TREATMENTS

Urban Healing Arts Studio offers the following massage treatments. You pay the same price no matter which treatment you choose, and in many cases more than one treatment may be applied during the same session, depending on your specific needs.

Swedish Massage

Deep Tissue Massage

A traditional Swedish Massage includes flowing, rhythmic strokes as well as kneading, friction and stretches. Swedish massage is extremely relaxing and will leave you in a state of bliss. One of the greatest aspects of Swedish Massage is that it is versatile.

Performed as a standalone style of massage or, incorporated into other types of massage (such as deep tissue or trigger point massage), Swedish Massage techniques incorporate a flow that increases a state of relaxation, a sense of well being and allows the massage to flow and remain balanced.

Deep Tissue Massage Therapy is a term used to describe massage techniques that focus on the deeper layer of the muscles and soft tissues in the body. The objective when applying deep tissue massage techniques is to lengthen and stretch the tissue so that tight muscles and soft tissue can relax back to their natural position or proper balance.

During your session we will often use our forearms, elbows, and fists to apply deep tissue techniques. These parts of our body allow us to apply slow, deep pressure with a controlled, steady, slow motion.

Trigger Point Therapy

Myofascial Release Therapy

Trigger Point Therapy is a specific technique in massage used to decrease, break up and end cycles of pain and spasm within the soft tissues. Elbows, knuckles and fingertips are used when applying concentrated, direct pressure to the trigger point. Applying direct pressure allows time for the tissue to respond and release, which in turn decreases and often eliminates pain in the affected area.

Trigger points often feel like nodes, nodules or thick strings under the tissue. They are always tender and will sometimes “refer” pain or discomfort to another area within the body. People will often complain of “pinched nerves” when describing a trigger point.

Trigger points can be caused by any number of issues. Injuries, nutritional deficiencies and imbalances in muscles from repetitive movements (i.e. sitting at desk or typing). Trigger points can occur when one muscle becomes overused, shortened and hypertonic, leaving the opposite muscle weak, hypotonic and stretched, which in turn may cause trigger points.

Myofascial Release Therapy is integral to many aspects of massage therapy. This is because every part of your body is connected to or wrapped inside of fascia. What is fascia? Fascia is a single, continuous web of tissue that wraps around every bone, muscle, organ or other part of the body. What this means is that an injury to a muscle or bone in one area might affect the fascial tissue, and because everything in the body is connected via fascia, then that injury might affect another part of the body elsewhere.

Fascia that surrounds your muscles and bones is ordinarily very slippery in order to allow free motion. However, overuse of muscles, or lack of hydration, or both, can cause fascia to adhere to muscle tissue and cause restriction of motion and discomfort and pain. If this occurs, massage can help. A trained massage therapist can apply techniques that gently ease fascial adhesions and stretch tightened fascial tissue. Myofascial release therapy can be applied as needed during any massage session, or an entire session might be devoted to this technique.

Pregnancy Massage

Pediatric Massage

Pregnancy Massage is an incredibly efficient way to keep the pregnant body in a healthy state of balance and prepare for delivery. Because pregnancy causes many physiological changes within the body, it’s important that the expectant mother address these changes throughout the pregnancy.

As pregnancy progresses, ligaments in the pelvic area stretch and lengthen, which can lead to low back and hip pain, a common complaint during pregnancy. In addition, many women experience upper back and neck pain as the extra weight of the fetus pulls and stretches muscles in the front of the body. Pregnancy massage helps to keep muscles and soft tissues in balance to keep discomfort at a minimum.

When Not to Have a Pregnancy Massage

We strongly recommend that you check with your doctor before booking a massage. Also, you should avoid having a massage if you are experiencing any of the following:

You are having a high risk pregnancy
You are at risk of miscarriage
You are experiencing nausea or morning sickness
You are bleeding

We also recommend that clients who are pregnant wait until after the first trimester (12 weeks) before receiving a massage

Children and teenagers can benefit from massage in many of the same ways as adults can. Massage is especially beneficial for children who have experienced emotional or physical trauma. Massage can help a child cope with pain or anxiety. Some studies published by the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders have reported a reduced aversion to touch and increased ability to focus in patients with ADHD or autism.

All pediatric massage is given with full consent of the child. We will explain to your child what will happen, and will communicate with them throughout the session. We require consent of the child's primary caregiver prior to the massage, and for children under 14 an adult caregiver is required to remain in the room during the massage.

Sports Massage

Sports massage is designed to benefit athletes in competition, but has proven to benefit anyone who exercises regularly or who is experiencing chronic pain from a motion related injury. Sports massage methods can vary, depending on whether massage is given before exercise, after exercise, or as ongoing maintenance between exercise. As a rule, sports massage is a more vigorous massage, not geared as much toward relaxation as it is focused on improving a specific problem area in the body.

In a sports massage session, your treatment may consist of rhythmic compression. jostling, trigger point therapy, and stretching, with the goal of reducing or eliminating discomfort and pain caused by motion related injuries. In addition, the goal of sports massage is to help you avoid injury when you resume exercise.