Massage Therapy

Keith Bell, LMT

I have been involved with the medical field for almost 15 years now. I have worked and continue to work in hospitals, in an Emergency Department and as a Volunteer Lieutenant Firefighter/EMT in my spare time. In my tenure with medicine, I have witnessed many different events and have had the experience to work with some great people in the ER's and in the field. However, with all that I have seen and experienced, I have yet (until now) to have the privilege of being witness to how my work is changing lives first hand.

I have seen the injured and shipped them off to the hospital after having a traumatic event. I have observed patients from when they hit the ER doors to when they leave. I have the experience to know what the patients need, but have not had the chance to follow through with the treatment and care these individuals require. Through massage I have that chance to start treatments, observe the progress that my patients make and to bring a balance to their well being . . . the one element missing from my desire. If you're interested in therapeutic deep tissue massage therapy, I look forward to working with you in the future.

Larysa Hallas, LMT

I was born in Kyrgyzstan, a little country near Southern Russia, where I grew up loving gymnastics, swimming, volleyball and cross country skiing.   

In 1998, I came to America to live my dream!  I have a family now. They are a big and wonderful part of my dream and happiness! I still love sports, and now I have a passion for ice skating.

My reasons for choosing massage therapy are many. I know how sportsman's can get injured. I've always wanted to help people, and found myself ideally suited to massage therapy, and its ability to heal physically as well as spiritually.

I graduated from Everest college of Massage Therapy with a strong aptitude for deep tissue massage. I find it very satisfying.

I am very proud to be part of the 'Atlas Family Chiropractic' - FAMILY !

The most comfortable therapeutic massage

Our massage therapists are some of the best in the world, or at least we've been told!  Not only are they highly skilled in many techniques - even the tables they use possess special powers.  We have two ultra-comfortable electric-lift tables that can be raised/lowered and even tilted at either end to suit your comfort and needs.

Insurance Accepted

• Regence Blue Shield
• Premera Blue Cross
• Uniform Medical
• Cigna
• Aetna
• Labor & Industries
• Personal Injury

Massage Therapy Benefits

Mental

• Fosters peace of mind & a feeling of well-being
• Promotes a relaxed state of mental alertness
• Helps relieve mental stress
• Improves ability to monitor stress signals and respond appropriately
• Enhances capacity for calm thinking and creativity
• Emotional Benefits
• Satisfies needs for caring nurturing touch
• Reduces levels of anxiety
• Creates body awareness
• Increases awareness of mind-body connection

Physical

• Helps relieve stress and aids relaxation
• Helps relieve muscle tension and stiffness
• Alleviates discomfort during pregnancy
• Fosters faster healing of strained muscles and sprained ligaments; reduces pain and swelling; reduces formation of excessive scar tissue
• Reduces muscle spasms
• Provides greater joint flexibility and range of motion
• Enhances athletic performance; Treats injuries caused during sport or work
• Promotes deeper and easier breathing
• Improves circulation of blood and movement of lymph fluids
• Reduces blood pressure
• Helps relieve tension-related headaches and effects of eye-strain
• Enhances the health and nourishment of skin
• Improves posture
• Strengthens the immune system
• Treats musculoskeletal problems
• Rehabilitation post operative
• Rehabilitation after injury

Research

• Medical school students at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-New Jersey Medical School who were massaged before an exam showed a significant decrease in anxiety and respiratory rates, as well as a significant increase in white blood cells and natural killer cell activity, suggesting a benefit to the immune system.
• Preliminary results suggested cancer patients had less pain and anxiety after receiving therapeutic massage at the James Cancer Hospital and Research Institute in Columbus, Ohio.
• Women who had experienced the recent death of a child were less depressed after receiving therapeutic massage, according to preliminary results of a study at the University of South Carolina.

Studies funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have found massage beneficial in improving weight gain in HIV-exposed infants and facilitating recovery in patients who underwent abdominal surgery. At the University of Miami School of Medicine's Touch Research Institute, researchers have found that massage is helpful in decreasing blood pressure in people with hypertension, alleviating pain in migraine sufferers and improving alertness and performance in office workers.

An increasing number of research studies show massage reduces heart rate, lowers blood pressure, increases blood circulation and lymph flow, relaxes muscles, improves range of motion, and increases endorphins (enhancing medical treatment). Although therapeutic massage does not increase muscle strength, it can stimulate weak, inactive muscles and, thus, partially compensate for the lack of exercise and inactivity resulting from illness or injury. It also can hasten and lead to a more complete recovery from exercise or injury.

Research has verified that:

• Office workers massaged regularly were more alert, performed better and were less stressed than those who weren't massaged.
• Massage therapy decreased the effects of anxiety, tension, depression, pain, and itching in burn patients.
• Abdominal surgery patients recovered more quickly after massage.
• Premature infants who were massaged gained more weight and fared better than those who weren't.
• Autistic children showed less erratic behavior after massage therapy.