The Balmain Massage Centre

Balmain Massage has been around since 2006, growing and getting a strong client base. Principals Blanca Quincoces and Eric Hendriks are joined by their strongest team yet, with Blaise Bowling, Lyn Delaney and Maria Gonzalez joined this year by JoAnn Hill, Fino Omran and Sarah Thornton - all thorough professionals, all registered with the Australian Traditional Medicine Society, all fully insured and offering health fund rebates*. But they've all got different styles, backgrounds and nationalities**, and each appeals to different people.

We offer a wide range of massages, both in style and duration, as you can see below. They are all listed on our rate card. We encourage our clients to make a booking either by phone (the numbers are 02 9555 5121 or 0406 896 525), by email or by an SMS to 0406 896 525. Just turning up might lead to a disappointment.
We look forward to seeing you soon!


* Always check that your therapist is registered for your health fund.

** At the Centre we speak Arabic, Basque, Dutch, French and Spanish - as well as English with Australian, Canadian and Californian accents.


Remedial/Relaxation Massage

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Relax.


Remedial (or relaxation or Swedish) massage is wonderful way to relieve your body of tension, stress, headaches, back pain and muscular problems. This form of massage is used to assist with soft tissue problems in general or in specific areas of the body.

Remedial massage softens and mobilises muscles, which have become tight and contracted due to injury or to the normal stress of daily life. This treatment is used for conditions such as back, shoulder and neck pain, stiff tight muscles, stress or tension headaches. Remedial massage leaves you feeling relaxed, calm and in a greatly enhanced state of wellbeing.



Deep Tissue Massage

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When your problem is not skin deep.



This labor intensive technique targets chronic tension in muscles that lie far below the surface of your body.

For instance, in your back you have five layers of muscles. While Swedish massage may help the first couple of layers, it won't do much for the muscle underneath.

Deep muscle techniques usually involve slow strokes or friction movements across the grain of the muscles. Massage therapists will use their fingers, thumbs, extended hands or occasionally even elbows and forearms to apply the right amount of pressure.



Pregnancy Massage

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A little help for the little one - and for you.


Pregnancy puts a lot of demands on a woman's body. It has to cope with the extra weight and it is normal for some muscle systems to react with pains and aches, especially in the legs and lower back, while the whole body can experience unusual tensions. Not to mention annoying body fluid retention.

Then there are the emotions brought about by the physical change... often resulting in a need for extra care or even just a bit of pampering.

Pregnancy massage differes in several key areas from standard remedial massage - also known as relaxation or swedish massage - and that is why not every therapist is qualified to work on a pregnant woman. The paramount consideration is the safety of both the mother and the yet unborn baby: so there are areas which are not massaged.

The skilled therapist positions the client semi-inclined on her side to work safely on her back. Clients who prefer to lay on their tummy can use the pregnancy cushion, which has a large cut-out for the belly. Not every therapist is a fan of the cushion as it can stretch the client's back if not used properly. Luckily all our therapists are specifically trained in pregnancy massage - including our one male therapist.

There are several benefits in receiving massage during pregnancy, and they go well beyond the pure physical plus of looser muscles. Massage can be beneficial in reducing inner tensions and the fear that is common among first-time mothers-to-be. The therapist could also use lymphatic drainage to deal with swelling.

By the way, it's always a good idea to speak to your doctor about pregnancy massage, as there are some conditions, during pregnancy (a propensity to blood clotting would be one), for which massage is not recommended.



Sports Massage

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Get ready to perform. Or recover after.


A blend of techniques that aims to enhance performance and help overworked muscles to recover quickly.

Sports massage is designed to help you train better whether you are a world champion or a weekend warrior. The techniques are similar to those in Swedish and deep tissue massage, but sports massage has been adapted to meet the athete's special needs. Pre-event massage can help warm up muscles and improve circulation before competition, but it can also energize or relax an atlete and help him/her focus on the competition. Post-event massage can help push waste products out of the body and improve recovery.



Aromatherapy

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When Nature comes to the rescue.


Aromatherapy literally means "healing through the senses". As an ancient therapeutic treatment, it has a reputation for excellent health benefits. Specific natural oils (essential oils) from plants, leaves, bark, roots, seeds, resins and flowers, are used to help improve physical and mental wellbeing.

This relaxing body treatment includes a soothing and cleansing facial and uses essential oils, with massage to; relaxes the nervous system, relieves muscle tension and the pain caused by stress and strain on the body, and helps to stimulate circulation and the lymphatics. Essential oils selected during your treatment will be based upon your own senses along with your physical and mental wellbeing at the time of your treatment.



Bowen Therapy

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Unlike any massage. For a good reason.


There is a very good reason why Bowen herapy is unlike any massage you've ever tried. Because it is not a massage.

Bowen Therapy - and here we quote from the Bowen Therapist Federation of Australia or BTFA - is a holistic and multidimensional approach to pain relief and healing that has achieved remarkable results over the past 50 years. It is based on the recognition by Tom Bowen, its originator, who lived and practiced in Geelong, Victoria, that the underlying cause or source of many musculoskeletal, neurological, neuromuscular and other health or pain problems could be found in the soft tissue or fascia. Fascia is a specific type of connective tissue that forms a three dimensional web surrounding every tissue in the body. Fascia is the body organiser embracing all nerves, bones, arteries, veins and muscles. Therefore fascial dysfunction can affect every structure, muscle, nerve and organ in the body. Fascia has become the subject of increasing research and recent studies have shown it to be the largest sensory organ in the body. It is rich in a range of receptors that powerfully influence the body's neuro-muscular physiology in many and complex ways as can be seen in the Bowen Studies section.

Bowen Therapy, through specific soft tissue or fascial release and integration techniques, stimulate specific receptors that enable the body itself to correct dysfunctions and restore homeostasis (balance) on a holistic level. Through treating the cause rather than the symptoms Bowen Therapy has consistently shown it can have profound and permanent healing and pain relief outcomes. This relief is experienced by many people who present with a wide range of painful conditions, even where other modalities or treatments have resulted in transient or little improvement. Importantly, Bowen Therapy, being holistic, does not rely on a detailed diagnosis of the problem and its origins, which is often costly and indeterminate. Bowen Therapy treats the whole body, and its holistic effects are apparent in patients who find resolution to problems above and beyond those for which they have sought treatment, for example lack of energy, stress or emotional issues.



Reflexology

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Let your feet get you better.


Reflexology is a powerful therapy that involves techniques using fingers and thumbs to stimulate areas on feet, hands, and ears using massage, stretching and kneading.

Reflexology is used as pro-active health care tool to maintain physical, mental and emotional health. Promoting a state of total relaxation, it stimulates energy flow thoughout the body, strengthens the immune system by improving blood flow and encourages hormonal balancing.



Lymphatic drainage.

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Deflate.


Manual lymphatic drainage (MLD) is an important part of the treatment of lymphoedema. It moves excess fluids away from the swollen area so that it can drain away normally. MLD also stimulates and improves drainage in the healthy lymphatic system. Other conditions that respond well to this treatment include oedema, some sports injuries, chronic venous insufficiency and pregnancy.

It is quite different from remedial massage - it does not attempt to reach into the muscle tissue: it just brushes on the skin over the main lymph ducts in the face, neck, armpits etc. No oils or creams are used.

Lymphatic drainage is also a cleansing and re-energising treatment that uses gentle, repetitive massage techniques to specifically stimulate the function of the body's lymphatic and circulatory system. As such it has a therapeutic effect on the immune and nervous systems and is deeply relaxing, making it an effective treatment for stress. Lymphatic Drainage can also improve congestion and pain associated with colds, flu, and blocked sinuses. It can help in the treatment of headaches, acne skin conditions and immune deficiencies. It should be mandatory in any detoxification process.



Hydration facials

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When your face is screaming for help.


The focus during these facials is on relaxation, rehydration and nourishment.


We use products from Living Nature, A'kin and Sukin for our facials. They contain NO parabens, NO mineral oils, NO triethanolamine, NO artificials colours, NO petrochemicals, NO harsh detergents, NO animal derivatives, NO artificial fragances, NO sodium lauryl sulphate.

They do, however, contain some wonderful substances.

All products are derived from pure botanical ingredients, natural plant extracts and an infusion of essential oils to provide a safe holistic solution to natural beauty.

Our facials will deeply nourish your cells which will give you a wonderful healthy glow... It will boost hydration while toning and replenishing your skin with an intense cleansing, exfoliation, massage and moisturising of your face.



Scrubs.

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Let the power of the sea add glow to your skin.


Our skin is a living organism, constantly renewing itself but also constantly exposed to the action of external agents. Periodically, it need the kind of deep cleaning that goes beyong the daily shower or bath. This what a sea salt body scrub does - cleans away dead skin to reveal the new layers beneath.

A good sea salt scrub is made of finely ground unrefined sea salt, a base oil and one or more essential oils. Because of its texture, sea salt is a gentle exfoliating substance which contains up to 92 different minerals beneficial to the skin, which it leaves clean and glowing.



Hot stones

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Be warned! Stones are addictive.


It is a deeply soothing, relaxing form of massage which uses smooth stones, moderately heated. The stones we use are basalt, a black volcanic rock that absorbs and retains heat well. Ours come from Hawaii.

The heat warms and relaxes the muscles, and this allows the therapist to apply deeper pressure when required. The heat also improves circulation and calms the nervous system.

In this sense the hot stones are not different from a heat pack, made of cotton and filled with grain... except that the skilled therapist actually uses the stones to work on your muscles.

It's a unique sensation. Many who try this technique don't want anything else. Worth a try!



Indian head massage

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A great way to relieve tension.


Needless to say, this form of massage originates from India, where it's part of the Ayurvedic practices of good health. It is also known as champissage. The head, neck and face are massaged with the purpose of manipulating energy channels, says Wikipedia. The goal is to clear blocks in these energy channels that cause a build-up of negative energy that are purported to cause ailments. The belief is when the energy does not flow properly, negative energy builds up, causing common ailments, including stress, pain and nociception pains and aches, and baldness or hair loss.

Whatever the philosophy behing it, Indian head massage is great for relieving stress and tensions which are common in our lives.

The client may remain fully clothed during treatment.