HEALING HORIZONS THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE LLC
ANN MARIE MCGOWAN LMT

Advanced Therapies

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  • Neuromuscular Therapy
  • Myofascial Release 
  • Trigger Point Therapy 
  • Deep Tissue Therapy

 

Neuromuscular Therapy

Definition

Neuromuscular therapy is a system of integrated massage techniques which provide a holistic approach to:

  • Encouraging the body’s own power to heal itself
  • Balancing the body’s central nervous system with the musculoskeletal system
  • Imprinting new learning patterns on the motor control center of the brain and replacing damaged imprints
  • Understanding the formation, etiology and treatment of myofascial trigger points 

Treatment

  • Treatment focuses on:
    • Myofascial trigger points that cause referred pain
    • Local ischemia
    • Nerve interferences
    • Postural and biomechanical dysfunctions
  • Techniques may include, but are not limited to, myofascial release, cranial manipulation and myofascial trigger point therapy

 Benefits 

  • Rebuild the strength of injured tissues
  • Assist venous and lymphatic flow
  • Restore postural alignment, proper biomechanics, and flexibility to the tissues
  • Eliminate the cause of acute or chronic myofascial, muscular or osseous pain and discomfort

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Myofascial Release

Definition

  • Myofascial Release is a system of integrated massage techniques that include, but are not limited to, sustained pressure and slow movement applied to the fascial system.
  • Fascial connective tissue is a layer just beneath the skin and forms a continuous multidimensional net throughout the entire body organizing the muscles into functional groups and wrapping each individual muscle.
  • This technique recognizes that a muscle cannot be isolated from the other structures of the body; therefore releases restriction throughout the fascial, musculoskeletal and integumentary systems.

Treatment

The practitioner:

  1. performs a visual structural assessment of the body,
  2. palpates the tissue texture of various fascial layers,
  3. locates an area of fascial tension and
  4. applies appropriate technique(s). The direction, force and duration of the technique(s) that facilitate maximum release of restricted tissues are determined by how the clients body responses to the technique(s). Client verbal feedback is crucial to support affective treatment approach.

Benefits

  • Eliminate pain
  • Increase joint range of motion
  • Allow the fascial connective tissue fibers to reorganize back to a higher state of functionality
  • Balance the body
  • Facilitate the emergence and release of emotional patterns that are no longer relevant

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Trigger Point Therapy

Definition

  • Trigger Point Therapy is a form of body work that focuses on the trigger points located in skeletal muscle tissue. Trigger points are hyperirritable spots located in a taut (tightly stretched) band of skeletal muscle fiber. 
  • The term trigger point is also referred to as myofascial trigger points. The definition of the prefix” Myo” is muscle. Fascial connective tissue is a layer just beneath the skin and forms a continuous multidimensional net throughout the entire body organizing the muscles into functional groups and wrapping each individual muscle. Therefore, this technique recognizes that a muscle cannot be isolated from the fascial connective tissue. 

Treatment

  • Treatment will include compressing the trigger point to move trapped blood and lymph fluid out of the muscle. The lymph contains the accumulated waste that has generated by the continuously contracted skeletal muscles fibers. Each time pressure is released; fresh blood immediately flows into the muscle bringing oxygen and nutrients.
  • Compression of a trigger point may elicit local tenderness, referred pain and/or localized twitch response (a brief spontaneous contraction).
  • The level of pressure applied to the trigger point and the technique utilized is determined based on client feedback and is modified to support the clients comfort level.

 Benefits

  • Eliminate pain and re-educate the muscles into pain-free movement
  • Increase joint range of motion
  • Relieve tension
  • Improve circulation, flexibility and coordination 

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Deep Tissue Therapy

Definition

Deep Tissue Massage is a form of body work that focuses on the deeper layers of skeletal muscle tissue.

Treatment

  • Treatment is focused on releasing chronic stress areas that may be as a result of skeletal misalignment, repetitive joints motions and past lingering injuries.
  • The client may experience tenderness during the bodywork; therefore treatment will only be initiated with the informed consent from the client.
  • Techniques may include, but are not limited to, slow strokes, deep direct compression and deep, non-gliding strokes that moves across the grain of the muscle fibers.

Benefits

  • Relieve chronic muscular pain
  • Release deeply-held patterns of tension/stress
  • Remove toxins
  • Prevent muscular injury
  • Break up scar tissue
  • Lengthen muscle

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