If you have never had a treatment with us before and are wondering what it is all about, let’s explore things step by step here and hopefully answer some of your questions to allow you to feel more confident in making your booking, and at ease with the process once you arrive. PAPERWORK
If you have made your booking online, you will have received a confirmation email & text with a link for you to complete our new patient form. This information is necessary for us to be able to proceed with your treatment. The more information you can provide on this form, the more we are able to take into consideration your holistic health and tailor your treatment accordingly. We currently offer 30 min, 50 min, 60 min and 80 min appointments. Prices can vary depending on the therapist. See “Treatments & Bookings” page on our website for current prices. If you have not been able to access this form to complete online, when you come in for your appointment you will be given a paper form to complete with your contact details. This form will also allow you to choose whether you consent to other methods used in the clinic such as dry needling, cupping & taping. These will generally not form part of your Remedial Massage treatment, however if you are referred to or choose to see one of our Myotherapists these may be techniques our Myos find beneficial for you. CONSULTATION Once the paperwork is complete you will be taken through to the treatment room by your therapist. You can take a seat on the chair provided, and your therapist will sit with you and begin the consultation. If we have your completed online form, we will reference this to begin asking you questions regarding your reasons for coming in for a treatment. Here we will discuss what you would like to address in the treatment, explain any symptoms you are experiencing and let us know what your treatment goals are. We will ask you questions specific to your symptoms to gain more information to devise a treatment plan for you for the session. This may include performing some passive or active physical assessment tests to ascertain how you're moving and if there is any restriction in your range of movement and other conditions we can test for. We will explain what the treatment will entail, which areas of your body we will be focusing on, how much to undress for the treatment, and how the draping will work. We will ask for your informed consent about our plan for your care and if there is anything you would like to add or omit before consenting to the treatment. Keeping in mind that we will be prioritising your main concerns first. We will give you clear instructions on how to get safely on and off the table and how to change positions. Once the consultation is complete, we will leave the room for a couple of minutes to enable you to remove the clothing required and place yourself on the treatment table, covering any exposed areas with the towel provided. We will knock on the door, ensure you are ready and under the towel on the table and we will come back into the room to commence the treatment. TREATMENT We are here to ensure that you are as comfortable as you can be while receiving your Remedial Massage. Please always communicate with us if something doesn’t feel right, or if you’d like to change position on the table before starting or at any time during the session. Sometimes a change of position is needed to access different muscle groups or to perform certain techniques. We suggest moving and changing positions carefully and mindfully so you can settle into the new position easily, letting us know if you are needing support to do so. We will maintain adequate draping throughout your entire treatment, we usually only need to reveal the part of the body we are targeting then we cover you back up before moving on. If at any stage you feel comfortable or cold you may request to be covered back up or add extra layers of coverage. For some treatments you may not need to remove any clothing, and for some you may wish to have the minimal amount of clothes so that we are able to make direct contact with your skin. Again you are in control of how comfortable you feel with your level of undress. We can work through clothes in certain circumstances. You will however always be asked to keep underwear on at all times. During the treatment, you will be asked for pressure feedback. This is to ensure that you are able to comfortably tolerate the amount of pressure being used on your body. Every therapist is different and has variable pressure and techniques that might feel new to your body. You are the one who is always in control. You are free to let us know at any time if you would like to change the pressure for different muscle groups. Firm pressure doesn’t necessarily equate to better outcomes for you. There are many techniques that your therapist can use to help you achieve great results, and they may not all feel deep or firm at the time. We are well trained and experienced in our field, and no matter what we do or don’t do in your treatment, we can’t predict for sure how your body will respond. It’s our first job to ensure that we do not cause you any harm and then to assist your body to heal and repair itself. We are not the healers, your body is the healer. We will support your wellbeing and help facilitate the recovery process. We will often give you some suggestions to further support your wellbeing and recovery at home. These may come in the form of exercises, stretches, and homecare advice that we believe will continue the work we have begun in your Remedial Massage treatment. CONCLUSION At the conclusion of your Remedial Massage, we will leave the room again giving you a few moments to get up and re-dress. We will then come back into the room once you are ready and reassess how you are feeling after your treatment. You may be required to repeat an assessment test as you performed before treatment to see if there is any immediate improvement in your range of motion. Please tell us if you are feeling at all unwell, dizzy or lightheaded once you arise from your treatment - this isn’t unusual as you move from laying down to standing up, and usually resolves quickly. We advise that you sit for a few moments before standing up, take your time to reground yourself before leaving the clinic. We will join you in the reception area to complete the payment and any private health insurance claims you may be eligible for. We have a HICAPS terminal for your convenience, so you can claim your treatment on the spot and simply pay the gap payment. Contact your health fund if you are unsure whether you can claim for Remedial Massage. This is usually an extras cover, and individual health funds vary as to how much they will cover for your Massage. You will be offered to rebook your next Remedial Massage appointment again before you leave, locking in the time, date and the therapist of your choice. As we are a busy clinic this is a great option to ensure you have your next appointment booked before you leave so you don’t forget, or miss out on following up with your preferred therapist. However if you prefer to book yourself in online at a later time, we have a very user friendly booking system that you can access anytime and choose what we have available. Keep in mind that we might not always be able to accommodate you on short notice, so booking ahead is highly recommended. I hope this has given you more of an understanding of how we work and what your typical Remedial Massage treatment at our clinic may consist of. We are happy to answer any questions you may have about your specific needs and conditions. Please feel free to email us at hello@simplewellness.com.au or give us a call on 03 8204 0970. Be well. Jacqui Mulholland Remedial Massage Therapist We see plenty of people who come in and tell us "I have a rotator cuff", but we know what they mean is "My shoulder hurts, and I might have injured one of the muscles". The Rotator Cuff itself isn't the injury. Its an essential group of four muscles that stabilise and move your shoulder joint. What should you do if you've injured your Rotator Cuff muscles? The same as any other injury - book in with your favourite Myotherapists to have us assess the area so we can help you determine what type of injury you have, and follow our treatment plan to let is heal and recover. Image sourced from: https://www.orthobethesda.com/blog/rotator-cuff-disorders-the-facts/
The rotator cuff is a group of four muscles and their tendons that surround the shoulder joint. These muscles—supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis—work together to stabilise the shoulder and facilitate smooth movement. The tendons of the rotator cuff attach these muscles to the upper arm bone (humerus) and the shoulder blade (scapula). The primary role of the rotator cuff is to keep the shoulder joint stable, allowing for a wide range of motion. It helps to hold the ball of the humerus firmly within the shoulder socket, providing support during activities that involve lifting, reaching, throwing, and rotating the arm. Additionally, the rotator cuff aids in generating power and controlling movement in the shoulder. Common Causes of Rotator Cuff Injuries Rotator cuff injuries can occur suddenly, as a result of a traumatic event like a fall or lifting a heavy object, or develop gradually due to repetitive motions or wear and tear. Common causes include:
Protecting and Maintaining a Healthy Rotator Cuff While some rotator cuff injuries may be unavoidable, there are steps you can take to protect and maintain a healthy rotator cuff:
The rotator cuff is a crucial structure that enables the remarkable range of motion in the shoulder joint. Understanding its function and the causes of injury can help you take proactive steps to protect and maintain a healthy rotator cuff. By practicing good shoulder habits, engaging in strength training exercises, and seeking prompt treatment for any shoulder pain or discomfort, you can reduce the risk of rotator cuff injuries and preserve your shoulder's mobility for years to come. Book online with one of our myotherapists to start your treatment plan and keep your rotator cuff as happy and healthy as possible! It has been widely accepted and researched that meditation and in particular, mindfulness meditation can have many benefits for stress management and improvements to concentration and focus. Many studies have explored the impacts of long term meditation on the brain. So we know that meditation can change the brain and improve cognitive function and emotional regularity. How about pain management? Can a meditation and mindfulness practice assist with chronic and acute pain conditions? How can you access these benefits through integrating a regular meditation practice into your wellness toolkit? What is Pain? Firstly, it’s important to note that pain has two main elements. Pain consists of a physical sensation, usually described as unpleasant or undesirable, and an emotional response. Whilst you are experiencing pain in your body, a message is sent through nerve fibres through your central nervous system to your brain to signal that there may be damage or threat of damage and this area is in need of protection immediately. There is the other function of the brain that has the power to enhance or reduce the intensity of this experience. Your emotional response. Your brain will attempt to interpret the sensation, often making a quick judgement to be able to respond in the best way to keep you safe from harm. This often happens with very little thought or awareness as your body has been doing this and responding in this way your whole life. It is automatic and unconscious, initiating your fight or flight response. This has kept you safe and works very well for those moments that threaten your safety. So pain has a very important purpose. Once the initial threat has been removed however, we may be left with the emotional response to the lingering effects of whatever damage was sustained from the event. Here is where meditation can become a very useful tool to restore calm to your nervous system by triggering the relaxation response. This is where you rest and digest, and where tissues and structures of your body can receive the natural healing intelligence of your body restoring its internal balance and optimal function. There are different types of pain. There is the obvious “loud” pain and there is the less obvious, dull aches and mild discomfort which can also trigger the emotional response. These more subtle signs and symptoms of pain can be an early warning sign of things being out of balance and not functioning effectively. Overtime, the emotional effects of low grade chronic pain can impact quality of life and ability to focus, movement and performance. So pain that doesn’t resolve itself within a few days should never be ignored. What Stress & Anxiety Does to Pain? Anxiety can cause you to become hyper alert to pain, catastrophize, overthink, over analyse, even causing a sense of panic, which can all exacerbate symptoms. Stress has been known to decrease your pain threshold by inhibiting the release of Serotonin. Serotonin is a chemical that is released to assist with pain relief. Chronic stress and anxiety takes a toll on your overall health. Mental, emotional, physical & spiritual health are all connected. You cannot impact one without affecting the whole. Therefore when you start to take care of your mental health your physical health will improve. Conversely, when you start taking care of your physical health, your mental health will be positively impacted. So when you adapt practices that are holistic in their approach, you will likely feel the benefits holistically. How Does Meditation Help? Combined with other medical and/or complementary therapies, meditation can offer your body the opportunity to settle into that relaxation response and allow your body to rest and heal physically. Restoring balance and internal harmony, boosting your immune function, and increasing production of Serotonin. Serotonin not only inhibits pain perception, it also acts as a mood stabiliser. So this acts to help regulate both your physical and your emotional pain responses. The impacts of relaxation and mindfulness can help you lessen the intensity of the experience of pain. There are several meditation and mindfulness techniques that can help this process. The way to begin is just by practising and trying out different guides, teachers, sounds, a local meditation group and/or meditation app to find a few techniques and styles of guidance that resonate with you. Everyone is different, and this is a very personal preference. If you try one style that you wasn’t for you, keep exploring! There is no right or wrong may to practise, so just do whatever works for you, and allow your practice to evolve and change overtime as you become more familiar with it. Stay tuned for your opportunity to join a guided meditation group at Simple Wellness Myotherapy! We will be offering an evening group once a week of consisting of a fully guided meditation for you to experience the benefits of practising in an intimate group setting. This will help get you started and you will be able to ask questions and receive support as you develop and deepen your practice. Want to book an appointment with Jacqui, our Remedial Massage Therapist and Meditation teacher? She's here during school hours on Mondays and Wednesdays, and afternoons on Thursdays. Hey! I'm Jacqui the newest member of the Simple Wellness family! I'm so excited to be able to offer you my unique blend of my 18+ years of experience in the natural therapies industry. When people ask me what do I do for a living, I will often simply say, I am a Remedial Massage Therapist. I have been doing it so long, it is a natural response for me. However there is so much more to what I do now compared to when I started my journey as a massage therapist. I have always had an interest in mind/body connection and how mental/emotional & spiritual health can all have an impact on our physiology. In my early years of practicing, I began to realise that I could be helpful in treating & managing people's pain and discomfort physically, but I felt that I was only treating one aspect of the person, not their whole being. I wanted to know more about the mind/body connection and how I may be able to be of service in my own unique way with a truly holistic approach to the individual's wellbeing. Being an avid yoga enthusiast for many years, I could clearly see the correlation between movement and health/wellbeing. I could also feel it! And it wasn't just about less pain and better movement, I felt fantastic! On so many levels. Levels I had forgot even existed! It seemed to balance me in a way that was so satisfying and sustainable. I was curious to know more about the mind, the energetic life force flowing through all of us, and how to harness the power of my breath. So naturally I felt drawn to meditation and mindful movement practices. I have studied a range of other modalities including Meditation & Yin Yoga teacher training, Reiki & Qi Gong. I am now also a meditation coach for new meditation teachers in training with Australian Centre for Meditation & Mindfulness. My passion for wellness extends far beyond the physical. Clients often see me for stress & mental/emotional-related conditions that can lead to imbalance and physical pain. These include headaches, migraines, tension, aches, poor sleep quality, fatigue, malaise. As well as all manner of muscular pain conditions. I believe in the power and need for human touch. The clinical applications of my treatments may be similar for certain symptoms and conditions, however I have a unique and tailored approach to each individuals wellbeing needs which includes an intuitive and holistic treatment style. I look forward to working with you to begin your wellbeing journey with me. Book your appointment with me during school hours on Mondays and Wednesdays, or in the afternoon on Thursdays. |
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