Types of Bodywork

This page is still under construction. We're working on bringing you the best and most complete descriptions of all the wonderful and therapeutic bodywork treatments we provide. For a complete listing, see our welcome page. If you have any questions, we're happy to help you out.

                   Swedish Relaxation Massage          Deep Tissue Therapeutic / Clinical
                         Geriatric Massage                               Massage for the Cancer Patient
                         Lymphatic Drainage Massage          Hot Riverstone Massage
                         Myofascial Release Therapy             Connective Tissue Massage
                         Craniosacral Therapy                         Barefoot Deep Muscle Massage

Massage Therapy: Each massage therapist you visit will possess his or her distinct style of massage – a unique blend of pressure, technique, focus and rhythm. At Center of Balance, we have some of the best massage therapists in the Cookeville area – all licensed and experienced – to help you achieve ultimate relaxation, reduction in pain and muscle tension, stress relief, and wellness.

• Swedish Massage is what you tend to think of as “standard massage.” But when done well, there isn’t anything “standard” about it. Swedish massage uses a fairly light pressure, with techniques characterized by broad, sweeping strokes known as effleurage. The therapist uses oil, lotion, or cream on your skin, gliding his or her hands in continuous movement. The gentle cadence and soft pressure create an ever-deepening sense of relaxation and peacefulness. The room lights are darkened, and soothing music accompanies your session. Swedish massage is the best type of massage to choose if your primary goal is relaxation, stress relief, and pampering. It is typically a full-body session, covering all the major muscle groups (though not usually the abdominals, unless you request it). Swedish massage also stimulates the circulation of blood and lymph, eases muscle tension, flushes toxins from the cells, and comforts the nervous system. For someone who has never had a massage before and simply wants to experience what they’ve been missing, Swedish massage is a great choice. Choose a 60 or 90-minute session for a full-body treatment, or a 30-minute session to work on selected areas. Any of our therapists will provide a wonderful and memorable session. For the lightest touch, select Beverly Davis or Traci Hampton as your therapist. For a medium pressure, select Angela Lorance. For a firmer pressure, select Elise Brown or Brian Larimore. For a very deep pressure (really no longer considered “Swedish”) select Donna Hudson.        back to top
  
  
• Deep Tissue Therapeutic / Clinical Massage / Orthopedic Massage is massage therapy with a specific focus. Whether you've got shoulder tension, lumbar disk problems, an injured shoulder, or any other specific problem, this type of massage will allow your therapist to focus all of her skills on alleviating your pain. This is not a full-body massage and is not defined by terms like "gentle" and "peaceful." Even so, clients usually do experience a feeling of rejuvenation and lowered stress levels after a clinical massage. Techniques include neuromuscular or trigger point work, stretching, cross-fiber, friction, joint mobilization, and deep tissue massage. Your therapist will look for muscles that may be creating or exacerbating your problem, even if they show no symptoms themselves. For the deepest pressure, Donna Hudson is the therapist with the "thumbs of steel." For a slightly lighter pressure, choose Elise Brown or Brian Larimore. Going slightly lighter than that, select Angela Lorance. You may choose a duration of 30, 60, or 90-minutes.        back to top
  
  
• Geriatric Massage takes into consideration the specific needs of older clients and tends to be a gentler and even more nurturing form of Swedish massage. Techniques include gentle holding, rocking, joint mobilization, gentle compression, lymphatic flushing, energy work and massage. While intended for the elderly or infirm, anybody seeking a deeper level of relaxation will love it. It is wonderful for easing arthritis pain and the various other aches and pains of aging. You lie upon a warm, cushioned table, supported with pillows – or, if you’re unable to be positioned on the table, the therapist can massage you while seated. We also have an electric-lift massage table at our office, capable of lowering to an ADA-compliant 19". It makes getting on and off the table much easier for anyone with decreased mobility. (If you would like to utilize this table during your session, please specify so when you book your appointment.) Geriatric massage offers many techniqeus which can be performed while you remain clothed. So if you have difficulty getting undressed due to mobility issues, or would just prefer to remain clothed, we can accomodate your wishes. Beverly Davis is our therapist specifically trained in geriatric massage techniques.          back to top
  
  
• Massage for the Cancer Patient: New research into cancer and the affects of massage therapy on cancer recovery show that bodywork can be a powerful tool. It can ease many of the discomforts associated with cancer and cancer treatments, even for those terminally ill. But most massage therapists are taught not to work on cancer patients. The Sloan-Kettering Institute's Massage for the Cancer Patient directs therapists how to use their skills in a safe and effective manner. Beverly Davis has studied with the Sloan-Kettering Institute and is trained in the safe and effective method to administer these massage techniques. Please seek your doctor's approval for massage if you currently suffer with any form of cancer.     
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  read articles in Massage Therapy Journal
  read article from ABMP
  
  
• Lymphatic Drainage Massage is like spring cleaning for the body. It is a hands-on technique involving subtle pressures to direct and stimulate the flow of fluid into the lymphatic system and from there, through the lymph nodes and back into the bloodstream. Specifically, the therapist works with flat hands, using all the fingers to simulate wave-like movements. Using this technique, the trained therapist can detect quality of lymph flow and areas of congestion. The pressure used is very light, rhythmic, and relaxing. As accumulated toxic interstitial fluids drain away, fresh new blood bathes your cells, cleansing and regenerating your tissues. Your entire immune system is strengthened, and your body is able to detect and respond quickly to threats. You may also see reduction in edemas (swelling) and lymphedemas of many origins, regeneration of burned, scarred and wrinkled tissues, relief from constipation, enhanced immune function, lessening of fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue symptoms, and relief from many types of headache and chronic pain. A toxic body hurts and lacks energy. It makes sense that, along with healthy lifestyle changes, detoxification with Lymphatic Drainage Massage can improve health and wellness while helping you fight off infections and avoid disease. Every cell in your body will thank you! We recommend beginning with a 30-minute session if you are new to Lymphatic Drainage Massage. Beverly Davis, Traci Hampton, and Angelia Lorance are our Lymphatic Drainage Massage specialists. For super relief of sinus congestion, headaches, and infections, couple your Lymphatic Drainage treatment with a Craniosacral Therapy Session.
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  more info on the Vodder technique
  
  
• Hot Riverstone Massage is nothing new. Ancient cultures across the globe have taken advantage of the heat acceptance and retention quality of stones in steams, saunas, and healing massage for millennia. But in the last decade, it’s been quite a craze at the best spas and salons nationwide. This exotic treatment involves the placing of smooth river stones, heated to around 130 degrees, along key points of the body, such as in pairs alongside the spine, upon the abdomen, in lines down the arms and legs, and even tiny stones between the toes. The penetrating heat of the stones radiates deeply into the body, and this warmth, coupled with the weight of the stones, melts tension from the muscles and creates a profound sense of relaxation. The treatment also includes massage therapy, both with the therapist’s hands as well as the stones themselves. Elise Brown, hot stone practitioner, says, "There’s a stillness about this kind of massage. I think it takes you deeper than clinical massage or even a relaxing Swedish massage. It’s almost hypnotic. From the choice of music to the gentle tap of the stones to the massage itself, every movement is a measured slowing of time. The weight of the stones grounds you. They first warm the skin, and then that heat continues to penetrate into the muscles and tendons and connective tissues. When the stones are gently removed, there’s a feeling of increasing weightlessness in your body – as though you’ve lost everything that was holding you down in life." Hot Stone Massage is not appropriate for people with blood pressure or cardiac concerns, pregnant women, or people who get easily overheated. Generally, the same people who are warned to avoid saunas and hot tubs should not receive Hot Stone Massage. A 60-minute session covers the entire back of the body. A 90-minute session may cover either just the back of the body, with more therapeutic focus on areas of tension, or it may be a full-body session. The two-hour session covers the entire body and is the ultimate pamper-yourself experience.   Ask for Elise Brown or Angelia Lorance.       back to top
  
  
• Myofascial Release is all about stretching and elongating the body. Each session begins with a postural analysis, with your therapist looking for postural asymetries and distortions. When your body is aligned well, your skeleton does the work of supporting your weight, and your muscles need only act to create movement or gentle modifications to your posture. But when you are not aligned well, the muscles become the main support system your body has. This means they're always contracted and always tight. Eventually, they become sore, burning, and painful. Myofascial Release Therapy has been called "slow motion chiropractic" because it restores skeletal alignment, which in turn reduces chronic muscle tension and often relieves joint subluxations. A treatment involves mostly long, slow, deep stretches, targeting the body's connective tissue, or fascia. Because fascia responds differently to stretching than does muscle, the stretches seem very gentle and may last a few minutes per stretch. Elise Brown has studied Myofascial Release techniques extensively with the John Barnes Institute. She frequently couples these techniques with Connective Tissue Massage, CranioSacral Therapy, and deep tissue massage techniques.                                     back to top
  
  
• Connective Tissue Massage: Have you ever felt like you were having a "bad gravity day?" Like every joint in your body was being compressed by super-tight muscles? There's a sheet of connective tissue which lies between the skin and the muscles known as the superficial fascia. It's like a full-body wetsuit we all wear just under our skin. Over time, this sheet has a tendency to shrink and loose its elasticity. If you've ever sucked the air out of a plastic bag and watched the bag compress the contents within, you have a good idea of what shrinking superficial fascia can do to your body. There's compression on all the joints of the body, which greatly contributes to arthritis and bulging disks. The compression forces you out of optimal postural alignment and triggers muscle tightness throughout your body. A few sessions of Connective Tissue Massage can create a sense of looseness in your body that you'd forgotten was possible. It really is like you've minimized gravity! A session consists of very deep gliding strokes which hook into and stretch the superficial fascial layer. The feeling is of intensity, but not usually pain. Most recipients describe it as "satisfying." Donna Hudson and Elise Brown are both trained in Connective Tissue Massage.                back to top
  more information on Connective Tissue Massage
  
  
• Craniosacral Therapy: This therapy is excellent for headaches of all types, TMJ, neck pain and whiplash problems, ear problems, bulging disks, sciatica, and pain in the region of the tailbone. Craniosacral Therapy uses the bones of the face, skull, and vertebral column as handles to gently stretch the meningeal membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. The amount of pressure used can be measured in grams, so a CST session is extremely relaxing and non-invasive. Due to past traumas or injuries or chronic postural conditions, the meningeal membranes may tighten, shorten, twist, or shear and place compressive force on the central nervous system, the nerve roots as they exit the spinal column, or the pituitary gland, which controls many of the body's chemical/hormonal systems. Symptoms can be widespread and varied. In addition to the physical symptoms already mentioned, Craniosacral work can be helpful in alleviating PMS, digestive complaints, post-traumatic stress disorders, swallowing problems, vision problems, and a range of diverse and seemingly unrelated symptoms. Receiving regular sessions will help you relax and relieve stress while gently assessing and "untangling"potential problems within the meningeal system before they create pain and dysfunction. Elise Brown and Traci Hampton are both trained in Craniosacral techniques: Traci at Level I and Elise at Level III.             back to top
  more info on Craniosacral Therapy