Information Wellness Blog

Many people integrate energy work into their wellness routine, just as meditation or journaling do, to provide an outlet when their daily lives get overwhelming and they feel disoriented. Energy work can provide a much-needed reset when life becomes hectic or disorienting.

Energy healing sessions utilize gentle touches and subtle techniques to clear away blocked energies, open pathways for flow and improve both physical and emotional conditions.

What is it?

Energy work in massage therapy is a modern take on ancient wellness wisdom. This therapeutic modality involves tapping into the body’s energy fields (often known as chi, prana or life force) to unblock blockages and restore natural flow. Many find their sessions leave them feeling lighter, more in tune with themselves and their bodies and better equipped to manage stress.

Energy healing massage offers something completely different than its deep-tissue or Swedish massage counterpart, where firm pressure is used to release muscle knots. Instead, energy healing therapists use their hands as tools for sensing and manipulating unseen energy within the field of light in your body – often in tandem with verbal or visual cues that assist clients in pinpointing the source of their discomfort.

Chakra Balancing Techniques will also be part of your therapy treatment. Chakras are energy centers located throughout your body that correspond to physical and emotional states like grounding (root), creativity (solar plexus), confidence (throat) and love (heart), voice (heart), intuition (third eye) and spiritual connection (crown). Your practitioner will place their hands gently over each chakra location – sometimes moving through an elaborate sequence; other times simply focusing on resistance or blockages they detect in you.

As your session continues, you may experience tingling sensations or warmth throughout your body as signs that energy shifts are taking place and moving more freely. Your therapist may focus more time on areas holding onto negative or stagnant energy than others.

Energy work is generally safe for most, however if you have specific health conditions or are pregnant it’s important to inform your therapist of this before beginning. This helps ensure your treatment will be safe and appropriate. Furthermore, as with any type of massage session if something doesn’t feel quite right during your energy work session be sure to speak up immediately – your therapist is there to make your experience enjoyable while respecting your comfort levels at all times.

How does it work?

A session usually begins with a short grounding meditation before the practitioner places their hands along major energy channels in your body. As opposed to deep tissue massage that digs into muscle knots, here the touch is very light and feels more like vibration than pressure; its purpose is to restore flow and equilibrium within your wiring–think of it like an internal reboot! Many find themselves more energized and balanced after receiving this treatment in a relaxing setting with soothing music or just an experienced therapist’s presence.

Energy work goes beyond relieving physical pain to address emotional and spiritual imbalances, helping address any associated emotional or spiritual disharmonies as well. Our bodies, minds and spirits are intertwined – when one part is out of sync it can impact another part of our being and so many people choose this form of healing massage as part of their self-care routines.

Some practitioners offer chakra balancing, which involves clearing away blocks from energy centers in the body. Others incorporate reiki into their sessions – an ancient healing tradition incorporating mindfulness and breathwork – for holistic healing experiences that restore both body, mind, and spirit. Many therapists combine multiple approaches in order to provide clients with holistic treatments designed to restore them all at once.

Energy healing massage provides both physical and energetic relief, making it particularly helpful for people suffering from stress or tension. Furthermore, energy healing massage may even assist in alleviating chronic conditions and other ongoing health concerns; though before initiating any new therapies or supplements it’s always wise to consult your physician first.

As an added benefit, this form of therapy is great for anyone looking to add something special to their self-care regimens. Many have started adding it alongside mindfulness practices or daily runs as a means to hit pause and reconnect to their true selves in this hectic world – often easily lost among all of the noise.

Where can I get it?

Massage therapists who specialize in energy work often incorporate it into their regular sessions for holistic healing that balances body, heart, mind and spirit. Practitioners utilize their hands as channels, manipulating energy flow to clear blockages while simultaneously providing deep relaxation and wellness benefits.

Restoring flow and harmony are the goals of holistic therapies, including massage. Reducing physical and emotional blockages that may contribute to chronic pain, stress, depression, lack of energy or illness is often key. You can expect an experience more gentle than traditional massage with light to medium touch techniques used. Your session might begin with a brief consultation, then you’ll lie on a massage table while your therapist gently moves their hands over you. Your massage therapist might use sweeping motions above the skin, tap lightly on what are known as meridians (energy lines) on the surface of your skin or move slowly along these pathways, using slow pulsing rhythms and pulses. You could remain fully clothed or use eye coverings; many clients describe tingling sensations or warmth during sessions while others experience emotional releases during this process.

Energy healing works on the basis of how energy flows throughout your body through currents and energy fields, known as your aura. Sometimes these may become disrupted or blocked due to negative thoughts, feelings, or experiences that hinder their flow – to clear these out so your body can heal itself more efficiently.

Not surprisingly, more and more people are adding this form of massage into their self-care regimens alongside yoga, meditation and journaling – as a way of pausing from daily life and reconnecting with themselves.

Though energy healing massage won’t replace visits to a doctor or physiotherapist, many have reported improved sleep patterns, decreased physical discomfort and pain levels and deeper body connections after regular sessions. If you’re curious to give one a try, find one with both traditional and innovative practices in mind, led by a qualified therapist who prioritizes both your comfort and safety first and foremost. It makes a wonderful addition to any self-care regimen, particularly when combined with mindfulness or breathwork techniques.

What should I wear?

If you are going in for a deep tissue massage, the ideal attire would be loose fitting clothes; if this isn’t possible then wearing a swimsuit should suffice. In most instances, your massage therapist will cover you with a sheet and towel so your modesty remains protected at all times.

Why are we asked to undress? So that our therapist can work more freely and effectively on the muscles that require attention, while making you more comfortable during treatment. They may use palming and thumbing techniques to unblock energy pathways and promote healing, so breathable fabrics like cotton are recommended for this therapy session.

Before attending your session, it may be beneficial to remove jewelry as this can hinder treatment. Also, perfume and heavy makeup should be avoided as this could have an adverse effect. A water bottle will come in handy as keeping yourself hydrated is often difficult under covers.

Once your massage session is over, it is best to wait at least an hour before showering – this allows the oils to fully soak into your skin, providing hydrating benefits as well as making sure any beneficial results from treatment won’t wash away in an instant.

After your massage session, it is wise to avoid engaging in activities which cause high levels of stress, as these activities could potentially expose you to others’ negative energies and take them onboard yourself – something you don’t want to happen after having gone through an experience designed to release negative energy from your body!

While a single massage may offer instantaneous results, for lasting change to take place it takes multiple appointments over time. Many clients who come into our practice with months-worth of tension notice immediate changes after just one session; but without regular follow up visits this initial peace and calm quickly fades and they find themselves back where they began.

Shockwave therapy is one of the most effective non-invasive solutions to treat stubborn musculoskeletal conditions like tennis elbow and plantar fasciitis, stimulating healing while decreasing pain without incurring additional side effects of more invasive interventions.

Meta-analysis revealed that low-energy ESWT (0.10 mJ/mm2) was more successful in relieving pain and increasing function during chronic LE treatment than high-energy ESWT (0.20 mJ/mm2). Further research with larger sample sizes and randomized controlled trials must confirm these findings.

Benefits

As shockwave therapy can help treat plantar fasciitis, tennis elbow, shoulder pain and other injuries effectively, it may reduce symptoms and restore quality of life. Shockwave therapy (also referred to as extracorporeal shock wave treatment, ESWT or extracorporeal shock wave therapy) is a noninvasive technique which uses acoustic sound waves to promote healing in injured parts of the body – it has even been successfully applied in treating tendinopathies (tendonitis) and fibromyalgia!

At each treatment session, acoustic sound waves are transmitted using a handheld device placed against the affected area. These sound waves penetrate deep into tissue and help stimulate collagen production for healing damaged tissues. Furthermore, blood flow to this area increases significantly as these sound waves deliver vital nutrients necessary for rapid healing.

Shockwaves have been shown to significantly increase cell membrane permeability and circulation within treated areas, helping promote healing while breaking down calcium deposits within tissues. Shockwaves may also stimulate osteoblasts to produce new bone while stimulating fibroblasts to produce collagen which repairs damaged tissues more effectively.

ESWT has been proven to successfully treat various musculoskeletal conditions, including plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendinitis, patellar tendinitis (jumper’s knee), rotator cuff tendinitis, calcific tendinitis fractures/stress fractures of bone stress fractures/hip bursitis as well as bone marrow lesions. Furthermore, ESWT can also speed recovery after surgery such as rotator cuff repair or ankle reconstruction surgeries/surgeries/surgeries/etc.

Important to keep in mind is the distinction between shockwave treatments. Some devices such as EPAT and low energy waves do not qualify as true ESWT and have been termed pressure wave therapy; although they may provide relief in early stages of inflammation, these therapies do not stimulate new tissue formation or healing of damaged areas.

High Energy ESWT with the Dornier Epos Ultra is an FDA Class III-approved treatment that offers real healing and repairs damaged tendons and fascia in one 20 minute treatment, making this an excellent alternative to more invasive procedures that may lead to surgical interventions. Make an appointment now and begin your journey towards pain-free living!

Safety

Shock wave therapy is an effective and minimally invasive solution for musculoskeletal conditions, although its exact mechanism remains unknown. A proposed mechanism is mechanotransduction; which describes how mechanical stimuli cause biological responses such as migration, proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis in response to mechanical stimulation. Another proposed mechanism of action includes pain modulation via changes in neurotransmitter concentrations activating pain-killing systems.

Clinical research has established the safety and effectiveness of shockwave therapy when administered under the direction of a certified physician. A variety of factors affect its success and safety; among these are energy type/intensity used, application technique (focused or radial), number of treatment sessions/frequency and use of analgesia during therapy.

ESWT has been found safe for patients suffering from various musculoskeletal conditions, including acute and chronic injuries to shoulders, elbows, wrists, knees, hips, ankles, and feet. Furthermore, this therapy has proven itself effective against degenerative diseases like arthritis, osteoporosis bone fractures and delayed or nonunion wounds.

Numerous studies demonstrate the safety and effectiveness of ESWT as a treatment for calcifying tendinitis of the rotator cuff, including single-blind, randomized clinical trials.

Studies comparing high energy shockwave therapy (HESWT) against low energy ESWT or placebo concluded that higher energy ESWT provided significantly greater pain relief and functional outcomes than its low energy counterpart.

The authors of the study suggest that clinicians adhere to ESWT usage guidelines. They advise against applying it at sites with significant vascularity or bone metastases as these could increase risks of complications and complicate care plans. Clinical focusing, the application of shockwaves over areas of maximal pain, should also be used as a way of optimizing results and application.

The therapist will apply a probe to the affected area after applying a gel that conducts waves. As shockwaves travel throughout their bodies, patients will feel some mild pressure. Throughout treatment, he or she will ask whether the shockwaves are painful and adjust intensity as necessary; usually however, treatment can be completed without needing anesthetic unless specifically requested by patient.

Patient Education

Shock wave therapy is an innovative non-invasive solution. Your physician may recommend it as part of an overall treatment plan if traditional conservative measures such as physical therapy or medication have failed to provide sufficient pain relief for your condition. Shock wave therapy makes a valuable addition to recovery regimens and may help speed the return of movement and function faster than anticipated.

Your OCC physician will evaluate if you qualify for either focused or radial shock wave therapy, or both, based on your clinical history and diagnosis. ESWT creates pressure waves or shockwaves which trigger your body’s natural healing response in order to decrease pain, increase blood flow, and encourage tissue regeneration.

At each treatment session, shockwaves are administered through a probe attached to your skin after gel has been applied to help conduct them. High energy therapy may cause some discomfort; therefore a local anesthetic may be suggested for added comfort; while low-energy sessions often produce minimal or no pain and are frequently performed without needing anesthetics.

Shockwave therapy sessions typically last 20 minutes. Your physician will likely schedule multiple treatments over three to four weeks in order to achieve maximum effectiveness; some patients experience immediate relief while others don’t notice its benefits until several weeks have gone by. Your physician will monitor your progress and decide when it is time for another visit.

Once the initial series of treatments have concluded, your doctor is likely to suggest continued shockwave sessions on an ongoing basis to maintain maximum pain reduction and rehabilitation progression. Depending on your diagnosis, some level of activity may also be recommended in order to promote bone and tendon healing.

Many different devices exist for shockwave therapy, but not all of them provide equal results. Licensed physicians who have completed specialized training and certification in using focused or radial shockwave therapy are the most effective practitioners, while cheap machines that create only pressure or noise waves should not be considered ESWT treatments.

Procedure

ESWT therapy involves using a hand-held device with a probe that emits shockwaves. It’s then placed over an area of discomfort – usually tendonitis or another muscle issue – where pain exists, with no side effects reported during or after treatment. Sessions generally last less than 30 minutes each and may need to take place over multiple body areas over multiple sessions, possibly weekly depending on severity.

Shockwave therapy is an innovative noninvasive solution to pain management that offers immediate relief for plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendinitis, shoulder (tendinitis or rotator cuff), hip bursitis stress fractures and bone marrow lesions. Shockwave Therapy may also aid recovery after surgery such as rotator cuff repairs.

ESWT offers many advantages; however, more research needs to be conducted regarding its efficacy. One proposed mechanism of action involves mechanotransduction: mechanical stimuli can alter cell behaviors like migration, proliferation, differentiation or apoptosis through mechanical mechanotransduction.

Though numerous studies have demonstrated the efficacy of ESWT, individual results vary. To know whether ESWT will be useful to you, speak to a healthcare provider to assess your condition and create a tailored treatment plan.

One of the keys to successful ESWT treatment lies in its intensity. Low energy shockwave machines generate radial pressure waves that diverge from their source and may not be effective enough at treating chronic conditions such as plantar fasciitis or calcific tendinitis.

Verstraelen et al conducted a recent meta-analysis comparing high and low energy shockwave machines, and discovered that high energy devices consistently delivered more positive results than low energy equipment. This may be attributed to their waves converging more directly onto target tissue resulting in the most efficient use of energy and creating desired effects more rapidly. Furthermore, high energy equipment also allows greater levels of customization which ensure that treatment intensity matches patient need more effectively.