Treatments: Massage Therapy

Our Massage Therapists in Chatswood and Hornsby have exceptional skill and experience.  They are able to accurately identify the areas requiring attention, addressing and resolving  the issues. Massage Therapists are prominent members of our healthcare team, they work closely with all of our therapists to provide an integrated, wholistic approach to each client. 



What is Remedial Massage?

Remedial massage is a general term for a type of massage that aims to correct muscular imbalances and promote healing through increased blood and lymph circulation. When we are under physical or psychological pressure, our muscles react by shortening and becoming tense. In other words, muscles and fascia (the tissue that surrounds muscles) become either overused through physical activity, or underused due to the pressures of modern life. When this happens they become fibrous and toxic waste gets trapped in the fibrous tissues. The overall result is pain, discomfort and often a limited range of movement.

How does a massage therapist help to relax tense muscles?

Muscles need to contract to do their work, however, when parts of a muscle remain shortened instead of returning to their resting length, their ability to both stretch and contract when needed is diminished. Tense muscles can also compress nerves and blood vessels which can further aggravate and cause pain. Remedial massage therapy helps to restore length into the muscles and return them to their natural pain-free state.

Why do we  get ‘knots’ in our muscles?

Fibrous adhesions or ‘knots’ in muscles occur because damage to the tissues causes bleeding and the sticky blood binds the muscle cells together forming scar tissue. Muscular scar tissue is strong but it cannot function efficiently because it inhibits the muscle from being able to perform to its full potential. Deep tissue remedial techniques work to break up scar tissue and encourage more blood flow into areas where it could not previously reach.

How does massage therapy release toxins?

Toxins are the body’s metabolic waste products. They become trapped in congested, knotty muscles because there is not enough blood entering into the tissues. When a massage therapist releases the tension in a muscle, a flow of blood enters the area. This blood flow brings nutrients and oxygen to the muscle tissues and unleashes waste products into the circulatory system. That is why we recommend drinking plenty of water and going for a short walk after a treatment as it helps the body to flush the waste out.

Can remedial massage improve posture?

Yes. Once your muscles have lost their rigidity, you will often notice that your posture has also improved. Sometimes, however, it is necessary to combine massage with osteopathy to correct any misalignments in your bony structures. Strengthening and stretching exercises, along with body awareness, will further enhance this benefit.

Can remedial massage improve joint mobility?

One of the functions of muscles is to provide stability to joints and because of this, muscles are often the tightest at the point where they attach to bones near joints. Some tension is needed for stability but like most things in life, it’s all about balance. When there is too much muscle tension near the joint, mobility is compromised. When a massage therapist releases the tension at these muscle ‘attachment sites’, you will experience more fluidity and flexibility in your joints. Following this up with regular stretching exercises will help to keep this fluidity and improve it further.

Can remedial massage improve muscle performance?

Muscular weakness can sometimes be caused by nerve impingement from bony structures and/or tense muscles. Although alleviating pressure onto nerves from bony structures is a job for an osteopath, deep tissue massage techniques can relieve the pressure caused by tense muscles. Once the nerve impingement has been addressed, and the muscle has softened, it is free to function as it should. Naturally, regular stretching and strengthening exercises will contribute greatly to muscular performance.

Can massage help with stress?

When we are under stress, our natural ‘fight or flight’ mechanism kicks in. This means that our bodies prepare to either run away from danger or to fight. Bodies prepare themselves to run or fight by tensing muscles, slowing down digestive processes and increasing heart our rate. If we aren’t able to respond fully on a physical level to the stress, our bodies remain in a stressed state even when its cause has passed.

Massage is useful for activating the parasympathetic nervous system which works to slow down the stress response by calming the muscles, activating digestive secretion, slowing down the heart and helping to reduce blood pressure in the short term.

Can massage improve fluid retention?

Massage improves both blood and lymph circulation because it mechanically moves these bodily fluids about. If there is excess fluid retention, then massage will help to flush it out. This is often experienced by clients needing to empty their bladders more frequently than usual on both the day and the day after a massage.

For those who experience a lot of fluid retention, a lymphatic drainage massage will address the problem more specifically. This type of massage works to move the superficial lymph which lies just below the surface of the skin. It uses very light, slow and gentle pressure.

Can remedial massage help with headaches?

Headaches have many causes—they can be hormonal, due to a spinal misalignment impinging on nerves, dehydration, eye strain, muscle tension or other less common conditions. Sometimes there is a combination of factors involved, but almost always there is tension in the neck and shoulder muscles. Taking the tension out of these muscles is often enough to alleviate a headache and prevent more from occurring in the near future—especially when you combine this treatment with appropriate home stretching exercises on a regular basis.

How often should I have a remedial massage?

The reason you initially come in for a remedial massage and how acute your problems are will determine how frequently you will need to come again. It may be once a week for two to four weeks and then fortnightly for a while. Once your initial problems have been resolved, however, a regular monthly maintenance visit is highly recommended to keep any further problems at bay. Much depends on the individual and what they put their bodies through.

What else can I do to improve muscular imbalances?

Muscles and joints were designed to move, so making sure that you put your joints and muscles through their ranges of movement every day will go a long way towards keeping them at their functional best. Stretching and strengthening exercises are also integral to structural health.

You must also remember to drink a sufficient amount of water every day. Water helps to flush out waste products that can build up and cause our bodies to malfunction. Supplements such as glucosamine and taurine for improving joint mobility as well as magnesium to prevent cramping, ease muscle tension and lower stress are also very useful.