What do floating hands that guide energy through the body, the satisfying crack of a chiropractic adjustment, suction cups that reportedly draw metabolic waste to the surface, and the right amount of pressure in the right spot for the right amount of time all have in common?
They may be able to reduce your pain and give you your life back. While falling under the scope of alternative medicine, these techniques are hardly secret or fringe: Nontraditional bodywork practices have been helping people with chronic and acute pain, sleep, mood, stress, anxiety and trauma for hundreds of years. Now, more than 30 percent of Americans seek out modern applications of ancient remedies every year.
Perhaps the key to a better night’s sleep, straighter posture or a pain-free tennis swing is just a touch away. Here are a few options in the city.
Active Bodywork Midtown: 2131 Capitol Ave., Suite 204 Arden Arcade: 2041 Hallmark Drive, Suite 2 activebodywork.com
For those seeking: Pain relief, injury prevention, improved muscle function, improved blood flow and heightened threshold for muscle fatigue.
How it works: Chiropractors use hands-on manipulations to joints, enabling the body to heal itself without surgery or medication. Sports massage is a preventive therapy that addresses muscle symmetry, tone and balance as well as range of motion. When soft tissue is manipulated to reduce pain and tension, muscle condition and range of motion are improved. What to expect in a session: After evaluating your pain level or decreased range of motion, the practitioner will work on you—and then you’ll immediately retest for improvement.
What’s different about it: Measurable results can be observed after a session. During your evaluation, if the massage therapist determines that significant results won’t be quickly obtainable, they can refer you across the hallway to the chiropractor. If your problem can be fixed without surgery or medication, it will be.
As the contracted massage and manual therapists for the Sacramento Kings for the past four seasons, Active Bodywork knows a little something about how to prevent and treat sports injuries. Fortunately, former athletes, weekend warriors and those of us still in the “couch” phase of couch-to-5K can take advantage of their offerings—the clinic is for everyone, not just professional athletes.
Todd Neider, CMT, owner/founder of Active Bodywork, was in a bad head-on collision as a teenager and tried every method and specialist to feel better, but the only thing that helped was the kind of massage that he offers today.
A current triathlete, 100-mile bike racer and half-marathon runner, Neider attributes the longevity of his love for active recreation to massage therapy. “With most massages, you just lay there, but life happens with movement in three dimensions—so we move your body while we work on you to get to the fibers from every angle,” he says.
While chiropractic care is already classified as alternative medicine, in-house chiropractor Scott Saberniak, DC, CFSC, is a bit of an alternative chiropractor himself: He still does adjustments, but he considers himself more of a movement rehab specialist. The ideal client for Saberniak is someone who has been in repetitive pain and maybe tried other treatments or even chiropractors, but still hasn’t found relief.
“In one session, you can definitely make some kind of improvement,” says Neider.
Sacramento Reiki Center 2528 I St. sacramentoreikicenter.com
For those seeking: Healing support with anxiety, depression, chronic illness, stress overload or grief.
How it works: Trauma, emotional pain and physical injury can create blocked or stagnant energy in the body, which can cause illness. Also referred to as hands-on healing or palm healing, this Japanese energy healing technique uses gentle hand movements to move energy through the body and guide patients to heal themselves using deep awareness, compassion and love. The practitioner harnesses universal life force, or “qi,” to rebalance the spirit, body and mind of the recipient.
What to expect in a session: Prior to the session, you’ll have an intake conversation to explore what you’re seeking support with and what outcomes you’re looking for. When you arrive at the center, you’ll lie down on your back, fully clothed, with just one job: to relax. Using their hands, the practitioner rebalances the areas of the body where there are stuck emotions, imbalances and blockages, and may also provide a guided meditation specifically tailored to your needs.
What’s different about it: “Reiki is different from other bodywork modalities because we treat the root of all illness: emotional imbalance and trauma,” says Selysa Love, Reiki master teacher and owner/founder of Sacramento Reiki Center. “Massage is for the muscles. Chiropractors are for the skeleton. Reiki is for the soul.”
Love says that she didn’t choose Reiki—it chose her. After her mother passed away, she was given a Reiki session that provided her with guidance and soothing for the deep pain and confusion she was experiencing. A few months later, while getting certified as a yoga teacher in India, Love was invited to participate in a Reiki training and attunement. When she returned home, she opened Sacramento Reiki Center.
The center specializes in helping people who suffer from anxiety, depression, chronic illness, stress and grief. For people who seek support with their physical health, Reiki can help them discover what emotional imbalance or trauma led to the manifestation of a chronic illness, Love says. And for those seeking support with mental health, Reiki can provide “total healing from all past traumas,” Love says, as well as the ability to achieve peace on your own. “We aim to heal the root cause of the disease, which will inhibit the further development of the illness and, in some cases, reverse it in its tracks,” Love says.
Curious but skeptical? Sacramento Reiki Center offers a complimentary call with a practitioner to discuss where you are, where you want to be and how Reiki can support your journey. During the call, you and the practitioner explore if you would like to continue working together.
Oak Park Massage Clinic (inside Evergreen Beauty and Wellness Collaborative) 2845 35th St. oakparkmassageclinic.org
For those seeking: Accessible and effective wellness; restoration of mobility or relief from pain.
How it works: Stretching, application of heat or cold, and intentional, focused direct touch to the areas in pain (or areas that may be affecting it) allow muscles to relax.
What to expect in a session: There’s no need to get undressed! You aren’t there to be pampered in the traditional sense—you’re there to feel better. Before you do, though, you might feel a little more pain (but it’s worth it). “Bodywork can be uncomfortable or painful for people at times, but [it’s necessary] to make changes and fix things,” explains Rico Gordon, certified neuromuscular massage therapist and founder of Oak Park Massage Clinic. “The reason things are uncomfortable or painful is because those areas have been ignored for too long.” Instead of lotions and oils, think posture evaluation, muscle testing and a movement exam. After this, Gordon determines if the problem can be fixed on his table, or if you might need a doctor, X-ray or MRI.
What’s different about it: “It’s not a typical massage experience,” Gordon says. Rather than a neck massage if you’re feeling pain, Gordon gets to the root of the issue by channeling focus and intent to the body part causing problems. “I hear from my patients that I have the ability to really access and affect their muscle knots, tissue and trigger points that other massage therapists can’t.”
There doesn’t always have to be a big life event like an accident to cause distress: We unknowingly hurt our bodies in little ways every day, and eventually it catches up with us.
“The last few years, many of us have been thrust into work environments that aren’t work environments—they’re our homes,” Gordon says. With people sitting in chairs or at desks, often not ergonomically optimized, for longer than we are used to, he has noticed an uptick of people experiencing pain or dysfunction in the body.
Gordon is passionate about making wellness accessible and affordable. “Everyone should have access to this type of healing,” he says. Offering internships for students at massage schools and sliding-scale payments, Gordon says, “I want to bring healing to my community in a real way. When you look at people of color, we are subjected to less access to resources and we don’t always have health insurance, but [people of color] are the largest groups suffering from mental illness and substance abuse.” If you’re in pain and unable to obtain a pain medication prescription, he explains, you might turn to liquor or other drugs. “I’m trying to heal generations of trauma. Hopefully I’m making an impact.”
Safe Space Bodywork 717 K St., Suite 510 safespacebodywork.com
For those seeking: Pain relief from previous accidents, trauma or conditions like TMJ, and help for swelling and allergies.
How it works: Cups are applied to the skin and create suction, increasing blood circulation to the area where the cups are placed. The new blood circulation can improve overall blood flow and promote cell repair, and may assist in the formation of new connective tissues and new blood vessels in that tissue. A traditional Chinese medicine practice that also dates back to ancient Egyptian and Middle Eastern cultures, the suction is thought to help facilitate flow of “qi,” or life force, in the body.
What to expect in a session: The first thing everyone wants to know is if it hurts. “It shouldn’t be painful,” says Tiffany Bedolla, CMT, owner/founder of Safe Space Bodywork. “On a scale of 1 to 10, we stay around a 5 or a 6. You should be able to feel the work, but it shouldn’t be uncomfortable.” Sessions usually last an hour but can be extended to two hours. The cups stay on one spot for 5 to 10 minutes before the practitioner glides them across the body to perform lymphatic drainage.
What’s different about it: Cupping differs from other bodywork because, instead of acupressure (where pressure is applied to the body), cupping does the opposite. “It’s negative pressure,” Bedolla says. “It lifts the layers—all of the compressing blood vessels and nerves—that are pressing together.”
Bedolla was born in Chicago but grew up in Mexico City, where she was raised on homeopathic, natural remedies. Though Bedolla ended up working in hospitals as an adult, she felt pulled to the holistic world and left her job at a physical therapy clinic to open her practice.
She offers several cupping options: glass cups heated by fire (the hotter the flame gets, the more suction the cup produces to help relax muscle tissue); plastic cups with manual pumps (described as “needleless acupuncture,” the cups have magnetic tips inside that are thought to aid with the flow of energy within the body); and orthopedic cups made of medical-grade silicone (they can be placed directly over bone and glided around the body, plus small amounts of air can be released if they are too tight). Bedolla also offers facial cupping, where the cups are much smaller and create much less pressure. “Cups used on the face create enough suction where you lift some of the fluid stuck around the face, especially with allergies, and release the muscles that get tight around the jaw. But these cups don’t leave any marks,” she says.
Speaking of marks: “People think they’re bruises, but they’re metabolic waste,” Bedolla says. “The more metabolic waste you have in your muscle fibers, the more the cups lift up to the surface and the darker the marks are.” Regular cupping, she says, leads to less metabolic waste in the body and lighter marks over time.
“After all of the metabolic waste comes to the surface, your lymphatic system is on high alert, like, ‘What’s going on?’ A lymphatic massage gets everything moving again,” she says.
Bedolla offers this method of bodywork because she feels it’s the best way to help people raise their quality of life. “Quality of life is the number one thing,” she says. “If you don’t have it, you can’t do anything.”
While alternative treatments in conjunction with traditional medicine may be helpful, always consult your primary care provider before beginning alternative care.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.CookieDurationDescription__hssrcsessionThis cookie is set by Hubspot. According to their documentation, whenever HubSpot changes the session cookie, this cookie is also set to determine if the visitor has restarted their browser. If this cookie does not exist when HubSpot manages cookies, it is considered a new session.checkForPermission10 minutesThis cookie is set by the provider bidr.io. This cookie is used for determining whether the user has accepted the cookie consent box.cookielawinfo-checbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".cookielawinfo-checbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".cookielawinfo-checbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.cookielawinfo-checkbox-advertisement1 yearThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Advertisement".cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.CookieDurationDescription__hssc30 minutesThis cookie is set by HubSpot. The purpose of the cookie is to keep track of sessions. This is used to determine if HubSpot should increment the session number and timestamps in the __hstc cookie. It contains the domain, viewCount (increments each pageView in a session), and session start timestamp.cpSess1 yearThis cookie is provided by cpx. The cookie is used for cPanel secure remote login.ss1 yearThis cookie is set by the provider Eventbrite. This cookie is used for the functionality of website chat-box function.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.CookieDurationDescription__gads1 year 24 daysThis cookie is set by Google and stored under the name dounleclick.com. This cookie is used to track how many times users see a particular advert which helps in measuring the success of the campaign and calculate the revenue generated by the campaign. These cookies can only be read from the domain that it is set on so it will not track any data while browsing through another sites.__hstc1 year 24 daysThis cookie is set by Hubspot and is used for tracking visitors. It contains the domain, utk, initial timestamp (first visit), last timestamp (last visit), current timestamp (this visit), and session number (increments for each subsequent session)._ga2 yearsThis cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to calculate visitor, session, campaign data and keep track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookies store information anonymously and assign a randomly generated number to identify unique visitors._gat_gtag_UA_356770_11 minuteThis cookie is set by Google and is used to distinguish users._gid1 dayThis cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to store information of how visitors use a website and helps in creating an analytics report of how the website is doing. The data collected including the number visitors, the source where they have come from, and the pages visted in an anonymous form.APID1 yearThis cookie is used to store information of how a user behaves on multiple websites. This information is them used to customize the relevant ads to be displayed to the users.auid1 yearThis cookie register a unique ID which identifies the user browser from visiting the webistes. This cookie collects the statistical data of the visitor for serving targeted ads.auid1 yearThis cookie register a unique ID which identifies the user browser from visiting the webistes. This cookie collects the statistical data of the visitor for serving targeted ads.eud1 year 24 daysThe domain of this cookie is owned by Rocketfuel. This cookie is used to sync with partner systems to identify the users. This cookie contains partner user IDs and last successful match time.GUCsessionThis cookie is set by the provider Yahoo. This cookie is used for Yahoo conversion tracking.hubspotutk1 year 24 daysThis cookie is used by HubSpot to keep track of the visitors to the website. This cookie is passed to Hubspot on form submission and used when deduplicating contacts.iutk5 months 27 daysThis cookie is used by Issuu analytic system. The cookies is used to gather information regarding visitor activity on Issuu products.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.CookieDurationDescription__qca1 year 26 daysThis cookie is associated with Quantcast and is used for collecting anonymized data to analyze log data from different websites to create reports that enables the website owners and advertisers provide ads for the appropriate audience segments._cc_aud8 months 26 daysThe cookie is set by crwdcntrl.net. The purpose of the cookie is to collect statistical information in an anonymous form about the visitors of the website. The data collected include number of visits, average time spent on the website, and the what pages have been loaded. These data are then used to segment audiences based on the geographical location, demographic, and user interest provide relevant content and for advertisers for targeted advertising._cc_ccsessionThe cookie is set by crwdcntrl.net. The purpose of the cookie is to collect statistical information in an anonymous form about the visitors of the website. The data collected include number of visits, average time spent on the website, and the what pages have been loaded. These data are then used to segment audiences based on the geographical location, demographic, and user interest provide relevant content and for advertisers for targeted advertising._cc_dc8 months 26 daysThe cookie is set by crwdcntrl.net. The purpose of the cookie is to collect statistical information in an anonymous form about the visitors of the website. The data collected include number of visits, average time spent on the website, and the what pages have been loaded. These data are then used to segment audiences based on the geographical location, demographic, and user interest provide relevant content and for advertisers for targeted advertising._cc_id8 months 26 daysThe cookie is set by crwdcntrl.net. The purpose of the cookie is to collect statistical information in an anonymous form about the visitors of the website. The data collected include number of visits, average time spent on the website, and the what pages have been loaded. These data are then used to segment audiences based on the geographical location, demographic, and user interest provide relevant content and for advertisers for targeted advertising._fbp3 monthsThis cookie is set by Facebook to deliver advertisement when they are on Facebook or a digital platform powered by Facebook advertising after visiting this website._rxuuid1 yearThe main purpose of this cookie is targeting, advertesing and effective marketing. This cookie is used to set a unique ID to the visitors, which allow third party advertisers to target the visitors with relevant advertisement up to 1 year.A1SsessionNo description available.APIDTS1 dayThis cookie is set by the provider Yahoo.com. This coookie is used to collect data on visitor preference and behaviour on website inorder to serve them with relevant content and advertisement.avnguid1 yearThis cookie is used to set an unique ID for the visitors which helps third party advertisers to target the visitor with relevant advertisement.B1 yearThis Cookie is used by Yahoo to provide ads, contents or analytics.bito1 year 1 monthThis cookie is set by bidr.io for advertisement purposes.bitoIsSecure1 year 1 monthThis cookie is set by the provider Bidr. The main purpose is targeting and advertising. This cookie is used to serve the user with relevant advertisement based on real time bidding.chkChromeAb67Sec3 monthsThis cookie is set by the provider Pubmatic. This cookie is used to serve the visitor with relevant contents and advertisement.CMID1 yearThe cookie is set by CasaleMedia. The cookie is used to collect information about the usage behavior for targeted advertising.CMPRO3 monthsThis cookie is set by Casalemedia and is used for targeted advertisement purposes.CMPS3 monthsThis cookie is set by Casalemedia and is used for targeted advertisement purposes.CMRUM31 yearThis cookie is set by Casalemedia and is used for targeted advertisement purposes.CMST1 dayThe cookie is set by CasaleMedia. The cookie is used to collect information about the usage behavior for targeted advertising.EQUser3 monthsThis cookie is set by the provider Eqads. This cookie is used for registering unique ID for identifying the returning user's device. The ID is used for targeting Ads to the user.everest_g_v21 yearThe cookie is set under eversttech.net domain. The purpose of the cookie is to map clicks to other events on the client's website.fr3 monthsThe cookie is set by Facebook to show relevant advertisments to the users and measure and improve the advertisements. The cookie also tracks the behavior of the user across the web on sites that have Facebook pixel or Facebook social plugin.HAPLB5SsessionThis cookie is set by the provider Sonobi. This cookie is used to track the visitors on multiple webiste to serve them with relevant ads.IDE1 year 24 daysUsed by Google DoubleClick and stores information about how the user uses the website and any other advertisement before visiting the website. This is used to present users with ads that are relevant to them according to the user profile.IDSYNC1 yearThis cookie is used for advertising purposes.IXUSERCOOKIE1 dayThis cookie is set by the provider Infolinks. This cookie is used for advertising purposes.IXUSERCOOKIE1 dayThis cookie is set by the provider Infolinks. This cookie is used for advertising purposes.KADUSERCOOKIE3 monthsThe cookie is set by pubmatic.com for identifying the visitors' website or device from which they visit PubMatic's partners' website.KTPCACOOKIE1 dayThis cookie is set by pubmatic.com for the purpose of checking if third-party cookies are enabled on the user's website.ljt_reader1 yearThis is a Lijit Advertising Platform cookie. The cookie is used for recognizing the browser or device when users return to their site or one of their partner's site.mc1 year 1 monthThis cookie is associated with Quantserve to track anonymously how a user interact with the website.OAGEOsessionThis cookie is set by the provider OpenX. This cookie is used for advertising campaigns on the website. The cookie helps in avoiding the same ad showing repeatedly.OAID1 yearThis cookie is set when an AdsWizz website visitor have opted out the collection of information by AdsWizz service or opted to disable the targeted ads by AdsWizz.p210 daysThe cookies is set by ownerIQ for the purpose of providing relevant advertisement.PUBMDCID3 monthsThis cookie is set by pubmatic.com. The cookie stores an ID that is used to display ads on the users' browser.PUBMUSERCOOKIE1 dayThis cookie is set by the Infolinks. This cookie is used for targeting and advertising purpose.R1USERCOOKIE1 dayThis cookie is set by the provider Infolinks. This cookie is used for advertising purposes.rud1 year 24 daysThe domain of this cookie is owned by Rocketfuel. The main purpose of this cookie is advertising. This cookie is used to identify an user by an alphanumeric ID. It register the user data like IP, location, visited website, ads clicked etc with this it optimize the ads display based on user behaviour.rudssessionThe domain of this cookie is owned by Rocketfuel. This cookie is a session cookie version of the 'rud' cookie. It contain the user ID information. It is used to deliver targeted advertising across the networks.sa-user-id1 yearThe cookie is set by StackAdapt used for advertisement purposes.sa-user-id-v21 yearThe cookie is set by StackAdapt used for advertisement purposes.si2 yearsThe cookies is set by ownerIQ for the purpose of providing relevant advertisement.SOVRNUSERCOOKIE1 dayThis cookie is set by the provider Infolinks. This cookie is used for targeting and advertising purposes.suid_legacy1 yearThis cookie is used to collect information on user preference and interactioin with the website campaign content. This cookie is used for promoting events and products by the webiste owners on CRM-campaign-platform.suid_legacy1 yearThis cookie is used to collect information on user preference and interactioin with the website campaign content. This cookie is used for promoting events and products by the webiste owners on CRM-campaign-platform.TDCPM1 yearThe cookie is set by CloudFlare service to store a unique ID to identify a returning users device which then is used for targeted advertising.TDID1 yearThe cookie is set by CloudFlare service to store a unique ID to identify a returning users device which then is used for targeted advertising.test_cookie15 minutesThis cookie is set by doubleclick.net. The purpose of the cookie is to determine if the user's browser supports cookies.tuuid1 yearThis cookie is set by .bidswitch.net. The cookies stores a unique ID for the purpose of the determining what adverts the users have seen if you have visited any of the advertisers website. The information is used for determining when and how often users will see a certain banner.tuuid_lu1 yearThis cookie is set by .bidswitch.net. The cookies stores a unique ID for the purpose of the determining what adverts the users have seen if you have visited any of the advertisers website. The information is used for determining when and how often users will see a certain banner.
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.CookieDurationDescription__gpi1 year 24 daysNo description_dltsessionNo description_OACBLOCK[7185]1 monthNo description_OASCCAP[7185]sessionNo descriptionA1sessionNo descriptionA31 yearNo descriptionANUSERCOOKIE3 monthsNo descriptionaum1 yearNo description available.bsw_origin_initpastNo descriptionC1 monthNo descriptioncid_0aa6b9c795dd4be5bd96221a3512816a1 yearNo descriptioncookielawinfo-checkbox-performance-31 yearNo descriptioncookielawinfo-checkbox-performance-41 yearNo descriptioncustom_datapastNo descriptiondsp_app_nexus1 yearNo descriptionENBDSERCOOKIE1 hourNo descriptionfc1 yearNo description available.gCStest8 years 4 months 9 hours 25 minutesNo descriptiongeodir_wp_sessionsessionNo descriptionipcpastNo description available.logglytrackingsessionsessionNo description available.matchcasale1 monthNo description available.OACBLOCK1 monthNo description available.OACBLOCK7185pastNo descriptionOASCCAPsessionNo description available.OASCCAP7185pastNo descriptionOTP2 yearsNo description available.OTUSERCOOKIE1 dayNo descriptionOUTHUSERCOOKIE1 dayNo description available.partners1 year 1 monthNo description available.pmtimesig1 dayNo description available.pv1 yearNo description available.rx_maxage_100036115 daysNo descriptionrx_sspid_100036110 minutesNo descriptionrx_sspurl_100036110 minutesNo descriptionrx_uuid15 daysNo descriptionsuid1 yearNo descriptionSyncRTB33 monthsNo description available.token5 yearsNo description available.tv16 hours 29 minutesNo description available.VRUSERCOOKIE1 dayNo descriptionZTUSERCOOKIE1 dayNo descriptionzuuid_k1 yearNo descriptionzuuid_k_lu1 yearNo description