Services Provided by HWI

Medical Massage

Medical massage has been proven to lower stress levels and blood pressure, relieve muscle spasms, ease chronic pain and bring about a state of well-being. The practitioner manipulates muscles and connective tissue to increase relaxation and circulation throughout the body.

Most people enjoy human touch. A touch can convey comfort, love, awareness and many other sensations. It can also help alleviate aches and pains. Massage has many uses and benefits. Stress reduction and relaxation is what most people think about when they think of massage.

In addition it can relieve muscle spasms, ease chronic pain, lower blood pressure and bring about a state of well-being. It stimulates circulation, stimulates lymphatic drainage, releases emotions, aids sleep, and gives you time for yourself. It can revitalize you. medical massage human touch stress reduction relaxation

Massage modalities available at HOPE Wellness Institute that can be tailored to meet your individual needs:

• Classical Western Massage:
A method of therapeutic friction, kneading and stroking of the body derived from European anatomic and physiologic concepts.
• Connective Tissue Massage:
A diagnostic and therapeutic treatment that involves stroking and pulling deep connective tissues to release the existing tension and return them to a natural alignment. May be uncomfortable and produce vasodilation and sweating.
• Deep Tissue Massage:
A style of massage that uses strong pressure; slow, deep strokes; and friction across the muscle grain to release chronic muscle tension.
• Prenatal or Pregnancy Massage:
Therapeutic massage that is tailored to the unique condition and needs of a pregnant client. Focused on preparing the body for the demands of pregnancy and child birth, relieving back pain, mobilizing the pelvis and promoting circulation and proper lymphatic drainage are stressed.
• Orthopedic Massage:
A therapeutic approach to injury and pathology treatment of the locomotor system; uses multiple techniques. Ideal for pre and post surgery conditions.
• Recovery Massage:
Massage designed to address the needs of an uninjured athlete directly after a competition or a vigorous workout. The focus is on minimizing fatigue or soreness and cleansing tissues to shorten recuperation time.
• Remedial Massage:
Designed to help recovery from mild to moderate injuries.
• Scar Tissue Massage:
The mobilization and reduction of scar tissue in the body through cross friction that frees restrictions, increasing range of motion, and encourages the body to repair the area with more flexible connective tissue.
• Sports Massage:
A style of massage that works specifically on problems resulting from athletic performance, training, and injury. This form of massage uses techniques similar to those of Swedish and deep-tissue massages.
• Swedish Massage:
Systematic soft tissue manipulation applied directly to the skin via rubbing, kneading, friction, percussion, and vibration.
• Systemic Massage:
A structured form of massage used to enhance one organ system, usually the circulatory or lymphatic system.

Nutrition

We currently do not have a nutritionist on staff. Until we do here are a few things to keep in mind.

Why should you care about it? Nutrition is the process of obtaining foods necessary for health and growth. When foods contain the proper nutrients, our bodies have an automatic shutoff to keep us from overeating. Getting proper nutrition is the ultimate decision to becoming healthy. When the body is fuelled with what it needs for optimal health, it becomes the most amazing machine.
So, where to start? Who to listen too? What to believe? These questions have kept many from pursuing proper health. There are so many pitfalls on the road to good nutrition. BBQ’s with family, potlucks at work, dating, access to fast food, the list goes on. Most social gatherings are filled with foods that people crave. Navigating the high-fat, high-sugar dishes is a modern day gauntlet. Here are some tips to help you navigate.

Avoid overeating – nutrient dense foods will trigger your shutoff and help keep you from overeating. For example; eating a bag of chips is easier than eating a bag of almonds. The omega-6 in most oils used to make potato chips causes you to crave more of this junk food. That is why you can’t eat just one. Whereas; eating more than a serving size of almonds is difficult. Your body decides it’s full.

Why are you eating – ask yourself this question. Do you really need it or are you bored? Eating foods that give prolonged energy will keep you moving and full. Eating anything high in sugar, or that convert quickly to glucose in the body, will give you immediate satisfaction, but will leave you craving more sooner than needed. Whole wheat is converted quickly to glucose, which is one of the reasons it is so darn tasty.

Eat naturally – focusing on foods that come from the garden and not a factory. Most grocery stores are set up with the natural foods on the outside perimeter. Fruits and veggies on one side and meats in the back. Most of the middle aisles are full of processed, nutrient deficient foods.