What is Remedial Massage Therapy and How to Find the Best Remedial Massage Near Me?
Murray Kovesy
Clinical Myotherapist at Hawthorn Football Club - Owner of Motion Myotherapy
When searching for massage places near me you will notice there are so many different massage options to choose form these days. Finding the right massage therapist and treatment for the right purpose can be challenging and confusing at times. Massage therapy has so many different styles all coming from a variety of backgrounds and intended purpose. Massage can differ to each other by the amount of pressure, manual techniques used, amount of massage oil used and training completed by the massage therapist. Remedial Massage also known as medical massage is the most popular massage but is often misunderstood. It is performed by a qualified Remedial Massage Therapist and can help with a whole host of injuries and ailments.
There are many questions that you could be asking when seeking massage therapy. What is Remedial Massage? When do I need a Remedial Massage? What’s the difference between Remedial Massage and Myotherapy? What is Myotherapy? Motion Myotherapy Myotherapist Murray Kovesy, an expert in the massage and Myotherapy industry, will help answer these questions and avoid any confusion of the difference between Remedial Massage, Sports, Myotherapy, Deep Tissue, Thai and Spa Relaxtion massage.
What is Remedial Massage?
Remedial Massage, also known as medical massage, is one of the most popular styles of massage which is aimed at treating trigger points, muscle injuries, tight fascia and poor joint mobility. A Remedial Massage Therapist is fully qualified, often completing a Diploma of Remedial Massage course at university. Remedial massage is used for the prevention and management of injuries, including soft tissue injuries and can be used alongside other health professionals as a part of a patient’s treatment plan. Although Remedial is therapeutic aimed at fixing injuries and reducing pain there can be a relaxation element to it.
The pressure of Remedial Massage is firm but can be adapted to the clients needs and the pain presentation they have. Remedial can be specific to an area of the body like the back, neck or shoulders but sometimes a full body massage is used to treat the client. A Remedial Massage Therapist will get to know your pain threshold, level of desired pressure and your response after treatment. Getting the right match between Remedial Massage Therapist and your desired treatment is the key when searching for the best massage near me.
What Are the Benefits of Remedial Massage?
Remedial massage although is used for people who exercise or play sport like AFL, its widely used in the general public for back pain, postural strain, headaches and repetitive strain injury. The benefits of Remedial Massage is a long list and many people seek this service for different reasons. Some massage benefits include:
Decreasing pain and alleviating a range of chronic pain conditions. Prevention and management of sports and soft tissue injuries. Releasing tension and tightness in the muscles. Increase blood flow and oxygen muscles. Faster recovery time for athletes or people who train rigorously. Flushing chemicals out the body that cause muscles to tighten. Breaking down and healing of scar tissue post-surgical operation. Assisting the flow or draining of lymph fluid which can decrease swelling in the treatment area. Can improve problems such as headaches, abdominal pain, low back pain and sciatic pain. Can be used in treatment for muscle cramps, whiplash, muscular atrophy, fibrositis, spondylitis, and arthritis.
Read more about The 9 Benefits of Myotherapy and Remedial Massage
Can Remedial Massage be Claimed on Private Health Funds?
Remedial Massage and Myotherapy can be claimed with private health insurance with HICAPS. All major health funds like BUPA, Mediank, AHM, NIB and others cover an allocated amount or percentage of the total leaving a gap payment to pay after your treatment. You must have extras and if your not sure what your covered for please contact your private health insurance.
Whats the Difference Between Remedial Massage and Myotherapy and other massage treatment?
What is Myotherapy? Myotherapy is a form of manual therapy with more focus on injury and physical assessment. Myotherapy is clinical in its approach. What is the difference between Myotherapy and Remedial Massage? Myotherapy uses similar techniques to Remedial Massage but utilises Dry Needling as part of the treatment and more assessment skills. When a client comes in a physical assessment is done of the painful or injured area and brief history notes are taken to gather an overall picture of what structures are involved and aggravating factors. Is Myotherapy painful? It doesn’t have to be but typically for chronic trigger points the more targets pressure the better and longer lasting results, which means there can be post treatment soreness 48 to 72 hours after.
Learn more here about The Role of Dry Needling in Physical Therapy - Pain Science
Deep Tissue Massage
Deep tissue massage as the name suggests is deep, slow sustained applied pressure applied to trigger points, tendons and fascia of the body. This sort of massage is definitely not the relaxation type so be warmed that it’s not the type of massage for everyone. However some people love the deep forearm and elbow pressure techniques used and the results that follow. Deep tissue massage is typically tender at the time but gives great long-lasting results and pain relief. Post treatment soreness is likely 48 to 72 hours after the treatment depending on the treatment plan and recovery time.
Sports Massage
Sports Massage is much like Deep Tissue Massage, but highly specific to muscles of exercise, sport and training. AFL players, endurance athletes, marathon runners and cyclists all benefit from a sports massage pre and post training and competition times. Sports massage targets the calves, achilles, hamstrings, glutes and quads. Its aim is to reduce muscle recovery time, rehabilitate sports injuries, increase athletic performance and prevent sports injuries from occurring in the first place.
Thai Massage
What is the definition of Thai Massage?
Thai massage is somewhat of a cross between acupressure, yoga and shiatsu. The actual massage consists of slow, rhythmic compressions and stretches along the body's energy lines, also called sen in Thai. Thai massage uses gentle pressure and stretching techniques to relax the whole body. Thai massage is a popular massage sought after around the world. It’s an ancient healing practice that originated in India dating back to around 2,500 - 7,000 years ago. Depending on where you go and therapist styles can range from vigorous to gentle in the form of stretches and techniques. Be careful if you have an injury Thai massage might not be the best option with the stretching involved and seeking a more medical massage is advised initially.
Spa Relaxation Massage
Going into a day spa beauty salon for a relaxation massage is essentially pampering. It’s a chance to relax unwind and feel good about yourself which there is nothing wrong with that and some people only need that. This type of massage is more of a mental escape compared to Remedial Massage where there’s more of a physical and medical benefit.
How to Find the Best Massage Near Me?
Searching on Google for a massage will deliver many responses. How do I know what makes a good massage and where do I find it? Looking at online reviews and testimonials can give you an idea of the quality of service provided. Recent reviews on Google, Facebook, TripAdvisor and Yelp from real customers, viewing the pictures of the clinic, reading up on the qualifications of the therapists are all ways that build your trust when making your next appointment.
Massage Therapist, Psychology student
4 年Good read, thanks Murray! I'd love to try Myotherapy. What I do in my massage sessions as a practitioner is combine remedial with spa relaxation. It's an awesome combination, in my view.