San Diego Massage Therapy Services

The term, "Deep Tissue" is actually a misnomer as this type of massage generally isn't painful and should never cause bruising. This style of bodywork is geared towards helping you find relief from chronic areas of stress due to repetitive motions and past lingering injuries. Using an understanding of kinesiology and how injuries can occur, many different techniques are used in this type of work. Basically, the goal of this type of bodywork is to aid in the recovery from injuries by promoting better tissue health.

We will also go over your daily activities, such as your sitting, running and sleeping habits to determine if there are any changes that can be made to help promote faster recovery and from preventing re-injury.

What does Certified Orthopedic Massage mean?

First, I'll begin by writing about orthopedic massage. Orthopedic massage is a system used within a particular type of training to help clients find relief for certain conditions, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, plantar fasciitis, knee pain, hip pain, low back pain and generally any pain caused by dysfunction of the soft-tissues or muscles of the body. So, orthopedic massage really isn't one specific technique, but rather an understanding of a set of principles and how to best use them for the result in the relief of disorders and dysfunction of the musculoskeletal system.

Orthopedics is the branch of medical science that deals with prevention or correction of disorders involving locomotor structures of the body especially the skeleton, joints, muscles, fascia and other supporting structures such as ligaments and cartilage (1). Thus, orthopedic massage is a modality (or type) of massage that seeks to address orthopedic conditions (those pain and injuries affecting the locomotor of soft tissues) (2).

There are four basic components to orthopedic massage and they include:

1. Assessment - It is actually considered out of the scope of practice (beyond the training) of a massage therapist to diagnose any condition. Assessment does not mean the therapist is diagnosing your condition, it is used as a means for the therapist to determine which specific massage tecnique/s would be most effective and where the massage techniques are best utilized for the most effective benefit in relieving pain.

2. Matching the type of massage applied to the type of injury or dysfunction - Each type of massage technique, whether it be myofascial release, trigger point therapy, or friction therapy results in a specific outcome created within the tissues of the body, or physiological effect. For example, if a condition is caused by nerve compression ( such as carpal tunnel), a technique like friction may further irritate the nerve creating more discomfort. A therapist trained in orthopedic massage will understand which type of massage is most beneficial to help relieve pressure from the compressed nerve. So basically, an orthopedic massage therapist will understand which techniques will aggravate the condition and which ones are helpful.

3. Treatment adaptability - The orthopedic massage therapist is educated in multiple techniques used to relieve injury and pain. Being trained in a variety of techniques, the therapist can choose from their "toolbox" which one the client will respond best. Every body is different and what might work for one client, may not work for another.

4. Appropriate use of rehabilitation protocol - The typical protocol for rehabilitation from an injury is: normalize soft tissue function; improve flexibility; restore proper movement patterns; strengthen and condition tissues (3). There are certain aspects to this protocol that are considered out of scope of practice for the typical massage therapist. However, the therapist trained in orthopedic massage principles will have a referral network in place to be able to refer the client to another healthcare provider for restoring movement patterns, strengthening and conditioning exercises.

This type of therapy is on the cutting edge of manual therapy and is based on the recent science that deals with understanding our nervous system. DNM addresses the neural component of pain, which many other types of therapy have completely ignored. In fact, it is our nerves creating the pain we feel, not our muscles!

Our skin is loaded with thousands of nerve endings that come up into the skin from deeper layers of tissues in the body. When a muscle is under a constant state of contraction, a nerve can become "caught up" within the fascia of the skin and in order to ensure it continues to receive oxygen and other nutrients, the nerve will send out signals of pain and/or tension to restrict the surrounding area.

DNM is very gentle and consist of a light "skin pulling" to release the entrapped nerve. Nerves need blood, space and movment and the DNM work allows for that to happen. Although this work is very gentle, it is extremely effective and produces lasting results.

DNM allows the nervous system to "reset itself" and learn to move without pain. When the pain has diminished, there is improved movement and this leads to overall tissue health.

Here are some interesting facts about our nervous system:

1. The nervous system has its own blood supply,

2. The nervous system has the capacity to create inflammation in muscles and other tissues of the body by releasing certain types of chemicals.

3. Nerve tension is what creates the ropey feel of "tight" muscles.

4. When you have impaired range of motion (having trouble moving your arm, leg or neck as far as you once could) it's NOT the muscles that are restricting movement---it's the nerves trying to protect themselves from being loaded under further tension!

Neuromuscular Therapy

A trigger point is a small contraction knot in muscle tissue. Not only does the trigger point maintain a hard contraction of the muscle fibers, but it also affects the muscle by keeping it tight and weak. The constant tension can produce symptoms in adjacent joints and other parts of the surrounding area, also known as referred pain.

Trigger points, which are not to be confused with acupressure points or tender points, can cause problems such as headaches, neck and back pain, joint pain and other types of pain and dysfunction in the body. Neuromuscular Therapy helps to break the muscle contraction, improve the surrounding tissue and help get the muscle back to its normal resting length and strength. NMT is usually used in the treatment plan with other forms of therapeutic massage.

Working out the trigger points is just one step in neuromuscular therapy. For long term relief, it is important to determine why the trigger points are there in the first place and then make changes in poor postural and movement habits to keep them from returning.

Because of recent information regarding the nervous system and the neural component of pain, I am now using DMN (dermoneuromodulation) techniques to allow for the relief of both tender points and the trigger points of the body.

Muscle Release Technique (MRT)

RUIT is a combination of stretch and pressure techniques based on the Aaron Mattes Isolated Stretching method. Highly beneficial for the relief of many neck, shoulder and hip problems. Used in conjunction with other modalities offered in your treatment session.

Sports Massage

Type of massage designed for highly active people who engage in athletics. Engaging in sports is harsh on the body and can often lead to injuries in both the short and long term. Sports Massage enhances performance and prolongs a sports career by helping to prevent injury, reduce pains and swelling in the body, relax the mind, increase flexibility, and dramatically improve recovery rates. Sports Massage is also highly effective in aiding the rapid recovery of an athlete from an injury by encouraging greater kinesthetic awareness and in turn promoting the body’s natural immune function.

Swedish Massage

Combines effluerage (long, soothing strokes), friction and kneading with gentle joint movements. Swedish relaxes body and mind, improving circulation and range of motion.