Massage therapy is the assessment and manipulation of soft tissues and joints of the body to effect a therapeutic response in the treatment and prevention of physical dysfunction.
It can be preventative or restorative, helping to maintain, rehabilitate, augment physical function or relieve pain.
Massage therapy has firmly established its role as a clinically-oriented health option used to relieve a variety of discomforts because it achieves undeniable results.
Massage can help alleviate the soft tissue discomfort associated with everyday stress, muscular overuse and many chronic pain syndromes.
If employed early enough after accidents involving trauma and injury, massage therapy can greatly reduce the development of painful muscular patterning.
The therapeutic process is a partnership between client and therapist, working together towards common and realistic goals.
A wide range of hands-on techniques are used during massage. These include effleurage (gliding strokes), petrissage (lifting and kneading) and percussion.
These techniques stretch and loosen connective tissues and muscles, effect movements that assist the action of the joints, and combine to increase function and range of motion thereby reducing muscle tension.
Massage therapy may include other modalities or specific techniques, such as:
- Hydrotherapy (the use of heat and cold)
- Trigger point therapy
- Myofascial therapy (connective tissue work)
- Deep tissue massage
- Rhythmic mobilizations
- Manual lymphatic drainage
- Hot stone massage therapy
- Craniosacral therapy
- Remedial exercises.
What Massage Therapy Can Do For You
Add a Registered Massage Therapist (RMT) to your health care team to help relieve:
- Inflammatory conditions such as arthritis and tendinitis
- Stress relief and associated conditions
- Headaches and migraines
- Muscle and related conditions such as spasms, strains and sprains
- Back pain
- Repetitive strain injury
- Circulatory and Respiratory problems
- Pregnancy and labour discomfort
- Post-injury and post surgical rehabilitation and many other conditions.
- Now Available
Hot Stone Massage
This therapy is becoming widely known for its deeply relaxing benefits. It employs a technique that uses smooth, heated basalt stones which are placed on specific points on the body to melt away knots, tension and stress. It can also be applied as a relaxation technique using hot essential oils. The hot stone experience relieves pain, tight muscles and stress, and promotes harmony, balance and peace.