I assess and treat mechanical soft tissue dysfunction with a results oriented and scientific approach to massage called Neuromuscular Therapy. Muscular dysfunctions are common and can give rise to a variety of symptoms that can be misleading. If your pain gets better or worse in association with particular movements or positions, I believe there is a strong likelihood that my work can help you.
When you see me for a visit you can expect me to ask questions about your pain or difficulty and investigate it's source often using hands on tests to identify muscular restrictions for treatment. You can expect a variety of massage techniques to be implemented as NMT is married to the result and not to any specific technique. You should be aware that the process is sometimes counterintuitive as muscular pain is often felt in a pattern that relates to it's source indirectly. Feel free to scroll down the page to learn more about my work, or follow the links above to schedule an appointment and commit to feeling better today.
As a specialist I bring the same Neuromuscular approach into every massage but I do offer my service in two distinct formats. These will be named and priced differently per clinic but fall into the following categories.
This is a true Neuromuscular Massage. Every action taken is focused on finding and addressing muscular dysfunction. This means we take all the "fluff" out of the massage. We'll work through the clothing to allow for free flow of positional changes and assessments throughout the session. For this reason, modest athletic attire is recommended for the best results.
True NMT is an interactive process. You'll be asked to communicate about percieved pressure intensity. It is important that you indicate if you experience sensations that are located elsewhere from the site of pressure, radiate from the site of pressure, or if you just get that "the spot" feeling, as these experiences indicate what is called a "trigger point" and your feedback is required to address these properly which leads to the best results.
This is the regular swedish style relaxation massage you are probably familiar with, but delivered from a NMT perspective. This means I'll refrain from asking for feedback unless absolutely necessary and I won't be able to address structures that would complicate draping, but I'll still be assessing your structure and looking for ways I can help your muscular system feel and function it's best.
Generally in this massage I use slow and steady broad strokes of moderate pressure to promote non-sleep deep rest states and stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system which has been shown to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, improve sleep and boost immune function.
While this question is hard to answer without a direct physical assessment, there is one easy test that you can use at home to get some idea of whether or not neuromuscular therapy can help you. The tell tale sign of a muscular or soft tissue component to your pain is whether it changes with movement or position. If your pain is changing for better or worse assosciated with certain movements or positions there is a strong liklihood that the work I do will help you. I have had positive results with many of my clients who previously thought they had no hope due to a diagnosed underlying condition. From early stage rhuematoid arthritis to full joint replacements - if your pain fits this test there is likely a muscular component to it and an underlying condition does not necessarily mean that we can't get better function and reduced pain using NMT.
Yes and no. I do address deeper structures, but it has been shown that the best results are achieved with appropriate pressure. For most people this means a percieved pressure intensity of about 4 out of 10. One being no pressure and ten being excruciating. The scale is purposly subjective. When we first address a muscular dysfunction there is often an elevated sensitivity in that area. By using appropriate pressure the sensitivity is often reduced. Sometimes this allows for more actual pressure to fall into the "appropriate pressure" category as percieved pressure intensity drops.
Every case is unique but for acute or active conditions the general recommendation is to start by coming in weekly to be sure you're staying on top of it. As their condition improves most of my clients land somewhere in the two to six week range once they have their maintainence routine figured out. Muscular dysfunctions can tend to recur largely because after treatment we tend to go right back to the activities that caused them in the first place. Massage can be a powerful intervention but holds best when incorporated into a larger self-care plan that involves stretching and exercise.
address inquiries to jay@jglmt.com