Diane Zobro's official motto is, “Massage does a mind, body and spirit good.”

The Cato resident, who attended Syracuse's Onondaga School of Therapeutic Massage for 18 months before graduating in 2005, possesses a wealth of knowledge about the art.

From basic Swedish massage to “trigger-point” therapy, a specific technique that eases pain for people suffering from ailments like bursitis and shin splints, Zobro's training gives her an arsenal of healing powers at her fingertips - literally.

To share her talents with the community, last month Zobro opened Diane's Delicate Touch Therapeutic Massage in Weedsport.

“With the opening of my office, I'm hoping to bring awareness to the community about the benefits of different types of massage, and what all (my service) has to offer,” Zobro said during a telephone interview.

At the massage school in Syracuse students were required to complete 1,000 hours of training in various therapeutic massage methods.

“It took me about a year and a half to graduate, but now I'm pretty knowledgeable about a lot of techniques, so I can offer a lot of options to my clients.”

The most basic of those techniques is Swedish massage, the most commonly known method. First created in the 1700s by a Swedish doctor, the method involves the relaxing of muscles by applying pressure to them against deeper muscles and bones.

If performed correctly, the muscles are rubbed in the same direction as the flow of blood to the heart, Zobro explained.

“The main purpose of this technique is to increase the oxygen flow in the blood, and to release toxins that have built up in the muscles,” she added.

Zobro also offers deep-tissue massages, which are basically more intense versions of their Swedish counterparts. The deep-tissue therapy is designed to also release muscle “adhesions,” also called knots, in the body.

In addition, Zobro gives massages focused on specific conditions through trigger-point therapy.

“Trigger points are specific areas of muscle in the body, and when they become inflamed, they can cause pain in other areas,” she explained. Pain in a shoulder trigger point, for example, can cause a headache.

Massages are also helpful to athletes, she continued. “If an athlete has an injury, or wants a full-body massage just before or after a sporting event, I'll be able to do that for them.”

Soon, Zobro plans to hold an “information night” at her Weedsport office, which will include descriptions of different massage techniques and demonstrations of her various methods.

“Above all, I just want people to know about the benefits of massage, and that the different therapeutic techniques are helpful in a lot of ways - probably in more ways than they're aware of,” she said.