What is Remedial massage?
Remedial Massage provides a healing treatment that can be gentle or strong, deep or shallow. The primary aim of Remedial Massage is to find and treat the cause of the pain, not just the symptoms. This can mean correcting your body posture by stretching dominant muscles and exercising weak muscles. It also provides a wonderful relaxation if you are stressed and soothes sore, tired muscles.
What is the difference between a Remedial Therapist and a Chiropractor, Physiotherapist or Osteopath?
Chiropractors, physiotherapists, and osteopaths tend to work on a specific injury and/or issue, while a remedial massage therapist works on the whole body, including the injury and or issue.
The benefit of working on the whole body is that your entire muscular-skeletal system is taken into account when determining the treatment. It may be that the remedial massage therapist may also work on many areas of your body to help with your lower back pain. They usually start a treatment with a postural analysis, to best determine which parts of your body need attention.
Relaxation massage
A smooth, flowing style that promotes general relaxation, improves circulation and range of movement and relieves muscular tension. It involves the use of kneading, stroking, friction, tapping, and vibration and may provide relief from stiffness, numbness, pain, constipation, and other health problems. The main purpose of relaxation massage is to increase the oxygen flow in the blood and release toxins from the muscles. Other possible benefits include stimulation of circulation, an increase in muscle tone, and a balance of the musculoskeletal systems. Relaxation massage also works to extend ligaments and tendons enhancing flexibility, in addition to increasing circulation to the heart. It can also stimulate nervous system reducing emotional and physical distress.
Deep tissue massage
Deep Tissue Massage is a technique that focuses on the deeper layers of muscle tissue. It aims to release the chronic patterns of tension in the body through slow strokes and deep finger pressure on the contracted areas. When there is chronic muscle tension or injury, there are usually adhesions (bands of painful, rigid tissue) in muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Adhesions can block circulation and cause pain, limited movement, and inflammation.
Deep tissue massage works by physically breaking down these adhesions to relieve pain and restore normal movement. To do this, the massage therapist often uses direct deep pressure or friction applied across the grain of the muscles.
Deep tissue massage usually focuses on more specific areas and may cause some soreness during or right after the massage, but if it’s done right the client should feel better than ever within a day or two.
Lymphatic drainage massage
The lymphatic system drains toxins and fluid from our bodies, essentially ensuring a healthy immune system. If this process of lymph circulation gets interrupted or blocked, fluid can build up and stagnate. Lymphatic drainage uses a series of techniques and gentle strokes to assist our lymph flow remain fluid and moving.
This is important because it is the primary function of the lymph system to defend the body against disease by cleansing, detoxifying and nourishing the body’s tissues. Thus, when the lymph system is blocked, toxins and plasma may accumulate causing interference with cell nourishment and depressing the immune system.
Pregnancy massage
During the major changes the body undergoes during pregnancy, a massage can be helpful to assist with the discomfort associated to it. Offering relief from lower back pain, shoulder tension, joint aches and even stretch marks. Prenatal massage is useful during the 9 months of a low-risk pregnancy and can include specific light/deep tissue massage, acupressure, reflexology. Patients should check in with their doctors before seeking treatments. Massage therapy enhances the function of muscles and joints, improves circulation and general body tone, and relieves mental and physical fatigue.
Sports massage
Sports massage offers benefits to all kinds of athletes both preventative and therapeutic. Sports massage is a deeper type of massage that works specifically with sporting injuries and ailments. Used during preparation warm ups, training and competition, or to provide relief from discomfort and aid rehabilitation. It helps with flexibility, enhanced performance, and mental agility.
Hot stones massage
Stones are heated up and placed over key areas of the body. The use of Hot Stones during a remedial massage allows for a deeper treatment as the heat penetrates the body and relaxes the muscles.
Hot Stone massage therapy combines the benefits of hydrotherapy and thermalism (or thermotherapy; the use of heat applications) with the strokes of massage using Stones to create a deep, relaxing and healing treatment. The heat of the massage stones warms the skin, which allows for the absorption of moisturizing and therapeutic oils, while simultaneously preparing the musculature of the body so the massage therapist can work into the deeper muscle layers. Benefits of thermotherapy include increased local circulation, improved blood flow to surrounding tissues, and greater ability to transport toxins and waste products from the area.
