By Si En Wong, Physiotherapist
Massage is one of the fundamental treatments physiotherapist provides to patients with musculoskeletal disorders. The word “massage” was derived from the French verb “masser”, which is also known as “to knead”.
When a physiotherapist massages a patient, they are identifying different structures while assessing the quality of structural characteristics. Massage is a skill that can be used to achieve different purposes. It can be used to relax a person by providing deep gliding strokes. At the same time, it can be used to stimulate muscles, to prepare it for the strenuous activity ahead.
Studies have shown that having a massage can have a positive effect on people psychologically, it helps with:
- Stress relief
- Relaxation
- Body dissatisfaction
- Depression including post natal depression
However, massage does more than making you feel good and relax. Here are a few physiological benefits of massage:
- Increase blood and lymph flow – which helps with stimulation of the healing process
- Resolution of chronic swelling
- Increased extensibility of soft tissues
- Improved sleep
- Pain relief
- Headache relief
- Facilitate muscle activity
With so many great benefits of massage, it’s a wonderful thing to be able to incorporate this into our Physiotherapy treatments. To make an appointment with Si En at Wisdom Physiotherapy Nedlands, click here to book online or call us on (08) 6389 2947.
