Massage Therapy

Massage Types

Massage has been documented as one of the oldest healing arts by the ancient Chinese 5,000 years ago. Modern science and clinical research have credited Massage Therapy into the current healthcare system. At Naturelife clinic, we apply ancient eastern and modern western massage techniques into our treatments.

Our Practice includes: Tui Na, Shiatus, Swedish Massage, Acupressure, Deep Tissue Massage, Qi Massage, Foot Reflexology, Trigger Point Therapy, Myofascial Release, Joint Manipulation, Chinese Cupping. Treatments may be done with or without oils and lotions.

Overall Benefits

With a caring touch, massage can bring peace to your body and soul. There are many benefits of massage therapy for physical rehabilitation and psychological treatments.

Physical Benefits

• Relieves pain and discomfort
• Improves soft tissue flexibility and joint mobility
• Improves circulatory system and lymphatic system function
• Detoxifies the body by promoting elimination of wastes and toxins
• Reduces stress hormones and promotes relaxation

Psychological Benefits

A soothing touch creates a sense of relaxation and well being, reduces stress and helps patients:

• Decrease anxiety and improve depression
• Change sleeping patterns and enhance sleep quality
• Reduce fatigue and increase energy level
• Improve concentration

Treat Chronic Disease

Therapeutic massage helps patients manage and reduce the risk of chronic diseases including:

• Hypertension and congestive heart failure
• Diabetes
• Osteoarthritis, and Rheumatoid arthritis
• Stroke
• Gout

Chinese Massage

Tuina (pronounced tway-na) or Chinese massage therapy one of the three cornerstones of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Tuina is practiced in urban hospitals of China and all over the world. It is regulated in Ontario by the government through the CTCMPAO.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is “… the assessment and treatment of body system disorders through traditional Chinese Medicine techniques and therapies to promote, maintain or restore health”.

Chinese massage therapy is based on same theories and foundations of Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine which work to bring greater health and balance to the body. Unlike Western massage therapy that is based on human anatomy, Chinese Massage therapy is based on the system of energy channels and points which form the basic energetic anatomy of Chinese medicine. The body has 12 pairs of primary meridians and 2 special meridians, these meridians are pathways through which Qi or energy flow circulates throughout the body organs. The flow of life energy also keeps the universe and the body in perfect harmony.

Chinese massage therapists believe that pain or illness occurs when one or more of the meridians become blocked, disrupting the energy flow and breaking the body’s harmony. The goal of tuina is to open the energy channels, encourage free flow of Qi and circulation, to improve general function, and enhance resistance to disease. This is achieved through use of palpation, the eight principles of TCM to assess the body condition, and a variety of techniques – pushing, grasping, pressing, kneading, rolling, rubbing, vibrating, chopping, nipping, revolving, pinching, etc.— used individually or combined on acupuncture points or along meridians.

The Benefits of Chinese Massage:

Like many other types of massage, Chinese massage treats external disorders including:

• Lower Back Pain (Lumbago & back spasms)
• Neck pain & stiffness
• Muscle spasms & Adhesions
• Frozen shoulder syndrome
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Tennis elbow/ Golfer elbow
• Tension Headache/ Migraine headache
• Sciatica
• Sprains & Strains
• Whiplash (Car accident injury)
• Sports Injury
• Other soft tissue injury

Unlike Western massage, treating internal disease is where Chinese massage excels.

Chinese Massage Can Treat:

• Circulatory system disorders including: chest pain, Hypertension (high blood pressure)
  and poor circulation
• Respiratory system disorders
• Gastrointestinal (digestive) system disorders
• Reproductive system disorders including: infertility, menstrual problems, menopausal problems

At Naturelife Health centre, Chinese massage is a very effective therapy integrated into our practice.

Deep Tissue Massage

Deep tissue message is an advanced massage technique used in therapeutic massage therapy. Deep tissue message involves understanding of the layers of the soft tissue applying a range of pressure, kneading, squeezing and stretching to the muscles and connective tissue or fascia in the deep layer to relax, lengthen and release holding patterns.

Deep tissue massage is designed to alleviate muscle strain, manage emotional stress and heal overused or overloaded muscles. It is beneficial to patients after hard physical training, excessive sports and prolonged sitting or standing jobs.

Deep tissue massage promotes effective recovery from injury and increases body flexibility and range of motion. It benefits many sports players to enhance their performance and help prevent injury.

Deep Tissue Massage Has Many Benefits Including:

• Relieve severe pain and tension
• Increase blood and lymph circulation
• Lengthening shortened muscles
• Softening and dissolution of banded muscle, adhesion and realigning scar tissue
• Encouraging flexibility to stiff muscle, flexibility of the body and increasing
  range of movement
• Cleansing and flushing body toxins
• Managing stress

When Going for Deep Tissue Massage Bear This in Mind:

• Drink more water after each session due to the effective removal of body toxins
• In most case, muscle soreness and ache will last a couple days

At Naturelife health centre our registered massage therapists follow the “1 working with 3 or more waiting” principle to minimize discomfort during a deep tissue massage. This means working 1 minutes at one spot with deep bodywork, followed by 3 to 5 minutes waiting time to let the spot recover and using 4 to 5 spots at one time. This greatly enhances the effectiveness of the treatment and makes deep tissue massage more enjoyable.

Prenatal Massage:

Prenatal message describes the therapeutic massage treatment performed to help alleviate symptoms and risks associated with pregnancy during the eventful nine months.

As the body makes room for the baby, the body changes at a very fast rate. The changes in your musculoskeletal system, sleeping pattern and circulation system causes back ache, insomnia and swelling. This is where pregnancy massage is beneficial for moms.

Hormone Regulation During the First Trimester:

Swedish massage is the recommended prenatal massage method during pregnancy
because it addresses relaxation. Women who regularly receive Swedish massage during the first trimester show reduced stress hormones such as norepinephrine and cortisol and increased dopamine and serotonin hormones that help suppress depression. This relaxation massage helps moms with emotional control.

Swelling Reduction During the Second Trimester:

As many as 75% of pregnancy women develop some mild swelling, especially in their ankles and feet. This is caused by reduced circulation and increased pressure on the major blood vessels by the heavy uterus.

Reflexology massage helps increase the circulation in the extremities of body. In TCM theory, the kidney and bladder meridian line is responsible for body fluid regulation, and the stomach and spleen meridian line prevents fluid retention. Those four meridians run through the feet on both sides and by massaging feet the meridians are stimulated, improving organ function and reducing water retention.

Reflexology massage also helps pregnant women achieve harmony and reduce varicose veins.

Back Ache During the Second and Third Trimester:

As your body adjusts to the baby, the center of gravity shifts forward causing the lower back to arch. This position places undue stress on the back muscle likely causing lower back ache.

In addition, your abdominal muscles grow bigger and weaker causing difficulty keeping your body upright. This make the back pain worse and worse.

Therapeutic massage therapy relieves the stiffness and ache in the lower back and enhances flexibility. At Naturelife health centre, deep tissue massage and Chinese massage are used to help pregnant women with back pain conditions.

Sciatica During Third Trimester:

Sciatica nerve pain is a common occurrence in many pregnant women in late pregnancy.
The swelling, postural changes and pressure from the enlarged uterus can irritate the sciatica nerve, causing buttock and leg pain.

Massage therapy addresses the inflamed nerves by helping to release the tension on nearby muscles. Our registered massage therapists in Naturelife clinic will help to alleviate
Sciatica issues.

Prenatal Massage Can Also Be Beneficial For:

• Headache
• Muscle tension
• Sleeping trouble (insomnia)
• Heartburn

At Naturelife Health Centre we use a side lying position during prenatal massage treatments instead of a ‘Pregnancy table’ to prevent side effects.

Reflexology is a system of healing based on balancing energy by stimulating areas in the feet that relate to organs, glands and parts of the body. There are two basic principles integrated in reflexology, zone therapy and meridian therapy.

Zone therapy maps the entire body into ten energy zones that run through the length of the body from head to toe, five for each side, ending in each foot and running down the arms into the tips of the fingers. There are reflex areas in feet, hands and ears within zone related areas which correspond to every organ, gland and parts of the body. By massaging these reflex areas in the feet, corresponding organs and systems can be encouraged to function more efficiently with greater harmony.

Meridian therapy shares the same principle as acupuncture, acupressure and shiatsu. According to acupuncture, the body has 12 pairs of meridians as well as 2 special meridians. Together these meridians constitute the body’s energy system, which works to maintain health. These meridians are pathways through which the life energy circulates throughout the body organs and keeps the body in perfect harmony. When one or more of the pathways become blocked, disrupting the energy flow, pain and illness occurs.

There are 6 pairs of meridians running through the feet, they are related to kidney, bladder stomach, spleen, liver and gallbladder. By stimulating these meridians in the feet and lower leg, the blocked energy pathways unblock to achieve new balance in the body.

At Naturelife health centre a session of reflexology treatment is 30 to 45 minutes and can sometimes be part of a full body massage.

The Benefits of Reflexology:

• Induces deep relaxation and helps manage stress.
• Encourages more efficient functioning in digestion, blood and lymph circulation and elimination among other system.
• Help cleanse the body of toxins.
• Improve organs and gland function.
• Promotes deep sleep, changes sleeping pattern.
• Treats flat foot, plantar fascia.
• Decreases or minimizes water retention, which helps pregnancy women and elders with edema and poor circulation.