Shawna West, CMT, LMT

Shawna West is a Licensed Professional Massage Therapist with over 10 years experience in the field specializing in Swedish, Deep Tissue and Trigger Point.

Shawna has developed a combined approach of physical and massage therapies to better benefit the needs of the client. With over 5 years experience in Physical Therapy and 10 years in Massage Therapy, Shawna's main focus is always you and your wellness.

Shawna is a member of the American Massage Therapy Association.

30 Minutes ~ $30
60 Minutes ~ $50

Shawna works as Finance Administrator in a law firm in Lexington, KY.

The Benefits of Massage
In an age of technical and, at times, impersonal medicine, massage offers a drug-free, non-invasive and humanistic approach based on the body's natural ability to heal itself. Some of the benefits to receiving regular massage and/or bodywork treatments are:

• Increases circulation, allowing the body to pump more oxygen and nutrients into tissues and vital organs
  
• Stimulates the flow of lymph, the body's natural defense system, against toxic invaders. For example, in breast cancer patients, massage has been shown to increase the cells that fight cancer
• Increased circulation of blood and lymph systems improves the condition of the body's largest organ - the skin
• Relaxes and softens injured and overused muscles
• Reduces spasms and cramping
• Increases joint flexibility
• Reduces recovery time, helps prepare for strenuous workouts and eliminates subsequent pains of the athlete at any level
• Releases endorphins - the body's natural painkiller - and is being used in chronic illness, injury and recovery from surgery to control and relieve pain
• Reduces post-surgery adhesions and edema and can be used to reduce and realign scar tissue after healing has occurred
• Improves range-of-motion and decreases discomfort for patients with low back pain
• Relieves pain for migraine sufferers and decreases the need for medication
• Provides exercise and stretching for atrophied muscles and reduces shortening of the muscles for those with restricted range of motion
• Assists with shorter labor for expectant mothers, as well as less need for medication, less depression and anxiety, and shorter hospital stays
  

Deep Tissue Massage is designed to relieve severe tension in the muscle and the connective tissue or fascia. This type of massage focuses on the muscles located below the surface of the top muscles. Deep tissue massage is often recommended for individuals who experience consistent pain, are involved in heavy physical activity, such as athletes, and patients who have sustained physical injury.

Swedish Massage is the most predominant example of traditional European massage and uses a system of long gliding strokes, kneading, and friction techniques on the more superficial layers of muscles. It usually goes in the direction of blood flow toward the heart because there is an emphasis on stimulating the circulation of the blood through the soft tissues of the body. Swedish massage is deeply relaxing.

Trigger Point Therapy is a bodywork technique that involves the application of pressure to tender muscle tissue in order to relieve pain and dysfunction in other parts of the body. It may also be called myofascial (myo meaning muscle, fascial meaning connective tissue) trigger point therapy.