FAQs

What can massage help me with?

Just a few of the conditions I am accustomed to treating with massage:

• anxiety

• back pain

• bloating

• chronic tension

• decreased joint mobility

• depression

• fatigue

• gastrointestinal problems

• headaches

• irritability

• joint pain

• low body awareness

• menstrual cramps

• muscular soreness and pain

• neck pain

• poor circulation

• poor posture

• sleep problems

• stress

• sub acute and chronic injuries

How often should I get a massage?

SESSION FOCUS SUGGESTED FREQUENCY

Pain management:

Every 1-2 weeks or more often, increasing the interval as the source of the pain is addressed. When you’re in pain, your muscles tend to tense up even more, which prolongs the pain you are feeling. Then you develop patterns of movement to mitigate pain which may instead cause pain in another area. Massage helps to break this cycle.

Relaxation/Stress Reduction

Every 2-4 weeks or more often, depending on stress level The direct relaxation effects of massage last only a day or two at most. However, with the right session frequency, your body will be able to remember how it feels to be relaxed and stress-free for longer periods.

Improving posture. Once a weekImproving posture is as much about releasing chronic tension patterns as it is relearning how to stand and walk. You wouldn’t go to a dance class once a month and expect to retain much.

Reducing muscle soreness.

Every 2-4 weeks, as needed Massage helps remove metabolic wastes from the muscle tissue, while lengthening and reconditioning it to be able to handle the exercises you are doing.

General health maintenance

Every 4-6 weeksAt this frequency, most people will still be able to notice the cumulative benefits of massage. Any longer than 6 week intervals is just an occasional treat for your body.

How long should my appointment last?

A 45-minute massage is great for focusing on a specific region or two, i.e. just addressing the upper torso, or focusing on the lower body from feet to hips. Trying to fit a full body session into a 45-minute appointment can end up feeling rushed; I feel it’s more beneficial to focus on just a couple of trouble areas rather than try to do too much.

I can give a balanced full body massage in 60 minutes and still give some specific attention to one or two spots. I do find that being able to move through the body more slowly and with greater attention to detail can yield deeper results–I recommend at least 75 minutes if you’d like a full body session as well as extra focus on a region or two. 90 and 105-minute sessions can yield the greatest benefits in term of balancing relaxation and deep, specific work.

…And you can always book a 2-hour session for when you really need to rest and reset

How does massage work?

There are two main effects: reflexive and mechanical. Massage stimulates a chain of events which tells the body to relax. For example, nerves in the skin and muscles send impulses to the brain, and the brain in turn, tells the muscles to release. These reflexive effects are known as the relaxation response, or “rest and digest”: the heart and breath rate slows, stress hormone production slows, blood pressure goes down. It allows your body necessary time for recuperation a busy life often does not afford.
Massage strokes also move blood and lymph, as well as mechanically lengthening, stretching, spreading, separating, and releasing muscle and connective tissue.