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Manual Release Techniques

There are many manual release techniques that focus on releasing tight muscles and fascia. They work usually in conjunction with other techniques. These include

Trigger Point Therapy - Medium to Deep Pressure focused right onto the 'knots'. These 'knots' (quite painful, very specific location) are called trigger points. Current consensus states that trigger points are muscle fibres 'stuck' in contraction. There are many reasons these pop up with injury, chronic bad posture, overuse and lack of use being the major reasons. Applying a decent amount of pressure directly on trigger points generally releases them or eases them and sometimes cause a local twitch response, combine this with treating the cause is generally the solution. Here is a link to learn more about them for my fellow anatomy geeks: https://www.physio-pedia.com/Trigger_Points
Myofascial Release - The fascia is not anything new, but its importance in training, recovery and pain management has been overlooked for too long. It has recently become more and more researched and understood. With elastic properties it weaves and interconnects the entire body, muscles, bones, organs and the neurovascular network. Literally separating each individual muscle fibre, yet holding that whole muscle together. separating that muscle from others yet holding it together within that muscle group and attaching it to the next muscles within that kinetic chain! It adds support and structure, aids movement patterns across multiple joints, separates muscles allowing for glide between them but also joins muscle groups together helping them function as one! Fascia is highly dependent on water to provide its function properly. Sometimes from injury, dehydration, lack of movement, we can get 'stuck' fascia which instead of enabling movement between muscles, it will act kind of like glue inhibiting smooth movement. The fascia has also been highly regarded as a contributing factor to trigger points. Now that you know what fascia is, how do we treat it? Myofascial Release Therapy!! MRT is slower paced massage focusing on trying to grip and slide the fascia to get it 'unstuck'. However, we have found that a mixture of Myofascial Cupping, Hydration, MRT, Stretching and adding Movement into that fascial line is key to getting it 'unstuck'. Once again, for my anatomy geeks, here are some deeper links physio-pedia fascia guide and for a quick video on it for audio visual learners, here's a YouTube link: SciShow
Deep Tissue and Cross Fibre Friction - Deep Tissue Massage (DT) and Cross Fibre Friction (CFF) are both highly used to prepare/warm up muscles/fascia for other techniques as well as relaxing them and your mind. While great on their own, (CFF great for tendinopathy and DT for release muscle tension) using these to prepare the muscles/fascia will yield better results for almost any other technique. A warm muscle will stretch better, a relaxed mind will relax the muscle better, a previously sedentary fascia is now lubricated and slide easier. This is also why a variation Deep Tissue is great for pre-sporting events (Pre-Event Sports Massage), generally a bit lighter and faster so it doesn't beat you up, but still warms the muscle up, gives a general loosen up of the muscles about to be used as well as helping flush any muscle wastes from previous training! It's half way between a relaxation and a deep tissue massage.
Relaxation Massage/Swedish Relaxation - The most widely used for of massage, Swedish relaxation doesn't fall under Remedial, but a quick guesstimation... 99% of Remedial Therapists would be trained in Swedish Relaxation. Don't neglect the mind, there's much attributed from the anxious, worried, stressed mind that will play out in how we hold our posture and tense muscles without even realising, that will directly impact your body!

Dry Needling

Dry Needling works wonders at releasing Trigger Points. The actual mechanisms in which it works are still being researched and fully understood. A thin needle (thin enough to fit many, many dry needles into a syringe needle) is inserted into the trigger point causing small lesions. Here are some links which go into further depth about dry needling: physiopedia, Larry Keeley video. Although at first glance dry needling highly resembles acupuncture, they differ highly in terms of their focus. Traditional Chinese Medicine Acupuncture focuses on the unblocking of meridian lines so chi can flow as it is meant to. The insertion of the needle is often located far from the affected area. This is far from what is currently understood by modern medical research. Dry needling on the other hand, while not 100% understood, focuses on inserting a needle directly into the affected muscle to produce responses which does align with scientific research. As mentioned, dry needling is not 100% understood. However, studies suggest that it works in the following manners:

Myofascial Cupping

Myofascial Cupping produces something which no massage can... A vacuum, what is the importance of this? As we've spoken about above, the fascia is a connective tissue which encapsulates all muscles. Fascial adhesions are areas where the fascia has become 'stuck' to the muscle and/or misaligned with the direction of tension. Myofascial cupping creates a vacuum that lifts/sucks the fascia creating space between the muscle and fascia allowing blood and water to re-enter the area which was previously restricted. The purpose of the fascia is to allow smooth movement between different internal structures as well as adding an elastic, moveable supporting structure to all internal structures.

Myofascial cupping is a technique used by placing a plastic cup onto the skin and attaching a manually controlled pump on to the cup. The pump produces the vacuum lifting the fascia, bringing blood into the area and creating space between the layers. The cup can be moved around or used in conjunction with the clients movements to allow for gliding of the fascia further releasing fascial adhesions and alignment of fascial lines. It is a great technique we highly recommend everyone to try!

Strength & Mobility Drills

Rehab Style Strengthening Exercises Are widely used in physiotherapists, osteopaths, chiropractors, more advanced personal trainers and coaches, remedial massage therapists among many other health professionals. They are not just used for rehabilitation, but just as importantly, if not more importantly, used as prehabilitation. The best rehab is a good prehab, prevention is better than a cure. Usually carried out with physio bands, light weights, cables, body weight or a mixture of these. The aim is to target underdeveloped muscles which are more important than the muscles you will see being trained at your local gym. Have you heard of rotator cuff tears? Disc bulges? Even more common tension headaches? Unless they have been caused by a sudden force/injury, they will usually be a type of repetitive use injury which could have been avoided by balancing out muscle strengths on a joint. The tension headaches usually have come from chronic bad posture where our front muscles have become stronger and/or tighter as compared to the weaker/longer back muscles. This in turn will change our posture to where the weight of our arms/shoulders is leveraged directly onto our upper traps. This constant tension then brings on headaches.

At Remediatherapy we ALWAYS promote movement. Good movement. We are happy to guide you through strengthening exercises that help balance out muscular imbalances, whether its post injury or prehab.

Partner Assisted Stretching

Ok, yeah, I know... You can stretch yourself... Firstly I ask, are you stretching? Secondly, do you know what you're stretching? How to stretch it? So many people say "oh my back is sore" lay on a foam roller and stretch back or stretch between their shoulder blades because it's sore there but they don't feel any long term improvement... when in reality they need to stretch their hip flexors instead of low back or their pecs instead of the trapezius between their shoulder blades. If you answered no to any of the above questions or can relate to the example, we can happily show you how to stretch what, while stretching you at the same time! Besides, there are MANY types of assisted stretches that are quite difficult to do on your own. These include: Simple Partner Assisted Stretching (PAS), Autogenic Inhibition MET (Muscle Energy Technique), Reciprocal Inhibition MET (AIM & RIM), Pin & Stretch, Fascial Stretching and Resistance Stretching. All of these methods serve the purpose of lengthening the muscle, releasing tension and some also good at gaining mobility.

Partner Assisted Stretching - This is quite simply basic stretching as you may know it with the difference of someone moving you through the stretches. This can help in relaxing more than you would on your own and can help those who have neglected stretching for years, stretch those muscles that would be difficult to get into position to stretch. Can be a helpful time to learn what to stretch and how to stretch it as many people stretch muscles wrong without even knowing it.
AIM & RIM - While both are similar and both rely on inhibition, they are still almost the opposite and can be combined into one technique called CRAC (Contract, Relax, Antagonist Contract). AIM bases its technique on the autogenic inhibition principle, which simply put shows a muscle to prevent tearing, will inhibit itself after being in high stretch and contraction. RIM on the other hand bases its technique on reciprocal inhibition, which is that when a muscle is under resisted contraction, the opposite muscle will be completely inhibited to reduce any further resistance to the muscle already under resistance. Playing with these two principles can show great results! For my anatomy geeks, this one is a great read and can lead down a long rabbit hole... Enjoy! Physio pedia again with the goods!
Pin & Stretch - Oooh this one is good! Once again this can be combined with AIM. Pin & stretch is useful for when you have a nice trigger point or "knot" that is stubborn. Firstly, pressure is applied slightly further away than the trigger point, then we stretch the muscle until the trigger point reaches the pressure applied and is stretched while under pressure... Yep, brutal but effective. Can be even more effective by the client actively stretching against resistance to completely inhibit the pinned muscle. Only downside is that it's difficult to perform on just any muscle. Really good for Lats, Traps, Hammies, Calves, Pecs, Forearms (both flexors and extensors) and Biceps.
Fascial Stretching - As mentioned in the tab above under myofascial release, the fascia connects long chains of muscles. Fascial stretching focuses on stretching as much of that chain as possible in one stretch. Really beneficial when someone has a whole restricted line of of movement (line being the fascial lines). Some people stretching their hamstrings will feel a stretch in their calves, soles of their feet or lower back as an example. Learning how to stretch the fascial lines can up your stretching game to a whole other level!
Resistance Stretching - We probably won't do this much in a session other than teach you how to utilise it. Nonetheless, it is a game changer for stretching without a partner. This can help you incorporate AIM on your own, and also make you think about your exercise selection and techniques during exercises in the gym when you understand the concept. Basically, flexibility does not equal mobility. Flexibility is the range of motion you can achieve with someone taking you through the motion. Mobility is your functional flexibility, how far a joint can go while still under control by the corresponding muscles. When used right resistance stretching can help your mobility, not just flexibility.

Remedial Massage

Here at RemediaTherapy we aim to provide top quality Remedial Massages in Yanchep, with our focus being on our technique and skill development to aid people in moving optimally and pain free. Whether it’s at the gym, running a marathon, or simply living your day to day life. We aim to help you do this pain free!

Remedial Massage is primarily focused on musculoskeletal health, improving on things such as Mobility, Range of Motion, Muscle Tension, Chronic pain, Joint Compression/Restrictions, Muscle Spasms, Injury Healing etc.

This can cover a multitude of issues, whether runners knee, frozen shoulder, tendinitis, muscle 'knots',

FST (Fascia Stretch Therapy)

Fascial Stretch Therapy (FST) is a revolutionary approach to enhancing flexibility and overall well-being by targeting the body’s connective tissue—the fascia. Unlike traditional stretching methods that primarily focus on muscle lengthening, FST takes a comprehensive approach by addressing the fascia that surrounds and supports muscles, joints, and organs. This technique uses a combination of gentle, active, and passive stretches to release tension and improve mobility, making it particularly effective for those seeking relief from stiffness, chronic pain, or restricted movement.

What sets FST apart is its emphasis on not just stretching individual muscles but also on releasing the interconnected fascial network. This holistic method promotes better range of motion, reduces muscle soreness, and supports optimal functional movement. Whether you're an athlete aiming to enhance performance or someone seeking relief from everyday discomfort, FST offers a tailored solution to help you move more freely and comfortably.