Naomi Hooper, LMT — Massage Therapist in West Des Moines
Naomi Hooper is a Licensed Massage Therapist with over 10 years of experience in therapeutic and integrative bodywork. She trained at the Colorado Institute of Massage Therapy, where she built a clinical foundation in functional anatomy, neuromuscular therapy, and soft tissue assessment.
Her work at Ashworth centers on two areas: deep tissue massage for pain management and musculoskeletal conditions, and TMJ massage for patients dealing with jaw pain, facial tension, and clenching patterns.
The TMJ work deserves a closer look. Jaw tension is one of the most undertreated sources of chronic head and facial pain. Most patients dealing with TMJ dysfunction have seen a dentist, possibly a specialist, and been fitted for a night guard. What often gets missed is the soft tissue component — the masseter, pterygoid, and surrounding musculature that holds the jaw in a dysfunctional position regardless of what the hardware says. Naomi works directly with that tissue, addressing the muscular patterns that drive jaw dysfunction in a way most providers don’t.
The same precision applies to her deep tissue work. Her approach is firm enough to reach the tissue that matters — and controlled enough that most patients leave more relaxed than they expected. She customizes every session to what the body actually needs that day, not what the intake form says.
Beyond those two specialties, Naomi offers a full toolkit of therapeutic modalities — and the clinical judgment to know which one the situation actually calls for:
Deep Tissue Massage Targeted pressure into deeper muscle layers to release chronic tension, adhesions, and restricted tissue that surface-level work doesn’t reach. Naomi’s deep tissue work is firm enough to be effective and controlled enough that most patients are surprised by how relaxed they feel afterward. The goal is therapeutic, not punishing.
Neuromuscular Therapy Precise, focused work on the neurological component of muscle dysfunction — the trigger points, nerve compression patterns, and muscle imbalances that cause referred pain and movement restriction. Where most massage works on tissue, neuromuscular therapy works on the relationship between the nervous system and the muscle. For patients with chronic or recurring pain that hasn’t fully responded to other approaches, this is often where the answer is.
Swedish Massage Longer, flowing strokes that support circulation, reduce cortisol, and calm the nervous system. A good entry point, and consistently more therapeutic than people expect. Naomi doesn’t treat this as a lesser modality — she uses it deliberately when it’s the right tool.
Sports-Specific Massage Focused on athletes and active people — pre-event preparation, post-event recovery, or addressing the muscular patterns that repetitive training creates over time. The goal is keeping the body performing the way it’s capable of performing, and recovering faster when it doesn’t.
Trigger Point Therapy Sustained pressure applied directly to hyperirritable points within muscle tissue that refer pain to other areas. That headache behind your eye. The ache down your arm. The hip pain that isn’t actually in your hip. Trigger points are one of the most common and most overlooked sources of chronic pain — and one of the most reliably treatable when you know where to look.
Cupping Suction cups create a decompressive effect on underlying tissue — pulling rather than pressing — which increases local circulation, reduces fascial restriction, and releases deep muscular tension that compression alone doesn’t reach. Particularly effective for areas that have been resistant to other approaches or that carry chronic, layered tension.
Massage with Passive ROM Active treatment that combines soft tissue work with guided joint movement through its range of motion. Rather than working on muscle in isolation, passive ROM integrates the joint and the surrounding tissue together — addressing restriction patterns that don’t fully resolve with massage alone. Useful for post-injury recovery, mobility work, and patients whose range of motion isn’t keeping up with their rehab.
If you’ve been dealing with jaw pain, chronic tension headaches, persistent muscle tightness, or a pattern that nothing has fully resolved — Naomi has both the toolkit and the clinical judgment to work through it.
Specialties:
- Deep Tissue Massage
- TMJ Massage & Jaw Pain Relief
- Neuromuscular Therapy
- Trigger Point Therapy
- Sports-Specific Massage
- Swedish Massage
- Cupping
- Massage with Passive ROM