FAQs

Ooof that’s a toughie. First thing’s first, though: massage therapy is not right for everybody.

Some reasons massage may not be right for you are: you have an acute injury, you are fresh out of surgery, or you are ill. If you are unsure if massage is the right path for you, consult with your doctor.

Past that, what kind of massage therapy you could benefit from will depend on what problem you’re trying to solve!

If you’re stressed out at work and having trouble sleeping, you probably don’t need the kind of massage where someone hits you repeatedly with sticks (yes, that’s a thing…no, I’ve never booked one.)

Communication with your provider is key. There’s no formula or equation we can use to tell you exactly what kind of session is right for you — but a general guideline is that if it is unenjoyable, or is hurting you, there’s a better option out there.

The good news is that, here at Summit, you don’t have to choose! We don’t have a large and confusing menu for you to navigate - all you have to decide on right now is how long you ant to relax on the table. Once you’re here, we discuss what kind of session would be best for you and your goals.

More or less, Integrative Bodywork simply means "we use a variety of techniques throughout the session, in an effort to best serve the body in front of us." We focus on understanding the situation, and approaching it with the correct tool.

We like to think of it this way: a hammer is a great tool...but only when you need a hammer. When you need a screwdriver? Coming at it with a hammer isn't going to get you the end result you were hoping for.

Cupping involves placing a “cup” on the skin in an area of tension or pain and creating a bit of a vacuum within that cup. The vacuum creates a suctioning effect on the tissue directly beneath the cup, which results in three main actions:

1. The suction pulls nearby fluids into the area, increasing circulation and lymphatic flow.

2. The suction separates layers of tissue that have become stuck together, restoring tissue glide.

3. The suction has a sedative effect on the nervous system: it interrupts pain signals from the problem area to the brain, effectively pressing Pause on pain. This lowers blood pressure, and inflammatory hormones.

Cups can be applied at varying intensities and for varying times to encourage certain results. These results range from alleviating chronic aches & pains to mediating scar tissue, headaches, stress, anxiety, depression, and even improving immune function.

No!

The number one rule here at Summit is that pain is NEVER necessary to achieve results.

The old mentality of “No Pain, No Gain” has been shelved. Pain activates your sympathetic nervous system, aka your “Fight Or Flight” response. Stress hormones, heart rate and blood pressure, and muscle tone all go up.…which is exactly what we're trying to avoid.

Our goal is to bring you out of “Fight Or Flight” and instead encourage “Rest and Digest” (parasympathetic nervous system). This lowers stress hormones and encourages Dopamine, Serotonin, Oxytocin (all the happy hormones!) instead. When you’re in parasympathetic mode, your muscles and fascia are ready and waiting to let go of their tension and let you breathe deep.

In a word, Maybe! Let us explain:

There are two reasons people seek out "Deep Tissue" massage.

The first is The Results (meaning, you’re more interested in effective bodywork than you are married to a specific sensory experience.) This we can help with! We will use all kinds of techniques and approaches to help your body relax & let go of pain.

The second is The Experience (meaning really you’re hell bent on receiving painful work because you want that sensory experience). This isn’t really our bag, and you will be better served to work with a different therapist. Pushing hard for the sake of pushing hard does not align with what we do. As stated above, we are a pain-free studio.

Yes! Absolutely! We have the belly bolster and everything.

Yes! eGift Cards are available 24/7 online. A link to purchase your own is in the menu header above.

Nope. We used to, but not anymore. Sessions are serviced here at our spacious, private studio in Greenwood Village Colorado.

No. Summit Therapeutics is a cash-pay massage studio. We do not bill Insurance directly, nor do we provide a superbill with medical codes.

That being said, we do accept HSA/FSA cards, and we are happy to forward you a transaction receipt for any and all of your appointments.

All Studios will vary. But here at Summit, the general guidelines are as follows:

1. Have a snack and some water before your session so you get off the table feeling refreshed instead of famished.

2. Please shower at some point before your session. Schvitzing a bit when it’s 85 in August is one thing…but a three-day-old funk is kinda rude, gang...

3. Plan to arrive at 10ish minutes before your appointment so you have time to find the place, park, and use the restroom without cutting into your table-time.

4. Wear comfy easy-on, easy-off clothing if possible. I’ve never met a woman who actually looks forward to putting a bra back on after her session…sounds terrible.

Excellent question! There’s a link in the footer menu of every page on this website.

If you have a redemption code for any type of discount on any type of service here at Summit -- like an old gift card, a membership credit, or a discount code -- you should be able to redeem it at checkout when booking. But that's a perfect world. In the real world, things can get glitchy...

If you are unable to redeem, step one is to ensure that what you are booking is in alignment with what your credit is actually good for, and when it expired. Our software knows which codes will work where (and which ones won't).

If everything is correct but it is still uncooperative, book your appointment without the code, tell our system you will pay later (you'll be asked to save a CC to your file: it will not be charged) and, bring the redemption code with you at the time of your service. We will apply your credits here at the office. No biggie.

Massage Therapy is a broad term applied to all variety of techniques. The core similarity of all these techniques is that a massage therapist will rub / knead / push on / stretch a client’s skin, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Sometimes the goal of a session is pain management. Sometimes it is for relaxation and stress management. Ensuring that you receive the kind of massage therapy session you that is right for you ultimately boils down to communication; so be sure to tell your therapist what your goal for the session is!

Anyone with a body! More people are getting regular massages than ever; and the reasons are as varied as the clientele. Some get it for pain management, some for stress management, some for a bit of both.

It might! First thing’s first: massage therapists are not allowed to guarantee results. (Any one who does is selling something. Quite literally.) But in general, massage therapy is associated with reduced pain and increased flexibility/mobility across all of those listed issues.

(Pain-free) massage is a relaxing experience for a variety of reasons. The calm setting, soothing music, dim lighting, and heated table are usually enough to relax someone on their own. But massage itself stimulates the Parasympathetic nervous system (the programming in your body that’s in charge of your rest-and-digest response) while soothing your Sympathetic nervous system (the fight-or-flight one most of us live our day-to-day lives in.)

Yes! And is continuing to be researched! At present, we know things like:

1. Massage lowers cortisol production. (One of your stress hormones)

2. Massage increases dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin. (Your happy hormones)

3. Massage stimulates a release of endorphins. (Your body’s natural pain killers)

4. Pregnant people who receive regular massage throughout their pregnancy journey are less likely to experience complications during labor, as well as shorter labor times and shorter postpartum recovery times.

5. There is even some exciting evidence that massage helps slow the signs of aging! Strings of DNA are capped at each end by Telomeres. This keep the DNA from literally fraying. Stress directly impacts telomeres (degrades them). The theory is that lowering stress / managing your stress hormones - in conjunction with proper activity levels and nutrition - can actually better protect your DNA, leading to fewer age-related mutations. Wow! How cool is that?!

Depends on what you book it for! Got an issue? There’s a massage for that! At Summit, we occupy the “help you relax while also working out that stubborn stiffness in your shoulders” arena. But bodywork & massage is helpful for all kinds of things.

1. Recovering from injury or surgery,

2. Stress management,

3. Helping with the aches & pains of shoveling the driveway or playing tennis with your daughter,

4. Stretching with the goal of improved flexibility,

5. Pain management,

6. Palliative care to help ease an end-of-life transition,

7. more

Yes! If they’re not, they’re not technically Massage Therapists. They’re just people offering massages…and don’t get me started on the ethics around all that false-advertisement. If you’re unsure whether the provider you’re seeing is truly an LMT or not, just ask them! They should be 100% candid with where they went to school and when they go their license. If they’re not? Well, then you have your answer.

Generally speaking, a massage parlor was where people would go for a “Rub & Tug” or a “Happy Ending” back in the day. If you are seeking massage therapy services from a licensed massage therapist to help with stress or pain management, then you’d be booking at a massage “Studio” or “Office” or “Practice” or “Spa”…not a “Parlor.”

The long and short of it is that a Massage Therapist is someone who has attended an accredited Massage Therapy training program where they’ve learned at least basic Anatomy, Physiology and etc. They’ve also passed the Massage and Bodywork Licensing Exam (MBLEX), maintain an Active license in their state of employment, and carry massage-specific professional liability insurance

A Masseuse is usually a sex worker, and they also usually don’t have much legit training. It is a holdover from when you would see a “masseuse” at a “massage parlour” and get a “happy ending.”

The problem of human trafficking / forced labor / sexual exploitation that can occur in those spaces is a topic all of its own - but that’s not the question you asked - so for now I’ll just say this: Prostitution is illegal in Colorado, and you can’t blame the licensed therapists for wanting to distance themselves from the term and its implications.

If they are licensed to! A Massage License (in Colorado) is only for Massage. Anything else falls outside of the scope of massage and requires its own training / certification. If your Massage Therapist is offering services that complement their massage sessions, do not hesitate to ask about their training! It’s your body; you deserve to receive treatments from someone who’s trained (and insured) in what they’re doing.