Amy Pitzer, LMT

Amy Pitzer grew up in the Pacific Northwest, and although she has not been a massage therapist all her life, massage has always been a part of her way of caring for others. She recently returned from living abroad where her skills as a massage therapist were definitely put to the test. In a country largely devoid of remedial massage and trained physical therapists, she became the "healer" for many people with stressful occupations or for people seeking a less invasive or less pharmaceutical-based practice of care. She is happy to be back in the States, and more specifically Portland, her home of choice, and serving the community here.

Amy enjoys reading, writing, and walking about her neighbourhood or by the sea. She is often called an "old soul", and is finally comfortable with that label. She is that person who greets and pets everyone else's dog.

Amy practices Remedial Massage which aims to treat muscles that are damaged, tense, knotted, and/or immobile. She uses several different modalities to remove the dysfunction, alleviate pain, and and increase healing in the tissue:

Deep Tissue/Trigger Point Therapy

Sounds scary, but it means that Amy works beyond the skin level to find trigger points or "knots" that are causing problems and pain. She then moves those muscles or muscle groups to relieve the tension.

Fusion Cupping

Amy uses cupping beyond the "fashion" of a spa treatment that marks the skin. Cupping can be used as another form of deep tissue work. Instead of pushing downward, Amy uses the cup in such a way where she uses negative pressure to pull up and release bound up tissues so they can move freely. Some people who normally do not tolerate traditional deep tissue work find marvelous results with cupping. Amy can also use cupping to help people who are recovering from severe respiratory illness, joint replacement surgery, and scar tissues. Cupping can also help reduce the internal bindings of cellulite and adipose tissue, relax jaw muscles, and even give you a natural face lift! If you are still shy of cupping, bear in mind Amy prefers not to leave marks on the skin unless absolutely necessary, and she will always advise you of that. Facial cupping only leaves you radiant looking.

Myofascial Release

Often the muscles become bound up with the fascia -- the tissues that surround and enclose each individual muscle. Fascia is supposed to act like a lubricant, by making the muscles slide gently across each other in movement. She uses cupping and/or deep tissue techniques to help release these restricted areas for optimal movement.