Massage is a wonderful, luxurious treatment for your muscles, body, and stress level. It can make you feel great, renew your tissues, give feedback on what is going on with your body--but it mostly helps with the symptoms of chronic pain--not the root of your chronic pain. We address the root cause with massage + postural alignment, movement therapy and fascia health treatments like cupping and foam rolling- in a wellness series with a focus.
My Training
As a Massage therapist focused on getting to the root of my client's chronic pain and stress- in addition to focusing on how my clients FEEL, my path to learning has been winding. It's included a lot of studying the autonomic nervous system.
Having been in the Wellness Industry for over 25 years, I have a wealth of knowledge and certifications that I use in my "Whole Body" approach to wellness...they include:
- Holistic Health Practitioner, Mueller College of Holistic Studies
- LMT since 1998
- Postural Alignment Therapist -- Egoscue Institute
- Restorative Breathing
- Medical Massage Cupping
- Rock Tape
- Certified Health Coach, Health Coach Institute
- BodyMind Certified Coach
- Manual Lymphatic Drainage/ Lymphatic Restoration Therapy
- MPS certifications in Scar Management, Concussion Protocol
- Functional Foot Therapist, Katy Bowman/ Dr.Emily Splichal
- Tune-Up Fitness Roll Model Method practitioner
Appointments are scheduled as following:
Mon., Wed-Sat. 8:00am, 9:30am, 11:00am, and 1:00pm.
Also: Tuesday afternoon
availability or willingness to have a morning appointment greatly increases ability to have a session.
50 min sessions address one area well OR working regularly on one issue, for that person who doesn't care about deep relaxation.
The 80 min session allows to customized issue work plus allows for relaxation integration. It is my preferred way to work.
The 110 min session is a combo of modalities, layered for a particular result- and is ideal for that person who wants DEEP relaxation.
Therapeutic Massage
Solutions for chronic pain, chronic stress or just relaxation!
Massage is a treatment for your muscles and nervous system....
In this session, you will have a curated experience focused on postural alignment- according to your desired focus.
This can be a typical 80 min session (which allows for focus areas plus relaxation) or a 50 min session (focus areas OR relaxation)
Modalities used could be glide cupping, active stretching, or Rocktape
80 min session $225
50 min session $160
Integrated Bodywork for Wellness
Craniosacral therapy, Visceral Manipulation and Manual Lymphatic Drainage
This is a bodywork session combining Cranio-sacral therapy, visceral (organ) manipulation, and manual lymphatic drainage, along with some additional modalities such as the Dolphin neurostim to access acupressure points.
This is an ideal treatment to get your body ready for Manual Lymphatic Drainage....
This is an ideal treatment to get your body ready for Manual Lymphatic Drainage....
80 min session- $175
Specialty Focus
Foot Massage or Lifting Face Massage
Want MORE time on your favorite area? Now you can.
Foot Focus You get a scrub, buff, heated mask and LOTS of foot and calf massage. Massage focus will be both myofascial and Thai reflexology based- though this is not a reflexology treatment.
Lifting Face Treatment: like a mini facial but most of the focus is on your facial muscles. This could include (if appropriate) intra oral massage work.
50 min $160
Combo Session- Facial plus massage
Combination massage and LaFlore facial- 110 minute session now $25 off!
A combination of a full massage and a LaFlore Facial integrated as well. This is a 2 hour service.
LaFlore facials are holistic probiotic facials that are good for everyone, but especially appropriate for rosacea.
NOTE: let me know of allergies to plants as this is a plant based product line....
Super relaxing and luxurious....
110 min $250
Holistic Body Treatments
Specials offered during Winter Months
Hydrating Body Wrap: 110 min.
Start with an exfoliation- warm up with a hydrating body treatment while your scalp is massaged, then finish with a peptide spray and ceramide cream....
Magnesium Body Cocoon: 110 min
Start with a massage with magnesium oil- get deeply relaxed as you cocoon in a hot sauna blanket while you absorb the minerals, then finish with a peptide spray and ceramide cream....
110 min $250
In each massage session:
You will be asked a focus- what you want today- of primarily chronic pain or stress relief
*note- each massage address both- I like to know whats most important for today.*
Each session- the modalities will be picked according to the result the client wants and how Rachel feels she can best meet these needs. You get to consent to each type of modailty.
When massage is being done, the massage pressure will be adjusted to you. It should always be pleasurable--feel good. It's ok if it "hurts good", but it should never be painful. This is because you need to be relaxed in order for your brain to have beneficial musculature release. Always speak up if it goes over a 7 in discomfort.
Contrary to popular belief that the muscles responds to the literal "beating or kneading" like a dead piece of meat--bodies are a mysterious neurological masterpiece. Massage IS very effective, but it is because of the increased neural stimulation into areas (such as brain awareness coming to areas of pain, or the "good" pain as a trigger point is dug into). The increased neural input causes a big spike in neural impulse, which taken away (the removal of stress) causes a reciprocal reduction in tension in the muscle...
You cause (good) pain, then take it away. The body loves it. This is especially effective with client's pain cycle has a faulty loop. Pain itself is not an indication of how "broken" you are, but how your body perceives the many signals it is getting. This includes how it perceives messages. Working on the pain being less stressful (and that the body has solutions to this pain) is very important in breaking faulty pain loops--especially when there is no known reason for the pain to continue. The body is out of danger...
Modalities used in Massage Sessions
in addition to massage and with your consent
Glide Cupping
fascia treatment
Cupping is a form of negative pressure mobilization. While massage pushes--cupping uses a vacuum in a glass cup to "pull".
This creates SPACE to massage's COMPRESSION...
What does glide cupping do?
Cupping treats your muscles, nervous system and fascia. People get it for many purposes, including to help with pain, inflammation, blood flow, relaxation and well-being, and as a type of deep tissue massage.
How does cupping work?
The space created by cupping supports your nerves... studies have shown that just the feeling of touch promotes the release of Nerve Growth Factor in the brain. The release of NGF in a learning environment will facilitate nerve net growth in response to the learned task in both the central and peripheral nervous system, resulting in improved proprioceptive feedback and motor patterning.
Note: I usually cup people's backs and SCM. I sometimes cup calves. (This can be uncomfortable and adjusted accordingly.) It can also be a treatement all on its own.
Active Massage
Being Stretched
While most people think of massage as passive (lying there are receiving massage), there are a lot of benefits to active massage- being activly stretched and massaged at the same time.
This makes a significant change in tissue length- but it is less "relaxing". It needs your participation and awareness.
My particular expertise is a pelvic alignment series I do of active work at the beginning of the massage while you are dressed still. This is done if you have chronic pain and you present with pelvic misalignment. (You need a level base)
Most of the other more active stretching can be done seamlessly in a massage with less particpation by client. (Dominant flexor muscles like the pectorals, calves, SCM)
There is also a growing trend of simply being stretched. I have the ability to do this as well BUT- I always focus on a solution to your issues.
There is also a growing trend of simply being stretched. I have the ability to do this as well BUT- I always focus on a solution to your issues.
Microcurrent
an aesthetic add-on for scar work, vagal neurostim
Types used: Dolphin Neurostim, 7E Wellness, Avazia Evolution
Our bodies are electric, and microcurrent can be used to help heal. Microcurrent uses very small amounts of electricity to influence our bodies currents. (And its truly small- a millionth of an amp vs a Tens Unit is a thousandth of an amp)
I have training in vagal nerve protocols, scar protocols, concussion protocols, fascia protocols and lymphatic support in microcurrent.
How its used in massage:
-Vagal nerve stim- if you come in with chronic stress and anxiety, sleeping issues, immune issues, or just trouble recovering from anything but especially a recent illness...
-Scar work treatment- increase healing and soften both scar and nearby tissue
-Back pain protocol (especially with radiculopathy-visibly seen neuro issues in back)
-General Chronic pain
*You should not use electricity on the body if you have epilepsy or are pregnant. Implanted electrical devices might also be a contraindication.*
Rocktape
Support or influence the neurological system
Rocktape (a type of kinesiotape) is an amazing tool which is used to influence the neurological system to up-regulate, down-regulate and provide support. Since I work with reducing pain I use it to down-regulate and support ideal posture.
While massage can be very helpful for releasing tissue, the brain wants to get you back to neutral. (which is where you were before the release of tissue.) Applying Rocktape after a massage can help calm the nervous system and remind it that its OK to stay (released and in ideal posture).
The company of Rocktape is an education based company that teaches about how the tools work to influence the nervous system- so I use RockBlades (graston-like scraping tools) and RockPods (a type of silicone cupping) to also influence the nervous system.
Do you do outcalls?
No- I only am able to take sessions - by appointment only- in my massage space located at 4 Bartlett Road, Nantucket.
I'm here on vacation in the summer- Can you fit me in?
Not likely- I have had a busy summer practice for over 25 years. I can sometimes take new clients in the off season- (Sept 15- June 15).
Which modalities in massage should I get?
According to what you want to accomplish- I pick the modalities and you consent to them. However- if you have an idea of what you are interested in- please let me know.
