Dr. Evans has experience in treating a wide variety of health and pain issues including:

• Addiction
• Allergies
• Asthma
• Back Pain
• Back Problems
• Body Fat Reduction
• Breathing Issues
• Cellulite Reduction
• Cluster Headaches
• Depression / Anxiety
• Diet & Nutrition
• Digestive Problems
• Disc Problems
• Emotional Well-being
• Exercise Advice
• Fatigue
• Foot, Ankle & Knee Problems
• Headache
• Migraines
• Dizziness
• Vertigo
• Herniated Disc
• High Blood Pressure
• Injury
• Intestinal Problems
• Lower Back Pain
• Lung Problems
• Migraines
• Muscle Aches, Sprains & Strains
• Neck Pain
• Numbness/Tingling
• Orthopedics
• Orthotics
• Pain Management
• Pediatric/Healthy Kids
• Pinched Nerve
• Pregnancy Care
• Sciatica
• Scoliosis
• Shoulder Pain
• Sleep Problems
• Spinal Problems
• Sports Injuries
• Stress
• Upper Back Pain
• Weakness
• Weight Loss
• Weight Management
• Whiplash

It tends to take time to fully achieve and maintain the benefits of massage and bodywork. Getting one massage once or twice a year may be relaxing, but it is not going to undo chronic pain or keep your muscle tissue supple and responsive.

Bodywork

Central to all forms of bodywork is the belief that there are blocks in the flow of energy and fields that indirectly cause disease, and which, when unblocked, result in a return to the state of health.

Bodywork is a general term for therapeutic methods based on touch that center on the body for the promotion of physical health and emotional and spiritual well-being. This includes massage, various systems of touch and deep tissue manipulation, movement awareness, relaxation techniques, and practices designed to affect the body’s energy balance.

It is known to improve bodily structure and function (e.g., circulation and relaxation), and/or as a therapeutic modality to reduce pain and heal damaged musculoskeletal units

Central to all forms of bodywork is the belief that there are blocks in the flow of energy and fields that indirectly cause disease, and which, when unblocked, result in a return to the state of health.

Bodywork encompasses many kinds of therapeutic touch, including massage, acupressure, Craniosacral Therapy, Reflexology, Reiki, and many more. There are almost 300 methods, according to the Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals.

These include ancient healing techniques such as Shiatsu and Thai massage, along with modern methods that are often named after their creator—Rolfing Structural Integration, The Feldenkrais Method, and The Trager Approach.

Bodywork ranges from very gentle work where the therapist uses light or even no touch, as in Reiki, to more extreme modalities such as Rolfing. This uses physical manipulation of fascia to release old holding patterns and misalignments that are responsible for chronic discomfort and pain. Other methods are aimed at re-educating the body’s movement patterns to improve functionality.

Most types of bodywork share goals, such as relief from pain, improved function, freedom of movement, a balanced mind, and a heightened sense of body awareness, vitality and well-being. They also stress active participation in your own health and wellness.

Many people turn to regular bodywork because of chronic pain.

You may find that it takes a variety of bodywork methods to create lasting change. One method might take you to a certain point, and then it’s time to try something else. In many ways it’s your own path of healing, and you should participate in it.

Hot Stone Massage

This is a specialized treatment where we use smooth, heated stones to warm up tight muscles, so we can work on pressure points and problem areas to alleviate tension and stress. Hot stones may either be placed on the body or used as an extension of our hands. This allows the us to work more deeply and quickly.

This is the perfect way to relax, especially if you experience chronic muscle soreness.

Along with relieving tension, hot stone massage can help to promote sleep, relieve pain related to autoimmune disease, boost immunity, and even decrease cancer symptoms like fatigue, nausea, depression, and pain.

A hot stone massage takes a lot of skill and sensitivity on the part of the therapist. The quality of the treatment depends on how well the therapist has been trained, how skilled he or she is. Handling hot stones in a way that makes you comfortable is a difficult art to master.

Before you arrive, the massage therapist will sanitize the stones and heat them in a bath of 120 to 150-degree water. The stones themselves are usually basalt, a black volcanic rock that absorbs and retains heat well and has been smoothed by natural forces in the river or sea.

When you arrive, you will usually be asked to lay face down on a massage table. First, the therapist warms up the body with traditional Swedish massage, then massages you while holding a heated stone. As the stone cools, the therapist replaces it with another. The therapist uses many stones of various shapes and sizes—big ones on the big muscles, smaller ones on smaller muscles.

The therapist might also leave heated stones in specific points along your spine, in the palms of your hand, on your belly, or even between your toes to improve the flow of energy in your body.

Many therapists believe that the stones themselves have an energetic charge that needs to be maintained by placing them in a spiral pattern.

Be sure to speak up if the stones are too warm or the pressure too intense, and you can always ask them to stop using the stones if you don’t like how it feels. Additionally, if you like heat but not the stones, lava shells and steamed towels are another way to get heat into a massage.

A hot stone massage is more expensive than a basic Swedish massage because it requires more preparation and clean-up and usually requires more time with the therapist.

Hot stones warmed by a fire were originally used by Native Americans to treat aching muscles, but the modern revival of hot stones in massage is generally credited to Mary Nelson, a native of Tucson, Arizona, who trademarked her style of hot stone massage, called LaStone Therapy.

Hot Stone massage is not appropriate if you have diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, or are on medication that thins your blood. You shouldn’t get a hot stone massage if you are pregnant or have a sunburn, and you also may want to reconsider if you are menopausal, as it may trigger a hot flash.

Hydrotherapy Packs

Hydrotherapy has a fascinating history. It was a popular method of treatment for mental illness at the beginning of the twentieth century, and was used at many institutions, including the London Asylum for the Insane. Water was thought to be an effective treatment because it could be heated or cooled to variable temperatures. When it was applied to the skin, it could produce various reactions throughout the body.

One of the main benefits was its ability to take effect quickly. Hydrotherapy could be accomplished with baths, packs, or sprays.

Warm continuous baths were used to treat patients suffering from insomnia and those considered to be suicidal and assaultive. It calmed excited and agitated behaviour.

A patient could expect a continuous bath treatment to last from several hours to several days. Continuous baths were most effective when held in a quiet room with little light and audio stimulation. This allowed the patient to relax and possibly even fall asleep. Bath temperatures typically ranged from 92°F to 97°F, so as not to cause injury.

Packs consisted of sheets dipped in varying temperatures of water, which were then wrapped around the patient for several hours. Sprays functioned like showers and used either warm or cold water. Cold was used to treat patients diagnosed with manic-depressive psychoses, and those showing signs of excitement and acute motor activity. The application of cold water slowed down blood flow to the brain, decreasing mental and physical activity. The temperature for a cold pack ranged between 48°F and 70°F.

Today we use hydrocollator packs.

A hydrocollator is a stationary or mobile stainless-steel thermostatically controlled liquid heating device designed to heat bentonite-filled packs in water up to 160 degrees where the packs will be removed and wrapped in several layers of towelling and applied to the affected body area of a patient to relieve acute pain or relax certain muscle groups.

Lymph Massage

Manual lymphatic drainage (MLD) is a type of massage designed to encourage the natural drainage of the lymph, which carries waste products away from the tissues back toward the heart. The lymph system depends on intrinsic contractions of the smooth muscle cells in the walls of lymph vessels (peristalsis) and the movement of skeletal muscles to propel lymph through the vessels to lymph nodes and then to the lymph ducts which return it to the cardiovascular system. This technique uses a specific amount of pressure and rhythmic circular movements to stimulate lymph flow.

Mechanical Massage

This technique has many benefits that include improved circulation, reduced muscle tension and pain, increased lymphatic drainage and increased skin tone.

Poor circulation can lead to fatigue, illness and muscle ache. Mechanical massage stimulates the blood circulation by vibration and movement from specific techniques. The treatment creates friction that increases the number of capillaries and widens blood vessels. It assists in maintaining a healthy cardiovascular system.

Regarding the reduction of muscular tension, the rhythmical action of mechanical massage stimulates the muscle fibres. This creates more movement in between then and relaxes the muscles. This is important regarding the reduction of pain and prevention of muscle spasms.

The simultaneous vibration and percussion movements also increase the lymph flow in the body. Stimulating the lymphatic system is important regarding draining out waste products and toxins from the body. Pain is also relieved due to the rapid removal of waste products such as lactic acid.

Mechanical massage benefits skin tone. It can help disperse fatty deposits and reduce the appearance of cellulite. The continuation of heavy pressure on the adipose tissue alongside increased circulation can improve the texture of skin.

Neuromuscular Technique

The most effective type of massage therapy for lower back pain is neuromuscular therapy. It is also referred to as trigger point myotherapy. The American Academy of Pain Management recognizes this as an effective treatment for back pain caused by soft tissue injury (such as a muscle strain).

The treatment consists of alternating levels of concentrated pressure on the areas in question. Pressure is usually applied with the fingers, knuckles, or elbow. Once applied, the pressure should not vary for ten to thirty seconds.

Muscles that are in spasm will be painful to the touch. This is caused by ischemic muscle tissue. Ischemia means the muscle is lacking proper blood flow due to the spasm. Because the muscle is not receiving enough blood, it is not receiving enough oxygen. The lack of oxygen causes the muscle to produce lactic acid. This acid makes the muscle feel sore following physical activity.

After the muscle is relaxed via massage therapy, the lactic acid will be released and the muscle should start acting normally.

Neuromuscular therapy will feel painful at first, but the pressure of the massage should alleviate the problem. At this point, it is extremely important to communicate with the massage therapist regarding the pressure – whether the pressure is too much, too little, getting better, getting worse. Massage therapy pressure should never be overly painful. In fact, most people describe the pressure as good pain.

Following a neuromuscular therapy massage, any soreness that presents itself should fade after twenty-four to thirty-six hours. The muscles that were tight should remain noticeably more relaxed. Recurrences depend on your level of stress etc.

Remedial Soft Tissue Technique

This method involves direct physical action on the muscle and other soft tissues of your body. It targets your muscles, tendons, ligaments, or other connective tissue.

This type massage includes a whole range of depth, pressure and duration. Your massage therapist is a professional who understands what techniques are right for your body at any given time. The aim is to alleviate aches, pains and injuries.

Swedish and deep tissue massage are two of the most known soft tissue techniques.

Our soft tissue massage aids in relaxing muscles, improves the healing time of strained ligaments and muscular tissue, improves range of motion and joint flexibility, strengthens the immune system, improves oxygen flow, increases blood circulation and lymph flow, reduces the inflammation of joints and heart rate, releases endorphins, decreases muscle spasms and helps to relieve muscle tension.

Swedish Massage Trigger (or Myodysneuric) Point Therapy

A trigger point is a tight area within muscle tissue that causes pain in other parts of the body. A trigger point in the back, for example, may produce pain in the neck. The neck, now acting as a satellite trigger point, may then cause pain in the head. The pain may be sharp and intense or a dull ache.

Trigger point massage therapy is specifically designed to alleviate the source of the pain through cycles of isolated pressure and release. You actively participate through deep breathing as well as identifying the exact location and intensity of the discomfort.

The results and benefits of trigger point massage flow from releasing the constricted areas in the muscles, thus alleviating pain. You should experience a significant decrease in pain after just one treatment. Receiving this type massage on a regular basis can helps to manage pain and stress, particularly from chronic injuries.