Massage Therapy | Healing With Massage

I've had warm, aromatic oils massaged onto my body, experienced lymphatic drainage, had my back massaged with warm stones, my cranium aligned with my sacrum and my entire body structurally integrated. My journey into the world of massage and beyond started with traditional Swedish massage and became an odyssey into a dramatic world of healing. I experienced the curative powers of these procedures, while observing that practitioners are caring people with a wealth of knowledge about anatomy, physiology, the muscular system and the body's organs.

Many therapies, one intent
Pat Plattner, licensed massage therapist and owner of Kneaded Touch, has worked as an operating room technician, assisting surgeries. In the past 15 years, she has spent hundreds of hours learning about Swedish and sports massage, LaStone Therapy, steam therapy, Reiki, Thai massage and others.

Plattner stresses that knowledge of a variety of procedures is not as important as the therapist's attitude. “Massage has been around forever,” she explains. “Touch is so powerful. But most important is the intent behind the massage.”

Plattner explains that Swedish massage, developed in the 1700s, relaxes the muscles by applying pressure and rubbing in the direction of the blood flowing to the heart. It increases oxygen flow in the blood, releases toxins from the muscles, increases circulation and stretches the ligaments and tendons.

Sports massage, she explains, is deeper than Swedish, while involving a variety of techniques, including Swedish and Shiatsu. It drains away fatigue, relieves swelling, reduces muscle tension, promotes flexibility and prevents injuries. Another of Plattner's procedures is Lymph Drainage Therapy (LDT), which she demonstrated. Using a surprisingly gentle touch, she rapidly massaged my cheeks and neck with wave-like movements, explaining that LDT helps reduce swelling, detoxifies the body, increases circulation and the functioning of the immune system.

Plattner also demonstrated scalp massage, cellulite massage that is deep and somewhat painful and is said to break up fat deposits, and LaStone Therapy, massage with very warm stones that quickly relax muscles. Other treatments she uses are steam therapy; Reiki, a hands-on healing process; pregnancy massage; and Thai massage, in which the fully clothed client is massaged deeply on the floor.

Ancient Ayurvedic healing
Elizabeth Bader, licensed massage therapist and owner of The Sanctuary, is one of few practitioners Orange County specializing in Ayurvedic Massage. Ayurvedic Medicine, an ancient form of healing from India, involves diet, herbs, yoga and massage and is geared to the body type of the client.

The heart of Bader's treatments is warmed, herbally infused oils that she applies to the entire body. Experiencing these oils, which are also poured into the ears, fills the client with a feeling of sublime nurturing. While enjoying Ayurvedic Massage, I immediately relaxed from the warmth, texture and calming aromas of the oils, enabling Bader to deeply and quickly massage places of pain and stress. The oils, geared to the specific body type, are absorbed by the body, helping nourish, balance and heal it.

Bader is schooled in Swedish, deep tissue, and scalp massage, as well as the use of stones, and she uses several of these in many massages. She also applies Ayurvedic herbs and potions to the body to the draw out toxins. She began my massage by applying a mud preparation, consisting of 15 herbs and four clays, to my back to draw out toxins. Then she exfoliated my back with special herbs.

Elizabeth Bader's special Ayurvedic Spa Treatments include: Abhyanga, a rhythmic deep massage; Pizichilli, during which the therapist pours a stream of warm oils over the client's entire body; Shirodhara, a mental stress dissolver, during which the therapist pours warm oil, milk or buttermilk over the scalp and forehead region; Body Bastis, a brief area-specific massage, followed by a 20-minute bathing of that area in warm herbally infused oil or ghee (a purified form of butter); Nasya, stuffy-head relief that includes a marma (pressure) point massage, an herbal steam, and the administration of medicated oils through the nose to open the sinuses; and Steam (Swedana), warm, steam infused with healing herbs and essential oils, promoting the release of toxins and pain accumulation.

Cranial sacral therapy
I had heard about Cranial Sacral Therapy (CST), but never experienced its effects until I met Regina Roland, a national certified therapeutic massage bodyworker. Like most bodyworkers, Roland is a student of the healing arts and works with many procedures. But she specializes in CST which she learned through the Upledger Institute.

CST, developed by John Upledger, D.O., works with the rhythm of the “cerebral spinal flow that goes from the sacrum to the tailbone, and has a rhythm of its own, similar to the rhythm of the heart and the breath.”

During Roland's 50- minute session, I rested on her massage table, while she lightly and non-invasively touched and rocked my entire spine. Throughout the treatment, I felt nurtured and relaxed. When she completed the treatment, I felt free of stress and centered.

CST is described as a gentle, non-invasive form of bodywork that directly influences the brain and spinal cord. It is said to restore the natural rhythmic movement found between the bones of the skull and aligns the movements of the sacrum. The Upledger Institute says that CST can help a wide range of medical problems.

Liz Goldner, an Orange County based freelance writer has published in Art and Living, Women in the Arts, Laguna Life & People, Orange County Register, OC Metro, Orange Coast and Riviera, among others. www.lizgoldner.net

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