Monday, September 30, 2013

Ease Knots and Tension in Soft Tissue with Cupping & MFR

What are those tension knots I get in my back and shoulders? How do I get rid of them?

Knots you feel due to tension are adhesions in your soft tissue. They are most likely in your fascia, or connective tissue, and in your muscles. These knots occur when your fascia becomes "glued down" from repetitive use or lack-of-use. Your fascia is like a giant spider web, connecting every spot in your body with every other spot.

Like glue that dries, or hardens, your fascia and soft tissue get glued tight. The tissue, itself, gets adhesions and restrictions that restrict movement and blood flow.

When you get those knots, your tissues aren't getting enough movement and circulation. Essentially, the smooth flow of chi has become blocked.

To relieve adhesions and restrictions ("snags" and "knots"), we can use cupping to perform a technique called Myofascial Release, or MFR. Watch this video about cupping and myofascial release to learn more:

For more about the piezoelectric effect, see the last post and its diagrams. In essence, your tissues harden with crystallization. Sustained pressue, held for several minutes at a time, induces the piezoelectric effect. Tissues are returned to normal, instead of staying hard and "crunchy".
Stationary cupping can be used as a form of MFR to return your body to a healthy state!

If you are getting pain or tension associated with connective tissue,
CALL
Balanced Boulder Massage & Cupping
970-948-0179 
and GET CUPPED!

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Cupping Relieves Muscle Pain & Tension

If you get ...
* Soreness,
* Nagging aches,
* Joint stiffness,
* Tight muscles,
* Pain that's dull or sharp, 

...then, you need to GET CUPPED! 
Cupping therapy is an excellent natural remedy to relieve muscle pain and tension!
glass cups relax muscles and ease tension
Glass cups feel wonderful, relaxing muscles and easing tensions

How does cupping work?
Cupping involves the application of cups with suction to the body. A vacuum is created by the therapist, manually or thermally or using a hand-held pump. 
Cups can be placed anywhere on the body, to treat a variety of ailments. They are often applied to the back, shoulders, hips, and legs.
When cups are applied, a small amount of skin and tissue are drawn up into the cup, decompressing the areas below the cup. Areas such as blood and lymph vessels are opened up. 
Space is created. Pathways flow. Stagnant chi (circulation) moves again.

How does cupping relieve muscle pain and tension, specifically?
Cups can be applied in a dynamic way, or stationary. 

With dynamic (or massage) cupping, the gliding of the cups over the body feels relaxing. The cups are moved, with applied suction. This is similar to massage. Just like Swedish massage, pressure can be strong or light, or in-between.
Except cupping gives a bigger boost to circulation than massage, so your tissues are getting more blood flow, more oxygen, and more lymph. 
For those who suffer from poor circulation, compromised immune system, or stagnant chi, massage cupping can feel like so heavenly, like no other treatment!
Your body doesn't distinguish between the compression of massage or the decompression of cups: it just knows it feels good!

When they are stationary, they sit on the skin for a few minutes. When they are dynamic, they are moved around in a gliding, massage way.
When cups sit stationary, they induce a myofascial release effect on underlying tissues. By sustaining the decompression, connective tissue in the body releases adhesions and restrictions. In other words, stationary cups get rid of knots and snags in your tissues!
In manual therapy and physics research, this has been described as the piezoelectric effect.
piezoelectric effect quartz body muscles tissues
Tension causes muscles and connective tissues to crystallize

tension in body tissues piezoelectric effect
Tension in body tissues can be relieved naturally with the piezoelectric effect


Your therapist might use stationary cupping, or massage cupping, or a combination of both. It depends on what your body needs at the time of your treatment.

Receive an ancient treatment, (new to the U.S.), and enjoy the relief of muscle pain and tension that cupping can provide!
ENJOY CUPPING!

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Massage and Cupping Prices for Balanced Boulder Massage & Cupping

How are services priced at Balanced Boulder Massage & Cupping?

Each person is unique. And bodies change: you might feel on-top-of-the-world one day, but feel down-in-the-dumps the next. Therefore, each treatment is unique. I set my price for your treatment at the time of the treatment.

Here are some general guidelines, based on what we determine you need at the time of treatment.

Balanced Blends:
A 60-minute treatment that includes both Massage and Cupping     $84
A 90-minute treatment with Massage and/or Cupping                        $109

60 minutes of Massage only or Cupping only                                       $79
Focus Cupping, 20 - 30 minutes                                                            $49
examples: Facial Cupping, Lunch-time Quick Fix
Focus Cupping, 30 - 40 minutes                                                            $59
e.g.: Immune Boost,  Upper Body Relief
Focus Cupping 40 - 50 minutes                                                             $69
e.g.: Detox Cupping, Sports Cupping


facial cupping in boulder for sinuses, wrinkles, lines, breathing, relaxing
Facial Cupping reduces wrinkles and lines, clears sinuses and opens airways, and it's very relaxing!

Monday, September 9, 2013

Doggie Dashers get Sports Massage

    That race was for the dogs! And all the other pets of the Humane Society of Boulder Valley...and for the humans who care for them, too!
    The dogs weren't the only ones having a BLAST at the Doggie Dash on Saturday, September 7th! The post-race party included yummy food and ales, groovin' jammin' tunes by the band Rocktin' Grove, treats and goodies from all the animal-loving vendors, cool tubs for hot dogs (on that hot summer dog day), and...
Sports Massage for the human racers!

Sports Massage at the Doggie Dash for Humane Society of Boulder Valley
Racer Neil gets Thai-Sports Massage after the race:
Notice the 1 cat, in the stroller, amidst the dogs & humans!
  Such a fun time, and for a great cause! Those of us who love, rescue, and support shelter pets came out for a good time. There was 1 brave cat present, a Persian, who kept her distance from the wet, sweaty, slobbering dogs by staying on her throne (see stroller, above).


Sports Massage by Nina at the Doggie Dash in Boulder
Nothing but Ohhs and Ahhs from Audra as she gets Massage (for humans) after the Doggie Dash

   And with so many dogs in one place, the racers were surprisingly well-behaved...and the dogs behaved, too! Seriously, the dogs were so focused on the race, and their run with their humans, that there was hardly a snarl or nip between dogs all day!
 
Nina gives post-race Sports Massage at the Doggie Dash September 2013
Giving post-race Sports Massage at the Doggie Dash - made in the shade!
DOGGIE DASHERS: Dash into my Boulder office and Get "Comp" Cupped!
Your special post-race offer, good thru September 30th, 2013:
* Receive 30 minutes of Cupping FREE when you schedule a 60-minute Massage
OR
* Sample Cupping for FREE w/ a lunch-time quick fix, at my Boulder office, Tuesdays or Wednesdays between 11:30 am to 1:30 pm

Your complimentary cupping does not have to be for sports performance. You don't have to get cupping for athletes, although cupping is an excellent therapy for muscle recovery from sports.


...Appointments must be made in advance, by calling Nina at 970-948-0179
...Spots will fill, so call immediately so you don't miss out!
THANK YOU to EVERYONE WHO PARTICIPATED
in the Doggie Dash for the Humane Society of Boulder Valley!
It takes a huge village to love all these animals and keep the shelter afloat, to show these animals all the love they show us! THANK YOU!