Have you ever had a massage at a day spa before? If not, you might be wondering whether a massage at a spa is similar to a massage you receive in a clinic setting. One of our myotherapists, Emily, has experience in both a day spa setting and a clinical setting. So today, she’s sharing with us the similarities and differences, as well as why you might opt for one over the other. Why you seek out a treatment
For the most part, people who seek out a spa massage treatment want to feel great. They want to enjoy a massage that relaxes them, but usually aren’t looking for any other outcome. On the other hand, people who seek out the services of a remedial massage therapist or myotherapist are looking for a specific outcome. When you book remedial massage or myotherapy, you generally want to alleviate symptoms such as pain, or at least prevent future pain and flares. The aim of a massage treatment As the reason for seeking treatment is different, it makes sense that the aim is also different. A spa massage therapist will aim to give you a massage treatment that feels good, relieve tension and helps you to feel more relaxed. A remedial massage or myotherapy session in a clinic will have specific goals and outcomes. This is because you will generally come in with an aim of having pain or an injury treated, managed and/or prevented. We will put together a treatment plan based on your needs and goals, and review that regularly. In a spa massage, there may be other treatments or tools involved such as hot stones or aromatherapy. Again, these are focused on relaxing you more and easing general stress and tension. On the other hand, remedial massage and myotherapy can involve a whole toolbox of techniques, depending on your needs. At Simple Wellness Myotherapy, we use dry needling, cupping, joint mobilisation, trigger point therapy, rehabilitation exercises and taping. Not everyone will need all of these in their treatment plan, but we can tailor your plan to your needs and goals. What to expect in a 60 minute spa massage Here is how a typical spa massage will run:
What to expect in a 60 minute clinic massage This is how a massage or myotherapy treatment runs at Simple Wellness:
Which is better – spa massage or clinical massage? It’s not really a competition because they are so different! If you’re just looking to treat yourself and enjoy a relaxing massage, there’s nothing wrong with a sneaky spa massage. Spa massage may also be preferable if you’re looking to have other beauty treatments. But if you’re dealing with pain, injury or significant tension, a clinical massage from a remedial massage therapist or myotherapist is best. Clinical massage is also better for preventing injuries and flare-ups of previous injuries and pain. Looking for a clinical massage? At Simple Wellness Myotherapy, we offer both remedial massage with our therapist Helvi and myotherapy with Emily and Mel. You can book an appointment with one of our practitioners here. Have you ever wondered about flame cupping? Flame cupping sounds scarier than what it really is. Let’s have a look at the facts around flame cupping, and how it might be beneficial for you.
What is flame cupping? Flame cupping is a form of dry cupping that uses fire to cause a vacuum in a cup. The cup is then placed on the area of skin being treated. What is flame cupping good for? Flame cupping is great for relieving muscle tension, especially tension that isn’t responding quickly to hands-on techniques. The best part about flame cupping? It is applied and left on while your practitioner continues to work on another area of the body. So if you have a sore shoulder and tight lower back, they can cup the shoulder and massage the lower back or vice versa. Is flame cupping going to burn me? It shouldn’t if it’s applied by a qualified flame cupping therapist. A qualified therapist who has training in flame cups knows how long to heat each cup before applying it to the skin. If you’re worried, ask your practitioner about their training in flame cups before agreeing to treatment. Who can’t have flame cupping? As useful as flame cupping is, there are a few contraindications to keep in mind. Flame cupping is not recommended for those with diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure or those using medications such as warfarin. Flame cupping cannot be safely applied over wounds. However, it can be used over fully healed scar tissue. Does flame cupping detoxify the body? Not really. Flame cups can’t detoxify you – that’s the job of your liver and other detox organs. But in a way, they can support the natural detoxification process. It increases blood flow to the area, which improves the exchange of oxygen and waste products in that area. The waste products are then transported to the liver and detox organs and excreted from the body. I have dark marks after flame cupping – is this a bad thing? Cupping marks are normal after a treatment. They aren’t bruises or a sign of tissue damage. Eastern medicine practitioners such as acupuncturists believe that cupping marks are a sign of what is happening in the body. For example, darker marks are signs of how stagnant the energy or ‘chi’ is. For myotherapists, they are bruise-like marks caused by surface capillaries that break during the suction. Either way, they are nothing to worry about – they will fade over the period of 3-7 days for most people. If your cupping marks remain dark or tender for a prolonged period, contact your therapist directly for a check-in. How can I try out flame cupping? By booking an appointment with our flame cupping myotherapist Emily! Emily loves to work with flame cupping, because she can work on two areas of tension at once. To book a session with Emily, head to our booking page and select ‘Emily Wells’ for your practitioner. Did you know I'm upgrading my qualification? I'm currently studying my Bachelor of Health Science (Myotherapy) at Endeavour College of Natural Health! The Bachelor of Health Science gives me more advanced techniques, including mobilisation, assessments, pathology and clinical sciences, pain neuroscience, foundations of human nutrition, further corrective exercise prescription, and lots more!
Any of you who know me, know I'm a total nerd about this stuff, and I'm very excited to bring new skills week by week back into my clinic. I start on campus classes in March 2018. I'll be studying all day from 8am through til 6pm on Thursdays. My available clinic hours from March 2018 will be: Monday - 9am-7pm Tuesday - 9am-7pm Wednesday - 9am-7pm Thursday - closed Friday - 9am-7pm Saturday - closed Sunday - closed Want to book your next appointment? I look forward to seeing you soon! This is one of those questions I get asked really often. Myotherapy is still a fairly new term in the health world, its been picking up in popularity in Australia over the last 15 years or so. My path into Myotherapy began in Remedial Massage, and I see a lot of similarities between the two modalities, as well as the differences. The Similarities
The Differences
A Myotherapist is a great option if you have an injury, a specific pain area, a recurring or severe pain, or a condition that requires more in depth knowledge and training. Plus a lot of Myotherapists, like myself, came into Myotherapy through a Remedial Massage background. By seeing a Myo for your pain you are likely to get a great range of techniques that feel good and are effective at relieving your pain. For more widespread aches, pains and tension that are a little annoying but not stopping you from getting on with your day, a Remedial Massage can do the trick. If you have a question, I'd love to answer it! Drop me a line, or feel free to call in in person to the clinic at Balanced Life Health Care in Ferntree Gully.
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