What are the benefits of remedial massage?
What is remedial massage?
Remedial massage has a long history of use in treating musculoskeletal issues related to muscles that are knotted, tense, damaged or suffering from limited mobility. It uses a combination of pressure, massage and stretching to deeply penetrate the muscle and stimulate the body’s mechanisms to repair itself. This has been associated with significant advantages linked to both the physical and emotional state of remedial massage patients.
What are the benefits of remedial massage?
Remedial massage has a number of proven benefits to help repair and rejuvenate damaged areas of the body including:
Correcting issues with the muscles and bones
The main purpose of remedial massage is to correct the state and performance of the muscles and how they relate to the skeletal system. A trained therapist will examine the state of your body, your medical history and the issues that you have experienced with tension and pain throughout your muscular system and create a treatment plan to help remediate the problems that they find. They will then use pressure, stretching and kneading to relieve the tension in your muscles, increase blood flow and restore your bones to their correct position, providing a host of benefits to your health and wellbeing.
Improved posture and joint mobility
Tension in the back, neck and legs from sitting in the same position all day or performing repetitive tasks can cause the muscles to tense and lock your body into a state of poor posture. Remedial massage can help lengthen the muscles and bring balance back to the body, allowing you to practice better posture and rectify the issues associated with slouching or misalignment.
Relieving pain related to the muscular system
Tense or misaligned muscles can cause serious, chronic pain in areas like the back, neck and upper legs. It can also cause referral pain like headaches. A good remedial massage therapist can identify where the pain is coming from, what muscles it is related to and apply the proper treatment to help relieve the symptoms and underlying issues.
Reducing physical and psychological stress
Aside from just giving your body much-needed rest and feeling great to boot, remedial massage also positively affects the neurohormones that regulate how you feel. A session with a massage therapist should stimulate the production of endorphins which help elevate your mood and decrease your cortisol levels which are related to stress. This often also helps encourage mental alertness and clarity by allowing your body to relax.
Boosted immunity and wellbeing
Lower cortisol levels and increased relaxation have also been linked to a stronger immune system. A session with a massage therapist can help improve lymphatic drainage, boost lymphocytes which help detoxify the body and lower levels of cytokines which stimulate inflammation.
Improved sleep quality
Issues with sleep are often associated with pain and physical and emotional stress. By improving the body’s ability to heal itself, reducing musculoskeletal-related pain and stimulating relaxation remedial massage has been linked with a better night’s sleep and a more alert state when awake.
