How a Remedial Massage Therapist (RMT) can contribute to general health and wellbeing.

What is remedial massage?

Remedial massage is a form of bodywork used to identify and repair damaged areas of the body and increase the body’s own healing processes.

A skilled RMT plans to identify the reason for the tension and pain, treating both the cause and the symptoms.

What’s involved in remedial massage?

A range of techniques involving deep compression of local nerve and hypersensitive areas in muscles.

This can aid the release of toxins, relieve muscle and joint tension, and help pain management by way of stimulating the release of endorphins.

Passive or facilitated stretching is applied and recommended in order to lengthen the soft tissue, therefore preventing further tension and pain.

What are the post remedial massage effects?

In the initial 24-48hrs after your  treatment Individuals many experience the “Healing Crisis” which includes the following symptoms:

  • Pain/Tenderness & Stiffness
  • Fatigue
  • Nausea
  • Headaches
  • Light Headedness
  • Insatiable Thirst
  • Increased Urination
  • Emotional Upsets

To reduce the severity of these after effects it is advised to do the following: 

  •  Drink at least 2 litres of water daily.
  • Avoid alcohol for at least 4-6 hours post treatment.
  • Refrain from vigorous activity for at least 24 hrs post treatment.
  • Elevate your feet above your heart. Relax and Meditate.

What are the health benefits of remedial massage?

  • Stimulate the blood supply
  • Releasing muscle tension and pain
  • Increase joint mobility
  • Aid the repair damaged tissues
  • Improves posture
  • Immune boosting and increasing circulation
  • Stress reduction and heightened alertness
  • Improves skin tone
  • Relief from chronic complaints

The overall aim of the RMT is to provide balance to the length, tone and tension of muscles and tendons, which restores the correct position of the bones, increases blood flow and helps heal injuries.

In conjunction with a team of Physiotherapists and Exercise Physiologist at Enhance Physiotherapy, a skilled RMT such as myself will formulate the most ideal treatment plan and provide the highest level of care to those in need.

Apart from being a RMT for the past 16yrs, here are 5 things you might not know about me:

  • Has a partner for 20yrs and two gorgeous girls, 5 and 7yrs old.
  • Favorite fitness activity is swimming and walking.
  • Avid reader and movie/doco buff, esp crime thrillers and suspense.
  • Enjoys giving others energy healing using the benefits Reiki and Chakra Balancing.
  • Loves to go out dancing as it’s grounding and good for the soul!!

Briella

RMT at Enhance Physiotherapy Mandurah – to book an appointment with Briella call our clinic on 9583 5165.

Getting out of an exercise slump

I’ve seen this time and time again but have also experienced it personally when you go in and out of an exercise routine. Whether you have been sick, away on holiday or have other countless excuses with finances or the very popular no time.

Despite these, yes it can be hard to get the ball rolling again and get back to exercise but here are my recommendations.

  1. Starting Exercise

It has been a while since you’ve been back to some regular exercise, I strongly recommend chatting to a health professional (aka me, an Exercise Physiologist or one of my many amazing friends at Enhance Physiotherapy) to see if exercise is safe for you.

  1. Goal Setting

Not just thinking about how nice it would be to do XYZ, actually putting pen to paper and writing down some achievable and measurable goals that you want to work towards. For example number of exercise sessions per week. Keep these goals on hand by putting them on your fridge so you can be reminded of why you’re doing this.

  1. Exercise Type

Try and pick the type of exercise that you will enjoy. If you hate going to the gym at 5am don’t do it… You’re more likely to stay consistent with a type of exercise that you enjoy.

  1. Friends!

Not only someone to chat to but someone to give you that motivation and extra push. Its ok to have those hard days when the motivation is low, however exercising with a friend makes it so much more achievable!

  1. Food

Making sure you’re fueling your body to succeed with balanced and healthy meals. If you goal is to lose weight you can’t just starve yourself…  that not fun, nor is it healthy or something that you can maintain for long term. You end up putting more weight on, trust me I do this to earn a living.

I hope these tips are helpful and if you have any burning questions come visit me at any one of our 3 clinics or give me a call. I’m happy to chat and to help you with your exercise journey!

Samantha

Sam is our full time Exercise Physiologist. To book an appointment with Sam call our clinic on 9583 5165.

5 healthy travel tips I actually follow

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”2591″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][vc_column_text]Recently I went away on holiday and I didn’t have access to a gym or any fancy equipment. However I wanted to make sure I continued to stay healthy and active whilst I was away. Here are my tips to enjoying yourself on holiday whilst keeping your goals in check

The plane ride

Even if your holiday doesn’t require any plane trips I’m sure you will encounter travel where you need to be seated for a long duration. To help keep aches and pains at bay, as well as to encourage circulation through your muscles to keep them healthy, some light stretches and exercises are great to help. Some of my ‘go to’ exercises are in the pic above.

  1. Walking

Not only is walking a cheap way to get from point A to B when on holiday. It is great way to keep your body healthy and strong, just make sure you have the appropriate footwear for your chosen destination!

  1. Food

Holidays and food just go hand in hand. Now I’m not saying to make sure every meal you eat on holiday is a balanced and healthy meal. What I do suggest is trying to think about reducing the portion sizes of the lovely treats you’re delving into.

Also don’t forget to clear out the fridge and pantry before you go on holiday, you don’t want to find any surprises when you return home!

  1. Hydration

Depending on where you are travelling to I suggest taking a refillable water bottle with you. It’s a great way to keep check of how much water you’re actually drinking. Not only does staying hydrated make your skin look amazing it helps with keeping your muscles and organs healthy as well as reduce your level of fatigue.

Also if you are planning on drinking whilst on holiday use the 1 for 1 rule (1 glass of water for 1 alcoholic drink), this way you will be able to make the most of your holiday and do the best for your body.

  1. When you return

Start by slowly getting back into the routine. Set yourself a few days before returning to work to regain some structure and figure out what day it is!

I always start by meal prepping some healthy food options as well as getting back into some structured exercise, oh and to unpack that suitcase (7 loads of washing later…).

Hope these tips help! Happy and safe travels everyone.

Samantha

Samantha is our full time exercise physiologist and is available for appointments at all 3 of our clinics. Call 9583 5165 to book.[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”2595″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row]