Remedial Massage

Remedial massage is a treatment type in which you want focus on a particular area or condition. The umbrella is broad to be classified as a remedial massage. Here are a few reasons, to illustrate my point, for requesting a remedial massage:

• Tight neck and shoulders
• Headaches
• Sore muscles from sports/fitness activity
• Swelling from an operation or injury
• Wanting to eliminate or soften scar tissue from an operation or injury
• Chronic pain from postural dysfunction
• Pinched nerve resulting in muscle spasms or guarding
• Long term muscular discomfort from conditions such as MS or arthritis, amongst others
• Numbness or tingling traveling down arms or legs
• Sciatic pain
• Pain from disc or vertebral degeneration
• Trouble sleeping and relaxing
• Noticing limited range of movement through joints compared to before
• Flushing out medication that’s given you more side effects than benefits

I’m sure I’ve made my point here to say it really is a “remedy” for any situation you’re concerned with involving a physiological component.

Every therapist has their own style when it comes to massage.   Pressure will vary a lot between therapists as well as the flow of the treatment. The technique itself usually doesn’t vary too much as does the actual area that’s massaged. I’ve found it’s more broad than specific regarding how thorough a therapist gets when delivering a remedial massage. As a patient, I wouldn’t be afraid to ask for more pressure or to tell them exactly where a problem area is because if they don’t deliver, that will save you a lot of time and money to make the decision that this therapist isn’t for you as a remedial massage therapist.   I’d rather this scenario than listen to a therapist talk jargon on why you should come back after feeling no different from treatment or in more pain.

Post treatment soreness is common and I’d describe it as a sore-to-touch sensation or as if you’ve had a workout at the gym and the muscles are a little tender. Usually post massage soreness clears up after a couple of days but don’t be alarmed if it drags on a little longer.

Depending on why you’ve booked in for a remedial massage, be open to the idea of rebooking.   Have a chat with the remedial massage therapist if you need to come back and how many more sessions would be ideal. The answer will vary based on the therapist’s skill level and also whether there’s still an issue to be sorted out or it’s turning into a maintenance plan.

I’m actually surprised how often clients comment that they’ve found it hard to locate a remedial massage therapist with health fund provider status. It’s a huge selling point and benefits both remedial therapists and clients in terms of cost and willingness to rebook. How much will your private health fund cover you for the remedial massage? That all depends on your level of cover and who you’re with. First, make sure you check you’re specifically covered for “remedial massage”. Second, most health funds have a limit per year they will cover for the remedial massage. It could be a percentage per treatment or a set dollar amount per treatment or if you’re lucky, a percentage with an uncapped yearly limit.

“Massages for Camberwell, Caulfield North and Malvern”