BODY SYNC KNOWLEDGE BASE

ABOUT REMEDIAL THERAPY

©2001-2008 Andrew Thompson

WHAT IS REMEDIAL THERAPY?
Remedial Therapy is a general term given to any form of structured bodywork designed to help remedy a specific muscular or fascial problem, eg: leg pain caused by tight calf muscles.

CHOOSING A REMEDIAL THERAPIST:
Remedial Therapy is a Health Science that requires an intimate understanding of the human musculoskeletal systems.

In Australia, there is no legislation at present to say who may or may not practice Remedial Therapy. The onus is on you, the prospective client to select the Therapist most suited to your needs.

Some points to consider are:
- Qualifications:  A qualified Remedial Therapist will be pleased to present his/her credentials upon request.
- Modalities:  Different patients respond to different types of treatment. A good Remedial Therapist can tell you about the different modalities (techniques) s/he might use during a treatment. They will be able to choose from a variety of modalities and adapt their treatment on the run.
- Associations:  Therapists with proper certification will belong to one or more industry associations such as AAMT or ANTA.  Additional requirements for membership of these associations are that the Therapist must hold a current Senior First Aid certificate, and PII (Professional Indemnity Insurance).
- Health Funds:  Most private health funds cover Remedial Massage. If you have private cover, check with your health fund for what they require in order to give you a rebate. Usually they'll need to ensure that your Therapist is properly qualified and that s/he is a member of a recognised industry association.

DOES REMEDIAL THERAPY HURT?
Not usually. The moves and techniques used in various forms of Remedial Therapy are sometimes quite deep, however the degree of discomfort should never be unbearable.

Your Therapist is aware that everyone has a different pain threshold, so s/he relies heavily on your feedback. Put simply, you need to let them know if the pressure is too hard or too soft.

Two-way communication is vital during a Remedial Therapy treatment, because if the pressure is too hard, your muscles won't relax.

WHAT TECHNIQUES ARE USED?
Many different modalities fall under the Remedial Therapy banner. These include:
- Massage:  Remedial Massage, Sports Massage, Lymphatic Drainage, Chinese Acupressure, Trigger Point, Cross Fibre Mobilisation, Soft Tissue Manipulation.
- Stretching:  Structural Alignment, Static Stretching, Thai Massage, PNF Stretching, Core Strengthening, Swiss Ball Therapy, Pilates.

AFTER A REMEDIAL THERAPY TREATMENT:
After a treatment, your metabolism will be running faster and harder, and you may experience:
- tiredness,
- feelings of euphoria or light-headedness,
- sore muscles in the area which was worked,
- localised bruising or patches of tiny red spots,
- increased urine flow, sometimes slightly discoloured or smelly,
- higher levels of sebaceous secretion (oil-like sweat).

These symptoms are normal, and are part of the body's natural recovery process. Most of these symptoms will pass within a few days.

WHEN YOU GET HOME:
To help your body recover faster and more effectively:
- ice any sore areas (frozen peas in a damp tea towel make a great ice pack),
- drink two glasses of water to help flush out newly-released toxins,
- do some light stretches each morning and also before you go to bed.

REMEMBER:
If you have any concerns or questions whatsoever, don't hesitate to call your Remedial Therapist.

DISCLAIMER: Body Sync has made every effort to ensure this information is accurate. However, we accept no responsibility for any errors, omissions or inaccuracies in respect of the information contained in the material provided by Body Sync, nor is the provision of the material by Body Sync to be construed as any representation that there are no other materials or information available in relation to the information provided. Further, Body Sync accepts no responsibility to persons who may rely upon this information for whatever purpose.

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