When we think of massage, we might imagine 'working out knots' or 'breaking up scar tissue' through force. However, modern science indicates that these are misconceptions of how massage actually affects our body—much like the outdated 'no pain, no gain' approach to massage.
The latest understanding of the human body indicates that responses to bodywork are due to the effects on the nervous system. Real, lasting relief doesn't come from “beating you up” harder—it comes from communicating comfort and safety to your brain and nervous system.
Your Skin: The Gateway to Your Brain
The connection between your skin and your brain is deep and biological. During embryonic development, your skin and your nervous system form from the same layer of tissue (the ectoderm). In a sense, your skin is your brain’s antenna to the world.
When I touch your skin, I am not manipulating muscle or fascia; I am “talking” with your central nervous system, communicating with your brain through your nerves to help modulate a change in tension, pain, and stress responses.
A Full-Spectrum Sensory Experience
My massage engages your nervous system by interacting with different types of sensory receptors, each with a specific job:
Meissner Corpuscles: Sense light touch and are crucial for our fine tactile discrimination and grip control.
Pacinian Corpuscles: Sense firm pressure, signaling to the brain that a firm, supportive contact is present.
Ruffini Endings: Sense slow, steady skin stretch. Stimulating these receptors with gentle sustained skin stretch is a unique feature of my massage sessions.
C-Tactile (CT) Fibers: Respond to pleasant slow, gentle, and sustained touch.
Massage + Movement sessions incorporate Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) and Muscle Energy Technique (MET) to stimulate muscle spindles, Golgi Tendon Organs, and motor nerves. Targeted activation of these sensory receptors can positively affect muscle tension and the underlying sensations of tightness and pain.
When we target these receptors—especially the Ruffini endings and CT Fibers —through intentional, gentle, sustained, slow, and feel good touch, your body undergoes a powerful shift:
The Brain Relaxes: Your brain receives a signal that it is safe to "downregulate" and let go of protective guarding.
Muscles Soften: Rather than "fighting" against painful pressure, your muscles let go because the nervous system quiets its motor nerve excitement.
Sustainable Change: By helping to change, or “modulate” signals from the brain, the relief can last longer than traditional "no pain no gain" techniques.
Safety Over Intensity
Pain is a protective mechanism of your brain and nervous system. If a massage is painful, your brain can perceive it as a threat and be put on alert. This is why deep-tissue massage can leave you feeling tight again just a few hours or days later.
By using slow, intentional techniques that prioritize your comfort and safety, we utilize the power of your nervous system to switch your body from Protection Mode into Rest and Repair Mode. This is where true healing happens. We aren't just giving you a temporary fix; we are teaching your body how to feel safe and move freely again. This approach is ideal for those dealing with chronic tension, chronic pain, high stress, autoimmune conditions, Long COVID, those who find traditional deep-tissue massage too aggressive or counter productive, or those who are tired of deep-tissue that gives little relief.