I get a lot of questions about how I work and what sort of treatment I give so I am going to go over how I work and what my treatment goals are when treating a patient.

The term Massage therapy covers a number of treatment modalities and styles. Every therapist has their own treatment focus, depth, and style. Finding a therapist that works for you can be daunting because of the many programs and courses available and also because there is no set standard for massage therapy training in Alberta.

I focus on the muscular and connective tissue components of the body. My treatment also has a strong focus on integrating the nervous system with the muscular and connective tissue system. I would consider my treatments deep but also easy on the nervous system. I believe, based on latest research, that connective tissue responds to intelligent manipulation in a painless and specific manner. Muscles on the other hand, respond better to specific treatment to the tight portions of the muscle. Traditional teachings have focused on 'stripping' of the muscle and I believe this to be a brute, and in some ways, dangerous way of manipulating connective and muscle tissue. Stripping can be painful and also activate the inflammatory process. Small amounts of stripping can be used in specific cases but, because most conditions requiring massage therapy are an inflammatory reaction to muscular stress, increasing inflammation is not a long term solution.

So really, you get the short term relief from stripping but long term, you do not improve your symptoms. In some cases, you actually make them worse. 

The painful part comes from the muscular work that I do. I focus on specific trigger points or the tight sections of the muscle.The pain is kept at a moderate level as not to activate the protective responses of the body and to not increase the inflammation in the area. Painless flushing is then done to move the metabolic waste and toxins that have built up in the muscle from the tension and muscle activation.

I believe you should see considerable results after the first treatment. Sometimes they are delayed, yes, to after the second treatment. I also believe you should have 75%-95% reduction of pain and symptoms for most muscular conditions with three of my treatments. The three treatments are usually completed over a 10-14 day period although this can be changed to the specific condition treated.

You should not bruise with the treatments that I give. Unless you are on blood thinners, have a blood condition, or have extremely sensitive skin, I believe bruising should never be a part of massage therapy. For those that have any of these conditions, the treatment will be modified. Bruising can be a regular part of a Rolfing treatment but I think that only a small part of the population need this sort of work. Why do I think this? Because most people who maintain a healthy lifestyle and weight can maintain their bodies by maintaining a stretching program, such as with Yoga classes, regular massage, a dynamic fitness program. 

Questions and comments are always welcome if you want to know more. If you have a specific condition that you have questions about, I can help you with treatment ideas even if I can't help directly.

I hope this give you a good idea of what to expect and what you will get when booking with me. I hope to see you soon!