If you…

• Often feel like you have more questions than answers about your body’s aches and pains,

• Are recovering from an injury, strain or surgery,

• Experience chronic pain or pain that interferes with sleep and daily life,

• Worry that you over-rely on NSAID pain relievers,

• Notice you tend to feel great during or right after a massage, but then the pain comes back,

Hendrickson Method® can help.

Hendrickson Method® (HM) is a unique system of orthopedic bodywork that is highly effective for functional rehabilitation and healing, as well as deeply relaxing. HM sessions integrate a special massage technique called wave mobilization® that gently rocks the body and regulates the nervous system, together with a neuromuscular reeducation approach called muscle energy technique (MET), and advanced joint mobilization techniques to reduce inflammation and promote alignment of joints and soft tissue.

HM is founded on the following key principles:

• Therapy for optimum function, rather than just symptomatic relief. Rather than focusing exclusively on muscles and fascia, like most massage methods, HM provides comprehensive treatment for the joints and nervous system.

• Rehabilitation and relaxation in tandem. HM seamlessly blends the rehabilitative benefits of clinical manual therapy with the relaxing effects of massage.

• Healing touch with natural rhythms. Based on the internal energy healing of Tai Chi, wave mobilization® strokes are performed in gentle, rhythmic oscillations that mimic ocean waves.

• Healing for both client and therapist. HM therapists use Tai Chi principles and body mechanics to stay relaxed and supple, allowing for highly effective therapeutic touch with minimal muscular effort. Wave mobilization® is akin to a “moving meditation” and facilitates a process of “letting go” for the therapist.

Hendrickson Method® was created by Dr. Thomas Hendrickson, a Bay Area chiropractor specializing in musculoskeletal disorders, and author of Massage and Manual Therapy for Orthopedic Conditions (LWW, 2009). Learn more about Dr. Hendrickson and the evolution of Hendrickson Method®.

If you’re looking for “deep tissue” or “traditional” massage…

I recommend Hendrickson Method® for specific orthopedic issues and for most forms of injury rehabilitation. For those preferring a “traditional massage” experience, I offer a hybrid of Swedish, myofascial release, and neuromuscular reeducation. These massage sessions typically have a full-body relaxation focus, with minor to moderate targeted/focused work.

• Swedish massage utilizes medium-firm sustained pressure and a combination of flowing and kneading strokes from head to toe, to improve blood circulation, reduce muscle tension, alleviate stress, and down-regulate the nervous system. (I use lotion, not oil, and apply only a light amount to the skin.)

• Myofascial release is a method of slowly and gently releasing the connective tissue and fascia that surrounds muscles and joints. Over time adhesions that form in these tissues as a result of injury and strain lead to restrictions in mobility; releasing them facilitates greater range of motion and ease in the body. (This technique is applied directly to the body without lotion.)

• Neuromuscular reeducation is a simple method of resetting the mind-body connection with various specific muscles groups, in order to restore optimal patterns of movement in the body. (This technique is applied directly to the body without lotion.)