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Port Moody B.C
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Registered Massage Therapist:

Manual Therapy Techniques
 

Active Release Therapy:

 is a manual therapy technique applied by Health Care Practitioners: Registered Massage Therapists (RMT), Physicians, Physiotherapists and Chiropractors to release tension through muscles, tendons and fascia. This increases range of motion at each joint, creating space around the ligaments, nerves and increasing circulation with blood and lymph.  Abnormal tissues are treated by combining precise direct tension on the muscle, tendon and fascia, with very specific patient movements.  The individual assists the RMT in lengthening the muscle, fascia through lengthening the area involved.   The RMT shortens the muscle, creating a pressure on the shortened tendon of the muscle and asks the individual to slowly lengthen the area.  The slow active movement slows the neurological response to the muscle, allowing the muscle to relax and become lengthened. Whenever possible we have our patients perform active movements during the treatment process. Active motions stimulate neurological pathways in the Central Nervous System (spinal cord and brain) that help to reduce pain during treatment.   The motion also helps to reproduce the stresses the patient will be under during normal active motion.

Somatic Release:

During the course of our lives, our sensory – motor systems respond to daily stresses and traumas with specific muscular reflexes.  (A muscular reflex action is an automatic (involuntary) response, initiated by a stimulus from the external environment). This stimulus signals to the Central Nervous System, which sends information to the muscle tendon to react.  This reaction is usually a contraction of a muscle or group of muscles).

These reflexes, repeatedly triggered, create habitual muscular contractions, which we cannot voluntarily relax.   The muscular contractions become so deeply involuntary and unconscious that, we can no longer remember how to move about freely.  The result is stiffness, soreness and restricted range of movement.

Sensory Motor Amnesia (SMA) is a memory loss of how certain muscle groups feel and how to control them.   It is the result of the sustained muscular reflex and because it occurs within the Central Nervous System, we are not aware of it, yet it affects us to our very core.   SMA has nothing to do with age, it occurs anytime, from childhood onwards.  It is a learned pattern of muscular contractions, because it is learned it can be unlearned.

Somatic Exercises, applied with your RMT and during home care, provide a direct and effective way to reprogram the sensory – motor system.   Somatic Exercises provide training in personal sensory awareness, feeling the tension and ease of the body, and motor control, the contraction and relaxation of the muscles, tendons and fascia.

Somatics provides us with a way to live under the stressful demands of our external environment and still remain healthy – physically and mentally.

Cranial Sacral Therapy:

"Cranial Sacral Work", like any art, can be practiced many different ways. It is a comprehensive technique, good for almost anything, but difficult to define.   Cranial Sacral Therapy is where mind, body and spirit meet.

The cranial sacral rhythm is generated by the secretion of the cerebral spinal fluid deep in the brain.   In the Central Nervous System, (CNS), the brain and spinal chord, there are membrane coverings called dura.  There are several layers of membrane covering the CNS, between these membranes, the cerebral spinal fluid moves.  The movement of the cerebral spinal fluid creates a rhythmic pulsation between the dura, this is called the Cranial Sacral Rhythm.   Where the rhythm is blocked, this is an indication of a physical or energetic blockage.

Unwinding the connective tissue is called Fascial Unwinding , this is a sort of no-force Rolfing.  The technique is applied by creating a slack in the tissue, when laying the hands on the body we take over the holding patterns, tension, allowing the body to let go, unwinding old tensions in the tissues.

The dura, one of the membranes of the brain and spinal cord adheres to the bones of the skull.   Applying gentle traction of the skull can therefore be used to unwind restrictions in the dura and the dural tube that surrounds the spinal cord.   Easing tension and pressure felt in the skull. 

SomatoEmotional Release represents another art to cranial sacral therapy.   When laying our hands on the body, we can explore which movements the body accepts and which it resists, then asking the body to move in the pattern of least resistance we are able to induce spontaneous movements.  We can sense any position in which the cranial rhythm turns off, then we hold the body in that posture to facilitate a release of stored traumas.  Releasing the locked up energies sometimes brings on subtle and sometimes profound change.

The key to Cranial Sacral Therapy is gentleness.  The individual comes in with a conscious and an unconscious agenda.   It is important for the health care practitioner to listen, visualize and have respect for the individual, to be able to follow their body, or lead their body asking for a response with the gentlest of requests. In order to facilitate the individual in accomplishing the healing that they intend, at the levels of body, mind and spirit.

Visceral Manipulation is a great method of approach to the body, employed along with cranial sacral therapy.  The visceral organs each has its own characteristics and movements.   We store our emotions and our traumas in the organs, as contractions and restrictions of movement.   Some of life's challenges, we file in the body as a tension, a contraction, and ignore it.   Eventually those tensions will accumulate and develop into physical symptoms.  When those tensions release, the material filed in the body becomes free-floating again.

Arthrokinematic Therapy

Arthro means joint, therefore, Arthrokinematic Therapy, is working with the joints of the body, and joints are the articulation of two or more bones. Joints are held together by ligaments, and there are strong tendon attachments to all joints. Tendons are extensions of the muscles that attach into bones and joints.   Muscles have the ability to contract and relax and with the tendon and fascial extensions of the muscle attaching into the joint, the contraction of a muscle can approximate the joint closer together. If the contraction is sustained for a period of time, that can cause the joint to be compressed.   The compression of the joint will block the fluid flowing into the joint supplying nutrition to the tissues that make up the joint line, and eventually lead to wearing away of these tissues.   Some contractions of muscles are also done unconsciously, therefore, the awareness to encourage the relaxation of the contracted muscle is not there, until overtime there is a great amount of discomfort or pain felt in the joint.   Arthrokinematic Therapy is applying contract/relax techniques to muscle contractions affecting the joint, as well as joint traction, providing manual separation to the two bones that are articulating. This promotes relaxation, freeing the joint, and relaxing the soft tissue surrounding the joint.

Core Stability Training

We hear a lot of emphasis on core stability training.  The core of the body consists of the pelvis, abdominal area, the spinal thoracic region of the body into the chest cavity.   Although, it is important to consider the whole body in stability training, the core is the primary connection linking the upper half of the body to the lower half.    Core stability concentrates on the connection with contracting and relaxing the abdominal muscles, not only by doing sit ups will the abdominals strengthen, but also by bringing intelligence into the action of strengthening the abdomen to learn how to contract and use the abdominal muscles properly during daily activities.  It is important to bring intelligence in creating length and flexibility into the spine, creating traction of the vertebrae, from tail bone to base of skull, educating the spinal muscles to be lengthened then to be properly strengthened.   The core not only consists of the abdominal muscles but also the pelvic floor muscles, and the whole of the spine.  Proper education and training will teach the individual how to use the body most affectively on a daily basis.

Safe, Smart, Effective.

Safe     RMT’s in BC have the highest training standards in North

America.  They are health care professionals whose actions are governed by the college of Massage Therapists of BC.  (CMTBC).

Smart     Massage Therapy is a drug free and cost effective way to take care of your body and health.  It is patient focused, one on one therapy.

Effective   RMT’s provide a natural solution in the treatment and management of numerous disorders including headaches, whiplash, back pain, arthritis, tendonitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, sports injuries and many other common conditions

Z Mind Body Spirit Centre is in good standing health with the Massage Therapy Association

Of BC (MTA) and the College of Massage Therapists, (CMT)

www.massagetherapy.bc.ca 

stretching
Remember to take it easy the next couple of days.
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Manual Therapy Techniques

Instructor:

 Hamid Haji

• 5th degree black belt

Canadian Champion

B.C. Champion

Represented Canada in:

-the World Karate Championship 2004

- Pan-American Championship

 Expert Yoga Practitioner

Over 20 Years of experience teaching worldwide

Hamid’s approach involves:

Creating a friendly and supportive atmosphere

Creating a safe exercise environment - do as much as you can and listen

to your body

An emphasis on not comparing and not competing against others - look at

improvement within yourself

expertise slowly

An understanding that everyone is a beginner at some point

DO YOUR BEST AND LEAVE THE REST BEHIND

Kickboxing

These classes combine elements of boxing, martial arts, and aerobics to provide overall physical conditioning & toning.  The many benefits include:

· Improved flexibility

· Unmatched cardio & body conditioning workout

· Self-defense

· Improved self-awareness & confidence

Boot Camp

The four week intensive training involves total body conditioning. Focusing on body awareness, balance, flexibility, lightness, strength, cardio, body reaction, all with the practice of yoga, swiss ball exercise, pilates and kickboxing, the newest method of body conditioning.  Resistance training is incorporated with all exercises using tubes and/or small weights.

Introduction to Yoga

Yoga is a philosophy, a science and an art.  It unites the body, mind and spirit for health and harmony in everyday life.  It does not belong to any religion, but is a spiritual practice which exemplifies many ideas which are common to all religions.  As you continue to practice this state called yoga, you will deepen your understanding of what you truly feel and believe.  The only requirement is to act upon and be attentive  your actions.  You will find that in addition to the obvious physical benefits, yoga also calms your mind, increases your concentration and gives you a greater ability to cope with stress.  It promotes physical and spiritual well-being through a system of spiritual development.

· Practice at your own pace