What to Expect in a Session With Joy
Joy’s clients often share that she has a gentle, supportive presence where they feel safe, nurtured and cared for in a way that honors the various needs for care that arise based on the notion that health and life are dynamic and ever-changing. As a manual therapist, Joy is skillful in knowing what quality of touch and technique are going to provide the greatest benefit for her clients. Therefore, in most sessions, Joy utilizes a range of modalities to treat the client with the best care available. Receiving therapeutic massage is a conversation in which there will always be a check-in and permission for both client and therapist to decide upon the best approach for care.
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Craniosacral Therapy
Craniosacral therapy is a gentle touch technique that supports the release of pain and restrictions in the body. The practitioner is able to assess where imbalance and restrictions are held in the body by feeling the pulse created from cerebrospinal fluid that flows throughout the body and the elasticity of the membrane that surrounds the brain and spinal cord. The craniosacral system is significantly influenced by the central nervous system and thus when we can support the optimal function of the craniosacral system, all systems of the body are able to function more optimally. This allows the body a greater ability to self-correct any imbalances. One of the primary benefits people experience with this technique is a greater sense of calm.
There are many conditions where this technique can be beneficial including chronic pain patterns, headaches and migraines, TMJ dysfunction, acute injuries, hypersensitive nervous systems, digestive discomforts, emotional and energetic holding patterns, and more. While Craniosacral is a beneficial technique for most people, this modality is strongly recommended for those with a low pain threshold and a high sensitivity to pressure or those who are immune system compromised. It is gentle and yet allows for deep and lasting therapeutic results.
Neuromuscular Therapy
Neuromuscular Therapy is a clinically based approach often utilized in injury rehabilitation. This approach is based on the notion that most restrictions in the body are due to biomechanical, biochemical, and/or psychosocial factors. By utilizing a deep and specialized technique that addresses trigger points in the muscles, tendons and ligaments, therapists are able to relieve pain, improve mobility, support the healing of acute or chronic pain patterns, and rehabilitate injury.
This technique is useful for those with muscular conditions that require more skill to address than relaxation massage can offer. This might include old injuries from sports or car accidents, pain related to nerve compression, pain related to recovery from recent or old surgical procedures. Joy has spent the majority of her massage career working in clinical settings addressing a variety of muscular conditions related to injury.
Swedish/Deep Tissue Massage Therapy
This technique is a blend of soothing gentle touch as a warm up technique that offers nurturing and therapeutic touch and then a deep and broad pressure is applied to release general restrictions in the body. This is a very gentle and nurturing style of massage that is used primarily for creating relaxation and ease in the body.
This modality is akin to what people experience in a spa environment. It has many nurturing qualities that allow for ease of stress, emotional upliftment and general relaxation of the body.
Perinatal Massage Therapy
Pregnancy massage is a wonderful modality for self-care that allows for the woman’s ever-changing body to be nurtured, to ease the discomforts that occur and to address pregnancy-related ailments such as low-back pain, sciatica, shoulder and chest tightness, carpal tunnel, and respiratory challenges.
Postnatal massage is an often overlooked or unknown aspect of self-care that has significant benefits to a mother of a newborn. While one of the greatest challenges for a mother of a newborn is finding time for care, this is a time when women’s bodies might need the most support. Taking into consideration all of the stresses of the body during pregnancy and then labor compounded by lack of sleep, moving in any number of ways to support the baby while feeding, sleeping, crying, and so on, mothers endure many discomforts and are also healing their own bodies from the stresses of pregnancy and labor. Most women’s bodies require about two to three years to recover from a full-term pregnancy.
In her career as a massage therapist, Joy has held the privilege of supporting many pregnant and postnatal women as they faced the vulnerable aspects of their physical conditions.
MLD Therapy
Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD) is a gentle technique that moves interstitial fluid in a path that mimics the flow of the lymphatic system to enhance its performance. This technique is generally effective for pain reduction, anxiety and stress-reduction, detoxification and enhanced immune function.
Indications for MLD include:
-sprains
-whiplash
-autoimmune disorders
-hematoma
-edema (post-surgical, pregnancy, other)
-neurological/nervous system disorders
-oncology patients
-palliative care patients
Indications for MLD specific to Oncology/Palliative Care patients:
-post-surgical recovery
-edema reduction
-pain control
-infection prevention
-hematoma
-constipation relief
-relaxation
-stress reduction
-improved sleep
Oncology Massage
This type of care is designed for those who are receiving treatment or recovering from treatment for cancer. The techniques are modified to safely meet the needs of each person based on their physical condition. Oncology massage provides ease of symptoms and side-effects associated with cancer, chemotherapy and radiation.
Common benefits of this care are deep relaxation, decreased anxiety, a greater sense of well-being, ease of digestive discomforts like nausea or constipation, relief of neuropathy symptoms, pain reduction, decreased depression, improved outcomes for post-surgical healing, reduced swelling and more.