Think about how many sick days you took last year, and how much it cost for you to not go to work.  Regular massage helps keep your immunity strong by increasing blood circulation in your body, not to mention its effects on how your body deals with stress, a leading contributor to getting sick.  Our culture is quickly learning what others around the world already know:  massage is not a luxury - it's a necessity for achieving and maintaining optimal health.  From professional athletes and weekend warriors to full-time moms, construction workers, CEOs, desk workers, grocery store workers and small business owners - and anyone in between - massage can give you the benefits you need to live the life you deserve.

Immediate results are relief from pain and stress.  This is primarily due to increased tissue circulation as blood is able to flow into previously restricted areas of pain.  As you receive regular massage, you can expect a variety of changes, including improved range of motion at your joints as well as an overall decrease in physical stress in your body.  These changes are greatly enhanced with self care, such as stretching, epsom salt soaks, and of course drinking plenty of water in between each session.

I frequently (okay, always) recommend my clients soak in warm Epsom salt soaks to facilitate their healing process.  I believe Epsom salt soaks are superior to icing a painful area (except for headaches) - this is due to personal experience, and because my mentor, Zdenka Daucik, strongly advocates them.  Epsom salt is wonderful at relieving swelling and promoting circulation, and a soak only takes 15-20 minutes.  For more information on Epsom salt and why I think it's so cool, visit epsomsaltcouncil.org/health_benefits.htm. Ice just can't do all the things Epsom salt can!

I combine deep tissue massage with manual lymphatic drainage to minimize soreness, which maxmizes the effectiveness of your massage session.  This way, you get relief that lasts longer with less 'kick-back' pain.  I believe you want to feel good after your massage!  Sometimes a mild tenderness can be felt the day after a massage, but you should never feel like you've been 'beaten up'.  If you do, please give me a call or email and let me know so I can adjust my style for next time.

I want you as comfortable as possible, so if leaving clothes on is what you prefer, I can always adjust.  Keep in mind, however, that it is best for me to have direct access to your skin so I can really feel your muscles and how they respond.  I will always leave the room before and after your session to ensure your privacy.It is important for you to know that no matter who you see for your massage therapy that anything which gets covered by bathing suit NEVER gets exposed or massaged.

The type of massage I do is specific to acute injury issues.  This means, you can come in as soon as you feel pain and I can help you get through it faster.  Waiting to address the issue will result in a longer recovery period and possible decrease in joint mobility.

There have been many different studies concerning medication and massage, and they conclude that it is important to let your massage therapist know what kind of medications you're taking.  A few examples:  if you've taken an analgesic (pain reliever), your perception of pain in your body is decreased everywhere.  This will make your muscles 'lie' in their feedback to me and you run the risk of an injury in the form of a microtear in the muscle fibers.  Another example is with antidepressants - they aim to slow down the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) firing and increase the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest) firing.  And that is also what I do - which means I need to do more stimulating techniques to make sure you still have a bit of sympathetic nervous system firing.For more information, you can visit here.

I'm a health care professional. You don't tip your doctor, acupuncturist, naturopath, nurse, physical therapist, etc., you shouldn't tip your massage therapist. Your biggest compliment to me is trusting my abilities with your loved ones - please tell everyone you know to come see me!

Briefly stated, cupping uses "negative pressure" to help draw out impurities and bring circulation to deep structures in the body with no pain. Depending on the severity of the stagnation present (how much impurity is actually present and how long it's been there), marks may sometime result from treatment - but these marks are neither harmful nor painful. For more information, you can visit here. Or you can view a demonstration of fire cupping here. It's a technique that may help reduce the number of massage sessions you need, because it can help the body heal faster! As the first linked article says, "Why would anyone trying to perform at their peak performance choose a therapy that did not help them do so?" This is a technique that Olympic athletes employ to help them enhance their performance, why wouldn't you want to try it to help your overall health?