Bodywork

Our work encompasses several modalities of massage and bodywork. All styles seek to reduce pain and strain, and are committed to treating the whole person.

Structural Integration
Read the full explanation of this powerful work here.

Swedish Massage, Sports Massage and Deep Tissue

A type of Western massage style performed on a Massage table, in which the client is nude or wears bottom briefs, and they are covered by a sheet except where they are being worked on. In this modality lotion or oil is applied to the client and techniques of kneading, stroking, friction, vibration, and passive body movement are used to induce a deeply relaxing experience. This modality is a great way to shift ones body/mind from an over stimulated sympathetic nervous state (i.e. one of stress and tension) to a relaxed parasympathetic nervous state (the state necessary to fall asleep).

The Benjamin Method of Orthopedic Massage for Soft Tissue Assessment and Treatment
Adhesive Scar Tissue forms as a result of most soft tissue injuries, whether it’s an acute injury (such as pain that lingers after spraining an ankle) or a progressive injury (caused by misuse, poor alignment, inactivity, or over-activity). This scar tissue can be the hidden cause of chronic or recurring pain, or pain patterns that have never fully resolved. Any movements that stress the scar tissue, either by stretching or compressing it, will typically cause pain.
The Orthopedic Assessment and Treatment approach is highly specific. When you come in, we will take a history of the issues you have experienced, and then do a series of orthopedic tests specific to the issue. These tests are designed to highlight the exact problem. It’s typical for scar tissue to cause pain only with very specific movements or only periodically, so it is not a problem if you are not currently experiencing pain when you come in.
Based on what we find, we will discuss the treatment plan. The number of sessions needed varies.

Visceral Manipulation (Barral)
Visceral Manipulation (VM) was developed by world-renowned French Osteopath and Physical Therapist Jean-Pierre Barral. It is based on the precise application of manual forces to encourage the normal mobility, tone and motion of the viscera and their ligaments and connective tissues. Visceral Manipulation is used to locate problem areas throughout the body. Treatment involves gentle yet deep techniques. It encourages the body’s own natural mechanisms to improve the functioning of organs, dissipate the negative effects of stress, enhance mobility of the musculoskeletal system through the connective tissue attachments, and influence general metabolism. VM increases proprioceptive communication within the body, thereby revitalizing a person and relieving symptoms of pain, dysfunction, and problematic posture.

If you would like to read more on Visceral Manipulation, please see the Barral Institute website.

Scar Tissue Release
Scar tissue release is appropriate for any type of scarring, including injury, surgery, joint replacement, implants, skin grafts, and burns.  This is a very light, gentle, process that can produce profound results in both surface and deep scar tissue.
Most scars can be addressed within the course of another type of session (KMI, massage etc.), when working with the area of the body in question. If the area of scarring is large, a session should be scheduled specifically for this purpose.  The technique is equally effective regardless of how long you have had the scar.