Vancouver Registered Massage Therapy Services

All of our practitioners are Registered Massage Therapists. We utilize one or more of the following massage techniques depending on your preferences and your body’s needs:

Deep Tissue Massage

Deep Tissue Massage helps with chronic muscular pain and injury rehabilitation. It helps reduce inflammation-related pain caused by arthritis and tendonitis. It is generally integrated with other massage techniques.

Deep Tissue Massage techniques affect the sub-layer of musculature and fascia. These techniques require advanced training and a thorough understanding of anatomy and physiology. The muscles must be relaxed in order to perform deep-tissue massage, otherwise tight surface muscles prevent the practitioner from reaching deeper musculature.

Myofacial Release

First we should explain what the term ‘myofascia’ means. As much as we like to sound smart it is more important that you understand what is happening in your body. ‘Myo’ simply means muscle and ‘fascia’ is a connective tissue that forms a matrix or web that interpenetrates the extra cellular matrix that surrounds muscles, bones, organs, nerves, blood vessels, and other body structures. Fascia is an uninterrupted, three-dimensional web of connective tissue that extends from head to toe, front to back, and interior to exterior.

Through stress, injury, poor nutrition, postural imbalances, overworked muscles, and repetitive activities your myofascial matrix can become contracted or stretched, thicken, become congested and inflamed, and adhere to surrounding structures such as muscles, bones, nerves, and organs. The result for you is pain and irritation due to the development of trigger points and their resulting pain referral patterns. In fact your myofascial matrix is so interconnected that problems in your foot can actually result in back, neck, or shoulder pain along with digestive disturbances.

The body’s myofascial matrix is now one of the most researched areas of medicine and physical therapy. In fact, our entire system of understanding anatomy in terms of muscles, bones, organs, and nerves is being rewritten because of this new area of research. Science is now proving that a healthy fascial matrix is critical to overall health.

The release of myofascial adhesions and trigger points through gentle stretching or compression of the tissue is the starting point for effective long term pain relief.

Trigger Point Therapy

A “trigger point” is actually a restriction or adhesion in the bodies myofascial matrix. Trigger points can cause pain in the specific area of the adhesion or the trigger point can refer pain to other areas of the body. By releasing the “trigger”, this referred pain is eliminated. The purpose of trigger point therapy is to eliminate pain and to help the body re-align energy pathways to assist in eliminating pain and re-establish pain free movement. Trigger point therapy will assist in reducing swelling and stiffness of neuromuscular pain. You may also find that your range of motion is increased, tension is relieved, while circulation, flexibility and coordination are improved.

For many trigger point therapy is the solution to relieving or eliminating chronic headaches.

Swedish or Relaxation Massage

The many benefits of Swedish massage may include generalized relaxation, improved circulation, reduction of scar tissue. Swedish massage may speed healing and reduce swelling from injuries.

Swedish Massage is a classic form of full-body massage which relaxes the body, improves muscle tone and circulation, eases muscle aches and tension. Long flowing, kneading, and milking strokes are used to gently release the body from tension and stress. This is a gentle massage, soothing and very relaxing massage. Massage oil or lotion is used to reduce friction on the skin.

Positional Release

A sudden jolt or shock…or even sleeping in a bad position can cause a muscle spasm. A spasm is a natural protection system of your body which can become dysfunctional, continual and painful. In positional release, the therapist holds the muscle in the “right” position causing the spasms to stop and the muscle to return to normal. A chronic problem that has been going on for months or longer can be corrected by simply finding the right position to allow the release!

Electro Therapy Point Stimulation (ETPS)

Electro Therapy Point Stimulation can quickly alleviate chronic back pain conditions, tension or migraine headaches, fibromyalgia pain, carpal tunnel syndrome and many other painful conditions.

Sports Massage

Sports massage is designed to facilitate athletic recovery and enhance performance. It can be part of a regular athletic program including: pre-event, post-event, and injury treatment.

Before an event sports massage can help accelerate blood flow and warm up the muscles. After an event massage can help to calm the body and help the body rid itself of toxins and waste products. It can reduce recovery time, allowing an athlete to resume training much sooner. A regular massage program will help prevent injuries. However, if and when injuries occur, massage can help speed and improve the quality of healing.

Joint Mobilization

Tight muscles, stiff ligaments, or restrictions in the joints themselves can contribute to decreased movement in parts of your body. If pain is associated with this decreased movement, massage can loosen up the structure that causes the restriction … relieving the pain. Joint mobilization focuses on improving mobility in areas where you are experiencing restricted movement.

Other Advanced Therapeutic Techniques

At the Coal Harbour Massage Therapy Clinic, we deal with people who are in pain. So one of our missions in life is to learn everything we can about new and advanced therapeutic techniques that relieve pain and help our clients heal. We normally use a combination of techniques designed to address the pain you are feeling in the moment and to heal your injuries or chronic conditions on a long term basis.

Orthomolecular Nutrition

By using the latest advances in science, Coal Harbour Massage Therapy in downtown Vancouver is now able to provide specialized nutritional advice for people struggling with chronic musculo-skeletal pain. Through the use of foods, systemic proteolytic enzymes, vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids our clinician can customize a nutrition program for you to help combat even the most stubborn musculo-skeletal pain.