What massages are you trained to do?

This is a question we hear frequently, and the answer is probably longer than expected. We (Anna & Lidia) studied at MaKami College the course covered A LOT of information from Anatomy & Pathology, to Massage,& Spa Techniques to name a few. In this post, we will cover massages and a brief description of each one. Please remember these are general descriptions and we usually use a variety of techniques/types of massages in 1 session.

DRUMROLL PLEASE ………

Swedish Relaxation

• This massage is characterized by gentle to medium pressure and long gliding strokes. Some tapping, circular, and kneading will also be used, but overall this is a very relaxing, destressing treatment. For this treatment, the therapist will mainly use their hands.

Relaxation Massage

Deep Tissue

• Deep tissue focuses on the deeper layers of muscles. To massage the deeper muscles, your therapist will mostly use their forearm and as well as their elbows. The strokes are shorter and slower. This treatment is suitable for recovery from injuries, increasing mobility & helping with posture. Often the perception is that a good deep tissue massage is a painful massage this is not true if you are in pain you’ll tense up, and this will not lead to an ideal result. Some discomfort is to be expected, but the level of pain should not be above 6 or 7. Always communicate with your therapist so they can adjust.

This is an example of deep tissue massage using the forearm.

Lymphatic Drainage

• This massage is used mainly for the treatment of chronic sinusitis, and other immune disorders. The pressure is very light, and no oil or lotion is used, but instead, baby powder is used so that the pressure can remain very light. Because the pressure is light and the strokes are very slow, and the massage must be done in a specific order, as it is a 2-hour treatment.

Sports Massage

• There are 3 types of sports massage

• Pre Event

• This 10-15 minute massage warms up the muscles while energizing the athlete allowing them to get ready for the event.

• Inter-Event

• Inter-event massage can vary from 2 to 20 minutes with time dramatically affecting the results. With a very short period of time, the therapist may only have time to brace an injured or sore joint/area. It can be given at checkpoints in a marathon or triathlon, or at halftime.

• Post Event

• Post-event massage is given immediately after the competition or event. This massage has a few purposes; first, it is a great way to cool the muscles down, second, it will decrease soreness and cramping, and thirdly it facilitates a quick return to training.

Prenatal Massage

• For this, we have a unique pillow so you can enjoy laying face down. If this is not an option that appeals to you we also can massage you while you lay on your side.

Orthopedic Massage

• Orthopedic massage is excellent for injuries as it is a more complex treatment. An orthopedic massage starts with an assessment, the assessment will take between 30-45 minutes. The assessment includes checking every major joint for range of motion ( how much movement the joint has), checking the strength of muscles, and the dermatomes (nerves). The assessment is a crucial step in an orthopedic massage as this is one of the best ways (if not the best) to determine injuries and the most appropriate treatment.

Myofascial Cupping

• This is a gentle and non-invasive technique that helps to soften muscle tissue. Because of the suction, it tends to separate the fibres of the muscles, and it also stretches muscles. This technique increases blood flow to the skin and muscles. Some people will have a mark afterwards because the cup is round so will the mark be. This mark can last from overnight to 5 days.

Silicone Cupping

Cupping

Hot Stone Massage

• This is one of our all-time favourite treatments. We like it for 2 reasons, as a massage therapist, we prefer it because the heat from the stone relaxes the muscles this allows us to get to the deeper tissues sooner and (we feel) a better treatment, and as clients, we LOVE a treatment that relaxes and soothes the muscles. Our hot stones are Basalt (Lava stone) and produced from a volcanic eruption. We prefer these stones as they hold heat longer and allow us to use each stone for longer, which means more time massaging and less getting a fresh stone.

When laying the stones on you we will place a towel between the stones and your skin. We do this because the stones can be very warm and this allows them to be on your back longer.

Thai Herbal Compress

• This is a traditional practice in Thailand and dates back nearly 5,000 years. The herbs are scooped onto a piece of fabric and the tightly wrapped up, ensuring that some of the fabric is made into a “handle.” This is then steamed, and with this warm compress, you are massaged. The benefits can vary depending on the herbs used.

Bamboo Massage

• For this treatment, hollow bamboo sticks are used to massage instead of using hands. The sticks can be warmed up or used at room temperature. There are a surprising number of ways that the bamboo can be used for fanning, rolling, tapotement, kneading, and gliding to name a few. We both experienced this massage during our course, and we really enjoyed it. Bamboo massage is a treatment we do not offer at our clinic

Bamboo sticks

So…..that covers most the types of massages we learned. We’re also trained in massage for minors, seniors and hospital massage. Hospital massage included avoiding injection sites (from medicine or IV’s), massaging someone who can’t change positions easily (massaging a back while they are laying on their back was one technique we learned), and ensuring not to interfere with medical devices the patient is using.

We know this is lots of information and we hope this gives you some insight to the training we had.

Thanks for reading!