What is Massage Therapy? What is it exactly?

07/19/2021

Let’s start with explaining what massage therapy is. Massage therapy is the manipulation of soft tissue of the body including muscles, connective tissue, tendons, ligaments and joints. With the ultimate goal to help alleviate the discomfort associated with every day occupational stresses, muscular over-use injuries and many chronic pain conditions.

What can Massage Therapy help with?

A Massage treatment can help to support a broad range of patient goals. Your RMT can help offer relief from workplace injuries, overuse & sports injuries, headaches, plus many symptoms related to conditions not limited to:

Arthritis or painful joint conditions
Plantar Fasciitis and other repetitive strain injuries
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Achilles Tendinopathy and other tendon injuries
Support the rehabilitation of Central Nervous System conditions such as s Stroke
Muscle Tension, pain and strain

What kind of pressure should I expect?

Every appointment will have a conversation about the amount of pressure used during the treatment. The amount of pressure used is ALWAYS negotiable, and I regularly tell patients that pressure can change many time throughout the treatment. You should never feel like you have to “endure some pain to get better”. Pressure can change depending on the area of the body, the stage of the injury, and of course, personal preference.

What to expect in a Massage Treatment?

Each treatment will begin with a conversation about your specific goals and reasons for seeking Massage Therapy, as well as, your previous injury/surgery history. A movement assessment will help to identify what structures may be contributing to your pain/limited range of motion and help guide the treatment. Finally, the days treatment plan will be negotiated with you and explained how the treatment can help to meet your goals. Your RMT will always ask for your consent to the treatment before we begin.

Wide range of applications

Massage Therapy has such a broad application of benefits and each treatment can be tailored to help meet your specific health goals. Some examples are shown below.