Remedial massage
Remedial massage focuses on identifying the underlying cause of musculoskeletal dysfunctions, such as ischemia, trigger points, nerve entrapment or compression and postural distortion, as well as relieving tendon and ligament issues.
Remedial massage involves the use of a variety of therapeutic techniques designed to stimulate blood supply, make joints more mobile and to help repair damaged tissues.
Remedial massage can be beneficial for treating a variety of problems, including sporting injuries, recovery from surgery and broken bones, muscle cramps, whiplash, fibromyalgia, muscular atrophy, arthritis and frozen shoulder.
Sports massage
Sports massage is designed to help athletes before, during and after training and can improve their recovery pre and post sporting events. It is useful for anyone who exercises to increase flexibility, prevent injuries and help with healing after a sports injury. Sports massage is specifically tailored to different sports and sporting injuries. Sports massage is often safe after an injury, although there are some injuries for which it is not suitable.
Through the use of hands-on techniques to your muscles, massage aims to increase flexibility and decrease pain. Sports massage will often utilise various modalities such as remedial massage, trigger point therapy, cross fibre techniques and deep tissue work.
Dry needling
Dry needling is a unique procedure intended to specifically target and restore muscle function, with an emphasis on improving tissue healing and restoring normal tissue function.
A dry needle is inserted into an active myofascial trigger point (MTrP) within the muscle which interrupts the electrical signal and causes the muscle to relax; this can be seen with an electromyogram (EMG).
Dry needling can be beneficial in the treatment of chronic musculoskeletal pain by causing a local twitch response (LTR), as well as inhibiting the transmission of pain signals in our spinal cord and increasing the release of our own pain-relieving chemicals within our brains, activating endogenous opioids.
Cupping
Cupping is a type of alternative therapy that involves placing cups on the skin to create suction. Cupping, also known as myofascial decompression, creates a negative pressure environment allowing for myofascial decompression as the skin is drawn into the cups.
Cupping increases blood circulation to the area where the cups are placed. This may relieve muscle tension, which can improve overall blood flow and promote cell repair. It may also help form new connective tissues and create new blood vessels in the tissue.
Running cupping usually involves the application of oil before the use of suction. Then the cups are slowly moved around the area, creating a massage-like effect.