Trisoma^® - Swedish Massage - Ending the Cycle of Myofascial Pain^®

Swedish, the most requested modality in the USA, is basic relaxing massage using primarily effleurage and petrissage strokes with oil on skin.

Current rates for swedish are:

• 1 Hour = $220.00 outcall with our table

• 1 Hour = $200.00 outcall using your table

• 1.5 Hours = $280.00 outcall with our table

• 1.5 Hours = $260.00 outcall using your table

Paul trained in Swedish Massage with Michael Gibian, John Harris, and Katie Mickey at the Body Therapy Institute, and with Mary Lee Martin and Dianna Windwood at the University of California.

For this modality the client is typically nude under a sheet on a table. Clients do not have to be completely nude to receive Swedish treatment. Other modalities are available for fully clothed persons. Please see client information, and the links below for more information.

Due to limited availability, Paul sometimes refers new clients to other practitioners for Swedish. Referrals for Swedish are available here.

A jog around the block promotes blood circulation and usually oxygenation of many tissues, however a good swedish massage will press out stagnant blood and interstitial fluid from tight muscles, replacing it with fresh blood, and help "reset" the tissues neurologically and chemically. Trisoma believes that a major oxygenation benefit comes from decreased breathing due to parasympathetic response. Swedish massage can also release various hormones and activate cannabinoid receptors. One possible undesireable side effect, is when a trigger point is manipulated enough to active it, but not enough to deactivate it. This is the main reason why people occasionally have a headache after massage. For such situations, specific Trigger Point work is usually required.

For more information, visit these links:

• Getting the Most From Your Massage

• http://www.activemassage.com/swedish.htm

• http://www.holistic-online.com/massage/mas_techniques.htm

• How To Reduce Tension with Progressive Muscle Relaxation (without massage)

New research continues to be reported in the U.S. Library of Medicine supporting the benefits of massage:

• In February 2008, The Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice reported on spa therapies' effectiveness in reducing pain and clinical status in osteoarthritic patients. ^[1]

• The Psycho-oncology journal reported that, in patients undergoing intensive chemotherapy, a significant reduction in cortisol could be safely achieved through 20-minute massage sessions, with associated improvement in psychological well-being. ^[2]

• Research by the Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, USA, concluded that healing touch seems promising, and research should focus on methodologically strong RCTs to determine potential efficacy of CAM interventions. ^[3]

• The Journal of the American Dental Association reported results that suggested that acupuncture, biofeedback and relaxation massage were comparable to conservative treatment (for example, an intraoral appliance) for chronic facial pain, and warranted further study. ^[4]

• In 1992 the Johnson & Johnson company sponsored the Touch Research Institute by Director Tiffany Field, Ph.D, at the University of Miami School of Medicine to begin research on how massage affects health. Over 100 studies have produced significant research findings including enhanced growth, diminished pain, decreased autoimmune problems, increased pulmonary function in asthma, decreased glucose levels in diabetes, enhanced immune function (e.g., in HIV and cancer), and enhanced alertness and performance (e.g., EEG pattern of alertness and better performance on math computations). Many of these effects appear to be mediated by decreased stress hormones.

References

1: Vaht M, Birkenfeldt R, Ubner M. An evaluation of the effect of differing lengths of spa therapy upon patients with osteoarthritis (OA). Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice. 2008 Feb;14(1):60-4. Epub 2007 Nov 13. (Return to Reference 1 in text)

2: Stringer J, Swindell R, Dennis M. Haematology and Transplant Unit, Christie Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK. Massage in patients undergoing intensive chemotherapy reduces serum cortisol and prolactin. Psycho-oncology. 2008 Feb 26. (Return to Reference 2 in text)

3: Bardia A, Barton DL, Prokop LJ, Bauer BA, Moynihan TJ. Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, USA. Efficacy of complementary and alternative medicine therapies in relieving cancer pain: a systematic review. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2006 Dec 1;24(34):5457-64. (Return to Reference 3 in text)

4: Myers CD, White BA, Heft MW. A review of complementary and alternative medicine use for treating chronic facial pain. Journal of the American Dental Association 2002 Sep;133(9):1189-96; quiz 1259-60. (Return to Reference 4 in text)

Images

1: Paul Svacina

"clothes on, no oil, pain gone™"