Geelong Bodi and Mind’s Remedial Masseuse, Virginia Dyson offers a range of services that can assist you with Remedial Massage inclusive of other massage techniques that can assist you further in your health needs.
Remedial Massage
What is Remedial Massage?
Remedial massage is a type of complementary medicine which focuses on assessing and treating muscles that are damaged, tense, impaired, knotted or immobile. It is effective against a number of problems affecting the muscles, bones, fascia, ligaments and tendons.
The main purpose of remedial massage is to identify the underlying cause of a musculoskeletal condition and then specifically work on the affected area to achieve a significant change. The change includes reduced pain, improved mobility, less tension, or a combination of these. Remedial massage can either be deep or shallow, gentle or strong, depending on the problem to be addressed.
How Does Remedial Massage Work?
Before the massage starts, the therapist will ask the patient about his or her health and lifestyle. This will help in determining the cause of the problem and trace and locate the target area. Then, the patient lies on the massage table, with towels covering their body for privacy and to keep them warm. Creams or essential oils can be used in massaging the skin smoothly. Also, these will help the therapist work deeply into the affected muscles to address discomfort and restore mobilisation of the joints.
A remedial massage therapist uses different techniques to locate and repair the damaged tissues in the body. They may apply deep pressure on the muscles associated with the problem, trigger point therapy, some stretching and petrissage techniques among others.
What are the Benefits of Remedial Massage?
A remedial massage therapy session offers numerous physiological, psychological and emotional benefits. As it breaks down muscle adhesions, it improves the rate of blood flow, promotes cell growth, strengthens the joints and eases muscle stiffness.
Additionally, it improves body posture and skin tone, restores the natural position of the bones in the body and eliminates toxins stored in the muscles. Getting this type of massage on a regular basis also helps boosts immunity to combat all kinds of ailments and diseases, including:
Headaches
- Abdominal pain
- Back pain
- Sciatic pain
- Sports and dance-related injuries
- Muscle cramps
- Whiplash
- Muscular atrophy
- Frozen shoulder
- Fibrositis
- Arthritis
- Spondylitis
What Can You Expect From Remedial Massage?
A remedial massage session always begins with an assessment that takes roughly 5 minutes. The practitioner will ask the client about their health history, lifestyle and usual activities to get to the root cause of their pain. The therapist will perform different kinds of tests to check the client's posture, range of motion, muscles and nerves. From what they have gathered, the therapist will be able to determine which massage techniques to use to address the client's issue. Finally, before they get down to work, the practitioner will ask the client their preferred level of pressure.
The treatment session can take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the specific area to be addressed or whether a whole body massage is to be given. The client is encouraged to communicate their needs to the therapist, especially with regard to the amount of pressure applied to their body. After the session, the practitioner advises the client to drink plenty of water to move the toxins released from the muscles out of their body.
The frequency of a remedial massage depends on the client's state of health. The practitioner may recommend a healthy person to get a massage once a month, while those who are working on long-standing pain may need it once or twice a week.
Is Remedial Massage Safe?
Remedial massage is generally safe, even for pregnant women and elderly people. However, clients must choose to work with practitioners who have completed the necessary qualifications and are members of the relevant associations for remedial massage therapists.
Remedial massage works intensively with deep tissue massage and mobilisation techniques on localised areas of your body to achieve the following:
Blood Supply Stimulation
Massage helps the blood to circulate which nourishes and re-establishes a system to keep the flesh healthier. Indications of poor circulation include cold hands and toes, swollen ankles, feet and fingers.
Toxin Clearing
Toxic poison in the muscles can take the form of persistent bruising or inflammation. Soft tissue work through remedial massage works to clear the toxins and bring back healthy flesh.
Skin Nourishment
Massage gives the skin a healthy glow, refreshing skin that has become dry as a result of poor circulation.
Calming of the Peripheral Nerves
Nerves that have become damaged by injury or infection can be treated by soft tissue massage that will help to bring in fresh blood to nourish the area. Regular gentle massage helps sensitive areas to recover and regain their natural function.
Swelling Reduction
Massage above and around an inflamed joint encourages the fluid that is causing the swelling to disperse, promoting healthy lubrication and allowing swollen areas to return to normal size and movement.
Relaxation
There is nothing like massage to bring about relaxation. When tension is removed from the tight muscles of the neck and shoulders, the whole back, the legs and the arms, it is no surprise that people often fall asleep during the healing process. People suffering from stress or poor sleeping habits should be given a massage regularly.
Remove Stiffness
Overworked muscles often stiffen up, cramp or expand painfully. Deep soft tissue remedial massage works to break down the spasm and soften up the hard tissue releasing the stiffness.
Muscle Strengthening
Regular massage is an effective treatment to bring back muscle strength and tone. This is best suited to sufferers of Multiple Sclerosis whose muscles have gone soft and weak or victims of a break whereby the muscle has not been used for many weeks and weakness has built due to non-use.
Joint Mobility
Joints and muscles work together therefore if a joint is damaged or displaced, the surrounding muscles are put under strain. Remedial massage helps to relax the muscles, making bone adjustment easier. Follow-up treatment will strengthen the area, helping to prevent recurrence. Good massage is essential to heal injuries such as disc lesion in the back and whiplash in the neck.
Body Re-Balancing
Massage improves body mobility especially in the upper back neck area which is often restricted as a result of bad habits in posture.
Injury Treatment
Muscles, tendons and ligaments are all susceptible to injury and need skilled massage and exercise to bring about improvement.
Beauty Therapy
Facial massage is a treatment covering forehead, cheeks, eyes, whole face, neck and shoulders. It helps to fight sagging muscles and puts the life back into tired and dry skin.
Pain Reduction
Tension and spasm in the muscles is often the cause for the pain people have in arms, legs, back, neck and head. Using remedial massage to release the pain at the root of the problem will often relieve symptoms such as headaches.
Article from National Therapy Pages
What is Remedial Massage?
There are many variations within this style of massage, however, the Australian Natural Therapists Association (ANTA) defines remedial massage therapy as 'a massage based application used to treat a number of conditions affecting the muscles, tendons and ligaments of the body'. Remedial massage therapy is a key component of 'sports medicine', but is beneficial for anyone suffering from chronic pain or injury in a particular area of the body.
Remedial massage therapists use a systematic assessment and treatment of the muscles, fascia (connective tissue), tendons, ligaments to assist in pain, injury rehabilitation and maintenance. Common techniques used in this type of massage include deep tissue massage, joint mobilisation, stretching, dry needling and myofascial release, to name a few.
To understand how to treat patients, a good remedial therapist must know anatomy, physiology and pathophysiology (The functional changes that connect with a condition or injury -- in this circumstance).
What is Remedial Massage Good for?
Unlike a relaxing massage that provides deep relaxation through Swedish massage techniques, remedial massage therapy is a form of therapeutic massage that is primarily used to address health problems resulting from muscle knots, muscle tension or damaged muscle tissues. It can help with sports injuries, headaches, muscle cramps, back pain and a whole range of other health problems.
Depending on the health condition that needs to be addressed, this type of massage can use either deep pressure or mild to medium pressure to improve muscle function. Remedial massage treatments have a number of proven health benefits such as the following:
Improves Joint Mobility
Using joint movement techniques, a remedial therapist can help ease muscle tension and reduce stiffness and pain, which improves joint mobility, muscle recovery and range of movement in the process.
Improves Recovery
When we damage our body tissue, collagen fibres are used to repair the injured area, which can create collagen scarring or scar tissue. This collagen scarring is critical for recovery from injury, but tough in texture, it can create painful, restricted movement. Remedial massage helps to soften and mobilise the collagen fibres, relieving muscle tightness and pain.
Reduces Depression and Anxiety
By working on the deep layers of muscle, a remedial massage technique not only provides relief from muscle related problems but an emotional healing component as well. The benefits of massage, especially this form of massage, go beyond treating chronic muscle pain. Addressing sore muscles and limited mobility increases blood supply in different parts of the body, which leads to the improved movement of the body and functioning of the mind.
The firm pressure employed in this form of treatment reduces cortisol levels as it stimulates feel-good hormones occupied within the muscles, blood and lymphatic system, such as dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin, and releases them into the system. How wonderful it is to be able to create a more relaxed state of being -- with the application of a session of massage, especially during periods of stress, whether internal or external life challenges.
Pain Relief
The skin is full of nerve endings (up to 10,00 per sq. metre!), which can make the touch of massage therapy a rich highly sensory experience that helps to remove pain and support the body's natural healing process.
During every movement of a massage, the cutaneous(skin), the nerve endings are sending thousands of impulses to the brain creating pleasant, calming sensations; slowing the breath and shifting into the 'rest and digest parasympathetic state'.
Massage works by affecting the nervous system directly and dampening any pain that one is feeling.
What are Some of the Issues in Researching Massage?
Like any treatment regime, massage therapy can and should be studied using rigorous scientific methods. However, massage therapists, because of the unique nature of their therapy and how it is delivered, face challenges when conducting research. Most of the research to date has included small, preliminary studies that lack the methodological quality to draw firm conclusions regarding massage's effectiveness.
However, in recent years, larger studies of higher quality have begun to emerge, as have thorough and balanced reviews of existing literature, which evaluate the effectiveness of massage therapy. Recent trials have concluded that different styles of massage therapy generally can be of benefit to many health concerns. As it appears to be in patients with non-
specific back pain, trials continue. For updated information regarding ongoing randomised trials, go to clinicaltrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Institute of Health (search under 'massage').
Common Questions / Answers About Remedial Massage Treatment
1. How do I choose a remedial massage therapist?
A combination of research, it is a personal close contact choice, relevant qualifications, experience, references -- other respected people are often a good guide / start.
(I personally have been a massage therapist - remedial / sports for over 20 years - word of mouth has been my biggest source in that time)
2. How often do I need to have a remedial massage?
A: A good question -- and the answer is varied upon several factors --
- Do I feel good / better after a massage?
- If yes, am I physically / perhaps mentally pushing my body / stress levels with my weekly pursuits -- i.e. rigorous physical activities that create extra tension within my body ( work related or sports)?
- How much does an hour long massage cost in my area and can I afford it? If so, should I get weekly, monthly or fortnightly massages?
3. What should I do after receiving remedial therapy?
A massage can leave you dehydrated as toxins are released from your body. That is why you should drink plenty of water to replenish the lost fluids in your body. While drinking water is advisable, taking a shower right after a massage to wash off the essential oils used in the treatment session is discouraged. Wait for about an hour to pass before taking a warm shower.
Summary
I have regulars that I work with for different styles of massage, from massage for relaxation to remedial-sports massage. Some of them get a weekly massage, others come in every 6-8 weeks. Some prefer ongoing treatments, especially those who want to boost their sports performance, while others combine their full-body massage sessions with other modalities. I would strongly encourage acupuncture, osteopathy, yoga, chiropractic, bio-resonance therapy and a healthy lifestyle, which are all inclusive!
Getting a regular massage will end your ordeal with tight muscles, carpal tunnel syndrome, sciatic pain, restricted movement in joints or other health conditions. What's more, I'll be more than happy to provide you with useful health tips to restore your health on all levels.
Geelong Bodi and Mind’s Remedial Masseuse, Virginia Dyson offers a range of services that can assist you with Remedial Massage inclusive of other massage techniques that can assist you further in your health needs, therefore, please feel free to book an appointment with Virginia by calling (03) 5223 2370 or book online via www.dysonmassage.com.au