Emily Frost perfects unique massage technique
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[The soothing music, candles, massage table, warm towels and calming room colors are all present, but otherwise Emily Frost's massage technique is anything but orthodox.
But unorthodox or not, Frost is beginning to build a loyal clientele at Integrated Health.
Frost is a practitioner of ashiatsu oriental bar therapy or, more simply, hanging from parallel bars and massaging clients with her foot.
"I trained for this in June 2010 in Cincinnati," Frost said.
The intense, five-day class taught Frost how to do the therapeutic massage safely and effectively.
The biggest benefit to the technique is more pressure is possible for deep massages. Especially when working with bigger, more muscular clients, there is only so much a comparatively small set of hands can do, Frost said.
"I just distribute my body weight evenly through my legs, my feet," Frost said.
Many of her clients are local police and sheriff's deputies, Frost said.
"They are bigger and more buff," Frost said.
Since they are bigger and their muscles are tighter, they tend to like the penetrating massage that Frost can achieve with her foot, she said.
Before and after the massage, Frost cleans her feet with disinfectant. Frost begins in a seated position at the head of the client and massages his neck and upper back with both feet. When she is ready to start on the middle and lower back, she suspends from two parallel bars hung from the ceiling. She is only able to work one-footed right now; Frost plans to go to a "two-footed" class in the near future to get certified for that more advanced technique. Frost changes positions and directions while hanging on to the bars with her hands. Frost keeps a dollop of lotion on her elbow in case her feet dry out - she can quickly grab the dollop, rub it on and be ready to go again.
Frost can massage the arms, legs, back and neck.
"We train to do everything except the face," Frost said.
Someone with a mild phobia about feet could find getting them close to their face a little too much to take.
"So far I haven't had anybody who is weirded out," Frost said.
The technique helps with posture, pain, everyday ailments and aids the body's lymphatic system, Frost said. It's a vigorous massage, so some clients might notice side effects.
"People can feel dizzy afterwards," Frost said. "We recommend you drink a lot of water and don't do anything crazy afterward, like drink lots of alcohol."
Ashiatsu oriental bar therapy is also good for the massage therapist.
"It is less stress on your hands, joints, less stress on your back from leaning over the table," Frost said.
The founder, Ruthie Piper Hardee, was working on a movie set and a crew or cast member wanted a massage. He was big, she was small. She wasn't getting anywhere with a traditional hand massage, so she took off her shoes and went to work on his back while hanging from some bars she had noticed above the table.
For now, Frost only offers ashiatsu oriental bar massage on Fridays - her regular work at Integrated Health is in the rehabilitation department. She has two or three clients each Friday, she said. Frost would like to offer the technique full time, but she has yet to build a big enough client base.
Frost believes she is the only one offering ashiatsu oriental bar massage in Southern Illinois, she said. The closest training center is Cincinnati. There are also training sites in Michigan and Texas.
-- To schedule an appointment with Emily Frost at Integrated Health in the Parker Plaza Shopping Mall, you may call 252-5555.