Massage is an effective form of treatment that has been used by humans for centuries to promote health and well-being. Over the years, massage therapy has evolved, both in terms of modalities and efficacy. Today it has become an integral part of the modern health industry. Remedial massage has gained a lot of respect and popularity in many developed countries including the USA, UK, Australia, and New Zealand. It offers a safe, natural, and holistic approach to reducing/managing stress, pain, and muscle tension. However, many people still ask “is remedial massage effective?”

What Is Remedial Massage?

Remedial massage is a complementary therapy that involves methodological assessment as well as treatment of various musculoskeletal disorders and acute or chronic conditions.

Remedial massage can offer relief from a wide range of acute and chronic muscle and joint conditions. Some use it for general relaxation, while others rely on remedial massage to help them cope with specific musculoskeletal disorders/complaints. 

There is a growing body of clinical research available showing that remedial massage is effective at treating muscle tension and improving the overall health and wellbeing.

Is It Effective; If So, For What Conditions?

Although there isn’t a great deal of research available regarding the effectiveness of remedial massage for the treatment/management of chronic muscular pain and improvement of general health and well-being; there is actually considerable evidence available that suggests that “advanced” techniques used by remedial massage therapists are effective at treating many musculoskeletal ailments that other massage types fail to address. Here is a brief outline of the benefits of remedial massage based on both scientific research and subjective experience.

Reducing Chronic Back Pain

A comparison study was conducted to find the effectiveness of two different kinds of massage techniques i.e. remedial massage v/s therapeutic massage and it was concluded that application of remedial massage treatment resulted in significantly better improvements in pain as compared to therapeutic massage treatment. 

The study was carried out on a group of subjects with chronic back pain symptoms. Half of the participants received the remedial massage treatment while the other half received therapeutic massage treatment for 30 minutes daily for 10 days. Remedial massage treatment included oblique pressure and a combination of lengthening and cross-fiber strokes while therapeutic massage treatment used tapping and friction modalities. No other form of treatment was provided to the participants. 

The results of the study were published in the journal “Studies in Health Technology and Informatics”. 

The findings of another study that was published in 2014 in the journal “Scientific World” revealed that the application of remedial massage treatment alone had better positive effects in lowering pain and other symptoms in people affected with chronic back pain than therapeutic massage and NSAID used together. 

Lowering Neck and Shoulder Pain

A recent survey shows that nearly 20%-50% of the global adult population is affected by shoulder and neck pain at some stage in their life. 

A study was conducted in 2015 to find the efficacy of remedial massage in reducing the neck and shoulder pain and it was found that when combined with an ongoing exercise program (targeted towards the shoulder area) remedial massage offered benefits in reducing pain, improving range of motion and improving disabilities. 

Similarly, the findings of another study that was carried out in 2017 show that remedial massage therapy is effective in releasing muscle tightness and improving shoulder flexion and abduction; both of which contribute greatly to pain and reduced range of motion in the upper body area. 

Reducing Anxiety, Stress, and Muscle Tension

Studies have found that constant stress (work, family, or any other) is a major factor when it comes to poor health. The good news is that remedial massage is very helpful in de-stressing the body and mind and improving general health and wellbeing. This is because a session with an experienced massage therapist helps relieve muscle tension and stimulate blood flow while at the same time releasing serotonin and oxytocin (the happy hormones) and lowering psychological stress. 

All in all, including a regular remedial massage sessions in your weekly or monthly schedule can help you manage or cope with many common or specific physical, mental or emotional problems. One of the best ways to answer the question “is remedial massage effective” is to come in and try it for yourself, many clients will see the benefits for themselves within a few sessions.

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Entegra Health
Massage Melbourne

Muscle aches and pains are part of life unfortunately. A human body contains more than 600 muscles that perform many important functions such as movement, providing stability, supporting joints, digesting food and the list goes on. Any type of stress, incorrect posture, injury, or infection in any of the major muscle groups can trigger aches and pain. Sometimes this pain is localised and confined to a specific area or muscle group; it is referred to as localised muscle pain, if the aches and pains are felt all over the body it is referred to as systemic muscle pain – this type of pain is usually caused as a result of an infection, disease or reaction to a medication. Whether you suffer from localised pain or experience systemic aches and pains, remedial massage can give you relief. With the increase in the popularity of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in the world and particularly in Australia, more and more people are turning to remedial massage to manage their aches and pains. Let’s see how remedial massage can help you lead a pain-free life.

Why People Use Remedial Massage To Manage Aches And Pains?

There is strong evidence suggesting that remedial massage is effective in treating non-specific body aches and pains. When received on a regular basis, remedial massage can:

• loosen adhesions in the connective tissues
• improve muscle flexibility
• relieve pain through physical and mental relaxation
• increase blood flow and oxygen to the affected muscles
• flush toxins from muscles
• calm the peripheral nerves

Before starting any treatment, a remedial massage therapist will carry out a detailed history and assesment. He/she may ask the following questions:

• What parts/areas of your body are suffering from aches and pains?
• How long have you been experiencing the pain?
• What is the intensity of the pain?
• Is it sharp or dull pain?

Once the therapist is done with the assessment, they will explain the treatment plan.

• what kind of treatment they would recommend
• how many sessions you will likely need
• what are some of the things you can do at home

As remedial massage offers an holistic approach to treatment, our therapists will offer suggestions on how you can adjust your work and lifestyle to minimoise the chances of the pain reoccurring so you can lead a healthy and active life.

Entegra Health
Massage Melbourne

‘Fibromyalgia’, ‘Fibrositis’ or ‘Fibromyalgia Syndrome’ refers to a disease that causes pain in the soft tissues and muscles of the body. The word “Fibromyalgia” is derived from three Latin words i.e. ‘fibro’ which means fibrous tissues, ‘myo’ means muscle and ‘algos’ means pain. It was first introduced by a researcher Mohammed Yunus in 1981 in his publication naming the disease. Fibromyalgia is often defined as a pain that is musculoskeletal or muscular in nature. Although it is a common disease, most of patients are still unaware of fibromyalgia symptoms and treatment options. 

Research suggests that fibromyalgia pain can be triggered by many factors such as:

• stressful event (emotional or physical)
• infections
• any recurrent injuries
• trauma
• genetic changes (heredity)

The main cause of fibromyalgia is still unclear. The factors that can trigger fibromyalgia can be environmental, psychological, emotional, genetic as well as central nervous system issues. 

Doctors and physicians often suggest fibromyalgia patients can get effective relief just by improving their diet and physical fitness. There are many different symptoms of fibromyalgia and people report benefit from a wide variety of treatment.

Fibromyalgia Symptoms:

Fibromyalgia is more commonly found in women as compared to men. The symptoms often relate to pain which usually results in other problems such as mental stress. It is usually caused due to a combination of multiple stressful events that trigger the condition over time. The pain that is experienced in fibromyalgia is both related to physical and mental health. A few of the main symptoms of this disease are listed as follows:

Overall body pain:

Fibromyalgia patients often complain that they have been suffering from upper and lower body aches for more than three months.

Difficulty in sleeping:

Due to the annoying pain, fibromyalgia patients often suffer from various sleep disorders. The patient may complain of being tired even after sleeping for too many hours.

Pain in the muscles:

Regular muscular pain usually around the head, neck, shoulders, waist, and hips is a common symptom of this disease.  

Tired face and pain in facial muscles:

Muscular pain in the facial muscles often results in a tired facial expression.

Frequent headaches:

Patients may experience mild to severe headaches such as migraines that may also interfere with rest and sleep.

Difficulty with memory:

Fibromyalgia patients may also experience difficulty focusing or concentrating on mental and logical tasks. They may complain about the inability to pay proper attention.

Bowel problems:

Some fibromyalgia patients experience irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) affecting the large intestine which might result in problems such as constipation, gas, bloating, etc.

Researchers suggests a some other symptoms of fibromyalgia may include:

• Pain in hands and feet
• Vision or eyesight problems
• Pain while the menstrual cycles
• Feeling nausea
• Obesity
• Skin related problems
• Difficulty in breathing
• Facing Depression
• Anxiety
• Emotional distress
• Flu or cold

Fibromyalgia is usually observed in patients 45 years old or above, which may vary from person to person.

Tender points:

Tender points are the specific points where the patients of fibromyalgia usually feel the most of their pain. These points usually include the back of the head, around neck, shoulders, inside knees and over the elbow. The severity of pain and the location of tender points are considered variable. Tender points help diagnose fibromyalgia.

Fibromyalgia Treatment:

So, what are some of the fibromyalgia treatment options. Please note that a complete cure for Fibromyalgia has not been found. However, it can be treated to reduce its painful effects in many ways. A few of the ways to treat fibromyalgia are listed below: 

Regular exercise:

Be it any disease, exercise has always been found to be a helpful tool and obviously great for improving overall health. Patients who suffer from fibromyalgia are advised by the doctors to add exercise into their daily routine. Based on the improvement in the patient’s health, it is then suggested to increase or decrease the amount and intensity of workouts. This may help in reducing body pain and stiffness. Also, it helps to improve sleeping patterns. The type of exercise suggested to a fibromyalgia patient can vary from cardio to aerobic depending upon the quality of improvement in a patient’s health.

Massage:

More research is showing that massage can provide excellent benefits patients with fibromyalgia. A 2011 study showed that massage reduced sensitivity to pain at tender points in patients with fibromyalgia. It also lowered anxiety levels and increased their quality of sleep.

Acupuncture:

Acupuncture can be a great tool, causing a reduction in fibromyalgia symptoms. Acupuncture is a Chinese therapy in which very fine needles are inserted into a person’s body with different depths. Many patients feel relief in their pain quickly.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT):

To deal with emotional distress, anxiety, and depression, patients with fibromyalgia are often provided Cognitive Behavioural therapy, a well-known therapy that educates the patient on their behaviour patterns and there influence on their health. This provides stress relief and brings improvement in patients’ positive behaviour.

Prescribed Medical Drugs:

Doctors usually prescribe a variety of drugs to patients with fibromyalgia. These might include anti-depressants, anti-seizure drugs and pain relievers. Reviews suggest that according to patients with fibromyalgia, these drugs usually have more side effects than benefits. recently, researchers have been working on alternative approaches such as laser therapy.

Improved Diet:

A good diet also plays a vital role in improving fibromyalgia. This includes:

• low sugar food that contains a high level of energy such as oatmeal, beans, avocado, and almonds, greatly reduces tiredness
• foods that have a high quantity of gluten should be avoided such as pasta, cereals, baked products
• removing packaged and processed foods
• reducing food with many additives such as ice-cream, chocolates, artificial sweeteners, etc. from regular diet reduces pain
• adding seeds and nuts

Reducing weight:

A reduction in weight has also been found to have an immense effect on improving fibromyalgia in patients; this requires regular exercise as well as maintained diet as mentioned above.We hope this explains any questions regarding fibromyalgia symptoms and treatment options.

Enterga Health
Massage Melbourne

For more than 6 million Aussies who suffer from common headaches and migraines, taking pain-relieving medications can seem like the only option for relief. As there are so many different types of headaches and so many contributing factors headaches can be very hard to treat and manage. Whether the underlying cause of the headache is stress, workload, lifestyle, heredity or caused be environmental triggers, people suffering from headaches are generally after one thing, quick relief. The good news is that instead of relying on painkillers alone for temporary relief, remedial massage therapy for headache treatment can have remarkable results.

Remedial Massage For Headache Treatment, Can It Help?

Remedial massage therapists target tight muscles in the neck and back and try to release the tension or tightness in these muscles. They use a number of techniques such as trigger point therapy, deep tissue massage, cupping and myofascial release to relieve muscular tension, alleviate pain and prevent headaches. When used in conjunction with stretching and targeted exercises, remedial massage can greatly minimise the discomfort associated with tension headaches and migraines. 

A detailed medical history followed by a postural assessment is done in order to access the root cause of the problem. Depending on the outcomes of the assessment, the therapist will use specific treatment which may include:

• manual treatment
• gentle mobilisations to align the spine
• cupping
• provide home stretches and exercises to strengthen posture and spinal function

For normal stress-related headaches, one remedial massage treatment session can offer instant relief. However, for more severe and persistent headaches, you often need an ongoing treatment plan for long-term headache management and overall health and well-being. We hope this answers any question you have about remedial massage treatment for headaches? If you have any further questions feel free to give us a call.

Entegra Health
Remedial Massage For Headaches
Massage Melbourne

Humans have made major leaps in medical science in the last few decades, however finding a cure for back pain seems like an impossible mission sometimes. Although many temporary solutions are available, no one particular treatment has ever been shown to resolve most cases. The numbers of people suffering from back pain are on the rise each year resulting in a drastic increase in doctor’s visits, missed work, and disability. Fortunately, back pain treatment with remedial massage can offer non-surgical options to prevent or relieve most back pain episodes. 

Before we explain how remedial massage works as an effective treatment option for back pain, it is important to have an understanding of the possible causes of back pain. 

Causes of Back Pain

The anatomy of the human back is very complex; it is composed of a complex structure of bones, discs, muscles, nerves, tendons, and ligaments that work together to help us stand, walk, run, bend, and perform many other important daily functions. Any damage/problem/complication to any part of this complex structure can trigger back pain. Some common factors/conditions that can trigger or contribute to back pain are:

• Sciatica
• Muscle and Ligament Injuries
• Disc Degeneration
• Osteoarthritis
• Herniated Disk
• Spondylolisthesis
• Osteoporosis
• Spinal Stenosis
• Postural issues

Fortunately, back pain treatment with remedial massage can help alleviate or resolve the symptoms for the majority of back pain issues that are caused by musculoskeletal issues.

Back Pain Treatment – Remedial Massage

Although most back pain episodes (almost 90%) usually resolve on their own with the passage of time or by staying active and doing some exercises; for chronic back pain, you will need to seek proper medical treatment. 

Remedial massage therapists for back pain treatment uses very specific techniques to address the root-cause (soft-tissue structures) and try to resolve the dysfunction mechanically. They use certain specific techniques directly to the hypertonic muscles that are believed to be the source of pain and discomfort. 

Some of the common massage modalities used by professional remedial massage therapists to treat back pain are listed below:

• Deep Tissue Massage
• Trigger Point Therapy
• Swedish massage
• Dry needling
• Cupping

In addition to this, remedial massage for back pain treatment produces a systematic relaxation effect via the mind-body mechanism, contributing to primary and secondary healing effects.

Entegra Health
Massage Melbourne