Functional Movement Therapy
Licensed Massage Therapist Kim Crinella is a RockTape certified Functional Movement Therapy practitioner.
LMT Kim Crinella is trained in using Kinesiology Tape, Cupping, and IASTM (Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Manipulation) alone and in combination with one another and along with Massage Therapy to reduce pain, increase mobility and range of motion, improve athletic performance, recover from injury and surgery faster and fully, and correct posture issues. Kim’s goal is to help people feel and move better in their skin.
What is Functional Movement Therapy (FMT)?
The FMT program treats the body as a series of connected chains that impacts one another and evaluates the entire body through a series of movements to identify areas of tightness and pain when doing activity. Using Neuro Sensory Therapy, Manual Therapy, and Neuro Muscular Reeducation techniques the goal of the FMT program is to retrain brain and body through sensors in skin for reduced pain and inflammation, better muscular tone and output, and to improve the overall quality of life by getting people to move better with less pain.
Who is Functional Movement Therapy (FMT) Beneficial For?
-FMT is for people in pain or have areas of their body with movement limitations who want to reduce pain and/or increase range of motion.
-FMT is for people who have a posture habit they want to correct like hunchback or head tilt.
-FMT is for healthy athletes who want to improve muscle performance or speed recovery from training and competitions.
-FMT is for injured people or people who have had surgery who want to speed recovery.
-FMT is for people with scar(s) as they can impede the slide of the surrounding tissue and cause pain in other areas of the body. FMT is an effective treatment of scars pain.
FMT can provide significant benefits to improve quality of life by:
– Improving circulation to muscles
– Increasing flexibility and range of motion
– Reducing tissue inflammation
– Speed up recovery from soft tissue strains or injuries
– Increasing athletic performance, endurance, and recovery
– Helping to manage overactive parasympathetic fight or flight response which can cause anxiety, depression, insomnia, migraine headaches, and digestive problems
How Fast Does FMT Get Results?
FMT is not a quick fix, it is a program that will deliver small results each time and over time build to bigger changes. Some benefits are felt immediately but for lasting effect it takes retraining of the body which can take weeks, months, or years of FMT.
At the end of each FMT session stretching instructions are provided to the client to reinforce the progress made during the FMT session and it is necessary the stretches be done daily at home in order to build on the progress of the FMT session and continue the progress going in a positive direction.
FMT is a partnership between the FMT Therapist and the FMT Client. If the client is not willing to do the stretching at home there will not be lasting improvements.
What is Kinesiology Tape aka K-Tape?
K-Tape is a hypoallergenic tape that is applied to the skin. The tape stimulates nerve receptors which causes the body’s natural response to reduce pain and inflammation. The K-Tape also decompresses the skin layers increasing their ability to slide and glide allowing less restricted movement, improved range of motion, and better flow of body fluids to feed, repair, and get rid of waste from the tissues of the body.
* K-Tape can be applied on the performance muscles of Athletes to increase muscle output.
* K-Tape provides support to weaker body areas from past injuries to reduce swelling and pain.
*K-tape can be put around surgery sites, injuries, and painful muscular areas to reduce pain and inflammation as well as speed healing.
K-Tape can be applied on it’s own with no other treatment or can be combined with other therapies such as massage, IASTM, and/or cupping. K-Tape is applied at the end of the therapy session. Alcohol is used to clean the skin where the tape will be applied to remove body oil and lotion. Once applied the K-Tape can last a few hours to a few days.
REMOVING K-TAPE: The tape is more easily removed when wet and MUST BE REMOVED BY PULLING THE SKIN PARALLEL TO THE SKIN. Do not pull off straight up or it will hurt and cause damage to the skin.
What Is Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Manipulation aka IASTM?
IASTM uses hand held tools to move fluids and waste from tissues, increase blood flow, stimulate nerve endings, decompress skin layers, and relax tight muscles, fascia, tendons, and ligaments. Using hand tools and briefly rubbing at different speeds and levels of pressure on the skin activates neuro receptors which helps trigger the body’s natural healing response to that area. IASTM is a therapy practiced for over 1500 years using tools in a wide variety of shapes made from many materials like bone, jade, plastic, stainless steel, and wood.
IASTM therapy can be applied on it’s own with no other treatment or can be combined with other therapies such as massage, K-Tape, and/or cupping. IASTM has best results when done directly on the skin and can be applied with or without lotion.
What Is Cupping?
Cupping has been used as a healing tool for over three thousand years in the East and was brought to the spotlight in the West when 2016 US Olympic Athletes were seen with red circles on their bodies. The negative pressure caused by the cups forces oxygen and nutrient rich blood through muscles and removes waste allowing the muscles to recover quicker. The negative pressure caused by the cups decompresses the skin allowing for better tissue slide and glide for improved movement. Cups can release entrapped subcutaneous nerves reducing pain. Rapid application and removal of cups also provides neuro sensory stimulation which allows therapy for pain using the skin.
There are two types of cupping treatments that may be used, soft silicon cups and hard plastic cups. The soft cups do not apply as much pressure into the muscle tissue as the plastic cups which can get 4 inches. The pressure applied by the cupping can leave purple marks that look like a hickey. It is not painful and is just the old stagnant blood that was pulled from the muscle. For areas with muscles with stagnant blood blow it can take up to 2 weeks for the body to digest the old blood that was move out of the muscle into the skin and the purple circles disappear. For areas with good blood flow the circles will be light red in color and return to normal skin tone within a few minutes to within a few hours.
What to Expect During a FMT Session
When you first arrive we will have a consult session and assessment. You will be asked to perform specific movements to evaluate your form and see where you feel tension or pain. Once identified, we will discuss which treatments will be most effective for your areas of pain and where the focus of your treatment will be for that session. During a FMT session any combination of therapies could be used including Massage, K-Tape, IASTM and/or Cupping. After the first treatment, on each follow up session, we will discuss the effectiveness of the prior treatment, how you are doing on stretches at home, as well as any changes in your lifestyle and adjust the treatment plan as necessary.
Once we are ready to begin the treatment session you may need undress to your comfort level depending on the areas we will be working on and the clothing you are wearing. Bare skin is needed for IASTM, Cupping and K-Tape treatments. You may be asked to sit or and lay on a massage table depending on what area of the body being treated. A hypoallergenic massage lotion may be used with IASTM, Cupping, or massage to reduce friction. Please let me know if you suffer from any allergies to ingredients that may be in the lotion. Mentholated massage lotion is also available upon request.
At the end of the FMT session we evaluate your movement, tightness and pain in the body once again. We will discuss your treatment plan and I will recommend specific stretches for you to do at home to help extend the benefits of your treatment so we can build on your progress. Drink plenty of water over the next 24 hours to help flush any toxins and keep hydrated.
Risks of Massage and FMT
If it is your first time getting a massage or any of the FMT treatments soreness and bruising may occur until your muscles get used to being manipulated. Treatment should not be excruciating! Everyone has different sensitivity to pressure and touch on their skin so it is important to communicate with your Therapist to let them know when pressure is too much. Therapeutic Massage and FMT may not be as soothing as a Relaxation Spa Massage but Therapeutic Massage should never bring you above a 7 on your pain scale and FMT should never bring you above a 5 on your pain scale. The goal is to provide the most beneficial treatment with the least amount of discomfort.
FMT may not be appropriate for those with:
- Burns
- Healing wounds
- Bleeding disorders or taking blood-thinning medication
- Fractures
- Deep vein thrombosis
- Severe thrombocytopenia
- Severe osteoporosis
- Unexplained pain
- Pregnancy with complications
- Some types of cancer
If you have any of the above please consult your medical doctor to discuss if massage therapy is an appropriate treatment plan for you.
Booking a Functional Movement Therapy Session
Consider FMT with Licensed Massage Therapist Kim Crinella if you have:
– pain and tightness in the back, shoulders or neck
– hip pain or sciatica pain
– sore feet
– sore hands, wrists and forearms
– migraines or frequent tension headaches
– anxiety disorders
– sports injuries or overworked muscles/joints
– surgery scars, chest tube scars, injury scars
– poor posture
– peripheral neuropathy
– people with conditions like fibromyalgia, myofascial pain syndrome, and temporomandibular joint pain
– had a baby recently
– recently recovered from a long time illness or injury
FMT Session Rates
FMT is available without massage $1 per minute.
Cupping, Gua Sha/IASTM, K-taping, Sonic Massage, Crystal Therapy, and Reiki Therapy can be incorporated into any massage session at no additional charge. The rate is $1 per minute, you tell me how long of a massage session you want. If you have multiple pain issues or want a thorough full body massage with multiple services incorporated a two hour or more session is recommended.
Contact Licensed Massage Therapist Kim Crinella
I am Licensed Massage Therapist Kim Crinella and I specialize in helping people reduce pain and improve the quality of life using natural holistic wellness modalities. In person therapy services are available on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. Reiki and crystal therapy services are available anywhere in the World.
Massage Therapy For Pain
Massage Therapy For Stress Relief and Relaxation
Massage Therapy For Peripheral Neuropathy
Deep Tissue Massage for Hands and Feet
Chair Massage
Cupping Therapy
Kinesiology Taping
Gua Sha/IASTM Therapy
Sonic Massage
Reiki Therapy
Crystal Therapy
Crystal Grids
Pyradym Therapy
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