Services

Massage

I specialize in therapeutic, deep tissue, and sports massage.

Therapeutic massage helps to relieve pain and stress by working on specific problems.

Deep tissue massage uses stronger, slow-moving pressure to penetrate into deeper layers of muscle and connective tissue.

Sports massage focuses on injury rehabilitation and/or prevention. It incorporates stretching and deep tissue work while focusing on increasing function.

The end goal of all three methods is to promote healing, and most of my massages incorporate aspects of each method.

Pricing

30 minutes: $65
60 minutes: $120
90 minutes: $165

Three-massage package pricing:
3 x 30 minutes: $190
3 x 60 minutes: $350
3 x 90 minutes: $480

Gift certificates available upon request.

More Information

My treatments usually focus on reducing tension and stiffness by increasing blood flow to muscle tissue. Due to the pressure I use to get through to deeper layers of muscle, the massage may be uncomfortable. I work with patients to find a sustainable amount of pressure that will provide healing. I often incorporate both active and passive stretching to help patients' attain better range of motion and function.

I have treated patients ranging in age from 10 to 91 years old. I adjust my approach and pressure to meet the needs of each patient. In some cases I find a more gentle touch is most beneficial in order to oxygenate skin and muscle tissue.

« About me »



I grew up in San Luis Obispo and attended San Luis Obispo High School. My first encounter with injury rehabilitation came in high school when I tore my ACL playing soccer. After high school I ran cross country and track for Cal Poly SLO where I obtained my B.S. in Kinesiology. This gave me a foundational knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the human body. This knowledge has been central to my success as a massage therapist. After Cal Poly, I used my last year of eligibility to run at Liberty University in Virginia as a graduate transfer then returned home to the central coast. It was during this time back home that I decided to pursue the career that teammates and friends had been steering me towards over the years. In 2009, I attended and finished massage school at the Califorinia Holistic Institute. Before beginning my massage therapy career, I fulfilled a different dream of mine, which was to teach abroad. After moving home from Ethiopia in 2011 I worked part-time as a massage therapist before transitioning to full-time in 2014 at SLO Wellness Center.

I have a passion to help and encourage people. It brings me joy to be part of the process and help others improve. I understand the athlete mindset and know the discipline, work ethic, and physical demands required to compete at a high level. The more I work, the more I see the importance of recovery to competing and even living at one's highest functioning capacity. Why settle for living through pain when you can be more efficient without it? Your health and wellness are also gifts to everyone around you. As a patient of mine once said to me after claiming I healed his headaches, “you don’t understand, my WIFE is so happy.” This is why I work, to be part of the process of making lives better.

Testimonials

"Rachel's massage technique goes far beyond the normal routine surface massage. She finds areas of stress and pain and uses direct techniques to get to the underlying deep portions of those areas. I have had a lot of massages however nothing like the massage techniques Rachel uses. She is incredibly strong and works with the patient to treat them as a team."

Todd S.

"When I started receiving deep tissue massage therapy from Rachel 4 years ago, I was in severe upper and lower back pain as a result of working in front of my desktop computer every day. After a few weeks of massage therapy, I was able to resume working more effectively, and experienced none to almost none of the daily muscle pain I had previously felt. I continue to receive deep tissue massage therapy from Rachel regularly so that I can continue to work efficiently without having to deal with signifcant pain or the need for pain medication."

James V.

Rachel is amazing! She is skilled at finding and getting out all of the knots and tight spots. I view my appointments with her as necessary self care and wouldn’t dare miss one. I highly recommend Rachel for all your body work needs! (Yes, you need body work. You may not realize it but you need it!) It’s amazing how much better your body feels after Rachel has worked her magic!

Allison N.

« Massage Benefits »



Massage therapy is crucial to recovery for high intensity and/or endurance athletes. Muscle tissue gets stronger by being broken down through training, followed with a period of rest including cellular repair and synthesis (growth).  After muscle tissue is stressed, due to training, it has to rebuild (becoming stronger than before) through cellular repair and growth.  

Without sufficient recovery, overtraining and muscular damage can occur. This can lead to all sorts of muscular skeletal problems such as shin splints or stress fractures, neuromuscular damage, or decreased function of the immune, endocrine, etc. systems. 

Athletes are training to function in the most efficient manner possible.  Most often this incudes desired increases in strength and endurance. The faster muscle tissue is able to recover, the sooner the athlete is able to stress the muscle tissue again. Deep tissue muscular work helps to speed up the recovery process, allowing for a higher volume of training.  Massage helps with flexibility and increased range of motion, which often correlates with an increase in function.  

Deep tissue massage also can help to prevent injury.  Small tweaks or tears in muscular tissue in a non-athlete will often go unnoticed.  However, for the athlete, these stressors often becomes exacerbated through incessant exercise and muscle fibers become tight, torn or injured.  Massage therapy can help muscular tissue to recover properly and prevent significant injury. This most commonly occurs through increased circulation and blood flow, which carries proteins, oxygen and other nutrients that aid muscle in recovery and growth.

Make an Appointment

Send me an email to make an appointment. My email address is below in the Contact Me section.

Contact Me

Contact Info

rachel@rachelnelsonmassage.com

894 Meinecke, Suite D
San Luis Obispo, CA 93405

FAQ

Frequently asked questions


What can I expect at my first appointment?

You'll be given an intake form to fill out when you first check in at the front counter. When you come back to the room I'll read through the form then discuss with you the specific injuries, aches, and/or pains that brought you in. I'll give you feedback about what I think will be the most beneficial way to spend your time then get to work.

It is usually best to undress most or all of the way and to get under the sheet while I work on one exposed body part at a time. Depending on what brings you in, you may leave some clothes on.

How will I feel after my massage?

This depends on what issues we addressed during the massage. Generally speaking the deeper I work the more sore you will be. Patients who see me hoping to heal specific pain often experience immediate relief but still feel sore for a few days afterwards. Patients have reported feeling "wiped out" and dehydrated following their massage. Their body needs a chance to re-build from the deep tissue work.

How many treatments will I need?

This depends on the issues that need to be addressed. My goal as a massage practicioner is to promote healing through blood flow. In other words I want to get blood flowing back into dead, atrophied or injured muscle tissue that has been starved of oxygen and nutrients. This usually takes at least a few sessions. Most often people start to see improvement after just one session and can judge for themselves how helpful the massage is. All of that said, I usually recommend three to four massages every other week to really make progress and avoid regression. After that I recommend to space appointments out to once a month for maintenance.

What forms of payment do you accept?

I accept cash, check, or credit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, JCB, UnionPay). Cash and check payments are preferred because I pay a small fee for each credit card transaction.

What types of products do you use during the massage?

Organic coconut oil is what I usually use. I can use rice bran oil upon request. I also use various essential oils (from DoTERRA and Young Living) such as lavender or deep blue when I think they will be helpful, but I always ask the patient before doing so.