Jessica specializes in myofascial trigger point therapy to release restrictions deep within muscle fibers and provide lasting relief.
Jessica listens to the concerns of each client and customizes each massage to meet their individual needs. She specializes in myofascial trigger point therapy to release restrictions deep within muscle fibers and provide lasting relief. Jessica relies on over 20 years of experience and training in myofascial release, crainiosacral release, neuromuscular release (trigger point therapy), Swedish massage, aromatherapy and reiki (energy work) to provide a deeply relaxing massage experience for each client. She has a unique ability to connect with muscle tissue and elicit a relaxation response. Jessica Laub graduated from the Milwaukee School of Massage in 1998, was nationally certified and became a professional member of the American Massage Therapy Association. She worked for many years at Milwaukee's downtown YMCA and the Beehive Salon. She is also currently employed at Shorewood Family Chiropractic. One hour massage: $75
Hour and a half massage: $100
Toe Position Matters: The Hidden Link Between Feet, Knees & Hips
This image highlights a simple but powerful biomechanical truth: where your toes point determines how forces travel through your ankle, knee, and hip.
When the toes turn outward or inward, the rotation doesn’t stay at the foot. The tibia follows that rotation, the knee joint is forced to adapt, and the femur responds with compensatory rotation at the hip. Over time, this creates instability, uneven joint loading, and excessive stress on soft tissues.
In the left illustration, toe-out positioning causes external rotation at the foot, which drives rotational stress up the leg. The knee experiences twisting forces it was never designed to handle repeatedly, while the hip loses optimal alignment. This often contributes to knee pain, hip discomfort, and inefficient movement patterns during walking, running, or squatting.
On the right, toes facing forward create a clean vertical alignment from foot to knee to hip. This allows the ankle to stabilize properly, the knee to hinge efficiently, and the hip muscles—especially the gluteals—to control motion instead of compensating for poor foot position.
Biomechanically, toes-forward alignment improves:
• Ankle stability and load distribution
• Knee tracking and joint integrity
• Hip control and pelvic stability
• Force transfer during gait and functional movements
The key message is that lower-limb stability starts at the ground. Correcting toe position is often one of the simplest yet most overlooked ways to improve movement quality and reduce injury risk.
In the United States, it's estimated that 30 percent of adults and 66 percent of adolescents are regularly sleep-deprived. This isn't just a minor inconvenience: staying awake can cause serious bodily harm. Claudia Aguirre shows what happens to your body and brain when you skip sleep. [Directed by T...
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Jessica Laub graduated from the Milwaukee School of Massage in 1998 and has been practicing massage for over 20 years. Jessica uses a mix of massage modalities to release restrictions in the body including Swedish relaxation massage, Trigger Point Therapy, CranioSacral Therapy and Reiki energy work. Jessica uniquely tailors each massage to address the concerns of the client and in response to what she encounters within the body throughout the course of the massage. Jessica welcomes clients to provide feedback throughout the massage so that she can provide the best experience possible, however she will not actively pursue conversation unless it is client led. She understands that some clients may prefer quiet for a mental time-out, while others may relax better while chatting.
Trigger Point Therapy (Myofascial Release / Neuromuscular Therapy)
Trigger points are knots or nodules of muscle tissue that are locked into a shortened, contracted position resulting from muscle injury, stress, trauma, posture imbalance, inflammation or repetitive strain. Blood flow becomes restricted within a trigger point reducing oxygen supply to the tissue and causing a build-up of lactic acid (which can crystalize in time and further limit muscle mobility), nerve irritation and referred pain (hence the name trigger point as the place the pain is experienced may be distant from the shortened/ locked muscle tissue it originates from). Muscles with multiple trigger points may compress and entrap nerves leading to additional symptoms. Trigger Point Therapy involves palpating (examining by touch for the purpose of diagnosing) the muscles to locate trigger points and unlocking the contraction mechanism by applying pressure and increasing it as the tissue gradually softens. Steady, sustained pressure is required to access areas deep within layers of muscle fibers that more superficial, rapid stokes cannot address. Trigger Point Therapy breaks up adhesions, softens scar tissue and resets nerve impulses from the brain to the muscle to a relaxed state.
Two common approaches to Trigger Point Therapy include Myofascial Release and Neuromuscular Therapy. The word myofascial means muscle (myo) and the connective tissue around it (fascia). Fascia also surrounds all the bones, nerves and organs in the body much like a layer of saran wrap. While Myofascial Release focuses on inducing relaxation by releasing adhesions in the fascia and Neuromuscular Therapy focuses on resetting the nerve impulses to the muscle, both therapies primarily achieve their goal by similarly utilizing gradual pressure on trigger points (although it is more complex than that). There are variations on this technique and Jessica chooses which is right for each patient and muscle treated. Keys to successful Trigger Point Therapy are the ability to locate the trigger points involved in the discomfort the client is experiencing, the appropriate initial use of pressure, and the ability to listen, feel, and follow the muscle tissue as it unwinds and encourage the release through directional change and gradual increase and decrease of pressure. Furthermore, a therapist must detect when the release is complete and know which related trigger points to address next.
Because lactic acid crystals stored in tight muscles are pulverized and released into the bloodstream during massage, it is important to drink lots of water afterward to flush these toxins out of your system so they do not become redeposited. Some soreness may occur during and after a massage due to the sharp edges of the lactic acid crystals impacting surrounding muscle tissue as they are broken down by manual therapy and should resolve within 24 to 48 hours. Muscles have memory and if they have been stuck in a shortened state for a long time they will tend to want to return to that state. For that reason, it may take several massage treatments within a few weeks to retrain muscles to maintain their relaxed state (particularly if they have been compromised for a long time). Stretching frequently in the days after receiving a massage can help your muscles retain their relaxed/ lengthened state.
CranioSacral Therapy
CranioSacral Therapy uses a gentle touch to manipulate the joints in the cranium, spine and sacrum (the triangular bone at the base of the spine which is made up of five fused vertebrae and forming the back of the pelvis) to relieve dysfunction. Jessica palpates the cranium to detect the rhythmic movement of the cranial bones due to the pulse of cerebrospinal fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord (and all nervous system tissues). Once the nature of this pulse is observed, selective, gentle pressure is used to manipulate the cranial, spinal or sacral bones to release restrictions in the craniosacral system and improve the functioning of the central nervous system.
Swedish Relaxation Massage
Swedish massage relaxes the entire body by rubbing muscles in long gliding strokes, while incorporating circular pressure, firm kneading, percussion, tapping and stretching. Swedish massage increases levels of oxygen in the blood, decreases toxins, improves circulation and flexibility, eases tension, helps decrease the stress hormone cortisol and supports the immune system. Jessica uses Swedish massage techniques to warm up the tissue and to help locate tight bands of muscle that harbor trigger points. She also uses Swedish massage after Trigger Point Therapy to soothe the muscle tissue and integrate the releases achieved.
Reiki
Reiki is a spiritual healing art of Japanese origin. The word Reiki comes from the Japanese word (Rei) which means “Universal Life” and (Ki) which means “Energy.” Reiki is a form of energy healing that targets energy fields within and around the body to remove blocks and improve the flow of energy in a similar way as acupressure. Energy can stagnate in the body where there has been physical injury or emotional pain. In time, these energy blocks can cause illness.
In a Reiki session, the practitioner places their hands lightly over, or hovers above, different areas of the body and transfers energy and may utilize a variety of healing symbols envisioned in their mind’s eye or drawn in the air or on the body. The practitioner may experience heat or tingling in their hands, and the receiver may experience warmth, coolness, or pulsing waves. Sometimes people experience the energy as colors or receive impressions or feelings. Most often they experience deep relaxation, a release of stress, and a feeling of well-being. The practitioner holds each hand position until she senses the energy has stopped flowing. While Jessica may use Reiki during a massage, she most often uses it briefly at the close of a session to induce a calm and meditative state.
