Massage

STAY FLEXIBLE IN BODY AND MIND

My treatments

In my treatments I use several techniques to stimulate the self healing abilities of the body, to help it relax, to improve performance and to reduce muscle ache, stifness and stress.
Massage is the application of structured or random pressure, tension, movement, vibration on the muscles, tissues, tendens, ligaments, joints, lymphe system, digestive orgens and reproductive system to obtain an advantageous response. This can be done with or without oil.

Classic Massage

This, also called Swedish massage, will help the body to release stress and tension. The long strokes and kneadings will provide a good circulation which will drain waist from the muscles and causes the whole body to relax.

Classic massage or Swedish massage, is one of the most used massage forms. This so called traditional massage includes stroking kneading and tapping:

  • Effleurage, the stroking with little pressure along long parts of the body
  • Petrissage, the kneading of the muscles. Rolling the skin, pulling it upwards is also called petrissage.
  • Friction, contignues twisting and pressing on a specific spot to stimulate the circulation.
  • Tapotement, the rythmic knocking or tapping with the fingers or the side of the hand.
  • Shaking a muscle (group), this can be done directly on to the muscle or indirectly by moving a whole body part.

The oil, crème or lotion is used to reduce the resistance of the skin.

Reflexology

This theraputical massage will stimulate the reflex points on the feet and hands who correspond with several other parts of the body. This massage therapy has a healing effect and can locate and treat burden throughout the body.

The reflexology divides the body in ten areas. These are mapped on the feet with on every foot five areas. The body is also vertically projected on the foot. The head lies at the toes, and the feet at the heel and every area has its own characteristics. By exercising pressure on a certain place on the feet, a certain organ or a certain gland is stimulated at another place in the body. On the hands and feet all points, that have an influence on the organs come together. Reflexology is beneficial for sinusitis and breathing problems, digestive problems, back problems, asthma, infertility, inproves circulation and can also work preventive for sicknesses. Reflexologie harmonises the body and helps the self healing capacity and the immunity. It purifies the body of waste products, gives energy and stimulates the spirit.

The reflexology (also foot reflex or reflex area therapy) is an alternative way of healing wich tells that all body parts have a connection with places on the feet, the hands and the ears. The foot sole, the hands and the ears can become classified in areas which correspond with parts in the body such as the heart, the liver etc. Reflexology is a type of massage which repairs and/or maintains areas in the entire body by causing the energy flow in the body to be unobstructed. Sickness can be the consequence of blockages of energy in the body. By using reflexology this energy flow (the base of our health) will become stimulated and as a result sicknesses can be remedied.According to the reflexology the energy flows inside the nerves through the human body. These energy flows can be influenced on approximately 800 points in our body. In the acupuncture thesesame points are used, but works in contrast to reflexology with needles which are put into the reflex points in the skin. The easiest way to influence these places is done on the hands and the feet.

Deep Tissue Massage

By using techniques of strong pressure and depth, deeper layers of stiff muscles can be targeted to release tension and loosen. Eventualy this will provide a sense of deep relaxation and rest.

Deep tissue techniques are generally used for more concentrated massage work. In this way, the masseur can reach deeper layers of the soft tissue in a specific connection, muscle or muscle group. At the start, work will be done superficially to relieve the area, after which the depth of the muscle will slowly be entered, causing more movement. The pressure will not be increased too deep or too fast, because the muscles can then tighten (to protect an area) and unnecessary damage can be caused. Very little oil is used as the pressure does not move much over the skin. The most commonly used techniques during deep tissue massages are 3 or 6 fingers, knuckles, elbow, thumbs of the hand and the forearm.

Shiatsu Massage

This originally Japanese form of therapy can be given through (thin) clothing. By giving pressure with thumbs and finger tips to specific points on the meredians (energy lines in the body), the energy flow in the intire body will be increased. This massage has healing abilities and can have a preventive effect by eliminating blocked energy flows.

According to traditional Chinese medicine, energy called qi circulates through the body and follows specific interconnected jobs. These jobs are called meridians. Interruptions in the flow of energy, such as when it stagnates, become blocked, or flow elsewhere, are thought to be caused by emotional or physical problems. In order to eliminate these interruptions and thus the problems, specific points (called acupuncture points, or tsubo in Japanese medicine) on the eridians are stimulated with the help of needles (acupuncture), pressure (acupressure or shiatsu) or in other ways.

The publication Standard acupuncture nomenclature of the World Health Organization has a list of about 400 acupuncture points and 20 meridians that connect virtually all these points.

There are now several professional institutes in the Netherlands offering training for Shiatsu.

The Shiatsu technique is performed on specific parts of the body with the aim of correcting the balance of the body, and for improving or maintaining health. It is also a method to contribute to the healing process in diseases.

Shiatsu (shi = finger, atsu = pressure) is a body therapy that was developed in Japan by Tokujiro Namikoshi. It is based on Western knowledge about anatomy and physiology. The thumbs, palms, and fingers are used to apply pressure to certain areas of the body. The clinician does not work with muscle strength, but his own body weight is used to exert pressure
to practise. Shiatsu gained a broader support in the late 1950s. In Japan, the training for classical Shiatsu therapists was regulated by the community.

Namikoshi’s son Toru studied chiropractic in the US. He acquired knowledge about the spine and the viscera (the internal organs in the abdomen and chest cavity) and thus extended the knowledge of the classic Shiatsu of his father.

Namikoshi was not aware of Chinese Medicine. Later practitioners of Shiatsu, such as Shizuto Masunaga (a student of amikoshi), began to discover similarities with Chinese Medicine where it concerns the locations where pressure is exerted on the body. These correspond to the points known in Chinese Medicine as points on meridians (acupuncture points). However, in contrast to the methods of acupuncture and acupressure known from Chinese medicine, in which specific, defined points on the meridians are stimulated to treat a condition, Shiatsu applies pressure to all points that merge with a meridian. The term meridian is a concept in traditional Chinese medicine and finds its application in acupuncture and acupressure. The Chinese term for the meridian system is ‘Jing Luo’ (freely translated as: network of barrels or Meridians and collaterals).

Sportsmassage

This technique targets the deeper muscles, tendons and attachments to the bone. The increasing circulation will drain the muscles from waist products and moist. Injuries, Physical incapibillities and chronical burdens can be reduced by my treatments because I look at possible connections throughout the whole body. This massage will give a healing reaction to the body and will treat pain.

The name sports massage is used when combining several procedures. Sport masseurs can treat sportsmen to let them achieve better results, or to help them with revalidation after an injury for complete sport resumption. The sport masseur is competent for giving first aid at sport injuries, doing body-function-research of muscles and joints and give advise if a sportsman is ready to resume activity after a sport-free periode or injury. The sport masseur can give recommendations concerning training, food consuption, drinking, warming-up and cooling-down, the use of tape or other habits, based on its research. Applying tape to sportsmen prior to participation of a sport event, is mostly also carried out by the sport masseur. Generally the tape constructions are applied to give support to muscles and tendens after an injury.

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