Remedial massage is one of the most effective ways to treat muscle injuries, pain and soreness, and help prevents its recurrence. Massage could be defined as the manual manipulation of the body’s soft tissue for therapeutic purposes with pressure, tension, motion or vibration.
Remedial massage is based on the fact that soft tissue (muscles, ligaments and tendons) respond to touch. The old adage ‘rub it better’ is exactly right. Most pain is myofascial or soft tissue in origin. Contained in our muscles are trigger points which radiate pain to various points of our body and this can mimic many conditions. Minor problems within our muscles cause more pain than people think.
The causes of low back pain and sciatica are far more likely to originate in the muscles than in spine or be related to ‘disc’ problems. Headaches can originate from the muscles of the neck and/or head.
Remedial massage has evolved from a combination of both Western and Eastern traditions. The greatest advancement was by a Swedish physiologist, Per Henrik Ling, who created a scientific system of massage movements and techniques known as Swedish massage.