Complementary Therapeutic Modalities
At Lily Massage Therapy, the ultimate goal is to provide you with the best health and wellness services possible. To help me do that, I’ve learned and adopted a few Complementary Therapeutic Modalities into my practice.
These are extra tools and techniques that can be naturally incorporated into a variety of services, at no extra cost! I offer them to support and enhance the powerful healing work we do in regular treatments. Bonus!
Blomberg Rhythmic Movement Training
Great for Kids!
In this pioneering modality, rhythmic movements are used to support learning, emotional regulation, and overall optimal neural development and integration. This means more balance in the body, less stress, and more ease with learning, communication, and generally living our best lives!
This approach was designed for children, and quickly it was discovered to be very useful to nearly everyone. BRMT directly addresses what are called Retained Primitive Reflexes, which are often the underlying root causes of a vast majority of our physical aches and pains!
In a typical treatment, BRMT is incorporated into the natural flow of a massage. Rocking and rhythmic movements are employed throughout the course of the treatment while you are at rest on the massage table or mat so as to help integrate your reflexes, promote relaxation, and assist in the healing process.
We may also try some of the movements actively to see how it feels for you to do them yourself, or exercises are given as home care for you to continue the healing and integration in between treatments. Children and families can use them together to support each other too!
It has been a gift to utilize BRMT in my practice - it’s so easy and yet so powerful!
Therapeutic Cupping
Cupping has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for millennia, and some changes have been made to this modality to bring it to Massage Therapy!
Therapeutic Cupping focuses on alleviating myofascial restrictions and pain. Plastic cups are applied to the areas of the most restriction, creating a suction to the skin. In a Clinical Massage Treatment, the cups may be applied lightly to areas that may benefit from gentle and sustained pressure. They may also be moved around, following specific patterns of muscle fibres in order to increase range of motion and reduce swelling.
In areas of severe connective tissue restrictions, cups may be placed on specific points with a stronger suction in order to passively reduce those restrictions while direct massage is carried out in other areas. Once the cups are removed, your tissues will allow for the massage to access deeper layers of muscle and those areas will be able to relax more fully.
They often leave marks, almost like you had an encounter with an octopus! Be sure to count your polkadots at the end of your cupping session!
Guasha
Guasha originates from Traditional Chinese Medicine and is now also used in health and beauty applications widely. In this context, this is a scraping technique used to decrease or eliminate connective tissue (fascial) restrictions and areas of pain. Oil is applied to the skin, and a small tool made of stone or steel is used to scrape away the pain!
Guasha can be incorporated into treatments near the beginning of a session, or at the start of treatment of a specific area. It is especially helpful in addressing areas of myofascial (muscle and fascia) restrictions where Therapeutic Cups will not work, such as smaller areas of the arms and hands, or on the scalp. Often I will apply heat, followed by massage oil to the focus areas of the treatment. I then Guasha the affected areas with the pressure and intensity that feels best for you.
The Guasha is then followed by Therapeutic Cupping or direct Massage Therapy techniques thereafter. This allows for very quick and effective releases of deep and long-standing pain and tension. You’ll be surprised at the swift and efficacious results!
Guasha is especially effective for Carpal Tunnel, Golfer’s or Tennis Elbow, Frozen Shoulder, TMJD, Headaches and Migraines, lower leg and foot pain.
This modality also can leave marks on the skin - and it also leaves you feeling more free in your body! Like a breath of fresh air for your muscles.
TDP Lamp
(Far Infrared Mineral Heat Lamp)
The heat from this specialized lamp is absolutely lovely, especially on those cold, damp days we find ourselves aching for warmth and comfort. The light from this lamp is not visible, but you will feel its glow soaking into the tissues of the body - relaxing them and helping them heal.
This type of therapy also originates from Traditional Chinese Medicine. It is called Far Infrared Light because it penetrates deeper into the tissues than other forms of light therapies. These lamps are known to reduce spasms and inflammation, increase growth, healing rate, and circulation, facilitate relaxation of the muscle tissues, and even increase cellular metabolism and circulation!
In practice, the TDP lamp is used for acute spasms, menstrual cramps, and any areas that could use a little extra support in their healing over the course of the treatment. For example, often if there are therapeutic cups applied, I will put the lamp over more tender areas to ease the intensity and increase effectiveness.
The sensation is warm and comforting, and by the end of the treatment, you will find your skin and muscles feel softer, lighter, and moving with less pain and more freedom.
It feels like basking in a sunbeam - lying under the TDP lamp will have you feeling like the iconic sleepy and contented cat lying in the sunlit window sill - relaxation incarnate!
