By Brad Pitt
Remedial massage is one of the fastest-growing complementary therapies in Australia. Over the ten and a half years that I have been practising as a qualified Remedial Massage Therapist, I have found that there has been much confusion surrounding the understanding of what a remedial massage is and what it can achieve. Clients expectations often vary from a whole-body flowing massage to an hour of uncomfortable soft tissue manipulation. In this article, I hope to provide a clearer definition of what remedial massage is, what it involves and the benefits that it can provide.
Remedial massage involves the application of orthopaedic assessment and treatment to the body’s soft tissues, which includes the muscles, ligaments, tendons and connective tissues. Remedial massage is utilised to assist in pain reduction, injury management, rehabilitation, and to optimise overall functioning. The goal of remedial massage is to identify the key causes of the musculoskeletal condition and impaired functioning, then proceed to apply remedial massage techniques that will create positive change within the restricted tissue and improve overall balance within the body.
Remedial massage treatment has a very specific structure. The treatment process involves the completion of client history and consent forms, orthopaedic assessment, the creation of an individualised treatment plan based upon the assessment, the remedial treatment itself, follow up assessment, exercise prescription and the discussion of future treatment plans. A treatment can last from 30-90 minutes.
Each remedial massage technique is selected based upon the patient assessment findings, the anatomy of the area, then type of restriction and pathology that may be present. This is because each technique elicits a specific response within the tissue. One or a combination of these techniques can be applied to improve both the condition within the tissue and overall functioning. Some of the techniques that may be included are deep tissue massage, trigger point therapy, myofascial release, lymphatic drainage, neuromuscular techniques, and stretching. Some of these techniques use oil while others are applied on dry skin or even through clothes.
Remedial massage can stimulate many beneficial physiological and psychological responses within the body. Such responses include a reduction in muscular tension, an improvement in your muscular tone, biomechanics, posture and circulation, a reduction in pain, increased flexibility, general relaxation and increased athletic performance. Remedial massage is often used to treat specific injuries and pathologies such as tension headaches, migraine, osteoarthritis, muscular strains, ligament sprains, whiplash, sciatica, high blood pressure, and insomnia. But it should also be noted that remedial massage can be used for general musculoskeletal maintenance. Furthermore, remedial massage can also be used in a supportive capacity in the management of fibromyalgia, cancer, anxiety and depression.
Brad graduated from the Australasian College of Natural Therapies; he is a massage therapist, lecturer, trainer and assessor. For more information contact Brad on 0400 390 749 or email: info@myocentricremedialmassage.com.au
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