The main purpose of remedial massage therapy is to help on alleviating pain while healing from an injury. Depending on your condition, there are a few remedial massage techniques that can be used to focus on your specific needs. These techniques are designed to work on one or a combination of muscles, tendons, ligaments, and fascia.
Deep Tissue Massage
Deep tissue massage, also called traverse friction, is a traverse connective tissue massage that is applied using the fingers. This technique uses the application of oscillating pressures across the tissue fibers. It is one of the common remedial massage techniques used for injuries in the ligament or tendon. It helps in breaking down thick scar tissues that produce pain.
It is very important, as lesions, when not reduced, can most likely become aggravated and cause irritation or degenerate faster than normal. This technique of remedial massage works on specific muscles and tension areas. The deep tissue massage eases the tension in the muscle and connective tissues.
It is used to provide relief for muscle spasm and pain, all the while improving posture, mobility, and flexibility.
Trigger Point Therapy
Trigger point therapy involves applying pressure to alleviate the source of pain or trigger points. They use this technique to deactivate the trigger points that are causing pain. It also works to help eliminate referred pain or reflective pain, which occurs when pain is felt in another body part save for the actual source.
It is a bodywork technique where the pressure is applied to the tender muscle tissue to relieve the pain and dysfunctions in other areas. This remedial massage therapy focuses on active centers of muscular hyperactivity that frequently crosses over some acupuncture points as well. Most trigger points are on areas where muscular knots can be typically found.
Other Remedial Massage Techniques
A range of cross-fiber and stretching remedial massage techniques can help deal with tight muscles, injuries, and chronic pains. For muscle, joint, or tendon pains caused by sports, the cross-fiber massage works to lessen adhesions, that also helps in encouraging strong and flexible repair while healing.
In the cross-fiber friction technique, a stretching and broadening technique is applied to huge muscle groups or a particular muscle and connective tissues. It is a bit similar technique to deep traverse therapy but differs in the application.
There is also the Direct Myofascial Release, which is used to improve flexibility and mobility. It is a manual technique intended to stretch the fascia to improve the body’s balance. Fascia restrictions usually occur due to poor posture, stress, injuries, or trauma. This technique can help restore tissues and release the restrictions in the fascia.
And, the Muscle Energy Technique or MET which involves light contraction to specific directions to alter joint range and restrictions. It is one of the most commonly used techniques during therapies.
Your therapist can help you asses your situation or condition to determine how frequent and which technique will be used. Regular massage will help decrease or even eliminate pain during and after the healing process.