Body Work & Therapeutic massage
I hold a diploma in therapeutic massage awarded by the International College of Oriental Medicine where I studied Swedish massage and how to integrate it with the knowledge and the functions of acupuncture points for one year, and, under the direction of Mario-Paul Cassar, I deepened my understanding of the mechanics of the body developing the practical skills to apply body work techniques in a therapeutic context.
Bodywork is a general term used to describe various soft tissue manipulation techniques that may range from the typical strokes of Swedish Massage to more sophisticated modalities involving joint manipulation or intervention on the nervous pathways of visceral, muscular and somatic tissue.
Bodywork also refers to therapies based on Mind-Body connection aspects aimed to improve posture and body awareness such as Qigong and Taiji.
During a treatment, according to the patient’s needs several procedures may be used together or in isolation:
Reduction of blood supply and drainage of lymph create congestion in the fascia causing formation of nodules and adhesions. When nodules become chronic they are called Trigger points. Nerve endings may be trapped in eliciting on compression tenderness, pain and muscle twitch.
- Swedish Massage
used to release tension, increase local and systemic circulation, break down adhesions and prevent excessive scar tissue formation to facilitate recovery from soft tissue injuries. - Lymphatic Massage
used to improve lymph drainage - Trigger point therapy
Advanced techniques, such as deep tissue massage and trigger point therapy, are likely to be used for pain and chronic health issues.
They involve- Neuromuscular technique
- Muscle energy technique
- Myofascial release
- Passive and active stretching
- Joint manipulation
I often use body work techniques in conjunction with acupuncture and the best technique or combination of techniques is decided together with the patient.