To compliment our physiotherapy treatments, The Body Group is pleased to announce that we shall now be offering a clinical therapeutic massage, pregnancy massage and sports massage service.
Our massages all derive from Swedish massage which uses a firm but gentle pressue to improve the circulation, ease muscle aches and tension, improve flexibility and create relaxation. The treatments also combine elements of Myofascial Release, Deep Tissue Manipulation, Strain Counterstrain, and Structural Integration and Stretching..
Remedial massage is probably the most popular form of massage in Australia. A remedial massage focuses on the treatment of soft tissue injuries, aching muscles and postural imbalances using a variety of techniques. When overworked muscles become tight, knotted or damaged, remedial massage can provide a healing treatment that can be gentle or deep.
Remedial massage holistically treats the whole body and traces the discomfort as far as possible back to the original cause, healing both the cause of the disorder as well as the symptoms.
Remedial Massage uses several specialised techniques to locate and repair damage and to support and speed up the body's own repair mechanisms.
Key benefits of Remedial Massage include: the stimulation to the blood supply allowing toxins in the muscles to be removed; the calming of the peripheral nervous system to ease pain and discomfort; and the toning and relaxing of muscles to improve joint mobility. An improvement to the health of the cells, the repairing of tissues, and the easing of stiffness and tension canÊalso be experienced through therapeutic relaxation.
Muscular and skeletal dysfunctions often addressed with Remedial Massage include Fibrositis, Spondylitis, Arthritis, frozen shoulder, muscular cramps, Whiplash, muscular atrophy, sports and dancing injuries.
Sports massage is designed to help atheletes prepare their bodies for optimal performance, recover after a big event, or function well during training.
Sports massage good for people with injuries, chronic pain or restricted range of motion, the therapist will generally focus on a problem area, i.e. a painful back, a pulled hamstring, or a sore shoulder, rather than giving a whole body.
Sports massage is a type of Remedial/Swedish massage that stimulates circulation of blood and lymph fluids. Some sports massage movements use trigger point therapy to break down adhesions (knots in the muscles) and increase range of motion.
A sports massage is a good choice if you have a specific problem -- a tender knee from running, for instance. It is also be a good idea to see a movement therapist, who can help you identify and correct the movement pattern that might be causing your injury in the first place.
Pregnant women have often received ambivalent responses from the health community regarding the safety and purpose of massage during pregnancy. Modern investigation and research is proving that prenatal massage therapy can be a very instrumental ingredient in women's prenatal care and should be given careful consideration.
Studies indicate that massage therapy performed during pregnancy can reduce anxiety, decrease symptoms of depression, relieve muscle aches and joint pains, and improve labor outcomes and newborn health.
Studies done in the past 10 years have shown that hormone levels associated with relaxation and stress are significantly altered, leading to mood regulation and improved cardiovascular health, when bi-weekly massage therapy was introduced to women's prenatal care for only five weeks. These changes in hormone levels also led to fewer complications during birth and fewer instances of newborn complications, such as low birth weight. The evidence points strongly to maternal and newborn health benefits when relaxing, therapeutic massage is incorporated into regular prenatal care.
Swelling of the joints during pregnancy, is often caused by reduced circulation and increased pressure on the major blood vessels by the heavy uterus. Massage helps to stimulate soft tissues to reduce collection of fluids in swollen joints, which also improves the removal of tissue waste, carried by the body's lymph system.
Sciatic nerve pain is experienced by many women in late pregnancy as the uterus rests on muscles of the pelvic floor and lower back. The pressure of the uterus spreads tension to the muscles of the upper and lower leg, causing them to swell and put pressure on nearby nerves. Pregnancy Massage addresses the inflamed nerves by helping to release the tension on nearby muscles. Many women have experienced significant reduction in sciatic nerve pain during pregnancy through regular massage.
Women can begin massage therapy at any point in their pregnancy - during the first, second, or third trimester.
All pregnancy massages are performed on a specificly designed pregnancy couch.