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Remedial massage
Remedial massage
The intention in remedial massage is to ‘remedy’ the body. This style of massage holistically looks at the entire body, with its focus being treating pain, structural dysfunctions and helping in injury rehabilitation. Remedial massage therapists use assessments and tests to find out what structures are causing your pain or your postural dysfunction. Usually muscular pain such as low back pain, is caused by either weak muscles, overactive muscles or compensating muscles. Once the remedial therapist has found the cause of your pain/discomfort, the massage will then be focused around treating the muscles that are causing the pain in your body. Therefore remedial massage is specifically tailored to each individual unlike most relaxation massages. A remedial massage will involve a variety of techniques, targeting specific muscle groups. Some techniques include trigger point therapy, PNF stretching, Myofascial release and muscle stripping. The pressure in remedial massage can be at times deeper than in relaxation massage, but always working in what is tolerable for the client. People who will benefit from a remedial massage include anyone who is experiencing muscle tension, or anyone experiencing acute or chronic pain, some examples being low back or neck pain. Like relaxation massage remedial massage is also beneficial at stimulating blood flow throughout the body and assisting in toxin removal. Although remedial massage may not be considered as relaxing at a relaxation massage, it’s still very effecting at calming the mind and body. Especially seems as remedial massage treatments can take away your musculoskeletal pain, which has a direct effect on your mental and emotional state.WHAT TO DO WITH A FOAM ROLLER AND WHY!
Why everyone needs a foam roller! What is Fascia?
- Fascia is a layer of connective tissue that surrounds the outer surface of muscles , individual muscle fibres, vessels, nerves and organs binding them together
- Fascia connects our skin to our muscles and our muscles to each other forming chains that help to redistribute stress throughout the body
- The connection between the muscles and fascia is the myofascial system
- For various reasons including inactivity, repetitive motion, injuries and poor posture the fascia and underlying muscles can become stuck together of bind causing ‘knots’ or trigger points. This restricts movement, decreases flexibility, causes muscles to fire improperly during exercise and causes pain.
- It increases range of motion and decreases pain by sending information to the brain to enhance muscle activation and relaxation via the nerves and therefore breaking down adhesions. The elastic fibres are also directly manipulated from a knotted position into a straight position which is the correct orientation for the fibres
- Tension is released via stimulation of the golgi tendon organ(GTO) (the nerve receptor where the muscle and tendon meet). When excited the GTO causes the muscle to relax
- Increased blood flow / circulation and therefore improved vitality
- Allows muscle relax and to fire efficiently
- Reduces pain
- Assists injury prevention
- Acts as an indicator of when muscles are tightening even though you may not feel pain with activity
- Alternative to a massage
- Reduce cellulite
- Identify the problem area
- Hold on the tender spot for 30-60 sec or until the discomfort decreases by 50-75%
- Roll over the whole muscle looking for other tender spots
- Roll the entire length of the muscle to stimulate the GTO
- Remember muscles are 3 dimensional so you may need to roll in multiple directions
- Do not roll on 1 area for longer than 1-2 minutes.
- If there are no tender spots you can you long sweeping rolls over the long muscles such as the hamstrings
- Start with gentle pressure and gradually increase as your tolerance allows
- Stay on soft tissue and avoid bones, joints and tendons
- Also roll the areas above and below the problem area
- You should expect mild to moderate discomfort when rolling but NOT pain especially sharp pain
- While rolling focus on your breath: in through the nose for 4 sec and out through the nose for 6 sec. The longer exhalation helps to activate the para-sympathetic nervous system which allows the body to relax. You must not hold your breath
- It is good idea to do some core exercises prior to rolling
- Pre workout: roll quickly for 15 sec to
- Increase blood flow
- Optimise length / tension relationship of a muscle
- Improve movement efficiency
- Psychological ramp up for activity
- Post workout: roll slowly for 30 sec to
- Flush the tissue,
- Create elasticity of the tissue,
- Begin recovery process
- Relax
- Any time for the benefits already discussed, primarily getting rid of any niggles and bringing tight muscles back toward a normal state
- Osteoporosis
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Varicose veins
- Pregnant
- Taking anti-coagulant therapy
Remedial Massage Therapist Rosie
04.02.20
Rosie is our Remedial Muscle Therapist, and Swedish Relaxation Therapist.
Rosie has completed an advanced diploma in Soft Tissue Therapy at Kingscliff Tafe. These studies have laid down a solid foundation of awareness in the anatomy and functionality of the body. Rosie works with assessment and tactile massage tools to support the body. With these tools she can support you on getting out of pain, relieving tension, correcting compensation imbalances, and overall maintenance for physical and mental health.
Over the last year Rosie has also undertaken another bodywork course in Zenthai Shiatsu to help further deepen her understanding of the body and how it works/heals. This bodywork therapy looks through the lens of Ancient Traditional Chinese Medicine and Temple Thai massage, and works a lot more on the facial connective tissue (meridians) throughout the body. This modality has enabled Rosie to support others in healing that is not only physical but also psycho-emotional, nervous system balancing and stress relieving. Rosie also has studied 200hour multi-style yoga teacher training, which adds layers again onto her ability to understand the body and it’s movements, posture and alignment. Feel free to ask Rosie for some simple take-home yoga stretches/postures that will specifically support you and your body on your healing/health journey. Rosie is also happy to work hand-in-hand with your physio to obtain best results. For many cases the combination of physiotherapy and remedial massage therapy together, can accelerate your healing journey, and/or bring ease to maintaining and healthy functioning body (and mind). Call 6676 4000 to find out her availability!Massage Therapy
Fact: It is estimated that 37% of the population of developed countries and 41% of developing countries, suffer from chronic pain.
It is one of the most common reasons why people visit Rosie at Pottsville and Cabarita Physio (up to 40% of visits).
Other common reasons include rehabbing sports injuries, relief of pain from accidents or muscle strains, relief of stress and as a form of preventative health care.
And also, just that good old relaxation that can only come from human touch.
What is massage therapy, exactly?
People with specific massage therapy training are highly knowledgeable about anatomy and physiology and are skilled diagnosticians with regards to chronic pain and how to treat it.
The underlying idea behind massage therapy is that a relaxed and loose muscular structure promotes the flow of energy through the body, which enables the body to maintain health and heal itself, without resorting to drugs or surgery.
Here are some common massage therapy modalities that you may encounter, ranging from simple relaxation to treatment of complex pain issues and connective tissue realignment.
Swedish Massage
This is your standard relaxation massage. Swedish massage is very popular in spa settings.
As one of the most popular types of bodywork performed today, the overarching goal of Swedish massage is the ultimate relaxation of the entire body. It is exceptional at achieving this, easing tension while promoting the release of environmental toxins stored in the body’s fat and epidermis layers while simultaneously increasing the oxygen levels in the blood.
Swedish massage has also been shown to produce significant reductions in the stress hormone, cortisol.
Trigger Point Therapy and Myofascial Release
A trigger point is a small area of tightly bound and ‘knotted’ muscle that will produce referred pain into another part of the body when pressed upon. For example, a trigger point in the rhomboid muscle in the upper back can produce headache-like pain at the base of the skull.
Trigger points such as these are often misdiagnosed as migraines.
Trigger points range in severity from mildly annoying to completely debilitative. The affected muscle fibres are in a permanently shortened and tense state, and can even pinch nearby nerves, producing even more related symptoms, sometimes spiraling into full-blown fibromyalgia, a disorder of the connective tissues.
This is one area where massage therapy has a distinct advantage over every other form of treatment. Conventional medicine’s answer to trigger points is usually an injection of a local anesthetic or a corticosteroid injection. Both of which are temporary, unnatural treatments and in the case of the corticosteroid, actually damaging to the tissues.
Massage therapy treats these by the application of pressure directly to the trigger point, going over time from light to very deep, (usually within the same session) whereupon the trigger point will begin to release and relax.
Follow-up treatment is nearly always needed to retrain the muscle fibers to lengthen and “smooth” back out. A good massage therapist can often boast a near 100% success rate with trigger point therapy, even when other treatments have failed.
Myofascial release is a broader application of this type of therapy that seeks to restore mobility and function to the body’s underlying network of connective tissue that is present in every muscle in the body. It improves lymph circulation (keeping the blood clean) and enhances the muscle’s natural stretch reflex, keeping the body supple and strong.
It should be noted that these types of massage therapy are not the same as a relaxing Swedish massage and can sometimes be quite painful as the body relaxes, releases, and returns to normal homeostasis. It’s important to communicate to us during your treatment if you are uncomfortable at any time.
Sports Massage
As the name implies, sports massage is focused on the athlete. From the highest level of competition, to the casual weekend warrior, sports massage therapists can be found everywhere from weekend 5ks to professional locker rooms and Olympic fields.
Sports massage focuses on both pre- and post- event training and recovery.
Pre- event for example, may involve stimulating a stretch reflex in the quadriceps muscle of a runner to help lengthen her stride, with repeated treatments resulting in a faster runner who is less prone to injury.
Post-event can take the form of a light, relaxing massage to stimulate healing blood flow to an overused muscle group, enabling the athlete to recover safer and faster, and enable them to perform at the top of their game sooner than otherwise would be the case. Rather than a specific technique as in trigger point or myofascial therapies, sport massage focuses on the dual goals of athletic performance and recovery and may borrow heavily on other modalities to achieve these ends. Rosie is our skilled masseuse and is looking forward to helping you, to book in phone 0266764000 / 0266764577 For more information click http://bit.ly/2S96ETT https://www.facebook.com/pottsvillephysiotherapyBack Pain: The Chain of Command
Back Pain: The Chain of Command
Your spine is essentially the chain that forms the ‘backbone’ of your entire body. Without it you would be a blob of muscles, organs and soft tissue piled on the floor. Your spine commands respect because it is the pillar that supports your body, allows you to walk, stand and sit, as well as touch and feel; because it forms the canal connecting the nerves from your body and limbs, to your brain. While your heart may be the vital organ that keeps you alive, without your spine you wouldn’t be able to move. There are three natural curves in your spine that give it an "S" shape when viewed from the side. These curves help the spine withstand great amounts of stress by distributing your body weight. Between the bony vertebra are spongy discs that act as shock absorbers. The lumbar spine (or lower back) connects the thoracic spine to the pelvis, and bears the bulk of your body's weight. Your spine is not rigid though. It allows movement through the intervertebral joints connecting the bony vertebra. These joints allow you to twist, to bend forward and backward, and from side to side. Large groups of muscles surrounding the spine, pelvis, hips and upper body all interact to allow for movements like walking, running, jumping, and swimming. However, there are also muscles deep in your body that work constantly just to maintain your posture when you’re sitting and standing. It is essential that all elements of the spinal ‘chain’ work harmoniously together to ensure fluid movement without overloading structures resulting in injury and pain. Any link in the chain that becomes ‘stuck’ will not only affect that spinal level but also the movement and strength of the chain above and below it. If the muscles around the spine are uneven in strength and length (flexibility) this too can affect the ‘chain’, altering the alignment and motion of the links. Taking care of your spine now will help you lower the chances of experiencing back pain later. Many of the steps you can take to improve the overall health of your spine involve nothing more than practicing better body mechanics, or how you move and hold yourself, when you do daily tasks and activities.Taking Care of Your Spine
Pay attention to early warning signs or pain. Although back pain is very common and nearly every person will experience at least one episode of back pain in a lifetime, it is essential to address any symptoms promptly. It has also been shown in studies that early treatment and rehabilitation can prevent recurrent bouts of back pain and prevent the development of chronic lower back pain which can be very debilitating, stressful and depressing. It can affect your ability to work, play sport, socialise and sleep, all of which can further compound your pain cycle. Your back pain could be due to inflamed ligaments, damaged intervertebral discs, nerve irritation, bony formations on the spine, muscle imbalances such as weakness or a lack of flexibility, leg length differences, or muscle strains, to name just a few. Even the way we move (or don’t move) at work, school or sport can all be an underlying cause to the current pain.How Physiotherapy Can Help with Back Pain
Your physio can treat the pain or stiffness experienced from back pain using massage, soft tissue mobilisation, spinal manipulation, heat, acupuncture and other devices. It is important that you, together with your physio work through a rehabilitation programme (specific exercises and stretches) to correct underlying muscle weaknesses, flexibility issues, and the sequence in which the muscles around your spine work to provide stability. A physio can also give you advice on correcting posture / technique for work and sport. Should you need referral to another professional your physio can also help with this, for example, a dietician to counsel on a meal plan to achieve a healthy body weight. Being active can also help prevent as well as cure back pain. Chat to us today about what we can do to help. Ph 02 6676 4000Back Pain and Sleep Issues
One of the most common issues back pain sufferers experience is sleep disruption so we have put together an interactive Back Pain and Sleep Guide to help you banish those sleepless nights and wake up feeling refreshed. The guide includes: • 6 Strategies for Improving Your Sleep • 8 bedtime stretches to relieve back pain (with video links) • Sleeping positions that will help relieve pain (with links to videos) • 7 Yoga Poses that will help cure most back pain issues • A morning stretch routine that will help ease pain from a restless night (with videos) Click this link to find out more and download the guide Disclaimer: This information is intended as general guidance and information only and should not be relied upon as a basis for planning individual medical care or as a substitute for specialist medical advice in each individual case.10 top tips for Cyclists
10 top tips for Cyclists
Common injuries in Cyclists include knee, lower back, neck and shoulder
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Make sure your bike is suitable for the type of riding you are doing
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Make sure your body fits the bike
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Have a great pedalling technique
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Vary your riding from day to day
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Stretch and activate, slow build your effort as you start your ride
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Target sleep, stress, diet and alcohol
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Eat well especially during and after a ride of 2 hours or more
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Have a strong and consistent recovery routine
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The recovery ride – An easy one our ride at high cadence and low power is essential to good recovery after a hard day.
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Massage
Novel ways you can boost your immune system this winter
Smile: you are less likely to catch a cold if you are happy and relaxed
Let it go: anger creates a stress response that affects your hormones, neurotransmitters and gut flora (where 80% of your immune cells live)
Walk in the park, bush or beach: spending time in a green space boosts immunity by switching on the para sympathetic nervous system (rest and repair state)
Sleep
Yoga or Pilates: bending and twisting is a natural immunity booster
Socialise
Bounce: get on the trampoline or rebounded to flush the lymphatic system
Massage: even a self massage 5 minutes per day prior
Breathe: slowly and gently. Your breathing should be silent and invisible.
Spend some time in the sunshine
Move: don’t sit for more than 1-2 hours at a time
What is the difference between a relaxation massage and remedial massage?
What is the difference between a relaxation massage and remedial massage?
Some people, when they think of massage, think of only one style of massage. They aren’t aware that there are different styles of massage that have different purposes and can help you in different ways. Two of the most common styles of massage are Relaxation massage and Remedial massage. Some people may have heard of these two massage styles but aren’t quite sure what the difference is?
Relaxation massage aka Swedish massage
The main focus of a relaxation massage is to de-stress, calm and relax the mind and body. It’s a less specific form of physical therapy than remedial massage in regards to pain relief, but is still very therapeutic especially with the busy lives we live today, as it is great at relieving the stress that is held in the body and the mind. This massage style aids with your mental and emotional health, as it calms the mind and settles the nervous system. Relaxation massage provides a general loosen up, encourages blood flow throughout the body, and helps boost the immune system by stimulating the lymphatics. Relaxation massage is great for people who’ve had a stressful week/month, as it allows the body to catch up and recharge. A relaxation massage treatment will usually involve flowing strokes and kneading, performed at your chosen pressure. It’s a pain free therapy and an effective way to de-stress and relax the mind and body.Remedial massage
The intention in remedial massage is to ‘remedy’ the body. This style of massage holistically looks at the entire body, with its focus being treating pain, structural dysfunctions and helping in injury rehabilitation. Remedial massage therapists use assessments and tests to find out what structures are causing your pain or your postural dysfunction. Usually muscular pain such as low back pain, is caused by either weak muscles, overactive muscles or compensating muscles. Once the remedial therapist has found the cause of your pain/discomfort, the massage will then be focused around treating the muscles that are causing the pain in your body. Therefore remedial massage is specifically tailored to each individual unlike most relaxation massages. A remedial massage will involve a variety of techniques, targeting specific muscle groups. Some techniques include trigger point therapy, PNF stretching, Myofascial release and muscle stripping. The pressure in remedial massage can be at times deeper than in relaxation massage, but always working in what is tolerable for the client. People who will benefit from a remedial massage include anyone who is experiencing muscle tension, or anyone experiencing acute or chronic pain, some examples being low back or neck pain. Like relaxation massage remedial massage is also beneficial at stimulating blood flow throughout the body and assisting in toxin removal. Although remedial massage may not be considered as relaxing at a relaxation massage, it’s still very effecting at calming the mind and body. Especially seems as remedial massage treatments can take away your musculoskeletal pain, which has a direct effect on your mental and emotional state. Both styles of massage are very therapeutic and beneficial. Depending on the individual and their current circumstances, a relaxation massage or remedial massage will be most suited. If you’re feeling stressed and exhausted a relaxation massage is going to be most valuable. If you’re experiencing musculoskeletal or neural pain and tension, or need help in regards to strength or flexibility, then a remedial massage is going to be most beneficial. If you are still unsure of what massage treatment will support you the most, contact Pottsville Physio today to talk to their massage therapist who will help advise you. Rosie Rayner Dip RM Ad Dip STT
