At the Kalamazoo Athletic Wellness Sports Massage Center we offer a no nonsense professional office atmosphere, without all the bells, whistles, and crunchy texture. We specialize in athletes, but work with individuals of all walks of life. You pay for time with a specialist. During that time we may do:
- Verbal assessment- Both at the beginning and end of your treatment we will take time to "check-in" with your current state of health verbally. Our specialists are highly trained and very knowledgeable. We feel this process is every bit as important as the treatment itself as it helps to guide our plan of action to help you achieve your goals.
- Postural and Gait assessments - As therapists we can help pinpoint where restrictions and weaknesses are in the body by looking at how you stand and move. It's pretty fancy stuff, I must say.
- Sports massage - A massage technique that combines movement based massage techniques with deeper tissue style of massage to increase flexibility and target tensions based on your sport (or your job!).
- Swedish massage - Most common type of massage that combines rhythmic short and long strokes to invoke increased "micro" circulation and general happiness. There is a tremendous list of benefits, it's no surprise that massage is one of earth's oldest forms of preventative healthcare.
- Myofascial Release - A mild stretch is put on the connective tissue of the body (aka fascia) in order to relieve adhesion in the tissue and normalize balance in the tension-based systems of the body (huh?). It makes chronic pain go away.
- Neuromuscular Release - A technique that utilizes the natural reflexes embedded in the motor nerves to help normalize muscle tone (huh?). It makes tight things softer very quickly.
- Reflexology- Reflexology is an ancient form of massage that deals directly with the nerve endings in the feet, hands, and sometimes the ears, to elicit reflexive relaxation and healing in the body.
- Cupping- Cupping is a technique of deep tissue work utilizing a vacuum effect to pull tissue instead of pushing tissue like traditional manual therapies. This allows for separation between the layers of tissue under the cups which can possibly break up adhesions, scar tissue, and create space for better blood and lymph flow. This modality can sometimes leave mild bruising on the tissue we lovingly call cup kisses. These spots made famous by Michael Phelps are not harmful and go away in a few days.
- Hot Towel Treatment- Hot towels can be used during your session for a small additional charge. The moist heat can help to soften tissues that have become ridged and bring circulation to areas in need of flushing. Also in the cold Fall and Winter times in Michigan, this can feel extra yummy!
- Ashiatsu- Ashiatsu or Ashi massage is a specialized technique in which the therapist uses their feet to perform the massage. This allows the therapist to achieve greater pressure in a broader plane so that there is less ouchyness. So if you don't have an aversion to feet, and like deep tissue massage, this could be your jam! This is not currently available, we are currently looking to hire a new Ashi therapist!
What your treatment looks like is tailored to your body's needs, and your athletic goals. Come on in and experience a whole new approach to your health!!
Table Massage Rates:
30 minutes = 35.00
60 minutes = 65.00
90 minutes = 90.00
120 minutes = 120.00
Discounts are available via memberships.
During your first massage at the Kalamazoo Athletic Wellness Sports Massage Center we give you the option do a consultation. This is a service that is unique to the SMC and provides a full body assessment including postural, gait, and/or targeted range of motion and strength. We sometimes do this with pictures and video for you to see what we see and so we can track progress. This process may take 10-15 minutes or longer to complete. For this reason we suggest a 60 minute or longer consultation for your first visit. This process is optional and you are welcome to just receive a first time general massage.
Gift certificates are also available!