MELISSA, BS, CMT, LMT, RVT earned her massage certification from Healing Arts Institute in Roseville in 2004 and completed CPR training in Davis.  She is licensed for massage in the city of Davis. Melissa graduated from UC Davis in 2001 with a degree in Animal Science and Management, and became a registered veterinary technician in 2002.  Melissa became interested in bodywork when her dog Sasha had her anterior cruciate ligament repaired.  Pain medications, physical therapy, and alternative medicine such as acupuncture and massage were used during her recovery.  Originally Melissa wanted to massage animals because she saw the benefits of decreased recovery time and stress reduction.  But when she started taking classes from Healing Arts, she realized that she wanted to help people too.

In July of 2005 she traveled to The Boulder College of Massage and was trained in canine massage therapy.  In October of 2005 she was trained in equine massage therapy through Healing Arts Institute. Melissa's interest in body healing lead her to take functional upper-body workshop for people focusing on the neck, upper back, and shoulders including whiplash, torticollis, headaches, migraines, thoracic outlet syndrome, and rotator cuff injuries.  She took a sports massage workshop and learned deeper tissue, trigger point therapy, pre and post event massage, and stretching.  Melissa has also taken hot stone massage therapy which focuses on deeper tissue relaxation of the muscles using warmed stones.  Melissa would like to help you to reduce stress and relieve muscle pain.

Massage Aids in the Healing Process by

• Increasing the circulation of blood and lymph
• Clearing the lymph system which is filled with antibodies that fight disease
• Decreasing swelling and eliminating toxins from muscle tissue
• Reducing chronic muscle pain, cramps, and spasms
• Reducing anxiety and calming the nervous system
• Decreasing blood pressure
• Promoting energy by stimulating the release on endorphins