Clinical massage (distinct from spa massage) looks to achieve functional goals with measurable outcomes. Common goals are pain relief, tension reduction, injury recovery, improved posture, and increased range of motion. It also encompasses Medical Massage and Sports Massage

Bodywork is an umbrella term for many styles of touch therapy, so massage is included under that umbrella. I use the term bodywork because a few of the modalities I offer don’t fit into the massage category. Those styles include cupping, Craniosacral therapy, sensory repatterning, energy work, and structural integration.

We will go over your goals, expectations, health history, and desired outcomes before treatment begins to help determine what styles of massage and bodywork to utilize. I’ll explain what you can expect from my work and how to communicate your needs and preferences so you can get the most out of every session and be as comfortable as possible.

The short answer is no, it shouldn’t be. Can it be uncomfortable at times? Likely, yes, depending on the style of bodywork. This is where communication is really key to achieiving an ideal session. Every person’s level of preference for pressure is different, and can also change session to session. In general, I aim for pressure to be at a level of mild discomfort which feels useful and pleasurable without causing pain that causes tensing, cringing, or breath-holding (though some people know that this level of intensity is more helpful to them and can let me know this). We use the therapeutic zone of mild discomfort because we are most likely to see very effective release without causing soreness.

No, active movement is not required in any session, and I will ask you before a session if you would like to do movements or not. Why do we use them? Active movements are used to create a neuromuscular (mind to muscle) connection that offers greater body awareness and control, and faster, longer lasting change. This happens in part because your nervous system is more engaged in the process and ‘remembers’ the more relaxed, better aligned position. We often get stuck in patterns of restriction from poor posture, injury, repetitive strain, muscle imbalance, so we can use movement re-education to create a new neuromuscular pathway to restore ideal alignment and movement.

“I don’t want to work, I just want to relax. Will I still get the same benefits?” You are absolutely encouraged to get what you need and you’ll definitely still see benefits without active movements, especially if getting to relax/zone out/meditate while working out tension is what you look forward to most in a massage. All the benefits are the same, but working out certain holding patterns related to alignment, chronic pain, and/or injury may just take a little longer to work out.

“What if I want a little of both?” You can have it! Many people like to do active movement half the session, and relax and enjoy passive movement the other half. This is typically what I recommend and prefer myself. Others like to alternate one session as a ‘working’ session and the next as a ‘resting’ session.