Remedial massage is one of the most useful and common styles of massage, but what should you expect from a treatment? 

Remedial massage (sometimes referred to as sports or medical massage), when performed by a qualified remedial massage therapist, can help with a whole host of injuries and ailments. 

From relieving chronic pain and releasing tension to increasing mobility, injury recovery, lymphatic drainage, aiding with digestive function, reducing stress, the list of benefits is a long one! 
 

Remedial massage at Maroondah Osteopathy & Sportscare
Remedial massage at Maroondah Osteo is performed by qualified practitioners who are members of the governing bodies in Australia, partaking in regular further training and studying to keep up to date with current knowledge and grow their skill base. 

A session is usually 60min or 45min in length but can be 90min or 30min also after an initial treatment. 

In an initial treatment, your practitioner will have a chat about the reasons you have booked an appointment, take some medical and physical history and do some physical examinations of movement and posture. 

Your practitioner will then advise you to get on the table, this could involve removing some clothing, however our therapists are great at working with clothing as well as manoeuvring you and towels to keep you covered! You would never be instructed to remove underpants or do something you were not comfortable with. 

The massage itself will involve many different techniques to manipulate the muscles and soft tissue. Your therapist palpates the patient’s body to determine the condition of the tissues and the source of any pain to judge what the best treatment would be based on the analysis. 

Some techniques used in a Remedial massage:
Petrissage or effleurage to deeply manipulate the soft tissue.  These are the flowy and kneading movements using the palms, fingers and thumbs. 

Trigger point therapy is used to treat highly stressed areas. This will involve applying pressure to a single point for a few seconds, this can be momentarily painful however you feel the pain slowly reduce whilst under pressure. 

Myofascial release techniques which are local stretch-based techniques to further soften the myofascial tissue and aid with the release of trigger points. 

Gentle joint mobilisation and assisted stretching can be used to help increase the range of motion and flexibility and improve circulation. 

How to prepare for a massage:
Hydration: It’s important to drink lots of water both before and after your massage. However, it will be most comfortable for you to have an empty bladder for the massage! 

Exercise: You can work out the day of the massage if you would like, it’s best to do so before rather than after. 

Timing: Please arrive a little before your appointment to fill in some new patient forms. Also, you’ve got more chance of being relaxed before your massage if you are not rushing. 

Put simply, remedial massage can be useful for a wide range of reasons, ranging from muscle ailments to improving mental health. With each session being tailored to the individual patient, our practitioners will always endeavour to get the best results with their treatments.