What is massage?
Massage has been used as a healing treatment for thousands of years and is one of the most popular alternative therapies used across the globe. Our friends at the Better Health Channel define massage as “the practice of kneading or manipulating a person’s muscles and other soft-tissue in order to improve their well-being or health”. It is a form of manual therapy that includes pressing, moving, rubbing and applying pressure to manipulate muscles, tendons and ligaments. Your osteopath will typically use their hands or elbows to perform treatment, with pressure ranging from light to deep, depending on your presenting concerns.
Here are some of the common types of massage you may see on offer around your home town or city:
- Remedial: targeted to treat pain and injuries related to muscles, ligaments or tendons.
- Deep tissue: uses firm pressure to release deep muscle tension and enhance recovery.
- Sports: specific to sports injuries, it is used to enhance recovery and performance.
- Trigger point: targeting ‘knots’ or areas of tenderness in the muscle to reduce pain locally or in other parts of the body.
Massage and osteopathic treatment
Osteopathy uses massage to help treat a range of musculoskeletal concerns which include sport injuries, repetitive strain injuries, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain and tennis or golfers elbow. It is also used in the treatment of other health issues like chronic headaches, posture problems, stress-related tension or pregnancy-related pain (just to name a few!). As osteos, we look to provide a holistic treatment that not only enhances recovery of a particular area but your overall health as well.
Massage and osteopathy work well together and provide a range of benefits for your entire body (see below!). The exact combination of therapy methods is determined after a thorough assessment to make sure the treatment is right for you!
