Massage in Burbank

Within treatment rooms swathed in drapery and murals, the staff of Gifted Hands Therapeutic Wellness Center untangle muscular knots and ease tension with therapeutic and deep-muscle massages.

The healing gurus of The Massage Company Brentwood re-energize clients with several massage modalities including Thai, shiatsu, acupressure, and prenatal. Before bodywork begins, therapists take the time to converse with spa-goers to determine which massage style would be best suited to eliminate pain and tension at its source. Therapists can enhance treatments with essential oils that build a heightened sense of calm or hot and cold jade stones in an array of shapes and sizes that supercharge circulation and help bodies blend in at Asian archaeology exhibits. Anti-aging facial massages foster fresher complexions with hydrating skincare products and massage techniques that help release fluid retention and reduce fine lines.

Pure Wellness Center's chiropractor, Dr. David Chang, works in tandem with his patients to develop profiles of their spinal health that will serve as the pivot point for holistic wellness. Each patient's narrative gives shape to their treatment, which can include preventative-care regimes geared toward correcting problematic habits or care for recovery from serious traumas, such as car accidents. Therapies range from careful manual or electrical manipulation of vertebrae and muscles to exercises that strengthen the whole musculoskeletal system. The office resembles a Mondrian painting, with panels of red and yellow cloth, geometric black massage tables, and crowds of gallery docents cautioning visitors not to exhale too forcefully on the crisp white walls.

Despite its name, Happy Feet Foot Massage doesn’t just make feet happy; it makes the whole body grin from ear to ear. Mixing Chinese medicinal herbs with techniques including reflexology and acupressure, the massage center’s therapists help eliminate tension and remove impurities. The center’s two locations, in Pasadena and South Pasadena, immerse clients in bright traditional Asian decor, with plush, white beds complemented by red oriental lanterns, red curtains, and decorative art of Confucius jumping for joy after working out a kink in his neck.

At A Better You Massage Therapy, therapists combine massage with herbal medicine and holistic health treatments to detoxify and de-stress bodies. They specialize in kinesiology, a modality designed to assuage strained, overused, or excessively sumo-wrestled muscles. Their massages come with additions such as aromatherapy, heat therapy, and yoga breathing techniques. The therapists' holistic health philosophy extends to detoxifying body wraps, herbal-based cold and flu treatments, and combined acupuncture and massage treatments.

Led by chiropractor, certified sports physician, and jack-of-all-musculoskeletal-trades Doctor of Chiropractic Ben Drillings, the instructors and staff at a2zHealth Massage Schools train students in the principles and techniques of massage. The school is certified by the California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education and the National Certification Board of Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork and is a member of the California Massage Schools Association, allowing it to produce massage technicians, massage therapists, and holistic bodywork practitioners. The massage-technician course requires 300 hours of specialized study, whereas massage therapists engage in 500 hours and holistic bodywork practitioners complete 1,000 hours to graduate. Students also gain firsthand experience practicing their lessons on the public at a2zHealth Massage Schools’ student Swedish-massage teaching clinic. After their massages, clients assist in the learning process by giving students valuable feedback, and then put their relaxed bodies and calmed nervous systems to good use by finally bungee jumping into the local gorge.