The practice of massage and bodywork mark the foundation upon which the precision of acupuncture points and meridians were developed. Massage is one of the most prevalent modalities across time and culture for first-line preventative and therapeutic total body health care. As a practitioner, Meghan views massage and bodywork as the primary and most effective tools for understanding what the body is in need of and is an essential offering to the receiver for reconnection, relaxation and rediscovery of their unique physical and energetic bodies.
Above all, and in the words of Jack Meagher, "massage is the study of anatomy in braille."
Chinese Medicine education includes the study of both Tuina and Shiatsu, two specific types of body work with traditional lineages out of East Asia which for generations have endured as one of the central components to healing and well-being:
TUINA
Tuina massage is most akin to a deep-tissue massage, and also embodies approaches to neuromuscular massage, myofascial release and trigger point therapy. A Tuina session incorporates an assessment based upon orthopedic exams to inform specific techniques and stretches to be applied for the condition at hand, and is tailored for each individual treatment. Through the process of releasing and lengthening muscles, the practice alleviates the musculoskeletal system from chronic or acute injury, including muscle spasms, focal pain, radicular pain, general tension and neuromuscular conditions by activating nerve cells within the muscle body. In addition, Tuina massage techniques can be used to alleviate scar tissue or musclular adhesions, nerve compression and muscle atrophy.
SHIATSU
Shiatsu is a style of bodywork that has roots in Japan and incorporates rhythmic pressure along acupuncture points and meridians to harmonize and balance both physical and energetic bodies. Shiatsu has the power to deliver a cohesive treatment by integrating the underlying web of the whole being, a unique testament to its capacity in providing aid for a range of conditions from chronic or acute muscular pain to stress, sleep, emotional trauma and other internal disharmonies. Shiatsu also employs a specialized abdominal massage known as Ampuku, which many patients and Meghan personally, can attest to delivering consistent results for a range of digestive conditions.
Massage is also often combined with other adjunctive therapies such as cupping, gua sha and heat therapy to compliment your treatment, please see the FAQ page for more.