A Different Approach to Bodywork
Pain and tension don’t always come from one tight muscle or one area being “out of alignment.”
The body is constantly adapting. Sometimes one area becomes overworked because another area isn’t participating as easily. Sometimes a movement you’ve used successfully for years simply stops being the best option for what your asking your body to do now.
During a session, I may look at how your hips move in relation to your knees and feet, how your rib cage moves when you breathe, how your shoulder relates to your neck and spine., or how you organize your body during an everyday movement.
Hands-on bodywork allows us to explore these relationships directly.
Movement gives you the opportunity to experience them for yourself.
You don’t need to learn a “correct” way to move. We’re looking for additional ways to move.
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Bodywork Built Around you
Every session is different because every person is different. Depending on what I find, a session may include:
Soft-tissue and myofascial bodywork
Gentle or deeper manual therapy
Joint movement and mobility
Lymphatic techniques
Detailed work with feet, hips, ribs, shoulders, hands or other areas
Sensory and proprioceptive exploration
Simple movements that relate directly to the hands-on work
Sometimes the changes are subtle. A hip rotates more easily. A rib moves differently during a breath. Your foot contacts the ground differently. An area that has been doing too much work doesn’t have to work quite as hard.
Those small changes can significantly change how the whole body feels.
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Who I Work With
People come to see me for many different reasons.
You may have persistent tension or discomfort that hasn’t responded the way you hoped to other approaches. You may be recovering from an injury or surgery. You may want to move more comfortably during work, exercise or daily life.
Or you may simply know that something doesn’t feel quite right and want someone to take the time to look closely at what is happening.
I’ve worked with people ranging from those dealing with longstanding pain and movement limitations to recreational exercisers and elite athletes.
You don’t need to arrive with a diagnosis or know exactly what is wrong.
We can start with what you’re experiencing.
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Experience Matters
I have worked professionally with the human body for nearly three decades.
My background includes a bachelor’s degree in Human Health Performance/Kinesiology, extensive experience in massage and bodywork, and additional year-long training in functional neurology.
But education in only part of what informs my work.
Thousands of hour working directly with people have taught me to observe carefully, listen, stay curious and avoid assuming that worked for one person will necessarily work for the next.
I continue to study anatomy, biomechanics, movement, sensory percdption and the relationships between different parts of the body.
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You Don’t Have to Move Perfectly
One of the ideas I emphasize most with clients is that the way you’re currently moving isn’t necessarily wrong.
It may simply be the movement strategy your body uses most often.
Sometimes becoming aware of another possibility is enough to change how an area is loaded and give an overworked part of the body a break.
The purpose of our work isn’t to replace one rigid movement rule with another. It’s to expand your choices.
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Come In With a Question
“My back always feels tight.”
“This hip doesn’t move like the other one.”
“My knee hurts, but I’m not sure the problem is actually my knee.”
“I just don’t feel as comfortable moving as I used to.”
Those are all good places to begin.
We’ll look at what your body is doing, explore some possibilities and see what changes.
Book an Appointment Online
If you're interested in making an appointment, or learning more about how I can help, please give me a call at 503-939-2524 or you can Book an Appointment Online and fill out the Intake Form before you come in.
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