January 2025
Integrated Approach to Massage Therapy
By: Micah Fordson
Integrated Pain Management
The body, your body, request attention at first in subtle ways such as twinge or light ache in an area. You feel it but you may ignore it if you are busy with life. The body will not go unheard or attended to for long, this is where the demand comes to play. The pain that you can no longer ignore, screaming for you to do something to relieve. As a society, we have been conditioned to only address the problem with it is critical. This is where integrated massage therapy can assist you in a better, healthier state.
Massage therapy goes beyond Swedish or deep tissue techniques. These are the basic techniques are helpful if unfamiliar with the array of massage options. As a massage therapist, pain management through an integrated approach have proven to be a greater result for the individual clients. Techniques that I specialize in are Vacutherapy, Myoskeletal Alignment, and Assisted-Active Resistance Technique.
Customizing Every Session
The benefits of many different techniques allows the truly allow every session to address the need for the body. Different stressors effects the body in different ways. Many times the body is undergoing multiple pain areas and only the loudest or most painful areas will get address. There is posterior neck and upper back pain however, unaware of the pain that’s occurring in the frontal neck and pectoral (chest) muscles. It is usually more pain and sensitivity in the those unaware areas, simply due to that’s the source of the pain.
Vacutherapy was created and coined by Anita Shannon, is a gentle yet powerful vacuum suction under the skin increasing circulation (blood flow), lifting the muscle tissues, and stimulates the lymphatic system. The stimulation of these three systems rapidly increases the body’s ability to repair and remove toxins. Removal of the toxins in the body with Vacutherapy has a longer lasting pain relief than basic deep tissue massage therapy. With proper hydration, the effects would be continuous for three days post initial treatment.
Myoskeletal Alignment Technique was created and coined by Erik Dalton, meaning manipulate the muscle tissues to increase range of motion and realigning the body. It’s similar to the adjustment received with a chiropractic treatment however that through manipulation of the joints and bones resulting in the “popping” adjustment. However, the jarring effects of chiropractic treatment are often temporary due the muscle tissues are still misaligned resulting in pulling the body out of alignment once again. Myoskeletal Alignment meaning SKELETAL MUSCLES are being targeted for proper alignment through corrective assisted of motion the body.
Assisted Active Resisted techniques is a active stretching method that’s effective by increasing range of motion while releasing the restrictive muscle tissues by the massage therapist actively resisting the motion. This resistance creates an isometric dynamic that strength the muscles and tricks the muscles to completely release once at rest. This method also increases the flexibility of the client, though temporarily unless this is done on a reoccurring basis. This method can be intense while engaged however the benefits greatly outweighs it.
Integrated method uses two or more techniques to create an optimal effective treatment for the individual client. This customized treatment sessions results in no two session to be the same mundane routine. Plateau effects are eliminated in this approach while also allowing to gradually address the unknown stress points within the body. The unknown stress points happen due the brain only acknowledging the severe areas first. If the unknown stress points are left untreated the cycle of living in pain will continue.