Therapies on Offer at Running Cedar
1. Swedish Relaxation Massage
Swedish Relaxation Massage is the foundation of Western therapeutic massage and serves a deceptively simple purpose: to reduce unnecessary physiological noise so the body can return to a more organized and responsive state. Through long gliding strokes, kneading, compression, friction, and gentle joint movement, Swedish massage shifts the nervous system away from chronic vigilance and toward restoration. Research suggests these effects are mediated through increased parasympathetic activity, decreased sympathetic arousal, and changes in pain perception that together reduce stress, muscle guarding, and perceived discomfort.
Rather than forcing change, Swedish massage creates favorable conditions in which change becomes easier. As excessive muscular tension, mental distraction, and physiological stress recede, the body is afforded greater freedom to regulate itself. In this sense, relaxation is not simply the absence of tension, but the emergence of a state in which healthy difference-making becomes possible again. Whether the goal is recovery from chronic stress, improved sleep, relief from occupational tension, or simply cultivating a greater sense of ease, Swedish massage offers an evidence-informed foundation for restoring equilibrium.
Research
Moyer, C. A., Rounds, J., & Hannum, J. W. (2004). A Meta-Analysis of Massage Therapy Research.Psychological Bulletin, 130(1), 3–18.
Rapaport, M. H., et al. (2012). A Preliminary Study of the Effects of Repeated Massage on Neuroendocrine and Immune Measures.Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine.
Research paper:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14717648/
2. Deep Tissue Massage
Deep Tissue Massage is intended for individuals experiencing persistent muscular tension, restricted movement, or chronic musculoskeletal discomfort. While it employs slower strokes and more sustained pressure than Swedish massage, its effectiveness does not arise from "breaking apart" tissue or mechanically eliminating knots. Current research increasingly suggests that its primary influence lies in altering how the nervous system regulates muscle tone, movement, and pain.
By carefully engaging tissues that have become persistently guarded, deep tissue massage can reduce protective muscular activity, improve local mobility, and expand a person's tolerance for comfortable movement. The objective is not to overpower the body, but to provide sufficiently meaningful mechanical input that the nervous system reorganizes toward a more efficient resting state. Pressure alone is not therapeutic; appropriate pressure, applied with precision and responsiveness, creates opportunities for healthier patterns of movement to emerge. When integrated with exercise and active rehabilitation, deep tissue massage becomes one component of a broader process of restoring functional capacity.
Research
Furlan, A. D., et al. (2015). Massage for Low-Back Pain.Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.
Sherman, K. J., et al. (2011). Comparing Therapeutic Massage with Self-Care for Chronic Low Back Pain.Annals of Internal Medicine.
Research paper:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21576514/
3. Sports Massage
Sports Massage is designed to support movement, recovery, and long-term athletic adaptation across the training cycle. Contrary to popular belief, research does not consistently show immediate improvements in strength, speed, or endurance following massage alone. What it does support is something equally valuable: reduced muscle soreness, decreased perceived fatigue, improved subjective recovery, and in many cases a greater readiness to return to meaningful training.
As both an ultramarathon athlete and coach, I view recovery not as the opposite of training, but as a seamless continuation of the training session. Adaptation depends upon an ongoing conversation between stress and restoration. Sports massage contributes to that conversation by assisting inflammatory and immunity investments, reducing unnecessary muscular guarding, modulating pain, and creating conditions in which the athlete can resume training with greater confidence and efficiency. It is therefore best understood not as a performance enhancer in isolation, but as one element within a comprehensive system that includes intelligent programming, nutrition, hydration, sleep, and appropriate recovery. Training produces adaptation; recovery determines how fully those adaptations can take shape.
Research
Davis, H. L., et al. (2020). The Effects of Massage Therapy on Sports and Exercise Performance: A Systematic Review.BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine.
Poppendieck, W., et al. (2016). Massage and Performance Recovery: A Meta-Analytical Review.Sports Medicine.
Research paper:
https://bmjopensem.bmj.com/content/6/1/e000614
4. Neuromuscular Therapy (NMT)
Neuromuscular Therapy is a precise, assessment-driven form of massage that focuses on the relationships among muscle tension, pain, movement, and the nervous system. Rather than applying generalized pressure, NMT seeks to identify areas where muscular activity has become persistently protective or inefficient, then uses carefully targeted manual techniques to encourage more adaptive patterns of movement and sensation.
Contemporary pain science suggests that these effects arise less from mechanically "releasing" tissue than from changing how the nervous system interprets sensory information. Through focused manual input, reductions in pain sensitivity, improvements in motor control, and decreased protective muscle guarding become possible. In many cases, the objective is not simply to reduce discomfort, but to improve the body's capacity to organize movement with less unnecessary effort. When combined with corrective exercise, movement education, and active participation from the client, Neuromuscular Therapy becomes an evidence-informed means of helping the body discover more economical, resilient, and functional ways of moving through the world.
Research
Moraska, A. F., et al. (2013). Responsiveness of Trigger Points to Single and Multiple Trigger Point Release Massages.American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation.
Fernández-de-las-Peñas, C., & Dommerholt, J. (2018). International Consensus on Myofascial Trigger Points.
Research paper: