Tailored to your health and wellness needs, therapeutic massage can help you heal and recover faster.
We’ve all come to understand the benefits of massage as a means to release tension in sore muscles, relieve stress, and relax.
A soothing and relaxing massage can relieve achy muscles, help you reduce stress, and help to improve your sleep as well as your mood. Perhaps less understood, is how effective massage can be to offer recovery and healing well beyond relaxation.
Therapeutic, or medical, massage is designed to help address more serious medical concerns. Administered in a clinic or hospital environment, as opposed to a spa where you would receive relaxation treatments, massage for therapy is provided by a licensed professional trained to focus on more serious issues.
At Kootenay Columbia College, the graduates of our Registered Massage Therapy Program have been trained in foundational techniques, theories, and methods of massage. They have acquired knowledge in the human sciences, orthopaedics, research, nutrition, and patient and self-care.
What is Therapeutic Massage?
Therapeutic massage is massage therapy focused on the soft tissue of the body – the muscles, tendons, and ligaments that support and move the body.
In short, therapeutic massage provides a distinct therapeutic benefit. And while this type of massage can be relaxing, relaxation is not the primary goal of treatment. It’s often the perfect complement to other treatments you might be receiving to heal an injury or strain or to help with other issues such as acute anxiety or stress or even something like cancer care.
Goals for therapeutic massage therapy vary depending on the client and the therapist. Therapeutic goals can vary considerably between massage therapists and clients. It’s common for a doctor, physiotherapist, or chiropractor to refer a patient or client to a Registered Massage Therapist (RMT) to include therapeutic massage in a larger therapy strategy.
Therapeutic massage can also be a treatment that stands alone, independent of any other therapies. Athletes, for instance, or someone with a high-stress job can opt for a therapeutic massage to help maintain their physical or mental health. Great for people of any age, therapeutic massage is also beneficial for expectant mothers, people with disabilities, and individuals undergoing serious medical treatments.
Therapeutic massage is not one-size-fits-all therapy. The techniques are derived from various massage styles, and your treatment will be tailored to your unique needs.
Benefits of therapeutic massage
Therapeutic massage is widely recognized for its remarkable ability to alleviate a diverse range of aches, pains, and strains—offering a natural solution to discomfort. This holistic practice artfully blends the soothing techniques of relaxation massage with the targeted approach of remedial massage. By pinpointing and addressing damaged areas of the body, it effectively unravels tense, knotted, or immobile muscles, fostering a healing environment that accelerates recovery.
As therapeutic massage unfolds, it significantly improves circulation, promoting the flow of oxygen and vital nutrients directly to muscle cells. This enhanced blood flow not only nourishes the tissues but also aids in flushing out harmful waste products, which can contribute to inflammation and swelling. Many individuals suffering from inflammatory conditions such as arthritis find profound relief through this therapeutic approach.
The very nature of therapeutic massage induces a deep relaxation response within the body. As the therapist skillfully manipulates the soft tissues, heart and breathing rates begin to slow, and blood pressure decreases, creating a sense of tranquility. In addition to its physical benefits, this practice enhances immune function and helps to alleviate the burdens of stress, providing a comforting escape that nurtures both body and mind.
Therapeutic massage benefits various conditions
Offering significant benefits, therapeutic massage helps relieve a wide variety of troublesome conditions.
Massage helps to relax muscle tissue, which leads to less nerve and joint compression. It helps to increase the range of motion of muscles and joints. As a result, patients experience improved function with less discomfort or pain. Therapeutic massage can offer the following benefits:
- Improve recovery of soft tissue injuries
- Increases joint flexibility and mobility
- Reduces tension in muscles
- Improve circulation
- Relieve arthritis
- Relieves high blood pressure
- Stimulates the lymphatic system
- Reduce stress hormones
- Relaxation
- Improves skin tone
- Enhance immunity
- General health and well-being
When should you get a therapeutic massage?
Seek therapeutic massage upon your physician or other therapist’s referral, of course, but, otherwise, consider therapeutic massage if you have minor aches and pains that leave you feeling tight with your mobility reduced. If you’re under stress or if you feel that your general health and well-being is compromised, therapeutic massage can provide you with significant improvement.
Many people find that regular sessions of therapeutic massage – monthly or every second month – is just what they need to keep feeling at their best. It’s their prevention therapy!
It’s not unusual for patients under significant stress to rely on therapeutic massage to manage their mental health and cope with daily life.
If you’re interested in a therapeutic or relaxation massage treatment, we offer sessions conducted by our students – and at a great rate! See the schedule and book your appointment.
Are you interested in becoming a Registered Massage Therapist? CONTACT US to find out more about our programs!
