapy.
If a child is the client, the parent accompanies their child for each session.
Trigger Point Therapy
Static Pressure is applied to trigger points (TP), painful areas in muscles that refer pain to other areas of the body with or without direct point pressure, to relieve/eliminate spasm and pain. It can also be used on tender points (tp), painful areas that do not yet refer pain and are only painful when palpated, to prevent the area from worsening to a chronic TP.
Sports Massage
Sports massage isn’t just for athletes. A person can sprain an ankle by playing a competitive game of soccer or by stepping the wrong way off of a curb. The injury, the response of the body and the initial treatment are the same. This type of massage uses a variety of techniques including classic Swedish strokes, stretching, jostling, cross-fiber friction, compressions, traction and joint mobilization. It can be used for pre-event, inter-event and post-event - each event dictating the goals of the massage. For example, used pre-event the goals would be to energize the person, increase muscle and joint flexibility and warm up the body. Use post-event, we want to increase recovery (mind and body) by decreasing muscle tension, preventing delayed onset muscle soreness and helping to prevent any injuries from worsening.
Chair Massage
Chair massage is especially convenient since the client sits in a portable massage chair that allows the body to completely relax. The back, shoulders, neck, arms, hands and hips can be massaged in this position while the client remains fully clothed. Lotion might be used on the neck, arms and hands and the massage can be between 10 and 15 minutes long. Chair massage has been proven to increase mental alertness and improve work performance (by way of math problems completed in less time with fewer errors compared to study subjects that did not receive the chair massage sessions.*)
Reiki
All living beings are composed of energy and we all have a vibrational frequency as individual as our fingerprints. Energy can vibrate at different rates. A good example is water and steam. Steam and water consist of the same molecules just vibrating at different speeds. Interestingly, if we increase the vibrational frequency of water by applying heat, the water is transformed into a tool that can be used to generate more energy (steam engine). Reiki is a tool that can be used to *balance* the body’s energy thereby reducing stress while promoting relaxation and healing. Kirlian photography has scientifically verified this life force energy – it can be seen around our bodies, still intact around missing limbs, around plants. Reiki is an ancient and simple system of “laying on of hands” healing derived from Tibetan Buddhism.
Hot Stone Massage
An especially wonderful massage to receive on a cold winter day. Basalt quartzite containing smooth sea stones are warmed to 115F in a hot water bath and then both laid on the body to pre-warm tense, tight muscles while smaller hot stones are used as an extension of the hands and elbows to massage and knead tired, sore muscles. It is deeply soothing, warming and relaxing.
*Field, T., Ironson. (1996). Massage therapy reduces anxiety and enhances EEG pattern of alertness and math computations. International Journal of Neuroscience, 86, 197-205.