Client Services
OVERVIEW
Specializing in Clinical/Medical massage for : Home and Work-Related Ailments/Injuries, Automobile accidents, Athletic Injuries, Stress and Stress-Related Physical Problems .
Provider for:
- Labor & Industry Claims
- PIP Claims (Personal Injury Protection)
- Regence BlueShield
NOTE: Most insurance companies require a doctor referral for licensed massage therapy. Please check with your insurance carrier prior to your appointment regarding: Eligibility, Coverage, Co-Pays, and Deductibles Payment.
Payment can be paid with cash, check, or VISA/MC. Same day payment only please. We can provide you with a bill to submit to your insurance company for reimbursement when you pay out-of-pocket.
TREATMENT STYLE
St. John Neuromuscular Therapy (NMT) comprises the greatest portion of Leif’s clinical approach. Other modalities used where necessary are myofascial release, Sports Massage, Russian Massage, lymphatic drainage, cranial sacral therapy, joint mobilization and stretches.
NMT is based on research that identifies the fundamental causes of pain. These techniques are supported by scientific, neurological laws that explain how the central nervous system initiates pain responses in the body.
The first goal in NMT is to relieve pain by achieving structural balance in the body. The second goal is to develop a precise treatment protocol for rehabilitating the affected soft tissue. The third and final goal is to give easy but highly effective movement/posture “homework’ to continue the healing/restructuring process that reduces or eliminates the causes of pain.
TREATMENT PROTOCOL
Each treatment session begins with an evaluation of the structure, form and function of the body wherein clients are taught how postural distortion and dysfunctional movement patterns impact the body’s health and vitality.
During the initial visit, Leif measures various structures of the body to evaluate for postural distortions and biomechanical dysfunction. This analysis points to the cause of pain. Examining the soft tissue helps determine what one (or more) of five factors are responsible for the pain: Ischemia, Trigger Points, Nerve Compression or Entrapment, Postural Distortion, and Biomechanical Dysfunction.
- Ischemia is a lack of blood supply to soft tissues, causing muscle pain and discomfort.
- Trigger Points produce pain/discomfort in areas of the body other from where treatment work is being done. For example, when palpating the shoulder, pain is felt down the arm.
- Nerve Compression or Entrapment is pressure on a nerve by bone, cartilage or soft tissue. As the tightness increases, discomfort, pain, numbness, etc. can be experienced.
- Postural Distortion is an imbalance of the muscular system resulting from movement of the body off the coronal, mid-sagittal and horizontal plane. Trauma, gravitational pressure or psychological patterning causes the soft tissues to assume a weight-bearing function and thus become thicker, denser and harder resulting in muscle contraction, body distortion and pain.
- Biomechanical Dysfunction is an imbalance of the musculoskeletal system resulting in faulty movement patterns. Repetitive strain of certain soft tissues results in adapted movement patterns that become muscular “habits” and must be re-educated to function properly.
Once the evaluation is complete, Leif follows a specific protocol of rehabilitation designed to produce the most efficient and long-lasting results for the problem(s) presented. The steps in this protocol are as follows:
- Locate and eliminate spasms, hyper-contraction and trigger points from the soft tissues;
- Restore postural alignment, proper biomechanics or movement patterns;
- Restore flexibility and increase blood flow to the tissues;
- Rebuild strength of the injured, weak, and/or atrophied tissues;
- Build endurance of the tissues for permanent results.
