What is Chinese cupping?
Dr. Sydney Sharaf and Dr. Paul Despres specialize in traditional Chinese cupping to alleviate pain, improve circulation, loosen muscles, detox, and reduce inflammation. It is a great complement to deep-tissue and acupuncture, or as a stand-alone treatment. The providers use a small flame to create a suction within a glass cup and place it on your skin. The heat creates a suction that draws blood to the surface and promotes healing.
What is medical massage?
Dr. Paul Despres practiced as a licensed massage therapist for 3 years before becoming a naturopathic medical doctor. We use the term “medical massage” because his knowledge of anatomy and physiology exceeds that of a massage therapist and he aims to address specific problems such as chronic pain, low back pain, frozen shoulder, neck pain, etc. Depending on what you need on a particular day, Dr. Despres may use deep tissue massage to break down scar tissue and increase blood circulation, myofascial release, lymphatic massage, and/or trigger point therapy in the same session.
What is naturopathic spine and joint manipulation?
Naturopathic spine and joint manipulation is used to resolve misalignment of joints and vertebrae frequently used to alleviate pain, muscle spasms, and reduced range of motion. Our manipulation techniques are comparable to a chiropractor, but he frequently adds in soft-tissue manipulation to provide more comprehensive relief.
What is CranioSacral Therapy?
CranioSacral Therapy (CST) is a light-touch, whole body treatment technique developed by John E. Upledger, DO, OMM used to relieving pressure, tension, and stress in the body. It views the body as a unit where everything is connected to everything else, form and function are interrelated, and the body is a self-correcting mechanism. It consists of stationary hand placements stimulating inherent motility of the cranial bones, cerebrospinal fluid, motility of intracranial and spinal membranes, and motility of joints and bones of the body. The uses of CST are wide-ranging considering its ability to stimulate parasympathetic tone (rest, digest, repair) and stimulate the body’s self-correcting mechanisms. A CranioSacral session is typically between 30-60 minutes and the patient lays supine stationary on the table. It is so gentle it can be used on infants and the elderly.
CranioSacral Therapy is helpful for:
- Reducing anxiety, depression, ADD, ADHD
- Improving sleep and reducing chronic fatigue
- Relieving musculoskeletal pain such as neck pain, headaches, migraines, low back pain, TMJ, Fibromyalgia, scoliosis
- Infant conditions such as teething
- Helping calm nervous system disorders
- Releasing the effects of trauma