- Chronic and Acute pain relief
- Headache relief
- Aids in sleep (INSOMNIA)
- Supports a healthy digestive system
- Lowers blood pressure
- Supports a healthy immune system
- Tones muscles
- Reduces stress (calms nerves, soothes anxiety)
- Promotes energy
- Promotes a calm, relaxed state of being
Finding the right technique and therapist is essential for maximizing the benefits of Massage Therapy. Below are some of the approaches taken at the Oakland Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine Clinic (OAIMC).
Therapeutic Massage
Our autonomic nervous system is broken down into two parts; The Sympathetic Division, which controls our “flight or fight” response. This division engages the stress hormone and keeps our bodies in a constant state of alertness. If the body is allowed to stay in this mode for extended periods, it can lead to disease and chronic pain.
The Parasympathetic Division balances our stress levels in order to be able to relax, let go and rest. Therapeutic massage techniques are geared toward engaging the Parasympathetic nervous system. Some of the techniques used at OAIMC are:
- Deep tissue
- Swedish
- Shiatsu
Rehabilitative/ Restructuring Massage
Our bodies are constantly working toward maintaining homeostasis, which means a balance of the integral systems of the body. When there is dysfunction in one area of the body, another area will compensate in order to do the job of the affected area. Among other factors, chronic pain symptoms are often related to structural imbalance in our bodies caused by this constant effort toward homeostasis. By re-educating the muscles, many other structures in the body will respond with better function. Some techniques used here at OAIMC to achieve this goal are:
Trigger Point Release
- Trigger points are described as hyper-sensitive points that produce a referred sensation into another area of the body. When trigger points are active, you may experience headaches, pain or tingling down the arm or legs or even a lack of sensation to a specific area of the body.
Myofascial Therapy
- This technique helps to create space between the different tissues of the body so that they can acquire the nutrients they need to function properly.
PNF (tense and release) stretching
- PNF or proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation is used to retrain the brain-muscle communication and break the cycle of unhealthy patterns that lead to pain.
Sports Massage
- Pre and post-event support is essential in maintaining optimal athletic performance.
