MASSAGE THERAPY
Whether it's stress, over working or muscle imbalances, our muscles can get very tight. Our registered massage therapists are here to aid in releasing any muscle tension that you may experience!
Make an appointmentMassage Therapy as Part of Your Physiotherapy
- Reduce pain
- Alleviate sore muscles
- Improve flexibility
- Speed up recovery after injury or surgery
- Loosening up stiff joints and muscles
- Retrain in range of motion
- Stop or reduce spasms
- Warm up the body for PT sessions
You are welcome to ask our staff about receiving massage therapy. Many of our personalised physiotherapy plans also involve massage therapy.
A therapeutic massage is used in physiotherapy for:
- Relaxing the patient
- Reduce stiffness
- Treat chronic conditions
- Preventing injuries
- Minimising symptoms of chronic conditions
Types of Massage Therapy
There are many different kinds of massages, not to be confused with massage therapy. These are the types of massage therapy that may be used in physiotherapy.
Deep Tissue Massage
A deep tissue massage focuses on treating the muscle tissues closer to your bones. The hand movements and applied pressure are more intense to reach these deeper levels.
A deep tissue massage is used in physiotherapy for:
- Soothing sore muscles
- Reducing anxiety and stress
- Breaking down scar tissue
- Preventing sports injuries
- Increasing blood flow
Therapeutic Massage
Therapeutic massage is a more general type of massage in physiotherapy. This is the type of massage therapy that can be performed on a regular basis, even if there is no injury.
Sports Massage
Sports massage is a common part of an athlete’s routine. It focuses on the specific muscles and body parts that are used in their sport to prevent sports injuries and treat existing conditions.
A sports massage is used in physiotherapy for:
- Preventing sports injuries
- Relieving muscle tension
- Breaking down scar tissue
- Speeding up recovery
- Minimising pain
- Stretching out muscles
Trigger Point Massage
A trigger point massage treats specific areas (trigger points) of the body where the muscles and connective tissue have too much neurological activity. In other words, it treats specific ‘knots’ or tightness that are causing long term symptoms.
A trigger point massage is used in physiotherapy for:
- Treating chronic pain
- Decreasing headaches
- Loosening muscles and connective tissue
Benefits of Massage Therapy in Physiotherapy
Adding massage therapy to your physiotherapy treatment plan is often highly recommended. Its has several short term benefits that can lead to improved treatment results.
Benefits of adding massage therapy to your physiotherapy routine includes:
Increased blood flow: helps clear toxins and waste while also spreading the healing properties of blood to painful and injured body parts. This helps relief sore muscles and speeds up the recovery process.
Increases happy hormones: a massage can release endorphins, serotonin and dopamine which all induce positive feelings, stress relief and pain relief.
Increases flexibility: massage can make tissue more flexible by warming and loosening. This helps prevents sports injuries, relieves tightness and minimises pain.
Increases range of motion: removing tension, tightness and stiffness in the body makes movements more comfortable which helps with rehabilitation, general PT and improving mobility.
Increases good posture: reducing tightness, pain relief and general relaxation can help bring you back to a good posture. Certain strokes also help to elongate muscles for better posture.
Reduces cortisol levels: cortisol is a stress hormone that can increase feelings of depression and anxiety. Reducing the cortisol levels can help make the PT session more comfortable.
Reduces swelling: certain massage strokes like effleurage and petrissage improves blood flow which can clear up swollen areas.
Reduces scar tissue: scar tissue can be caused by trauma, injury or surgery. Breaking down scar tissue through massage increases mobility and flexibility which also speeds up rehabilitation.
Reduces muscle spasms: muscle spasms are involuntarily muscle movements. Massage can help relief tension and improve blood circulation, both of which help with reducing spasms.
Reduces delayed muscle soreness: preventing and minimising muscle soreness through massage speeds up recovery and minimises pain after intense use like in sports.