Massage will compliment your physical therapy and pilates exercise program by working through your tight, sore muscles allowing more freedom of movement.  Our therapist will select the appropriate techniques of deep tissue, sports massage, stretching and energy work to relax and revitalize your body.  Allow the healing touch of massage to help you today.

Massage Therapy is more than just pampering... it is also used to:

• Treat Migraines
• Reduce Anxiety
• Relieve Back Pain
• Lower Blood Pressure
• Ease Symptoms of Carpal Tunnel
• Alleviate Side Effects of Cancer Treatment

Neuromuscular Therapy – the most effective type of massage for lower back pain caused by soft tissue injury (such as a muscle strain).  Neuromuscular therapy (NMT) consists of alternating levels of concentrated pressure on the areas of muscle spasm. By definition, NMT is the utilization of static pressure on specific myofascial points to relieve pain.  This technique manipulates the soft tissue of the body (muscles, tendons and connective tissue) to balance the central nervous system.  In a healthy individual, nerves transmit impulses (which are responsible for every movement, function and though) to the body very slowly.  Injury, trauma, postural distortion or stress cause nerves to speed up their transmission, inhibiting equilibrium and making the body vulnerable to pain and dysfunction.

Reiki – a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing.  It is administered by “laying on hands” and is based on the idea that an unseen “life force energy” flows through us and is what causes us to be alive.  If one’s “life force energy” is low, then we are more likely to get sick or feel stress, and if it is high, we are more capable of being happy and healthy.  It is believed that reiki can relieve pain, boosts the immune system and relieves acute problems.

A treatment feels like a wonderful glowing radiance that flows through and around you.  Reiki treats the whole person including body, emotions, mind and spirit creating many beneficial effects that include relaxation and feelings of peace, security and wellbeing.

Myofascial release – a safe and very effective hands-on technique that involves applying gentle sustained pressure into the myofascial connective tissue restrictions to eliminate pain and restore motion.

To understand what Myofascial Release is and why it works, you have to understand a little about the fascia.  Fascia is a thin tissue that covers every muscle and every fiber within each muscle.  When muscle fibers are injured, the fibers and the fascia which surrounds the muscle become short and tight.  This uneven stress can be transmitted though the fascia to other parts of the body, causing pain and a variety of other symptoms in areas you often wouldn’t expect.  Myofascial Release treats these symptoms by releasing the uneven tightness in injured fascia.

Most patients are surprised by how gentle Myofascial Release is and find it to be a very relaxing form of treatment.  Myofascial Release is not massage.  It is used to equalize muscle tension throughout the body.  Unequal tension can compress nerves and muscles causing pain.

Swedish Massage – The term “Swedish Massage” refers to a variety of techniques specifically designed to relax muscles by applying pressure to them against deeper muscles and bones, and rubbing in the same direction as the flow of blood returning to the heart.

The main purpose of Swedish massage is to increase the oxygen flow in the blood and release toxins from the muscles.  Swedish massage shortens recovery time from muscular strain by flushing the tissues of lactic acid, uric acid and other metabolic wastes.  It increases circulation without increasing heart load.  It stretches the ligaments and tendons keeping them supple and pliable.  Swedish massage also stimulates the skin and nervous system and soothes the nerves themselves at the same time.  It reduces stress, both emotional and physical.

Sports Massage – This form of massage is typically used before, during, and after athletic events. The purpose of the massage is to prepare the athlete for peak performance, to drain away fatigue, to relieve swelling, to reduce muscle tension, to promote flexibility and to prevent injuries.

The main purpose of sports massage therapy is to help alleviate the stress and tension which builds up in the body?s soft tissues during physical activity. Sports massage can help prevent those niggling injuries that so often get in the way of performance and achievement, whether a person is an athlete or a once a week jogger.

Sarah Holland – Sarah has been Nationally Certified in Bodywork and Massage since 2000.  She received her original training at the Ann Arbor Institute of Massage Therapy where she learned advanced techniques including myofascial release, neuromuscular therapy and sports massage.  Sarah is also proficient at Swedish massage and is a practitioner of Reiki, an energy-balancing type of bodywork.  In addition, Sarah has completed the Personal Trainer program through the National Council on Strength and Fitness. Sarah's goal in massage is to treat the entire person with a focus on balance in body and mind. Sarah is a professional member of the American Massage Therapy Association.

Kerry Petty – Kerry graduated from Lansing Community College Massage.  Therapy Program where she currently serves as the therapist for the men’s and women’s basketball teams, the Track and Field team, and the men’s baseball team. She also is currently working with Michigan State University women’s softball team as their massage therapist. In addition to sports massage, Kerry serves her clients in a relaxed, soothing atmosphere using a variety of massage technique to release, relax and sooth tight muscles.