SERVICES
HOPE HEAD MASSAGE
Hope Head Massages will be a therapeutic treatment or relaxation treatment. The treatment will include modalities like craniosacral, jaw and scalp work, facial, all neck muscles and essential oils. These sessions can be 30 or 45 minutes long.
​
​
​
People who can benefit from these sessions:
​
-
anyone with headaches
-
jaw pain
-
clenching
-
current stressful situations happening in your life
-
old injuries to your head or neck like whiplash or concussions
-
difficulties sleeping
​
​
​
​
Why get a Hope Head Massage?
​
-
encourage blood circulation to the head
-
help provide relief from a migraine
-
helps increase memory
-
helps decrease blood pressure
-
helps dealing with stress
-
help cure insomnia
MANUAL OSTEOPATHIC THERAPY (MOT)
Manual Osteopathic Therapy is a whole body healing through the art of hands on treatment working with the body as a single unit. By reversing the body’s mechanical movement and physiological interruptions that formed (restrictions), for the body to naturally heal.
​
​
​
The type of modalities used during treatments are:
​
-
Visceral Manipulation - treatment to the lungs, esophagus, liver, stomach, pancreas, spleen, uterus, ovaries, kidneys and more.
-
Cranial Osteopathy - gentle techniques to assess and treat the motility of the skull and cerebral fluid.
-
Soft Tissue Manipulation - used to help the tissues move fluids of blood, lymph and circulation into the areas that need attention.
-
Osteoarticulation Manipulation - used to easy muscle spasms around a joint, reduce irritation to a nerve, reduce pain and to allow more movement into a joint area.
​
​
Sometimes all or just a few of these will be used in a treatment. It will depend on what is going on in your body.
​
​
How does Manual Osteopathic Therapy work?
​
By using non-invasive manual techniques I can correct (not manipulate) and restore movement to the area. This will allow fluid flow of lymph and blood to the different structures in the body allowing the natural healing process to work more efficiently.
​
​
​
The Intent
​
The intent at Hope Therapeutic Massage is to find the main cause and work to restore it by doing a thorough assessment, treatment and reassess the restricted area. I will ask in-depth questions about the client's life style, family history, birth story, primary concern, and more to approach the problem from all areas of the body. Some restrictions will need more than one session depending on how chronic the condition.
​
​
What to expect in your session?
​
The first session will be longer than the rest to give adequate time for patient-therapist discussion. We will always begin with a complete health history form you fill out online, and discuss your goals and problems you'd like addressed in person. Then full assessment, treatment plan and reassessment will occur.
Your follow up sessions will likely be shorter depending on your concerns, system of the body to assess, reassessing, treatment and discussion.
​
​
​
​
What should I bring to my first session?
​
You do not have to bring anything. Just make sure to wear comfortable clothing like yoga gear.
​
​
​
What should I expect from a MOT Osteoarticulation correction?
​
MOT corrections are soft and gentle, unlike Chiropractic adjustments which are high velocity movements. The client is in complete control of the contractions when the correction is bring implemented. The client may feel a mild stretch when the therapist corrects them. Sometimes there is a sensation of structure movement but often it is too mild and gentle to be felt or heard.
​
​
Who can benefit from MOT corrections?
​
-
anyone with discomfort in any part of their body (especially when other modalities haven't helped)
-
osteoarticulation corrections (muscleskeletal corrections)
-
digestion issues
-
pelvic disorders like - issues conceiving or disturbed ovulation
-
chronic issues from Motor Vehicle Accidents (MVA)
-
difficulties sleeping
-
TMJ dysfunction/pain
-
Brain fog or memory difficulties
-
Head and neck problems, throat problems or difficulties chewing or swallowing
-
any type of post partum concerns
-
and many more
​
​
THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE (DEEP TISSUE)
Therapeutic/deep tissue massage is the most common style of massage that I like to use for every client. The intent is to focus on the actual health problem, pain or dysfunction. I recommend more than one treatment; a treatment plan will be put into place with potential home care exercises. Therapeutic massage helps relieve pain, reduce stress, and increase circulation throughout the body that can treat specific issues like headaches or frozen shoulders.
​
There are three components I always take into consideration when working with clients:
1. Looking at the body as a whole
2. Shorten muscle tissue that can not function fully
3. Soft tissue responds to touch
​
The difference between therapeutic and deep tissue massage
There is often a misunderstanding as to what the difference is between therapeutic massage and deep tissue massage.
Therapeutic massage focuses on working adhesions/knots that are felt throughout the body. This style of massage doesn't always have a flow to it. There is a lot of manipulation to the tissues from superficial to deep layers, working front and back of the joint affected and potentially small movements to the joints, depending on your condition.
Deep tissue massage is a style used in therapeutic treatments. It is a style of physically and localizing breaking down the adhesions/knots to relieve pain and restore normal movement. It is often used for chronic conditions when previous modalities of Swedish techniques, stretching or trigger point do not respond to the tissues. Deep tissue will be applied by finger, fists, palms or elbows through a direct pressure. But this is not what deep pressure means. Deep tissue is very localized, direct pressure, results oriented treatment for a specific injured.
It is important to communicate and let me know the pressure used during these treatments because everyone's pain tolerance is different.
​
Therapeutic (deep tissue) massage can help with the following conditions:
-
Headaches
-
Low back pain
-
Tendonitis (golfers or tennis elbow)
-
Any arthritic conditions like Rheumatoid Arthritis, Osteoarthritis, or Ankylosing Spondylitis
-
Whiplash associated disorders
-
Strains and sprains
-
Muscle spasms
-
Stiffness or increase flexibility
-
Pain management
-
Recovery from injury or surgery
-
and more
MYOFASICAL CUPPING MASSAGE
Myofascial cupping massage has been a extra tool added for further health treatment to your recovery. The pliable soft edge silicon cups are used during a treatment in combination with a therapeutic massage. This is great to increase the depth of my treatments by adding kinetic mobilization to each treatment to reach the fascia.
​
What is cupping?
Cupping is a soft tissue therapy that encourages gliding pressurized cups over the body. The suction of the cups create a vacuum and a negative pressure perfect for tissue lift and separations. This will create a perfect environment for releasing fluids and metabolic wastes stagnate in the area. This negative pressure creates a lifting action in the tissues which is different from the compression of a massage technique and it results in a highly effective separation of tissue layers. The myofascial tissues get released by the lifting of these tissues, and loosening of adhesions.
​
Benefits to cupping:
-
Mobilize toxins sitting in the tissues
-
Better myofascial release
-
More effective manual lymph drainage
-
Release of synovial fluid in joint areas (increase flexibility)
-
Helps mobilize congestion and ease restrictions found in the rib cage area
-
Improve overall sports or muscle performance
-
Increased relaxation
-
Longer lasting and more extensive results
-
If pregnant and never received treatments prior, then wait till your second trimester
-
and more ​
RELAXATION MASSAGE (SWEDISH)
Relaxation Swedish massage is the most commonly used massage in the western world. The intent for relaxation massage is to calm and/or de-stress the mind, body, emotions and your well-being. Often the techniques I use in relaxation massages are long flowing strokes, some friction, light stripping and effleruage (flushing) of the tissues. I like to incorporate the whole body which includes front and back of the legs, back, shoulders, neck, arms, feet, hands and head. If you do not want some areas worked on, just let me know. It is all up to your comfort level. Relaxation massage is a great type of massage to try for the first time and usually I would recommend a 60 minute session to receive the full experience of relaxing.
​
Relaxation massage can help in the following ways:
-
Lower blood pressure to reduce anxiety and depression
-
Control stress hormones
-
Improve sleep
-
Can provide more energy
-
Help strengthen the immune system
-
Help improve circulation
-
Promotes muscle relaxation
-
and more
RAPID NEUROFASCIAL RESET (NFR)
LOWER BODY
Rapid neurofascial reset is a new soft tissue therapeutic technique which uses movement of the muscles to tackle the central nervous system to reduce pain and/or restriction in muscles, tendons, fascia, nerves and ligaments.
​
A lot of our pain is often a direct result of hypersensitivity to the nervous system due to past injuries,
emotional/physical/mental stresses or surgeries. Once the body is stressed the brain sends a lock down in the bodies tissues through:
-
acute injuries (pulls, tears, collisions, etc)
-
a build up of small tears (micro-trauma)
-
not getting enough oxygen (hypoxia)
​
Each of the reasons above can cause the brain to lock down the neurological signal to the tissue producing the pain so it won't be able to move and function fully in its range of motion. This neurological lock will start to build up into an adhesion and restrict the tissues from moving which, over time, will cause the muscles to become shorter and weaker, tendons will create tendinitis, and the nerves will get trapped.
​
What does treatment look like
Every time you come, each session will be a combination of assessment and treatment. I will evaluate the tendons, muscles, ligaments or fascia. Once the adhesion is identified, I will apply pressure to the area and the client will move their body in a specific way.
These treatments will potentially be uncomfortable during the movement phase, especially the first movement. This will happen because the neurological system is being stimulated to restore back to its normal function.
​
How to prepare before and after a treatment
Drink lots of water before and after your sessions. The body is comprised of 60% of water that we need in order to help remove wastes from cells, bring nutrients to your cells, aide in digesting food, and regulate body temperature.
During your treatment, you will be fully clothed in yoga material or work out gear. Clothing that is movable will be best. Do not wear anything with buttons or thick pockets, for example jeans.
After the treatment, you may feel tender to the touch. Best is not to apply anything to it as you let your body do the natural flushing. I would recommend going about doing your regular activities after the session.
​
Why choose RAPID?
This new technique, developed by therapists Robert & Shelly Routledge, is effective and takes less treatments overall to get better. The required treatment is 30 or 45 minutes, maximum. This treatment will help clients, who are very active, to return to their regular activities again.
​
RAPID of the lower body can help in the following ways:
-
Shin splints
-
Sciatica
-
Plantar fasciitis
-
Knee problems
-
Bunions and arthritic joints
-
Iliotibial band syndrome
-
Bursitis
-
Post knee and hip surgery
-
and more
ADVANCE ORTHOPEDIC MASSAGE (AOM)
I was super thankful to receive a certificate of completion for this course from Seminars for Health a few years ago. The style of wave mobilization, muscle energy techniques, and certain hand placement has given me tools in my belt during my treatments to advance my approach further for my clients' recovery through pain and stress. AOM will create a change in the neuromuscularskeletal (nerves, muscles and bones) soft tissue to promote healing to the body by;
-
repositioning the soft tissue
-
unwind the abnormal twisted knots in the muscle fibers
-
renew the normal alignment of soft tissue
-
encourage cellular activity to create a electric current repair
-
begin repairing the body
-
create movement of the fluids in the body
This style of massage can be used and adjusted for many different kind of conditions but also has a few contraditions. Best would be to discuss your concerns in person with myself or check with your doctor to decide if these techniques would benefit you.
​
AOM can help in the following ways:
-
Low back pain
-
Muscle Strains
-
Piriformis Syndrome
-
Sacroiliac (S.I) Dysfunction or any joint dysfunction
-
Arthritis
-
Spondylosis (Disc Degeneration)
-
Emotional tension
-
Poor posture
-
Excessive sitting
-
Muscle imbalances
-
Fatigue
-
and more
PRENATAL MASSAGE THERAPY
I always enjoy working with pregnant women in all stages of trimester. I will focus on the expecting mother and baby's safety by adjusting pressure, techniques and body positioning on the table. I can offer two ways to be relaxed on the table by using pillows to side lie or body pillows to lie face down (prone). Massage therapy is a excellent drug free choice to treat muscle tension, rib discomfort, edema, siatica and any kind of discomfort associated with pregnancy.
​
Prenatal massage can help in the following ways:
-
Contributes to an overall sense of well being
-
Relaxes both body and mind for mom and baby
-
Decreases edema through increase circulation and lymphatic systems
-
Reduces muscle tension and backaches
-
Reduces headaches
-
Stimulates endorphin release (which is a natural pain killer produced in our body)
-
Increases your energy
-
Decreases the stress on your weight bearing joints such as the back, hips, knees and ankles
-
Promotes posture realignment
-
and more
CHILD MASSAGE THERAPY
Child massage will range from the ages of 6 to 17 years at Hope Therapeutic Massage. I like to focus on physical strain and anxiety relief for children during their massages. Many children are active with sports creating strain on back, legs or shoulders with sports like hockey, dance, gymnastics, baseball, etc. In school, they often have poor posture due to heavy book bags and poor ergonomics at their desks, stress from exams and sports competitions, as well as headaches or neck strain from continuously looking down at electric devices.
​
Treatment times will vary with the child. Some younger children can only handle 30 - 45 minutes massages due to their attention span. If you are not sure how long of a treatment to book, just contact me to discuss your child's massage goals. I also ask that you stay during your child massage appointment. If they are over 15 years of age, you can sign our DEPENDENT CONSENT FORM FOR MASSAGE THERAPY allowing the child to receive a massage, accompanied or not accompanied by a parent during their sessions.
​
Child massage therapy can help in the following ways:
-
Reduce stress hormones and anxiety especially during exam time
-
Promote postural alignment
-
Helps children sleep better
-
Can help to be more calm, creative and increase their ability to concentrate
-
Enhance breathing for children with asthma
-
Overall sense of well being
-
Reduce pain
-
and more