How to Become A Client
Ideal Balance is a referral-only business that works with clients to help them reach their specific health goals. Our typical clients come to us with chronic injuries, acute injuries, posture problems, scoliosis, arthritis, prenatal and postnatal care, pre and post surgery, athletic goals, scar tissue, accidents, and more. The techniques used are focused on being customized, effective, and long lasting to get your body stable and balanced. The body is an integration of various tissue systems that are all interconnected and influence one another. When there is an imbalance between these systems, we typically experience it as pain or discomfort. It is imperative for body workers to understand this interdependence of systems in order to find and solve the core issue of imbalances, leading to lasting results.
Prospective Clients Please Contact:
Ideal Balance, LLC
Jessica M. Smith-González
(918) 701-9131
Please state referral information when contacting us.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do you do?
Body Organization and balancing the body's systems using a variety of techniques and schoolings from fascial release, muscle energy, cranial sacral, visceral manipulation, Orthopedic massage, NMR, Neural Mobilization, prenatal and postnatal, pediatric and infant massage. This means I take a multi-systems approach to bodywork. I believe the body is highly intelligent and creates compensation patterns for protection and does all it can to heal. Sometimes it needs help letting go of old patterns that no longer serve it and to have help holding the body tensions so it can work on healing itself. I act as a facilitator for your body's healing. I hold space and work with your various systems and tissues to help reach root causes and balance your body.
How long have you practiced?
I started my career in California the summer of 2007 with basic massage, and deep tissue and sports training and have been adding to my tool belt every year since with more and more in depth and comprehensive styles that help me with my clients specific needs. I am always looking to expand my knowledge and am fully aware that it is an expanding field and there will always be more learning and growth to do. So I follow my passions and my clients need to find the education goals that allow me to grow my skills and practice. I have been and will continue to eb a perpetual student of health and healing.
What should I expect on the first appointment?
First appts are about getting to know your health history and your body. It means I will focus on asking you questions and getting a feel for how your body is doing and your lifestyle so I can work with specific issues and whole body issues. I start by assessing your posture as you stand and then feel up your body’s fascial chains from your feet on the table looking for where there are tensions, or restrictions. I always want to make sure the hips and shoulders balance on the first appt as the hips are like a foundation for your house. If your hips aren’t even it will travel up and affect the rest of your spine and body. So the first appt goal is to accomplish your primary concern issue and get your hips and shoulders balanced for longer lasting results. I love answering questions so ask away at the appt and I can’t guarantee that all issues will be addressed every appt but I do my best to get steady progress and your body to a stable spot so it can maintain the work until the next appt.
What should I expect after an appointment?
Most feel sore and achy after coming in if not the day of the next day for 48 hours. That is why I stress not doing any hard work outs or lifting anything beyond 20 lbs after receiving work as your body needs time to get used to the changes we’ve made. And doing stressful activities can make your body revert to old patterns that we are trying to change which negates my work and slows down progress. To help with integration I recommend a hot bath with epsom salts, an easy walk, some time outside with the sun and earth, and often a nap as your body may not feel like it's doing a lot during the appt but we are working your muscles, fascia, organs and nervous system deeply and that takes a lot of energy. So hydrate, hydrate, hydrate, and take it easy on yourself for two days after seeing me.
What do you recommend for post-visit care?
Lots of water, no heavy lifting (more than 20lbs) for two days and keep activities low impact and low stress to help your body hold the work for the longest possible time. If sore or achy magnesium cream in the sore spots helps as does a full body epsom salt bath. I do encourage walks and light stretching and movement just remembering to keep things light and relaxing. Some people get different responses from the different styles of work so I just recommend taking it slow and being kind to yourself as though some of the work is very gentle feeling it is still very deep and takes a lot of energy for the body to receive and incorporate.
What do you recommend for post-visit care?
Lots of water, no heavy lifting (more than 20lbs) for two days and keep activities low impact and low stress to help your body hold the work for the longest possible time. If sore or achy magnesium cream in the sore spots helps as does a full body epsom salt bath. I do encourage walks and light stretching and movement just remembering to keep things light and relaxing. Some people get different responses from the different styles of work so I just recommend taking it slow and being kind to yourself as though some of the work is very gentle feeling it is still very deep and takes a lot of energy for the body to receive and incorporate.
Are there things I can do for self-care?
I sometimes make recommendations for specific stretches or exercises that can help with keeping the body organized. Some are passive and relaxing work and others are things to look at when working out that may change how your muscles activate to create more flow or fluid movements to help hold better posture or spacing. When possible I send videos of the homework so as to be easily referenced.
How frequently do you recommend rescheduling appointments?
Frequency comes down to needs and goals. I try to get most of my clients to a stable point where they can then come in for maintenance, but in the beginning I tend to recommend more first so we can build a strong foundation that then holds for the long term and we can then work as needed in the future. Some cases are complex and chronic and will require consistent maintenance and I am happy to provide maintenance as a means of prevention as well for those who know they need it.