Does their need to be hard pressure for a massage to work if you have sore muscles?
Muscles can become toxic - by having toxins in them from injury or overuse or bad posture. There can be tissue damage.
If the injury is too recent deep massage can be painful.
Athletes usually have deep tissue massage as they are constantly exercising and their muscles can become tight from overuse.
Hence deep tissue massage helps relieve the tightness by spreading the muscle tight spots into the muscle globally.
There are techniques used which can help the body.
Gentle stretching against the therapist. Using your energy force against the therapist helps with releasing tendons and ligaments. The average person does not exercise like a professional athlete – they do not need strong deep pressure to assist in aches and soreness. It is more about warming up the body, using heat to bring blood to the body where it aches. Different techniques of massage can be used to assist in the body of relieving aches and soreness. Not necessarily deep strong pressure.
What techniques of massage can be used to assist with aches and soreness?
Palpation or palpating - is when the massage therapist is using their finger pads to gently ascertain the parts of the body where there is tightness or stress in the body.
Deep gliding massage - this is performed by pressing parallel to the muscle fibers in the flow of the blood system. This is used in applying pressure to the hamstring going up the body, which is where a lot of sports people have massage due to constant running causing the hamstring muscles becoming stressed.
Deep gliding massage helps relieve congestion and swelling. Helps relieve muscle spasm. Helps prevent muscles becoming too tight.
Cross-fiber friction - is similar to deep gliding massage though it is massaging across the muscle fibers not parallel like in deep gliding massage. Cross-fiber friction is known to improve mobility of muscles and connective tissues. Also known to separate and broaden muscle fibers.
Soft tissue release massage - is when a specific spot on a muscle or tendon has pressure applied to it and lengthening the muscle by applying pulling or a massage technique in the form of deep gliding. A passive form of the technique is when the massage therapist takes control of the whole massage technique.
The active form of the massage technique is when the patient or client uses their energy to push or pull against the massage therapist.
What is the difference between Remedial Massage and Therapeutic Massage?
Therapeutic massage terminology - can be used as a point of view or as a health benefit statement – "was the massage therapeutic for you" ? It can be puzzling for the public to understand the difference.
Equilibrium Bellarine Massage Therapy view Remedial massage - as a massage treatment which is assess and re-assess massage treatment used for joints and capsules and larger body areas with the use of various massage techniques. Used for musculoskeletal aches and tension in the body.
Therapeutic massage - is where a lighter touch than Remedial massage is used and it is used mainly for sore feet, headache, and sore hands. It is a softer touch compared to Remedial massage. Therapeutic massage does not assess re-assess, it is used to settle a person from relief of headache, sore feet and sore hands.
Muscle feels like a knot? Why is that?
A trigger point - or known in the public forum as a knot is a point of focus of hyperirritability in a tissue muscle that is locally or spot focus tender when compressed. If very tender it is know to refer pain in a particular pattern that is similar in all people. Pain is initiated; when the trigger point area is stimulated by stressors like cold, postural distortions and emotional stress.
The pain long outlasts the original stimulus. Causing stress to the person, whom is enduring the pain. Hence a person comes to a Remedial massage clinic seeking help with a muscle that feels like a knot.
What is Relaxation Massage and how does it help?
Relaxation massage - is known as Swedish massage or the other way around. The massage therapist uses slow gliding strokes of the whole hand over the body using oil, slowly stimulating tissues to move blood slowly creating a blissful state. It is not applying pressure to muscle – it is soft touch to tissues. This massage is used to help de-stress. Calms the nervous system. Muscle cramps and spasms become less frequent from relaxation massage; by activating tissues from movement of blood flow in the relaxation massage. Helps prevent injuries by promoting blood circulation. Helps to promote flexibility and restores mobility by activating tissues and the nervous system; from blood circulating throughout the body during the relaxation massage. Assists the immune system.
Stimulation of the lymphatic and circulatory systems: assisting to move the body’s waste products and cleanse the body. Relaxation massage creates a peaceful rest within the body physiologically, thus deleting negative thoughts and helping with clients that have depression and anxiety.
I am not well and find it difficult due to my illness to remove clothing; can I have a massage with clothes on?
A client can have massage therapy with their clothes on as long as the massage therapist is confident in their approach of helping the client.
Client might have difficulty in taking their clothes off due to illness and their limbs might not have enough strength to remove clothing. Client’s joints might be in pain and they might find it difficult to lift or move clothing.
The massage therapist needs to ask questions to ascertain what illness or condition the client has. From the information received gather a treatment protocol for the massage treatment of the client. Massage therapist to use soft holding techniques to garner the client into a relaxed state if the client has a physical illness or condition. Massage therapist to use slow passive limb and joint movements to assist the client with their illness or condition regarding their mobility and pliability.
