Services Offered

Often people will say "I want a massage" without realizing that there are many different modalities (therapeutic methods) of massage. Each of these therapies focuses on different characteristics of healing, relaxing, and/or energizing. Listed below are descriptions of the different services offered at Balance Bodyworks.

Our services can be tuned and combined to your individual needs and desires. We will work with you to give you the best therapy that you need.

*Please specify if you have a preference for a male or female therapist.

Deep Muscle Massage - Swedish

This is a blend of techniques that are used to relax muscles. During this modality, the client lies on a table while the therapist uses their hands, palms, and forearms on the client. Pressure is applied by the use of various connective strokes to deeper muscles and bones while rubbing in the same direction as the flow of blood returning to the heart. During a Deep Muscle Massage, oils or creams are used to reduce friction and create a smoothing feel that helps relax muscles, increase circulation, remove metabolic waste, and increase blood flow. A deep muscle massage can help improve circulation without increasing heart load, stretch ligaments and tendons, stimulate the skin and nervous system while relaxing them, reduce emotional and physical stress, and reduce the recovery time from muscular strain by flushing out lactic acid, uric acid, and other waste build up in muscles. It's often suggested as a part of a regular stress reduction program and has specific clinical uses in medical or remedial therapy. This is one of the most widely applied modalities by massage therapists because it provides clients with the potential ability for them to heal themselves on many levels—physical, stress reduction, relaxation, and recovery from trauma.

Aromatherapy

Essential oils have been used throughout history in relief of epidemic diseases, antibacterial, antiseptics and to inhibit growth of bacteria. Today, we apply specific oils and custom blends to enhance the quality of life to individuals who are seeking a re-connection to their roots and to evoke one's own ability and power to heal themselves. Aromatherapy uses extracts from flower, leaf, blossom, petal, resin, tree, bark, root, twig, seed, berries, rind, and rhizome to help calm, balance, and rejuvenate the body, mind, and spirit. Oils are carefully used or blended together to enhance massage by the client smelling a pleasant scent that has properties that best suit their needs. They help us feel better by calming, improving mental capacity, and can have penetrating effects on the topical area applied as well as the organs themselves because of their purity and amazing properties. Aromatherapy is a compliment to medical treatment, never a replacement for it. Each oil must be carefully used because of their diverse properties and individual traits.

Shiatsu

Shiatsu is based on the body's energy meridians and is mostly done fully clothed. It is the practice of using pressure points on the body, stretching and opening the energy meridians. Shiatsu is performed while the client lies on a matt or a very low table and requires the therapist to be very mobile in order to apply the correct pressure in an appropriate manner.

Paraffin Wax

Paraffin Wax treatment is the application of wax heated to 130 degrees on the hands, feet, and elbows. The penetrating warmth helps relieve pain due to arthritis, muscle strain and stiffness, and chronic joint inflammation. Paraffin wax also helps to smooth and enrich your skin while you relax in a stress-free environment. The treatment itself consists of submerging the area to be treated into the wax, gently pulling it out and letting it set a few seconds and then repeating the process about three or four times until there is a thicker layer of wax covering the skin. The paraffin should remain on you for about 12 - 15 minutes or until completely hardened and then may be removed. Balance Bodyworks completes this treatment with a wonderful hand and foot massage using custom blended Lavender massage oil. Unscented wax is used for all clients, however Tea Tree, Lavender, Citrus, or Winter Green wax may be ordered upon request.