Reflexology

Pregnancy Massage

Prenatal massage helps to relieve the physical tension on the body and is also extremely beneficial to mental and emotional health. The goal of prenatal massage is to help mummies minimize stress, stimulate relaxation, and prep the muscles for childbirth.

Benefits of prenatal massage:

•     Reduce Swelling
•     Relieve Lower Back Pain
•     Improve Sleep
•     Prepare Your Body for Labor and Birth
•     Relieve Pain Naturally
  
  

Lymphatic Drainage Massage

Lymphatic Drainage massage  is a very gentle form of advanced massage therapy, aimed at moving the lymph under the skin using specialised, gentle, rhythmic techniques, it aids the formation and transport of lymph around the body. The fluid in the lymphatic system helps remove waste and toxins from the bodily tissues. Some health conditions can cause lymph fluid to build up. Lymphatic drainage massages can benefit people with lymphoma , fibromyalgia, and other conditions.

Kinesiology Taping method is highly effective in accelerating the recovery in patients that have undergone plastic surgery, lesions, oedema, lymphoma and during pregnancy. 

Taping decompresses tissues that have suffered damage in a surgical procedure. The skin is elevated and thus anchoring filaments (which open lymphatic vessels) are pulled, allowing the greater drainage of the liquid that was previously congested in the interstice (space between the tissue below the skin) favouring its absorption.

Hot Stone Massage

Hot stone therapy is a specialist massage that uses smooth, flat, heated basalt stones that are positioned along your spine, in the palms of your hands, along your legs and between the toes. Typically from river beds, basalt stones are used for massage as they have a rich iron content that retains heat. Cold marble stones are often used in the treatment to help aid with detoxing and healing the body.

A hot stone massage may begin with a traditional Swedish massage technique to prepare your muscles. Your spa therapist will then place the warm stones on key acupressure points on your body. The stones warm and relax your muscles, allowing deeper pressure to be applied during your massage. Using massage oil and a combination of strokes and techniques, your spa therapist will massage your neck, back, arms and legs, with and without the stones.
The origins of hot stone therapy can be traced back to over 2,000 years ago, when the Chinese used heated stones more than 2,000 years ago as a means of improving the function of internal organs. 

Deep Tissue Massage

Deep tissue massage is a massage technique that concentrates on the deeper layers of muscle tissue. The purpose of this technique is to lengthen, relax and release strain patterns within the muscles so that the posture of the body can realign itself. Therapists use a combination of slow strokes and deep pressure by fingers, hands and forearms on tight places either following or going across the fibres of the muscles. As opposed to other massage techniques, deep tissue massage concentrates on the certain parts of the body that are strained; therefore, it is not unusual to have a session that concentrates fully on the lower back, neck or shoulder.

When muscles are strained or stressed, they block the circulation of oxygen and nutrients from flowing through the muscle. This can lead to inflammation that can build up toxins in the muscle tissue. By placing pressure on these muscles with slow strokes, the muscles can be loosened or relaxed, releasing the build up of toxins and allowing oxygen and nutrients to circulate again. Not only is this technique therapeutic, but it can be corrective in those clients that have suffered from muscle tension for a long time.

Cupping

As a Manual Physical Therapist, I am constantly thinking about how to use my body mechanics in the most productive way for the treatment of my clients. This is also to ensure I have longevity in a career I love, and that my body can withstand the often heavy workload that is placed upon it by a physically demanding job. This has driven me to constantly update my techniques and search for tools that alleviate pain and relieve muscle tension in the most effective way.

Cupping originated thousands of years ago, and is one of the oldest forms of manual therapy (I’m not going to take you through its history – the internet is your library if you’re interested!). By placing a glass or a plastic cup onto the skin, the therapist creates a vacuum in the cup which draws the skin, muscle, and fascia up into the cup. This vacuum can be created with either a hand suction pump or a burning cotton wool ball. The latter is becoming less common in modern therapy due to the relative lack of control on the suction.

In Western medicine, Cupping is used as a direct clinical application. The therapist notes an area of restriction and applies the suction directly onto it to affect change. This is different to traditional Eastern methods which rely on affecting change in the line of meridians or “Qi” throughout the body. Used in conjunction with other massage treatments, Cupping is a useful tool to add into the treatment mix as it provides a different sensation and effectiveness, and thereby improving the overall results.