Massage

Types of massage that I use

Massage is one of the many forms of therapy based on touch. Characteristic of massage is a rhythmic movement of the therapist’s hands, or any other ‘tool’ he or she uses, over the client’s skin. The purpose of massage is to improve the functioning of the soft tissues.

Over the years, I have learnt many forms of massage, including

• Swedish massage is the traditional relaxation massage, focusing mainly on the muscles. I use it mainly as a ‘warm-up’.
• Trigger point massage targets ‘muscle knots’.
• Mobilizing massage utilizes movement of the soft tissue to be treated.
• Fascial massage targets the fascia or connective tissue membranes.
• Deep tissue massage focuses on the soft tissue beneath the superficial muscles.
• Scar tissue massage aims to make scar tissue softer and more mobile.

In addition to massage, I also offer other treatments with my hands, as I have described on other pages of my website.

As a massage therapist, I cannot touch anything but the skin. Through the skin, touch is transferred to many other structures in the body. It is impossible to affect a specific part of the body (e.g. a muscle), without affecting other parts (such as fascia, nerves, blood vessels, interstitial fluid, internal organs and bones). The distinction between different types of massage therefore lies mainly in the intention of the practitioner. In a practical massage treatment, my attention shifts from one structure to another. Different forms of massage thus flow smoothly into each other. It is also possible for me to temporarily switch to another form of manual therapy during a massage treatment, if this makes it easier for me to achieve the intended result.

Mobilizing massage

Mobilizing massage is my favourite style, for several reasons:

• Almost all methods of treating fascia (connective tissue membranes) use movement to make tissues more pliable, loosen adhesions, and improve circulation of tissue fluid and gliding of nerves.
• The release of most peripheral nerves, such as of the sciatic nerve, the femoral nerve and the nerves of the arm, is much more effective with movement.
• Posture correction does not succeed without movement. The client must learn to get out of her or his old posture herself/himself and find a better one.
• Increasing the mobility of a joint, as well as mobilizing a stuck vertebra, is best done by moving the joint, or by letting the client move the joint within her or his pain tolerance.
• Trigger points are usually the result of overuse, due to a movement restriction at another place in the body. Removing the movement restriction is the best therapy. Treatment of the trigger point itself also works better with movement.
• In deep tissue massage, small movements help to get deeper with less force and avoid pain.

Massage does not have to hurt

I see massage as a conversation between my hands and the tissues I am treating. The less tension I have in my own hands, the better I can feel the tension in the client’s body and sense the response of the tissues to my touch. When I try to force something, the tissues resist and send pain signals to the brain. But when I make the tissue feel comfortable, it releases its tension. If it does not, it reacts to a problem somewhere else in the body. Where that is, I need to figure out with mobility tests, for example.

The causes require treatment

All limb movements take place in kinetic chains. When you walk, not only your legs move, but your whole body moves. When you reach for something with your hand, the movement continues into your feet. When a link in the kinetic chain does not move enough, other links have to compensate with more movement. The places that move too much become overloaded and painful. But the cause of pain is where too little movement takes place. Gradually, the entire body adapts to the movement restriction. Therefore, the painful spot may be far away from the cause.

Sometimes there is a structural cause of the movement restriction, for example a damaged bone or a worn-out joint. But in many cases, the cause is (also) functional, for example too tight muscles or connective tissue. A pinched nerve can also restrict movement in a joint. Massage is an ideal means to relax the muscles and connective tissue and to restore their flexibility. But merely massaging the painful area will generally not lead to a lasting improvement. For the best effect, massage should restore mobility, usually in a different place than where you feel the pain.

Compensations caused by the movement restriction, i.e. unnatural movement patterns and changes in posture, may persist even when the original movement restriction is no longer there. In that case, the compensations should also be treated. All in all, eliminating localized pain or cramping may require the massage of different areas of the body, which may not always be obvious. Inspection of your posture and various tests help me hypothesize the causes of the symptoms. Your body’s response to my touch also gives me a clue as to which parts of your body I need to treat to reduce your symptoms in the most effective way.