top of page

 Bodywork Techniques

     Performance is many different things to many different people.  No human body is exactly the same, so for that reason, no pain condition should be approached in the same manner.  My sessions are based on the individuals and what your needs are to create function and performance that we need. This is why no two sessions are the same. Sessions may involve one specific treatment or a combination of treatments in order to resolve the issue or issues. One can certainly request a specific type of treatment for a session. All of my services are based on one Price for a given session whether it includes bio freeze, heat therapy, ice therapy, kinesio tape, ART or any other treatment. These are some of the hands on solutions and advanced world class techniques to help people eliminate pain, improve performance and restore healthy movement. 

​

​

A.R.T. (Active release techniques)

 

 

What is Active Release Techniques (ART) to Individuals, Athletes and Patients?

 

ART is a patented, state of the art soft tissue system/movement based massage technique that treats problems with muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia and nerves.  Headaches, back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, shin splints, shoulder pain, sciatica, plantar fasciitis, knee problems, and tennis elbow are just a few of the many conditions that can be resolved quickly and permanently with ART.  These conditions all have one important thing in common: they are often a result of overused muscles. Most healthcare providers use techniques of massage, trigger point, electrical modalities and ultrasound with varying degrees of specificity to treat soft tissue problems.  These all provide reasonable results but there is a much better way. 

 

 

 

How do overuse conditions occur?

 

Over-used muscles (and other soft tissues) change in three important ways:

  • acute conditions (pulls, tears, collisions, etc)

  • accumulation of small tears (micro-trauma)

  • not getting enough oxygen (hypoxia)

 

 

​

 

 

 

 

​

 

 

Each of these factors can cause your body to produce tough, dense scar tissue in the affected areas.  This scar tissue binds up and ties down tissue that need to move freely.  As scar tissue builds up, muscles become shorter and weaker, tension on tendons causes tendonitis, and nerves can become trapped.  This can cause reduced range of motion, loss of strength, and pain.  If a nerve is trapped you may also feel tingling, numbness and weakness.

 

What is an ART treatment like?

 

Every ART session is actually a combination of examination and treatment.  The ART provider uses his or her hands to evaluate the texture, tightness and movement of muscles, fascia, tendons, ligaments and nerves.  Abnormal tissues are treated by combining precisely directed tension with very specific patient movements.  These treatment protocols- over 800 specific moves- are unique to ART.  They allow providers to identify and correct the specific problems that are affecting each individual patient.  ART is not a cookie-cutter approach.  While patients often require an average of four A.R.T. treatments to resolve an issue completely, the first treatment delivers relief from symptoms and the ability to return immediately to an ordinary workload, and the entire process comes at a much lower cost than the typical treatment process involving advanced medical technology and pharmaceuticals. 

 

What is the history of Active Release Techniques?

 

ART has been developed, refined, and patented by P. Michael Leahy, DC, CCSP.  Dr. Leahy noticed that his patients’ symptoms seemed to be related to changes in their soft tissue that could be felt by hand.  By observing how muscles, fascia, tendons, ligaments and nerves responded to different types of work, Dr. Leahy was able to consistently resolve over 90% of his patients’ problems all over the world to use ART.  

 

FST  (Fascial Stretch Therapy)
​

What is Fascia (fas-ci-a)?

Fascia is the connective tissue system of the body that penetrates through and wraps around every muscle, nerve, and organ in your body.

​

What is different about FST?

​

Fascial Stretch Therapy describes and explains a unique system of manual therapy. It improves mobility of your nerves and flexibility of your muscles and fascia. Other methods focus on isolated muscle stretching which is often uncomfortable or even painful and results or only temporary.  FST first developed by the authors in the early 1990's the method is now recognizes as being a fast and effective therapy for restoring and maintaining healthy neurological, musculoskeletal and fascial systems.  FST also rapidly helps clients with a variety of chronic, unresponsive pain conditions, strength imbalance and other common neromusculosketal disorders.

​
​
Hawk Grips  I.A.S.T.M

 

What is I.A.S.T.M?

 

 

Instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization (I.A.S.I.M.) is growing in popularity due to its ability to treat a multitude of conditions.  The treatment is non-invasive and uses uniquely designed stainless steel instruments to break down scar tissue.  Similar to how a comb brushes out knots in hair, the instruments are used to smooth out soft tissue abnormalities, improving range of motion and decreasing pain.

 

What does treatment involve?

 

Your clinical will assess your condition, evaluating strength and range of motion in order to determine the appropriate treatment.  A typical I.A.S.T.M. session includes a warm-up (hot pack or exercise), the instruments being used, stretching, and then a rehabilitative exercise.  Many patients see significant results in just a few sessions.

 

What can I expect?

 

I.A.S.T.M. can result in tenderness of the treatment area as the healing process initiates.  Any discomfort can typically be controlled with stretching and rest.  It is recommended that you drink six to eight glasses of water per day.  Proper hydration is imperative to foster proper healing.

 

Why HawkGrips?

 

The instruments are uniquely designed with specific edges to ensure precise treatment.  This increases more immediate response and decreases treatment time.  HawkGrips are the finest soft tissue instruments ever made and are used by teams in the NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL, as well as the United States Military, and the Olympic Teams. These world class organizations demand the best and so should you.  

​

Kinesio Tape Method

 

 

 

What is Kinesio tape? 

 

Kinesio Tape, also called Kinesio Tex Tape, is the original elastic adhesive tape developed by Dr. Kenzp Kase in 1979.  Chinese Tape is latex-free, hypoallergenic and wearable for days at a time.  It is safe for populations from elite athletes, weekend warriors to geriatric and pediatric patients.

 

The Kinesio Taping Method is designed to facilitate the body’s natural healing process while allowing support and stability to muscles and joints without restricting the body’s range of motion.  It is used to successfully treat a variety of orthopedic, neuromuscular, neurological and medical conditions.  

 

How does Kinseio Tape Work? 

 

Kinesio Tape is applied along muscles, ligaments, and tendons (soft tissue) to provide a lightwieght, external support that helps you remain active while revering from injuries.  It creates neuromuscular feedback (called proprioception) that inhibits (relaxes) or facilitates stronger firing of muscles and tendons without the bulk and restriction commonly associated with wraps and heavy bracing.allowing for a decrease in inflammation, reducing pressure while enabling a more effective flow of blood and lymphatic fluid in and out of the target area. 

 

 

Who is it for?

 

Whether you’re training for our first marathon, getting ready for your next game, reaching a personal fitness goal, or just trying to get through the day, you already know that nothing slows you down faster than pain and injury.  KT Tape is lightweight, comfortable to wear, and can be used for hundreds of common injuries such as lower back pain, knee pain, shin splints, carpal tunnel syndrome, and tennis elbow, just to name a few. 

​

DMS (Deep Muscle Stimulator)

 

One of the most effective tools a massage therapist/ body workers can integrate into a session is called the DMS.  The DMS uses percussion, mechanical vibrations that reach deep into the muscle tissue to stimulate proprioceptive functions. This vibrational therapy tool is used for the deepest penetrating massage and helps to breakdown adhesions, scar tissue, and light muscles  that create a pain and rob you of optional functioning and performance.    No other device on the market matches the effectiveness of DMS.

 

Deep, rapid, short duration percussion is the key to the elimination of pain.  The DMS can be used in effective management of acute and chronic pain, not exclusive to, but including: migraine headaches, sciatica, TMJ, carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, bursitis, edema, myofacial pain and frozen joints. 

 

The DMS provides deep muscle tissue with kinetic forms of percussion and concussion vibration, which in turn facilitates the client or athlete with the benefits of: 

 

 

​

​

  •     Increased circulation

  •     Reduced pain

  •     Faster rehabilitation from injury

  •     Increased lymphatic flow

  •     Break up of muscular scar tissue

  •     Reduced lactic acid build up

  •     Tissue Regeneration

  •     Soft & Active tissue release

 

 

 

​

 

 

The DMS therapy can relieve deep seated muscle pain and accelerate tissue repair with DMS therapy.  The DMS  therapy is an excellent tool to be used pre or post workout, class,  or a desired time based on your schedule and needs.  DMS can be infused with any of the sessions or  you can get a stand alone DMS sessions as well. 

​

FMS (Functional Movement Screen)

 

 

 

 

The Functional Movement Screen is a rating and ranking system that captures fundamental movement patterns, motor control, and fundamental movement patterns.  The core focus of the movement screen is to emphasize movement quality over quantity, and to identify any movement deficiencies or limitations. Since the body is complex, it is necessary to address movement patterns as a whole, rather than evaluating isolated joint measurements when trying to determine inefficiencies. 

 

It seems more and more of today’s individuals are working harder to become stronger and healthier.  These individuals are constantly working to improve their activities by increasing their flexibility, strength, endurance, and power. Athletes and individuals are performing high-level activities even though they are inefficient in their fundamental movements.  These individuals create poor movement patterns, train around a pre-existing problem or simply do not train their weakness during their strength and conditioning  programs.  The idea is to individualize each workout program based on the person’s weak link and is a physical or functional limitation.   If this weak link is not identified, the body will compensate, causing inefficient movements.  It is this type of inefficiency that can cause a decrease in performance and an increase in injuries. 

 

The Functional Movement Screen has been shown to predict and reduce the likelihood of injury.  This has been tested in the NFL and the FMS is now part of the NFL Combine.  The United States Marine Corps utilizes the FMS for specialized communities within that branch.  It is also used in several college football programs and with many professional golfers.   Titleist Performance Institute uses the FMS to assess golfers and their unique movement dysfunctions. 

​

True Stretch Cage

​

​

The ultimate in flexibility training

The true stretch was developed by internationally renowned physical therapist Gary Gray and is used by a number of top professional and collegiate teams as well as many professional athletes and their personal trainers. It is also featured at many of the top resort spas around the globe because true stretch is the most effective piece of equipment available for maximizing flexibility tri-plane range of motion. The Revolutionary true stretch provides a dedicated, self-contained stretching area that allows users a safe platform for comprehensive stretching to increase flexibility and reduce the risk of injury.

​

 Power Plate Pro5HP

The Power Plate vibrates up and down, side-to-side, and front-to-back, destabilizing the body and promoting the reflexive engagement of soft tissue. Involuntary muscle activity promotes quick, reflexive responses in muscle fibers and an increase in circulation. That means development in whole–body balance, mobility and stability, strength and motor control (muscle memory), in a shorter time frame than with traditional methods.

 

Massage on a Power Plate stimulates lymphatic flush, eases pain, promotes faster recovery of damaged muscles and tendons, improves joint function, and helps you return stronger–all in only a few minutes. And even beyond that, you can exercise using a Power Plate with less chance of strain due to the patented multi–directional vibration. With regular use, you’ll find that you prepare faster, perform better and recover quicker.

bottom of page