Question of the Week - What is Therapeutic Massage?
The difference between a Therapeutic Massage and your basic “Spa” massage is the INTENTION of the session.
This type of massage is targeted at helping a specific problem area in the body. While a Therapeutic Massage can be relaxing, the main goal is to provide a therapeutic experience to the client by addressing specific soft tissue restrictions in a focused area through a combination of massage and stretching with the INTENTION of helping to propel progress and manage their condition better!
Benefits of Therapeutic Massage:
- improves circulation
- less muscle tension
- increases range of motion and flexibility
- lowers stress and promotes relaxation
- stimulates lymphatic flow
- increases energy
- promotes faster healing and recovery time
Introducing Tandem Physical Therapy’s very own Massage Therapist – Megan Godfrey!
Megan Godfrey practices an intuitive approach to healing by using a variety of techniques with her clients including deep tissue massage, relaxing movements, slow myofascial work, energy healing, and nearly always stretching.
Megan is intentional about creating comforting and healing environments where she uses her specialized training in deep tissue, cupping, reiki, and therapeutic breathwork.
In session, Megan aligns herself with clients through meditative practices, encouraging them to focus on healing thoughts, breathing, and setting restful intentions while she works to heal pain in the body. She helps people with issues from desk work, chronic pain conditions, everyday stress, prenatal massage, and muscle release for athletes.
Megan’s philosophy on trauma and its effects on the body agrees with noted psychiatrist Bessel van der Kolk who wrote, “the body keeps the score”. Megan believes that the body holds trauma, stress, and pain in various joints and muscles. This holding not only causes everyday stiffness and pain, but affects how we react, feel, and carry ourselves in the world. Megan uses massage to allow the body to release so that true healing can begin.
Megan is a native of North Texas and has lived in New Orleans for 17 years, starting out as a volunteer after Hurricane Katrina, where she helped out for two years. She studied massage therapy at Delgado graduating in 2017. She then completed training in Deep Feet ashiatsu, a deep tissue myofascial technique where she massages with her feet. A practitioner of reiki for 20 years and a student of therapeutic breathwork, she feels great joy and purpose in her work. Megan also enjoys camping, running, writing, baking, and adventures with her daughter that usually involves music by Taylor Swift. In 2024, she is excited to start the path to pursue a degree in Biology at The University of New Orleans. She hopes to follow this with Physical Therapy school!