Michele Glassenbury
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Balanced Bodies - Massage Therapies
Servicing area
Port Melbourne & Doncaster VICFocus areas
Headaches
Bloating
Muscle tension
Muscle sprain
Facial
Food sensitivities
Remedial Massage
When muscles become knotted and tense or damaged, remedial massage provides a healing treatment that can be gentle or strong, deep or shallow.
Remedial massage holistically treats the body. The massage therapist endeavours to identify the original biomechanical dysfunction, thus healing the cause of the disorder, as well as the symptoms.
Remedial massage uses several specialised techniques to locate and repair damage to muscles, tendons and joints. Massage therapy supports and speeds up the body's own repair mechanisms. A lubricating medium (usually oil) is applied directly on the skin. This ensures that the muscles associated with the disorder are deeply penetrated. Passive joint stretching moves are also used.
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 can also be experienced through therapeutic relaxation.
Muscular and skeletal dysfunctions often addressed with remedial massage include muscle tightness and pain, arthritis, frozen shoulder, tennis elbow, whiplash, neck and back pain, scoliosis, headaches and sports injuries.
Deep Tissue
Deep tissue massage is a type of massage therapy that focuses on realigning deeper layers of muscles and connective tissue.
It is especially helpful for chronically tense and contracted areas such as stiff necks, low back tightness, and sore shoulders. Some of the same strokes are used as relaxation massage therapy, but the movement is slower and the pressure is deeper and concentrated on areas of tension and pain.
When there is chronic muscle tension or injury, there are usually adhesions (bands of painful, rigid tissue) in muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Adhesions can block circulation and cause pain, limited movement, and inflammation.
Deep tissue massage works by physically breaking down these adhesions to relieve pain and restore normal movement. To do this, the massage therapist often uses direct deep pressure or friction applied across the grain of the muscles.
At certain points during the massage, most people find there may be some discomfort and pain. It is important to tell the massage therapist when things hurt and if any soreness or pain you experience is outside your comfort range. There is usually some stiffness or pain after a deep tissue massage, but it should subside within a day or so. The massage therapist may recommend applying ice or heat to the area after the massage.
Unlike classic massage therapy, which is used for relaxation, deep tissue massage usually focuses on a specific problem, such as:
- Chronic pain
- Limited mobility
- Recovery from injuries (e.g. whiplash, falls, sports injury)
- Repetitive strain injury, such as carpal tunnel syndrome
- Postural problems
- Ostearthritis pain
- Fibromyalgia
- Muscle tension or spasm
Relaxation Massage
Relaxation massage is essentially the same as a gentle swedish massage that uses smooth, gliding strokes.
The primary purpose will be to help you relax, your massage therapist will move at a slower pace and use light, medium or firm pressure based on your request. During a relaxation massage there is less emphasis on working out serious adhesions or knots in the muscle tissue and the therapist won't push your pain limits in order to get the muscle to release. Sometimes people even fall asleep during a relaxation massage.
There are still substantial health benefits to a relaxation massage, including calming the nervous system, promoting a sense of well-being, improving blood circulation and stimulating the body's lymphatic system, which carries away waste products
Pregnancy Massage
Prenatal massage shares many of the goals of regular massage – to relax tense muscles, ease sore spots, improve circulation and mobility, and just make you feel good.
But it's also tailored specifically to the needs of pregnant women and their changing bodies, and therapists who are trained in prenatal massage adjust their techniques accordingly. Most women find it uncomfortable to lie, face down right from the start of pregnancy because of their tender, swollen breasts. And you can't lie face down on a traditional massage table once your belly has started to grow. On the other hand, it's not a good idea to lie flat on your back either, particularly once you're past mid-pregnancy, because the weight of your uterus puts too much pressure on the vein that returns blood from your legs to your heart.
For these reasons, Balanced Bodies use a special massage table with hollowed-out areas and special pillows to accommodate your belly, and often your breasts as well, so you can lie face down. The therapeutic benefits of massage for pregnant women include a decrease in stress and promote relaxation, helping you cope with discomfort even if it doesn't specifically alleviate or prevent it.
Carrying a baby inside you changes your centre of gravity and puts a lot of stress on your back, neck, abdominal muscles, and shoulders. Pregnancy also relaxes your ligaments, so that your pelvic joints are less stable, and changes your posture, pulling your pelvis forward. Add to that the extra weight you're carrying and you may find you've got an aching lower back.
Balanced Bodies has trained prenatal massage therapists that know where a pregnant woman's sore spots are likely to be and may be able to provide some relief. (They also know which areas and techniques to avoid.) It is important to communicate with your therapist and tell them where you need attention. Let them know right away if anything during the massage – including your positioning – is causing you any discomfort.
Lymphatic Drainage
The Lymphatic System is (amongst other things) your body's filtration system, returning lost fluid from around your body back into your blood stream, and sometimes it needs a little help.
This can be especially be true if you are recovering from an injury and/or on your feet all day.
Lymphatic Drainage is also found to be relaxing due to the slow rhthmic strokes used as part of the technique.
It should be noted that this typeof treatment is very light and slow and not be mistaken for deeper massage treatments.
Call us today on 1300 305 156, or 'Make an Enquiry' below, to find out more about our services, or to book your first appointment.
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