Spotlight on Integrative Massage Therapy
by Julie Williamson
July 06

Think massage therapy is limited to Swedish, Shiatsu, Sports and Deep Tissue? Think again. While each of those therapies is quite popular in the U.S., and for good reason, there are some lesser known – yet more comprehensive – massage techniques that deserve our attention.

Integrative Massage Therapy is one area, in particular, that is gaining in popularity and securing legions of devotees who swear by the treatment’s healing and rejuvenating powers. As its name implies, Integrative Massage Therapy, or IMT, combines multiple modalities that blend Eastern and Western techniques. Some of these modalities include touch and massage; Reichian bodywork; neurolinguistic programming and psychotherapy; aromatherapy; heat therapy; craniosacral therapy, hypnotherapy; stress management; movement therapy; reflective listening; shamanic work; kinesiology; acupressure and other meridian therapies.

“Integrative massage therapy is very client-focused. Because it blends many different elements, each client receives an individualized treatment based on his or her own unique needs. It’s definitely not one-size-fits-all,” explained J. Cooper, LBMT, an Integrative Massage Therapist in Charlotte.

The core principles of IMT involve maintaining a flexible, client-focused approach so the parts of the body addressed and the types of modalities used to reflect the individual’s unique needs, and utilizing several modalities, as well as the therapist’s own creative strokes to ensure a customized, non-routine treatment. Depending on the client’s needs and preferences, the IMT practitioner may use one technique or several, and may vary treatment approaches from one visit to the next.

Among other things, Cooper carefully monitors the way clients walk, sit and stand, and also evaluates various aspects of their clients’ jobs and lives that could impact health and wellness (i.e. computer use, excessive lifting). Cooper said first-visit treatments typically involve Swedish massage techniques “to explore and gain an overall view of the client’s condition and needs.” Cooper and her colleague, M. Greenberg, LBMT, operate a private spa, complete with onsite hydrotherapy soaks, steam and heat saunas, for clients who are serious about the healing benefits of massage.

Benefits of IMT
In the simplest of terms, the purpose of integrative massage is to promote physical, emotional and mental wellness by creating a balanced mind-body-spirit connection.

When performed by a skilled integrative massage therapist, the treatment can successfully relieve tension and stress, and promote healing and overall rejuvenation. As a result, sport-related injuries typically respond well to IMT. The therapy can lessen chronic pain stemming from old injuries by keeping muscles supple and preventing the referral of pain to other extremities. Stretching, motion therapy and other treatment approaches of IMT can also greatly enhance recovery of new injuries, although each patient must still be aware of his or her own limitations.

IMT has also been found to be helpful as a complementary therapy to alleviate symptoms of allergies, depression, headaches, musculoskeletal pain, myofascial pain, digestive problems, carpal tunnel syndrome, and edema, among other ailments.

“People often think that in order to relieve pain and stress, and to promote healing, deep pressure is required. But the success of [IMT] proves that’s just not the case,” Cooper noted.

In fact, sometimes the most seemingly subtle treatment approaches of IMT, such as Reiki (light-touch healing that transfers energy through the practitioner to the client), can have the most pronounced – and profound – impact.

Picking a Practitioner
As with any other treatment approach, it’s imperative to partner with a well-trained, certified IMT practitioner who is knowledgeable and experienced in a broad range of modalities. General massage therapists are typically not properly trained in the various aspects of IMT.

Cooper also underscored the importance of healing intent. “Integrative massage is supposed to be a truly rejuvenating experience. The intent of [the practitioner’s] touch should be about wellness and healing. This requires awareness and the ability to be present and in the moment when doing the massage,” she continued. “You transfer your energy to the patient, so it’s important for the client that the energy being transferred is positive and healing.”

Charlotte IMT Practitioners
J. Cooper, LBMT
cooper248@hotmail.com
704-345-2662

Carolinas Integrative Health
1408-B East Blvd.
Charlotte, NC 28203
704-355-WELL (704-355-9355)

For more information, or to find other practitioners in your area, contact the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA), 820 Davis Street, Suite 100, Evanston, IL 60201; 847-864-0123; www.amtamassage.org. The website includes links to individual practitioners by region; by clicking on each provider’s link the user can find the contact information, along with a list of treatment modalities used. The list is by no means exhaustive and may not include every certified IMT practitioner in the Charlotte area.