FOOT ZONE THERAPY

Foot zone therapy is based on the premise that energy flows through the body in meridians from the brain to the feet. Every organ and cell has a representative point.

On the foot, and when pressure is applied, the brain sends a signal to the corresponding part of the body to facilitate healing and restore balance. Temporary pain, defined also as a blockage of energy flow, is felt on areas of the foot which correspond to the affected organ or body part. When the pain is relieved or reduced, the healing process has begun. Positive and apparent results are felt almost immediately.

Foot zone therapy dates back 5,000 years and was used in ancient China and India. Egyptian hieroglyphs and paintings also show the use of this method. But not until the 20th century, when Dr. Erdal of Norway used a form of this therapy to cure himself of paralysis, did foot zone therapy get rediscovered. After 23 years of intensive clinical research, Erdal has codified his findings into a medical science widely respected throughout Europe.

(See also: FOOT ZONE THERAPY, Alternative Health, Massage, Bodywork, Body Mind and Soul)

DYNAMIC SPINAL THERAPY

Dynamic spinal therapy was developed by Rolf Ott in Rapperswil, Switzerland, in the 1980s. The technique works with the body’s posture and energetic (acupuncture) system and consists of three parts: Ear reflexology test - This test comes from France and Germany and is part of the ear acupuncture. The ear is used to get information about the body’s energetic state. A therapy stylus is simply pressed along specific lines. Some areas are more sensitive than others and give the therapist information.

Acupuncture meridian harmonization balances the energetic system. The focus is on chi flow to stimulate the personal healing process. With the therapy stylus, certain meridians are traced on the skin surface. The Swiss therapeutic cushion - The pelvis is checked while being rotated and specific stretches are applied. Afterward, the client lies face down upon the Swiss therapeutic cushion like an unconscious person floating in water. This position offers complete relaxation. The body is gently rocked in several different ways. The gentle rhythmic motion causes relaxation to occur quickly and deeply and induces trust. The just-stretched muscles get reprogrammed and the rocking moves the joint helping to build them.

Application - Joint problems (hip, knee, shoulder, etc.), migraines, arthritis, foot conditions (halux valgus), lumbago, herniated disks, spinal nerve irritations (problems in inner organs), scoliosis, sciatica, psychological problems, stress, and many more. A treatment usually takes between 30 to 40 minutes.

(See also: DYNAMIC SPINAL THERAPY, Alternative Health, Massage, Bodywork, Body Mind and Soul)

shiatsu (acupressure, schiatsu, shiatsu massage therapy, shiatsu therapy, shiatzu): Healing art whose major types are acupressure, shiatsu massage, and Zen Shiatsu. Its theory posits ki (vital energy), meridians (energy pathways), and tsubos: vital points or holes on the body that are susceptible to healthful stimulation. Shiatsu is the abbreviation of a Japanese word that literally means finger-pressure treatment (shi means finger, or fingers, and atsu means pressure). Practitioners may be called shiatsuists.

(See also: Shiatsu, Body Mind and Soul, Alternative Health, Alternative Health Dictionary)

DANCE/MOVEMENT THERAPIES

Dance/movement therapies focus on personal expression to enhance emotional and psychological healing. Using expressive movement as a tool, this modality lends itself to treatment of the physically disabled, as well as clients with histories of abuse and addiction.

(See also: DANCE THERAPY, MOVEMENT THERAPIES, Alternative Health, Massage, Bodywork, Body Mind and Soul)

RO-HUN TRANSFORMATION THERAPY

This is a form of energy healing in which the therapist manipulates the client’s energy bodies near each chakra. The objective of RoHun is to understand how certain adverse patterns became fixed in the emotional and mental energy bodies and to release the negative effects of these patterns on daily life. Although primarily an energy manipulation method, some noninvasive physical touch is involved.

(See also: RO-HUN TRANSFORMATION THERAPY, Alternative Health, Massage, Bodywork, Body Mind and Soul)

MYOFASCIAL TRIGGER POINT THERAPY

Based on the discoveries of Drs. Janet Travell and David Simons in which they found the causal relationship between chronic pain and its source, myofascial trigger point therapy is used to relieve muscular pain and dysfunction through applied pressure to trigger points of referred pain and through stretching exercises.

These points are defined as localized areas in which the muscle and connective tissue are highly sensitive to pain when compressed. Pressure on these points can send referred pain to other specific parts of the body.

(See also: MYOFASCIAL TRIGGER POINT THERAPY, Alternative Health, Massage, Bodywork, Body Mind and Soul)

PFRIMMER DEEP MUSCLE THERAPY

This technique utilizes deep cross-fiber strokes applied with the thumbs and fingers. Developed by Theresa Pfrimmer of Canada, this is a deep muscle therapeutic technique. As with many pioneers, the technique was discovered in an effort to help herself recover from paralysis.

The work enables free flow of lymph and blood, as well as improving joint movement and removal of waste products/toxins from the muscle tissue. Conditions that benefit from Pfrimmer DMT include arthritis, multiple sclerosis, headache, and fibrositis, among others.

(See also: PFRIMMER DEEP MUSCLE THERAPY, Alternative Health, Massage, Bodywork, Body Mind and Soul)

PHOENIX RISING YOGA THERAPY

This therapy involves a fusion of hatha yoga, bodywork, and psychotherapy. It is holistic art based on the ancient science of yoga, combining elements of contemporary body/mind psychology with assisted yoga postures. It is totally a client-centered process, and it establishes inner balance by awakening the healing life force within.

(See also: PHOENIX RISING YOGA THERAPY, Alternative Health, Massage, Bodywork, Body Mind and Soul)

ASHIATSU ORIENTAL BAR THERAPY

Developed by Ruthie Hardee in 1995, Ashiatsu Oriental Bar Therapy combines elements of traditional Thai massage, Barefoot shiatsu and Keralite foot massage (Chavutti Thirummal).

Incorporating overhead wooden bar supports, the therapist uses body weight and gliding foot compression on strategic points along the muscles. When performed near the spine, this form of effleurage creates a “push, pull, pumping” effect on the intervertebral disc space and relieves irritations on the spinal nerve caused by inflammation and swelling.

Note: The application of this technique is not to be done on a floor mat or through clothing. This technique was designed for smaller, petite therapists who wish to specialize in deep work.

(See also: ASHIATSU ORIENTAL BAR THERAPY, Alternative Health, Massage, Bodywork, Body Mind and Soul)

CORE STRUCTURAL INTEGRATIVE THERAPY

Originated by George P. Kousaleos, CORE is a myofascial, postural and structural somatic therapy combining massage techniques with client-assisted movement. Normally lasting 10 sessions, there are four phases of CORE body therapy organized according to the level or layer of fascia, muscle, and supporting soft tissues that are manipulated: Core massage, core extrinsic, core intrinsic, and core integration.

(See also: CORE STRUCTURAL INTEGRATIVE THERAPY, Alternative Health, Massage, Bodywork, Body Mind and Soul)

hand-mediated energetic healing (HMEH, HMEH approaches, HMEH traditions, hand-mediated healing modalities): Group of healing methods characterized by the principle that the practitioner's hands are agents of the transfer or interchange of energy.

Hand-mediated energetic healing encompasses acupressure, external qigong (Qigong therapy), Healing Touch, Jin Shin Jyutsu, Polarity (Polarity Therapy), reflexology, Reiki, shiatsu massage, Therapeutic Touch, and Touch for Health.

(See also: Hand-mediated energetic healing, Body Mind and Soul, Alternative Health, Alternative Health Dictionary)

MASSAGE

Hands-on manipulation for healing is probably older than any other healing tradition. The oldest written records of massage go back three thousand years to China, but it is much older than that. Touch and the laying on of hands are human tendencies that seem to be in our genetic makeup.

Perhaps the most basic principle in this field is that improved blood circulation is beneficial for virtually all health conditions. Tension in the muscles and other soft tissues can impair circulation, resulting in a deficient supply of nutrients and inadequate removal of wastes or toxins from the tissues of the body. This in turn can lead to illness, structural and functional problems, or slower healing. Recognition of the importance of blood circulation is implicit in all forms of massage and bodywork.

Massage includes a number of disciplines that share the use of pressure, friction and strain upon the muscles and joints of the body for therapeutic or physical responses. Swedish massage (which is a proper name, not a reference to Sweden) refers to a collection of techniques designed primarily to relax muscles by applying pressure to them against deeper muscles and bones, and rubbing in the same direction as the flow of blood returning to the heart. Shiatsu (pronounced shee-OTT-sue), on the other hand, is a system based on the body's energy meridians. Shiatsu massages are normally done fully clothed and involve pressing points on the body and stretching and opening of the energy meridians. 

There are massage therapists experienced in working with the elderly and terminally ill, the chronically ill and disabled, and those persons recovering from trauma as well as infants. A range of gentle and noninvasive techniques tailored to each client group and treatment includes the therapist's sensitivity, responsiveness, and presence through subtle touch. Ill children feel better when touched in just the right way.

(See also: MASSAGE, Alternative Health, Holistic Health, Body Mind and Soul)

Massage: There are over 80 types of massage in use today. They are as many reasons to seek massage as there are types. In general, massage is based on concepts of human function, anatomy, and physiology and uses a wide variety of soft tissue and manipulative techniques. A masseur is male massage therapist. A masseuse is a female massage therapist.

(See also: Massage, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

MASSAGE: See Swedish Massage and Sports Massage

(See also: MASSAGE, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

SPIRITUAL MASSAGE HEALING

Spiritual massage healing is a form of divinely inspired and divinely guided religious healing. It consists of prayer, love, anointing with oil, and movements derived from the laying-on of hands.

It is the practice of one’s religious faith and conscience, and it is a mode of worship. Without prayer, there is no spiritual massage healing. However, each practitioner does spiritual massage healing their own way, which may vary from one client to another.

(See also: SPIRITUAL MASSAGE HEALING, Alternative Health, Massage, Bodywork, Body Mind and Soul)

Infant Massage

Specific massage techniques for infants, these methods can be easily learned by massage therapists, nurses, parents, and others. Premature babies are especially responsive, and recent studies have proven that the benefits of this technique include weight gain, improvement in Central Nervous System functioning, and enhanced emotional well-being.

(See also: Infant Massage, Alternative Health, Healing, Body Mind and Soul)

RUSSIAN MASSAGE (RUSSIAN SPORTS MASSAGE)

This technique alters the basic strokes of classical massage so each stroke provides the client with the least invasive and most comfortable treatment.

Each stroke in Russian massage has a known physiological effect on a healthy or dysfunctional body. Therapists don’t use their wrists or single digit pressure, instead opting for shoulders or elbows as the primary sources of strength for deep work.

(See also: RUSSIAN MASSAGE, Alternative Health, Massage, Bodywork, Body Mind and Soul)

NIKKON RESTORATIVE MASSAGE (OKAZAKI RESTORATIVE MASSAGE)

Nikkon Restorative Massage was developed by Professor Henry Seishiro Okazaki in Hawaii in the 1920s. He incorporated Japanese, Chinese, and Hawaiian techniques. The goal of Okazaki’s style was to restore health and pull toxins out of the body through proper application of pressure using fingers, forearms, and elbows. The result is proper realignment of the body to its highest potential.

(See also: NIKKON RESTORATIVE MASSAGE, Alternative Health, Massage, Bodywork, Body Mind and Soul)

Esalen Massage: A long, gentle and stroking style of massage.

(See also: Esalen Massage, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

Deep Tissue Massage: Frees congestion of the muscle attachments. Deep work brings about realignment of postural distortions and restores proper range of motion. Liberation of emotional tensions may also result. Muscle function and awareness are balanced, and elasticity is revived.

(See also: Deep Tissue Massage, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

Cayce-Reilly Massage: This massage is intensively therapeutic, manipulates tissues and joints, and uses moist heated castor oil and glycothymaline packs.

(See also: Cayce-Reilly Massage, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

Polarity Massage: A technique of gently rocking, holding and massaging to stimulate relaxation, restore energy flow and encourage revitalization

(See also: Polarity Massage, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)