What is Remedial Massage?
Remedial massage provides a healing treatment for damaged, impaired, knotted, tense and immobile muscles and tendons. When muscles become knotted and tense or damaged, remedial massage provides a healing treatment that can be gentle or strong, deep or shallow. Remedial massage holistically treats the body. The massage therapist endeavours to identify the original biomechanical dysfunction, thus healing the cause of the disorder, as well as the symptoms. Remedial massage uses several specialised techniques to locate and repair damage to muscles, tendons and joints. Massage therapy supports and speeds up the body’s own repair mechanisms. A lubricating medium (usually oil) is applied directly on the skin. This ensures that the muscles associated with the disorder are deeply penetrated. Passive joint stretching moves are also used.
However, many other modalities can be incorporated under the umbrella term “remedial therapies” are relaxation massage, remedial or therapeutic massage, reflexology and aromatherapy. Traditional Chinese massage (Tui na), Shiatsu and Traditional Thai massage are also sometimes referred to as “remedial therapies”. Also trigger point therapy, lymphatic drainage massage, myofascial release and deep tissue massage can be considered remedial therapies.
What can I expect in a Remedial Massage Session?
Firstly the therapist will take a full case history and this will be followed by a physical assessment to identify the nature and causative factors of the problem. An individual’s posture or the way they use their body to walk or run or carry out any type of physical activity (even sitting at a computer) can be a contributing factor to a musculoskeletal problem such as back and neck pain. Once the therapist has identified and understands the nature of the client’s presenting problem he or she will determine the most effective way of treating the problem.
The therapist uses some type of lubrication, often in conjunction with aromatherapy to apply the techniques needed to locate and repair the damaged muscles or tendons. This supports and speeds up the bodies repair mechanisms. The muscles are deeply penetrated in a remedial massage which varies from a relaxing massage.
Normally a remedial massage session takes half an hour, possibly longer for a whole body massage. As oil is used it is necessary for the patient to be mostly undressed for the treatment. Towels are used to cover your body.
This sort of massage therapy is usually specific to the affected area and can be uncomfortable at first. This is due to the depth of the treatment stimulating the nerve fibres as the therapist applies techniques to ‘unravel the knots’ that have formed as a result of the muscle fibres shortening and tightening. You don’t have to tolerate too much discomfort for it to be effective though, so be sure to communicate with your massage therapist so that they can then adapt the pressure to a level that is comfortable for you.
The benefits of Remedial Massage
The benefits of massage therapy can be felt in many ways. For example if you were to have deep tissue massage and trigger point therapy in an attempt to treat a sports injury or any sort of musculoskeletal pain, you would be likely to feel the benefits almost immediately as your range of motion is improved and movements become freer and easier to do. Other obvious benefit is the pain relief experienced in the problem area.
Remedial massage therapy is also very effective at treating injuries, however it entails a more complete massage that works with all of the muscles in the body. The remedial massage therapist maintains a firm, but gentle pressure while they work with each of the muscle groups. As each area becomes more relaxed, it decreases the tightening effect that it has had on the next area until eventually, the whole musculoskeletal system can work again as one.
Other systems in our bodies benefit from massage therapy also, namely the circulatory and lymphatic systems. With the muscle fibres now able to allow new, oxygenated blood to enter and flush out the toxins that have built up, the immune system is strengthened, energy levels improve and an overall feeling of well-being is restored.
Some benefits of Remedial Massage include:
Muscular and skeletal dysfunctions are often addressed with remedial massage, these include:
Regardless of whether or not you have a specific injury or ailment, Massage Therapy is fundamental in keeping your body and mind healthy and happy. It eases tension, calms down a stressed nervous system as well as assists to restore normal function to the musculoskeletal, lymphatic, digestive and circulatory systems.
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