Massage Techniques

Also referred to as Modalities

There are hundreds of different types of massage – most are light in intensity and designed to promote relaxation. Others involve medium to deep bodywork, but are regional in focus providing only temporary relief. St. Louis Institute for Rehabilitative and Sports Massage offers a global approach combining five primary modalities.

  • Myofascial Integration

  • Structural Integrative Therapy

  • Active Isolated Stretching (AIS)

  • CranioSacral Therapy (CST)

  • Graston Technique and Sound-Assisted Soft-Tissue Mobilization (SASTM)

 

Myofascial Integration

 

All of your muscles, bones and joints are covered, separated and organized by fascia – a continuous, connective tissue that is similar to Saran wrap. Fascia connects these separate entities – establishing spatial relationships and holding you together.

However, unlike Saran wrap, fascia is more like a continuous fabric covering everything in your body with no identifiable beginning or end. And, because fascia is body-wide, tension or trauma in one part of your body can affect another part.

Some strain patterns are minor, but some produce pain patterns or create significant limitation. These patterns may begin in one locale, or may regularly produce pain in one spot, like the shoulder, knee or low back. However, the strain pattern – because of the distributive nature of the fascial net – is always body-wide.

Through "myofascial spreading" or myofascial release, your therapist can release the adverse effects of inflammation, tension and trauma by carefully spreading apart sections or stretching of superficial fascia with either their palms, fingers, knuckles or the back of their fists. It is a slow, gentle and deep stretching or opening of your body's fascia – combined with your movement and breathing. This creates a heating effect (thixotropy) on the superficial layers of tissue, which allows your therapist to gradually affect deeper tissues.

Structural Integrative Therapy

 

Posture greatly affects your health and well being throughout your lifetime. Old habits, injuries and stresses become "fixed" in your body's muscular structure. When one part of the body is out of balance or misaligned, the rest of the body attempts to compensate, which weakens the entire structure.

Structural Integration balances and aligns the body along a natural vertical axis by gradually stretching, lengthening and repositioning the fascia, restoring its normal length and flexibility. The work is more regional, yet ongoing and progressive, following fascia patterns.

Ultimately, structural integration therapy allows your body to create new patterns of movement. At the St. Louis Institute for Rehabilitative & Sports Massage your therapist seeks to achieve an inner structural balance of the legs, pelvis, back, neck and cranium. You will actively participate in each session to create neurosomatic awareness – an increased awareness of the state and health of different parts of your body, resulting in improved breathing capacity, a balanced stance, and an increased overall range of motion.

 
 

Active Isolated Stretching (AIS)

 

AIS is a method of lengthening specific muscles within targeted areas, subsequently restoring superficial and deep fascial planes. Doctors, physical therapists, athletic trainers and athletes widely use AIS to achieve optimal flexibility and range of motion, while reducing the risk of injury.

You will actively participate with clear direction on the proper muscle stretching techniques. You will perform precise, gentle and quick stretches while your therapist applies opposing pressure to the targeted muscle group. Once in the proper position, you will hold the stretch for 1.5 to 2 seconds, then release before the muscle has a chance to protectively contract. Each muscle stretching technique is repeated 8 to 10 times, increasing circulation to the area and allowing the targeted muscle to optimally lengthen.

AIS helps increase athletic performance, relieve stress, address chronic pain, recover from injury, maintain good posture, and promote overall balance in your body.

CrainioSacral Therapy (CST)

 

The craniosacral system refers to the area that houses the brain and the spinal cord, which includes the skull, face, mouth, spinal column and sacrum. Over time, trauma to the body through falls, emotional and psychological stresses, toxicity and general nervous tension can adversely impact the membranes and cerebrospinal fluid that enclose and connect this area potentially resulting in sensory, motor and intellectual dysfunctions.

CST is a gentle, light-touch approach that works the spine, skull, diaphragms and fascia to ease the restrictions on nerve passages and optimize the movement of cerebrospinal fluid. This therapy is especially beneficial in treating mental stress, migraines, neck and back pain, TMJ Syndrome, and chronic pain conditions such as fibromyalgia and other connective-tissue disorders.

CST also can be used to bolster disease resistance and to create optimal conditions for health – making it suitable for people of all ages, including babies, children and the elderly.

 
 

Graston Technique and Sound-Assisted Soft-Tissue Mobilization (SASTM)

 

The Graston Technique and Sound-Assisted Soft-Tissue Mobilization (SASTM) is a fairly new, instrument-aided approach to identifying and breaking down scar tissue and restrictions that develop due to injuries, surgeries and everyday wear-and-tear on our muscles, ligaments and tendons. By using the various curves and edges of specially designed instruments, therapists can more easily feel and isolate these restrictions.

Therapists can use the instruments to comb over the contours of different parts of the body – catching on, separating and breaking down scar tissue, as well as stretching tissue and muscle fibers with significantly less pressure than other therapy techniques. As a result, the benefits of the Graston Technique and SASTM often include decreased treatment time, maximum comfort to the patient and faster recovery.