Why receive massage?
Massage has been used as a healing art for thousands of years. In our modern world, massage therapy has been a subject of research for decades. The benefits are acknowledged as both varied and far reaching. It’s usefulness stretches beyond relaxation and a break from a stressful day. Massage is commonly used in physical rehabilitation programs along with programs for improving or managing chronic conditions. It is useful with conditions such as chronic pain, fatigue, high blood pressure, immune suppression, depression, anxiety, migraines, reduced range of motion created by lack of movement or scar tissue, discomfort during pregnancy and labor and musculature over-use or injury . Massage is a valuable complimentary therapy for multiple medical treatments such as chiropractic care, physical therapy or psychotherapy. It is also a wonderful partner for physical activity and athletic training by improving muscle metabolism, decreasing recovery time, decreasing discomfort between exercise sessions and reducing the chance of injury. A good massage therapy session will decrease anxiety, enhance sleep, improve energy, concentration and circulation, reduce fatigue giving you an overall sense of well being. This is in addition to improvements in muscle and joint range of motion and reduction in physical pain or discomfort. |
What types of massage techniques are practiced at Misty Mountain Massage by Patty Collins, owner and licensed massage therapist?
I have extensive training in a variety of massage techniques. The majority of my massage sessions employ a mixture of these techniques during a massage session. The techniques that I specialize in are:
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How often should I receive massage?
The frequency of recommended massage therapy sessions is based on your goals and your body. In general, if you hope to make a long term change in your body then you will want to schedule massage therapy sessions weekly or bi-weekly for a duration of time. If your goal is to maintain a general sense of well-being or a short term change then less frequent massage such as once a month or when you feel it’s needed is sufficient. It is best to speak with your massage therapist about your goals and the two of you can then discuss what is a realistic schedule or plan for achieving these goals. |
What should I expect during a massage?
At the beginning of your massage therapy appointment you and your therapist will discuss your short and long term goals. There may be a short intake form with some general health questions including health history, especially regarding past injuries or surgeries and communicable disease. The most common type of massage therapy session uses a massage table and access to the clients skin in the areas the therapist will be working on. The therapist will step out of the room while the client dis-robes to their comfort level and positions themselves on the massage table covered with a drape. During the massage the therapist will uncover the part of the clients body that is currently being worked on leaving the majority of the body covered. The areas the therapist will normally work on during a full body massage will be the back, neck, shoulders, legs, arms, hands, feet, face and head. Depending on the clients goals, the session may not include all of these areas. |
What is medical massage?
The elements that create a medical massage can be summarized with three things: preparation, intention and records. Insurance companies provide medical massage coverage as part of many coverage plans. You will need a “massage referral” from your primary care physician or chiropractor. It is, in essences, a prescription for massage. On the referral the doctor will provide diagnosis codes for the conditions to be treated by massage therapy along with any additional instructions such as session duration and frequency guidelines. The massage therapy sessions and massage techniques used will be focused on the goals defined by your doctor. Notes will be taken before and after each appointment in order to keep a log of the sessions, changes and current conditions in regards to the goal or diagnosis defined by your doctor. A “non-medical” massage may be just as successful as a medical massage in creating the desired changes in the body. However, if there is no massage referral, diagnosis (defined problem) goal, notes kept and progress maintained, the medical community will not define the appointment as a medical massage and insurance companies will not provide payment. |
What are all the different types of massage and bodywork? How do I know what type of massage to receive?
There are hundreds of named body work therapies. They are often times called modalities, methods or techniques. As a consumer, it’s confusing. How do you know what your signing up for? In a nutshell, a massage therapist is always doing one or a combination of four things: push, pull, twist, and hold. What changes within these actions are variations in the therapists movements, such as speed and depth of work, which part of body the therapist uses (fingers, fists, elbows, feet) or the intention and goals regarding how the session effects the client (physical, mental, energetic). When a person feels that they have a specific massage or bodywork style and wish to teach it to others they will usually name their method, technique or modality and another type of massage is born. As a consumer, the most important thing to know are your personal goals and concerns. Discuss these things with the therapist when inquiring about an appointment. The therapist should be able to explain their techniques and specialties and help you decide what massage styles will be the most ideal for you. |