Remedial massage is a complementary therapy which aims to treat muscles that are damaged, knotted, tense or immobile. It is useful for a number of problems that affect the muscles, tendons and bones.
What is remedial massage?
Remedial massage is used to locate and repair damaged areas of the body and speed up the body’s own healing processes. The pressure applied in this healing treatment can either be strong and deep or gentle and shallow, depending on the problem.
Problems with the muscles can trigger or radiate pain to other parts of the body. Remedial massage aims to trace the original reason for the pain, tackling both the cause of the problem and the symptoms.
What does a remedial massage involve?
Before the massage begins, your therapist will talk to you about your health and lifestyle. They will ask you to lie on a table or couch and will cover you with towels to protect your privacy and to keep you warm. They will probably use creams or oils to help them massage your skin smoothly.
The therapist will use a number of different techniques to locate and repair damaged areas of the body. They will deeply penetrate muscles associated with the problem. They might also stretch different parts of the body.
The health benefits of remedial massage
Remedial massage can stimulate the blood supply, make joints more mobile, and help to repair damaged tissues. The therapist will aim to balance the length, tone and tension of muscles and tendons, which restores the correct position of the bones, increases blood flow and helps heal injuries.
Easing and stabilising the muscles can improve problems such as headaches, abdominal pain, low back pain and sciatic pain.
Some health problems that are often treated with remedial massage include sporting and dance injuries, muscle cramps, whiplash, muscular trophy, fibrositis, spondylitis, arthritis and frozen shoulder.
