Balancing fitness recovery with relaxation? Don’t forget about remedial massage

Remedial massage is a natural therapy that aims to treat aches, pains and injuries to help the body repair and recover.¹

It focuses on treating tense, damaged or knotted muscles and can help manage a number of health conditions, especially those affecting muscles, tendons and bones.¹ 

When your body is less tense and in less pain your nervous system can relax, making it easier to sleep, recover and function better overall. While relaxation massages are intended to be soothing, remedial massages aim to relieve pain – and they use specific techniques to do it.

If you're trying to balance recovery with better sleep and general well-being, remedial massage is a great dual-purpose therapy.

So how could remedial massage help you, and what should you expect? Let's take a closer look with Massage Clinical Education Coordinator for HBF Physio, Madeleine Phillips. 

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In this article

• What can remedial massage help with?
• Types of remedial massage
• Choosing a remedial massage therapist
• What to expect at your appointment
• Does health insurance cover remedial massage?

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What can remedial massage help with?

Remedial massage is commonly used to help people with:¹

• Neck, shoulder or back pain
• Sports or other injuries (or preventing injuries) 
• Headaches
• Arthritis
• Chronic pain
• Anxiety or depression
• Fatigue
• Treating side effects of some health conditions such as cancer or diabetes

Along with helping to treat specific problems, remedial massage can support your overall health and wellbeing. For example, it can help to:¹

• Stimulate blood flow
• Improve joint mobility
• Repair damaged tissues

Madeleine says where remedial massage truly shines, is with injury recovery. As well as what is mentioned above, regular treatments have the power to break down scar tissue and adhesions, which can restore normal muscle function and prevent re-injury. Improve range of motion and flexibility, essential for recovery from strains, sprains, or postural imbalances, and alleviate referred pain from trigger points or muscular imbalances.

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Types of remedial massage

There are several different techniques a remedial massage therapist may use, such as:²

• Deep tissue massage, which uses firm and flowing strokes to relieve pain. It’s common for a therapist to use their thumbs, knuckles or elbows for a deeper, more targeted massage.
• Trigger point therapy, which alternates pressure with rest and deep breathing to ease tension. It’s often combined with deep tissue massage for the best results.
• Stretch therapy, which involves stretching various areas of the body to help improve flexibility, circulation and range of motion.
• Joint mobilisation, which targets specific problem joints to encourage movement to improve stiffness and pain.
• Myofascial release, a specific, stretch-based massage technique applied to problem areas to help relieve pain.
• Thermotherapy, which uses heated objects such as hot water bottles, heat packs and hot baths to relax muscles and improve blood flow.
• Cryotherapy, which uses cooled objects such as cold compresses and ice packs to decrease blood flow, which reduces inflammation and the risk of tissue damage.

What does private health insurance cover for remedial massage?

Choosing a remedial massage therapist

It’s important to choose a remedial massage therapist who is registered with an appropriate accrediting body so you know that they’re properly trained and qualified, with a good knowledge of anatomy and physiology. 

Ultimately, a personalised treatment plan developed with a qualified remedial massage therapist can help determine the best schedule based on your goals and physical condition.

What to expect at your appointment

You don’t need a referral for a remedial massage. You can call and book an appointment at any time.

At your appointment, your remedial massage therapist will ask you a few questions about your health and what you’re seeking help with. This will help them to determine the best way to treat you.

Then they will ask you to lie down on a massage bed and ensure you’re comfortable. You will be covered with towels to protect your privacy.¹

During your treatment, the pressure of the massage may be strong and deep, or gentle and shallow, depending on what’s being treated.¹

Your therapist may use a number of different massage techniques. Remember, you can always ask questions if you want to understand more about what they’re doing and why.

Does health insurance cover remedial massage?

• HBF remedial massage cover can pay benefits towards remedial massages performed by an approved provider, up to your annual limit.

If you’re an HBF member, you can check what you're covered for by logging on to myHBF or calling us on 133 423.