Advantage Healthcare & Physiotherapy

At Advantage Healthcare we provide the highest industry standard of service throughout our varied range of clinical services. Our massage therapy and soft tissue services are no exception. Our fully qualified Remedial Massage Therapists (RMT) practice clinically, along side our Physiotherapy, Exercise Physiology, Dietetics and Pilates services. Our RMTs address key issues from injury management and rehabilitation, to maintenance services and relaxation.

Based on observations and assessment, your therapist will outline a strategy to assist in elimination or improvement of your complaints, management of your ailments and overall muscle maintenance. Integrating clinical knowledge with a diverse range of massage and muscle manipulation techniques, you can be assured that your treatment will be tailored to suit your bodys needs.

Below is everything you will need to know about the Massage Therapy services we offer here at Advantage Healthcare.

Remedial Massage
This service takes pain, posture and dysfunction into account. The initial consult involves relatively minimal assessment as treatment is based on physiotherapy recommendations via referral (of which communication between practitioners will take place prior to appointment), or patients request to ease muscular discomfort in a particular body area.
Modalities used include;

• Swedish massage techniques (may include deep tissue massage)
• Trigger point therapy
• Cupping therapy
• Myofascial release
• MET (Muscle Energy Technique)
• Stretching

Myotherapy/Myofascial Release
Myotherapy takes pain, posture and injury into account. Treatments start with an initial assessment, after which a treatment plan is developed and followed. This service utilizes the most relevant modalities to help with postural dysfunction and muscle injury. This is frequently used in a Remedial Massage treatment. Modalities used include;

• Swedish massage techniques (may include deep tissue massage)
• Trigger point therapy
• Cupping therapy
• Myofascial release
• Superficial dry needling
• MET (Muscle Energy Technique)
• Stretching
• Specific Exercise.

Pregnancy massage
Pregnancy massage is a specialty style of massage therapy, using a combination of Relaxation and Remedial techniques, safe for women after the first trimester. It specifically assists in pregnancy by:

• Alleviating pain
• Decreasing pregnancy related tension
• It helps to decrease swelling associated with pregnancy, such as ankles and hands
• Reduces pregnancy related sleeping problems
• Muscle cramps and Back pain.

Lymphatic Drainage Therapy
Manual Lymph Drainage is a technique aimed at enhancing lymph flow; therefore stimulating the bodys immune system to help eliminate wastes and toxins (detoxification). This technique involves gentle rhythmic pumping movements and is useful for a variety of conditions such as; oedema (excess fluid or swelling), fibromyalgia, pregnancy and post surgery and mastectomy. It also helps with gently decreasing stress and increasing general wellbeing.

Due to how the lymphatic system works, it is important that treatments last for at least 1 hour for best results.

Sports Massage
Sports massage can be done to a requested body area. There are three types of sports massage which are offered:

• Pre event: Up tempo massage with the aim of invigorating muscles. This service uses light to moderate depth Swedish massage techniques and is ideally utilized prior to physical activity.
• Post event: Slow moderate depth massage using Swedish massage techniques. This is aimed at assisting muscles to recover post physical activity
• Maintenance: Moderate to deep massage aimed at giving a global effect to a body area. This service uses Swedish massage, trigger point release techniques and stretching.

Relaxation
This is a calm soothing massage which is aimed at helping the patient feel calm and relaxed. It relaxes muscles and can include most body areas. It uses Swedish techniques and can be performed lightly, moderately or deeply.

Cupping Therapy
Cupping is an ancient Chinese practice where the cup is positioned at the area to be treated, suction is applied and a vacuum is created within the cup to draw the skin and underlying tissue into the cup. This is commonly used in conjunction with Remedial Massage and Myotherapy to facilitate a gentle tissue release. This can be useful in the treatment and alleiviation of

• Respiratory problems: Chronic bronchitis and asthma
• Digestive Diseases: Dysentery, early morning diarrhea, and acute/chronic gastritis, IBS and other inflammatory bowel conditions.
• Soft tissue injury: muscle sprains and strains
• Uterine cramps and menstrual pain
• Common cold
• Insomnia