A Licensed Massage Therapist utilizes a wide array of bodywork tools to correct imbalance and addresses the link between mind and body in healing.  This credential is where Dr. Hart began her private practice and maintains it for the convenience of her patients.  Bodywork is an essential piece of maintaining health.  There are many modalities that all collectively work to support circulation, resolve issues of pain and structural imbalance as well as to promote deep relaxation.  Below is a description of a variety of massage therapy modalities.

Massage therapy is a broad term for any type of hands on healing work.  Massage is utilized to address musculo-skeletal issues from trauma or just daily life stressors and promote deep relaxation. Massage should be a first line of treatment for any physical stress to the body including injuries, pain, overuse of muscles or tension due to stress.

Sweedish massage – This is your basic massage movements that are deeply relaxing.  Usually done on bare skin with oils and appropriate draping to keep the body covered.

Deep tissue massage - working through the muscle and fascia layers, deep tissue treatments work to unravel tension due to injuries, overuse or stress.  While it may be painful, it often resolves issues completely.

Trager – this technique involves rocking the body to facilitate circulation through the joints, in the deep muscle layers and organs.  Very useful during detoxification as well as to reach those hard to reach areas.

Shiatsu and Acupressure – utilizing the classical chinese medicine philosophy of healing, these modalities address circulation of the energy in or bodies to promote health.  Using pressure points along the body, health can be restored.

Reiki and craniosacral therapy – Utilizing the simple application of hands on the body, reiki exchanges energy to help balance and nourish areas of the body that are out of balance.  This can significantly alleviate pain as well as tread into the arena of revealing unknown mysteries of chronic health challenges.

Guided imagery – While this is not a bodywork technique per se, it is highly beneficial to put aside the “To Do” list to work on being completely present with the body in order to personally explore and facilitate healing.

Hydrotherapy changes the circulation in the organ systems to detoxify, improve organ function and support the immune system.  Hydrotherapy very simply means the use of water for aiding health.  From the system of eclectic physicians, I have studied the use of hydrotherapy for aiding the health of the organ systems.  There are many applications of hydrotherapy available in my practice.

Constitutional – This method of hydrotherapy has been the most widely researched.  It is proven to increase the activity of the immune system, support detoxification, regulate the thyroid and aid weight loss.  In is a standard therapy in Naturopathic medicine and involves about 45 minutes lying on a treatment table with contrasting temperatures applied to the chest and abdomen with towels and heat packs.  This treatment has been

Fomentations – The use of heat applications to promote a fever-like experience, contrasted with cold to invigorate the blood and stimulates the natural ability of the body to fight infections and resolve acute illness.  This treatment is best used for colds and flus and will resolve a stubborn cough effectively.

Hyperthermia – Cancer treatment utilizes prolonged, high temperature exposure to aid tumor reduction and cancer treatment recovery.  Through the use of hydrotherapy methods of hyperthermia, patients experience great support through the detoxification and boost in cellular activity, without the depletion of many hours in a heating environment.

All hydrotherapy treatments are individually designed to support the organ system that has the greatest need.  Treatment time, temperatures of applications and the addition of herbal plasters, essential oils and adjunct therapies all vary on an individual basis.

Treat yourself, maintain your health or address any disease process in your body with massage and hydrotherapy.  These modalities are basic, routine health maintenance tools that should be utilized on a regular basis for optimal health while also being disease specific and highly effective.

~Sara Hart, ND, LAc, LMT