Massage can help weather you are suffering from a recent injury or a chronic pain condition.

Much pain and discomfort felt in the body is caused by or compounded by muscle imbalance or dysfunction. No other therapy can match the efficacy of well guided massage techniques like Myofacial Release, Trigger Point Therapy or Deep Tissue massage.

Here are a few conditions that can be effectively treated with massage.

Low back pain Neck and shoulder pain Leg, knee and foot pain Plantar fasciitis Tension headaches Sciatica

Whiplash Many Sports Injuries Poor Range of Motion in joints and muscles. Overuse injuries Post surgical pain

Deep Tissue Massage - Deep Tissue Massage targets the deep tissue structure of the fascia and muscles, referred to as connective tissue. Of the many types of massage, deep tissue focuses on the release of muscle tension and chronic knots or  adhesions.

Deep tissue massage can break up and eliminate scar tissue from previous injuries. A common problem is that stressed muscles can block nutrients and oxygen from getting to where they need to go, and this will cause inflammation that allows toxins to build up in your muscle tissue. The inflammation and toxins contribute to pain and stress. Deep Tissue Massage breaks up and releases the built-up toxins by loosening the muscles. With the toxins released, blood and oxygen can circulate as they should through one’s body. Being properly hydrated before you go to your massage appointment and drinking plenty of water after one of these massages is highly recommended.

The strokes used in Deep Tissue Massage are similar to those used in a Swedish Massage except more pressure is used and it uses cross grain strokes (strokes that go across the grain of the muscles instead of with the grain). As with a classic Swedish massage, you will be lying naked on a massage table and partially covered with a sheet or towel.

During Swedish massage, usually the therapist will only use their hand and forearm, however with a Deep Tissue Massage, elbows, fingers, and ceramic, wooden, or glass tools may be used for optimal penetration of the muscle. The speed of the strokes will be slower than a classic massage as well, which means they are longer in duration (about an hour and a half, depending on the therapist and how much you pay). If you tell the therapist where your trouble spots are (everyone has one or two) before the massage starts, during the massage the therapist will apply pressure and hold it for a few minutes before moving on, for extra relief.

Many massage therapists have some basic deep tissue training, so they can do some of the techniques during a classic massage. However, for a good Deep Tissue Massage you should find a massage therapist that specializes in deep tissue massaging. There may be some soreness after a deep tissue massage; however, the soreness should go away within a day or two. The massage should not hurt but will be a little more uncomfortable than a classic massage. If you feel the pressure is too hard, tell the masseur. Do not act tough if the massage causes severe pain or the pressure is too hard, as it may do more damage than restoration.

A good way to recover from a Deep Tissue Massage is by soaking in a warm bath with Epsom salt. This soaking is recommended because it will help get more of the toxins out of your body (Epsom salt draws the toxins out into the water). Your muscles need some rest after one of these massages, even if you feel no soreness. So do not plan any activities within a day of a Deep Tissue Massage.

Some people think that if you just push hard enough, a knot could be worked out in one session, but this is not the case. For built-up tension and chronic knots (adhesions) deep tissue massage is just one part of the treatment. If you do not exercise, correct your posture, and/or employ relaxation techniques along with Deep Tissue Massage you may not get the full benefits from your massage.

One of the most important things to remember to do when getting a Deep Tissue Massage is to breathe deeply during the session and while relaxing afterwards. Oxygenating the muscles will help the massage do its work and ease discomfort.

Trigger Point Massage - A trigger point is a hyper-irritable spot that is painful. It is called a trigger point because it "triggers" a painful response.

But a trigger point is more than a tender nodule. It affects not only the muscle where the trigger point is located, but also causes "referred pain" in tissues supplied by the same nerves.

Trigger points are located in a taut band of muscles fibers. The trigger point is the most tender point in the band. The therapist will locate and deactivate them using direct pressure.

The purpose of trigger point therapy is to eliminate pain and to re-educate the muscles into pain-free habits. After several treatments, the swelling and stiffness of neuromuscular pain is reduced, range of motion is increased, tension is relieved, and circulation, flexibility and coordination are improved.

It is used to treat painful trigger points that cause referred pain.

It took a while to get the muscle in that condition, and it will likely take more than one massage to get rid of it.

These points are often areas of chronic "holding" and you need to learn how to move in different ways to keep them from recurring.

The treatments will probably be uncomfortable at first.

Myofascial Release - Myofascial Release is a highly specialized stretching technique used by massage therapists to treat patients with a variety of soft tissue problems.

To understand what Myofascial Release is and why it works, you have to understand a little about fascia. Fascia is a thin tissue that covers all the organs of the body. This tissue covers every muscle and every fiber within each muscle. All muscle stretching, then, is actually stretching of the fascia and the muscle, the myofascial unit. When muscle fibers are injured, the fibers and the fascia which surrounds it become short and tight. This uneven stress can be transmitted through 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.

In other words, Myofascial Release is stretching of the fascia. The stretch is guided by feedback the therapist feels from the patient's body. This feedback tells the therapist how much force to use, the direction of the stretch and how long to stretch. Small areas of muscle are stretched at a time. Sometimes the therapist uses only two fingers to stretch a small part of a muscle. The feedback the therapist feels determines which muscles are stretched and in what order.

Each Myofascial Release technique contains the same components. The physical therapist finds the area of tightness. A light stretch is applied to the tight area. The physical therapist waits for the tissue to relax and then increases the stretch. The process is repeated until the area is fully relaxed. Then, the next area is stretched.

Low back pain Tension headaches Sciatica Whiplash    Shoulder pain Tendonitis Muscle spasms

Numbness or tingling Foot pain Hip pain Poor range of motion Sports injuries Poor circulation Thoracic outlet