Swanbourne Massage Clinic
I would like the opportunity to apply my 19 years experience in the industry to treat your headaches, lower back problems and sporting injuries etc. using Bowen Therapy and Deep Tissue massage to achieve a result that satisfies you. I endeavour to achieve a satisfactory result within 1 or 2 treatments. My particular interest in massage is in the treatment of muscular skeletal problems such as neck and shoulder tension, headaches, lower back pain, sore knees, elbows, ankles and general sporting injuries. The modalities that I use the most are Bowen Therapy and Deep Tissue massage but I also use a variety of other techniques when appropriate, plus I do Swedish massage which is basic relaxation massage. I believe that a large percentage of muscular skeletal pain is caused by tight tissue (muscles,tendons,ligaments or fascia). As a masseur I use a variety of techniques that are particularly suitable for releasing this tight tissue. I think it is much more important to release tight tissue than it is to strengthen weak muscles. e.g. Using the example of a person with "rounded shoulders". I believe that the correct approach to treat such a problem is to release the chest muscles that are pulling the shoulders forward, rather than to strengthen the muscles that pull the shoulders back. The aim of strengthening the back muscles is that one is trying to achieve muscles strong enough at the back to counteract the tight muscles at the front. It seems more logical to me to release the tight chest muscles so that the shoulders fall back naturally and so this would be my approach to such a problem. I believe that as a massage therapist I am particularly capable of achieving this "release" as compared to other types of therapists, because "that is what we do". Massage therapists "relax muscles". This is a very simplistic way of looking at the problem and there may very well be a need to introduce some strengthening work into the treatment program, but not until such time that all the relevant tissue has been released. |
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PELVIC ALIGNMENT
I consider the correct positioning of the pelvis to be vital to correct alignment of the spine. If the spine is compromised by the pelvis being out of balance then the whole body can be effected. e.g, On some occassions when a patient has presented suffering from a migraine, their symtoms have either disappeared or significantly reduced immediately after balancing the pelvis and before treating any other part of the body. I don't profess to understand what has happened in these cases, but it is enough to convince me of the importance of correct pelvic alignment. I certainly find that correct alignment of the pelvis is benificial in the treatment of nearly all lower back problems.
Most of my initial treatments start with me checking the pelvic alignment. In many cases one hip is higher than the other(this manifests itself by on leg appearing to be shorter than the other), and also the pelvis is often tilted forward (sway back) and very often more so on one side than the other. Using Bowen therapy these inbalances can very often be quickly remedied by releasing certain muscles. If you come to me with a neck problem then I usually start the first treatment by balancing the pelvis before moving on to the neck.
BOWEN THERAPY
This is a form of muscle manipulation and consists of rolling over groups of muscles to achieve muscle release and activation of the lymphatic system. I use it particularly to correctly align the pelvis and to treat spinal disfunction.The muscle release that Bowen achieves is appropriate for use all over the body e.g. Lower back pain, sciatica, sporting injuries, headaches, tennis elbow, carpal tunnel, and also for treating lower back problems that often come with pregnancy. The activation of the lymphatic system helps with after sport soreness,post operative swelling,dipersing of bruising, sinus congestion and the dispersal of fluid when fluid retention is a problem. For those people that are aware of energy flows throughout the body, Bowen can be felt to have strong balancing and clearing effect on those energy channels.
During a Bowen treatment most patients experience significant changes to their leg length, pelvic contact with the table and muscle tone of targeted muscles. On standing, they usually feel further changes to their posture,such as feeling taller, straighter and more grounded, and feel a sense of freedom in their pelvic movement not previously experienced. My Bowen treatments are not gentle in nature but they really do make significant changes happen and nearly always immediately.
I have found Bowen to be a truly remarkable tool to have at my disposal as a massage therapist.
DEEP TISSUE MASSAGE
Myofascial Release is a form of Deep Tissue massage that is particularly effective in releasing tight muscles and thus increasing the range of motion of joints. Strong, slow force is applied to the area being worked, using the forearm, fist or fingers. It may take as long as 3-5 minutes to make 1 run down the length of the spine. It is particularly usefull in the treatment of headches,neck and shoulder tension, lower back pain, sciatica, and rehabilitation from sporting injuries. This is a very slow and thorough technique, thus normally only one area of the body can be addressed in a one hour session (e.g.neck and shoulders).
SWEDISH MASSAGE
The stroking and kneading of muscles after oil has been applied to the skin. This form of massage is thought of as a typical massage in this country and is particularly suitable for general relaxation and is usually performed as a full body massage.
PAIN AND MASSAGE
There is inevitbly some degree of pain associated with therapeutic massage. This is simply because as a therapist I am looking for tight muscles, which also happen to be the sore muscles. Muscles that are not sore do not need to be "fixed" as a general rule.
REFERRED PAIN
The understanding of referred pain patterns is essential when trying to establish the actual cause of many pains. e.g. In my estimation, approximately 70% of headches are caused by a trigger point that is located in a muscle midway between the neck and the point of the shoulder. If I squeeze that point and the headache is reproduced, then I can be very confident that if I treat that point plus the rest of that muscle then I will be treating the cause of the headache. This is a much more effective method of treatment than rubbing the sight of the pain, which in this case is likely to be the temple area or the forehead. When a patient presents with a headache I question them in detail as to where the headache is and what is likely to bring on the headache. In the above case it is often called a tension headache. What do you do when you are stressed? You lift you shoulders up around your ears thus overloading the above mentioned muscle. Hence the likelyhood of people developing this type of headache when they are stressed or spend long periods of time sat at a computer.
There are various neck and face muscles that cause different types of headaches and so understanding these referred pain patterns is essential to locating the cause of headaches. There are referred pain patterns all over the body that need to be understood to successfully treat a wide range of ailments.
WHEN IS MASSAGE APPROPRIATE
Massage is great for relaxation and for when one feels like being pampered. However the majority of work that I do is therapeutic massage when I am endeavouring to remedy various ailments such as:Lower back pain, headaches, frozen shoulder, poor posture,sciatica,neck and shoulder tension, knee and ankle problems, and the various sporting requirements such as injury rehabilitation, aid to flexibility, muscle strains,pre and post event massage etc.
STEAM ROOM
The steam room has been a popular addition to the clinic since it was introduced in 1998.The main purpose of the steam room is to relax the clients muscles before being massaged. When muscles are thoroughly warmed they are more responsive to massage therapy.
The average session in the steam room lasts about 30 minutes and is a very pleasurable, relaxing and cleansing experience. Appropriate aromatherapy vapours are introduced to the steam room to suite the occassion.
Pricing
1/2 hour $40 (this option is not usually available for the first visit.)
1 hour $70
11/2 hours $100
payment options - We accept cash, cheque, mastercard and visa
Resume
Studied and practiced Massage since 1989
Member of the Association of Remedial Masseurs ( ARM )
Opened Swanbourne Massage Clinic in 1996
Teaching : U. W. A. Recreate program (1993-- 1999)