Massage appointments, how often? How often should I come for a massage appointment? Often I got asked this question, and the answer is not as simple as. A massage, that is Remedial Massage, Thai Massage or MLD treatment, has the aim to heal a condition or alleviate the pain. Well, at least that’s the main aim of those techniques. Said so, the second, but not less important task for a massage is to induce relaxation. Therefore, if you are aiming to get some relaxation, I would suggest considering getting a massage appointment regularly. Like, every 2 weeks, every month or every 2 months. Of course, depends mostly on finance. So, a regular massage appointment, allows the body and mind to aim for something positive. It is like a reward. On the other hand, if the message is not limited to relaxation time, then, you may need it more often. That’s the case when the client comes to the appointment that is in pain (99% of the time). If this post is talking to you, book your next massage session by clicking here. The fact that you are in pain can be a sign that the body issue has been there for a while. Indeed with a massage, we can alleviate the pain, but to actually fix the issue (if it’s fixable by the way) or to make the best out of what the condition is, we need to do more than one session. In fact, one session may release the pain for a couple of days, but then, as you go back to your daily routine, the pain would come back. Therefore, a series of close massage appointments, in a short time can actually help for the best. Another important aspect of pain management is exercise. Corrective exercises are a key role in expanding the time between one session and the next one. If you actually do the exercises, you can by yourself improve your body conditions, reducing the risk of injury and pain. In conclusion, the frequency for which you should attend a massage appointment is based on your needing. For a Remedial massage or a Thai Massage, you may wanna initially see the therapist once a week for the first 3 to 4 weeks. With MLD is different. With MLD the need for seeing a therapist can be more frequent. Obviously depending on the condition that has to be treated.
Tag Archives: thai massage
Blog
Hormones and Menopause: What is happening?
Menopause is a crucial step in a woman’s life. Menopause marks the time when a [...]
Continue readingMar
Blog
How Strength Exercises Can Help With Bone Density
Bone density is a key factor in bond fracture prevention. Bone is made of cells [...]
Continue readingMar
Blog
How Lymphatic Drainage Massage Can Help with Menopause Symptoms?
Menopause is a natural transition in every woman’s life, which marks the end of a [...]
Continue readingMar
Blog Melbourne Massage and Treatment
Body scans as a Diagnostic Tools
Musculoskeletal pain can be complex, and orthopedic tests and hands-on treatment, sometimes, can be a [...]
Continue readingMar
Blog
Meralgia Paresthetica: Causes, Symptoms, and Myotherapy Treatment
Meralgia Paresthetica is a condition characterized by numbness, tingling, and burning pain in the outer [...]
Continue readingMar
Feb
Altar within a Massage Clinic. As you may already know, part of my training was done in Thailand at Pichest Boonthumme Thai Massage School. That’s where I learn about Altar within a Massage Clinic Pichest, as already mentioned in a previous blog post, is a unique way of teaching. In fact, he doesn’t only share the massage knowledge. He included in his teaching a methodology of life. Included in this methodology there is the dedication to prayer and meditation. Even though I haven’t included the prayer yet in my experience, I did include the meditation. In order to do so, in order to build a stronger attitude toward those practices, at Melbourne massage and Treatment clinic there is a little altar the clinic. On the altar, based on the teaching of Pichest, I do expose my offer and memory to the Buddha, to Mamma and Papa’, and to the Teacher. In addition, I did decide to place objects or pictures that recall for me a special time, a memory o a person that someone, shared with me some teaching. Furthermore, just below the altar, there are the products that I sell as the Incenses. But you know what’s the funny thing about the altar present at the Home Clinic here in Blair St? Well, it was already there. I didn’t have to install it. If this post is talking to you, book your next massage session by clicking here. True fact is that, when we came for the house inspection, we right away address that room as the clinic, due to the presence of the wooden altar. A few days after we did move in, I did find out the truth about our neighbour that someone else, before us, already was running a massage studio in the same room. What a coincidence, right?! In conclusion, I am working on my way to improving my practice, and not as a massage therapist only, by taking the Myotherapy course, but also by improving my meditation practice and my prayer practice. I can’t define myself as a religious person, but even though I believe in trust and faith. Thanks again for reading my blog, Giovanni
Jan
Massage and music at Melbourne Massage and Treatment Studio. Music is such an important part of receiving and giving a massage. As our body gets stimulated from the touch of the practitioner, music can tune in with the healing touch and create a different atmosphere. Said so, I never found it too hard to choose what music to play. Lately, I did decide to step away from platforms such as Spotify or Youtube. Why? Well, starting with YouTube, there is way too much publicity, and I don’t really use it as much that I would need an account for it. In regards to Spotify, I just can’t stand their politics. The artists get paid nothing for each time we listen to their music, and I found it really unfair. So, more recently, I discover a really nice French Radio called FIP. FIP stands for France Inter Paris. The concept behind FIP has scarcely changed since its founding: commercial-free music interrupted only by occasional announcements about forthcoming cultural events. Why did I choose FIP? If this post is talking to you, book your next massage session by clicking here. I choose Fip as it has a broad range of music styles and is commercial-free The last thing you want to hear during a massage is publicity, isn’t it? Furthermore, I use it all day long in the house, it has a really massive range of music choices. During the treatments, I mostly play Jazz music as is the one that best suits the environment. In regards to MLD, though, I don’t play music during those sessions. Why? Well, MLD is a light touch treatment that doesn’t have to follow a bit. In fact, having music, for us MLD therapists can be distractive. Along with the MLD treatment, I have to be so focused that I can’t get distracted by the music’s rhythm. That would change the rhythmic of my touch and massage speed, interrupting the healing purpose of MLD. In conclusion, I never received a complaint about the Music choice, so I guess your customers appreciate the choice and respect the idea that under pay an artist, is just not fair.
Jan
Massage History. Massage history dates back many centuries ago. The association between touch and healing is longer than what you may expect. In fact, the history of massage goes back to 5000 years ago. As per the result of the first finding, the first appearance of massage as a healing technique is founded in India. Is the Ayurveda history then that can be pushed so far. Along the millennia and centuries, this healing technique gets spread all around. Firstly the massage approach spreads to China ( 2700BCE ) and is here that the technique starts to be mixed with martial arts and spiritual yoga. Indeed, this will create the base for Chinese Medicine. From China then, the massage techniques and knowledge moved to Japan, and that’s when Shiatsu was born. Shiatsu is a technique that regulates and strengthens organs by moving energy levels through the stimulation of pressure points aiming to bring natural resistance to illness. If this post is talking to you, book your next massage session by clicking here. Along with the eastern culture, let’s not forget the Thai Massage. About this specific technique, I did dedicate a full blog post. In regards to the western culture were Egyptians the first who start practising massage then influence the Greeks and the Romans (800BCE). As per result, the Greeks put the base for western medicine. Thanks to the passion and devotion to sports (Olympics game) figures like Hippocrates start to associate facts with time in nature, music, rest, good food, and massage as a good practice for the body and essential for healing. Hippocrates can be considered the father of modern medicine. In regards to the Romans, made massage was a popular practice. The reach people could get a massage as a private service, whereas, everybody else would have a massage at the public bath. The Roman public bath is the precursor of the modern SPA. Timepass by and massage lose its popularity, especially in the western world. We have to wait till the 19th century. Is then when a Swedish doctor Per Henrik Ling, developed the base for the Sweedish massage or better known as relaxation massage. From this time onward than all the modern medicine techniques start developing. Remedial Massage (19th century) Myotherapy (1970) Osteopathy (1874) MLD (1930) In conclusion, several are the technique of massage available today. There is a massage that works better than others? Possibly yes, like some massage techniques can work more deeply than others. Said so, depending on the need of the person and the body conditions that may a specific technique is recommended more than others.
Nov
Strokes that we use as Remedial Massage therapists. As previously mentioned, a remedial massage is different from a relaxation massage. Indeed, a remedial massage aims to speed up the recovery process from an injury or musculoskeletal dysfunction. Therefore, in a remedial massage, we use a bigger variety of strokes, and we can dive them into static, and dynamic. As per result, static strokes, don’t involve the client’s movement, like DIP. On the other hand, dynamic strokes require a resistance or a movement of the client’s body, like MET for example. Indeed, in the table below, we can find a list of strokes that remedial massage therapists use. MFTT – Myofascial Tension Technique Applied skin on skin with oil-based cream. The same principle is used in dynamic cuppings. It aims to break the fascia connecting the skin to the muscles, reducing cutaneous tensions and improving muscle and joint mobility. DIP – Digital Ischemic Pressure DIP is a stroke that consists in applying pressure on a Trigger Point. So, by applying this pressure, as therapists, we aim to reproduce pain within a comfortable zone (7 out of 10 at worst). As the pressure is applied the pain will decrease and the muscle will increase its mobility and length. MET – Muscular Energy Technique MET is a manual therapy that uses the gentle muscle contractions of the patient to relax and lengthen muscles and normalize joint motion. So, as therapists, we passively stretch the joint of the client to a safe level, and then we ask the client to meet our resistance to the movement. As per result, the muscle will increase their lengthening. PNF – Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation PNF techniques include passive stretching and isometric muscle contractions. Therefore, the PNF protocol involves a specific pattern of contracting, stretching, and relaxing. Cross Fiber Friction Cross fibre friction is a firm pressure applied perpendicular to the fibre direction. In conclusion, not all of these techniques can be used during one treatment. In fact, before applying a technique as therapists we have to evaluate the body tensions and the needing of the clients. If this post is talking to you, and you are in need of a massage, book your next session by clicking here.
Nov
In this post, I talk about Remedial Massage and how this technique is applied in my services. What is a Remedial Massage? How does it work? Where did I train for this type of massage? As per the name, remedial massage aims to improve the quality of life of the clients, by giving a remedy to her/his physical disconfort/s. So, to start with we describe the difference between a remedial massage and a general relaxation massage. Indeed, a relaxation massage is a combination of soft and deep strokes. Therefore, those strokes are applied using oils. A relaxation massage aims to stimulate physical and mental relaxation by pushing the blood and body fluids around the body. In regards to the remedial massage, the therapist, before the massage will go through a complete assessment of injuries and or musculoskeletal conditions. As per result, the therapist creates a comprehensive treatment plan to manage or rehabilitate the injuries or pain. Indeed, a remedial massage would speed up the process of healing and recovery. In conclusion, at the end of each session, the therapist would demonstrate and provide the client with corrective exercises that can support the client’s wellbeing and recovery. About my training for remedial massage, I did study at the RMIT University, here in Melbourne. In 2020, the world stopped because of Covid-19 I took the occasion to quit my previous job and get back to studying massage. I don’t regret my choice. Indeed I will keep studying in 2022, for the advanced diploma in Myotherapy. I want to keep learning and improving my massage skills and knowledge, to offer always a better service. Said so, I will keep offering Thai Massage as a massage service too. In fact, as I already mentioned in another blog post, the technique that I work with is not so demanding on my body. In fact, it allows me to enjoy more what I do and allows the client to receive a better level of healing. True fact is that the client after a Thai Massage session, here at Melbourne Thai Treatment, told me always how they feel lighter, better, less stressed and more aware of their body feels. In the next blog post, I am going to talk about the strokes that we use in Remedial Massage and how I implement those strokes in Thai Massage.
Nov
The history of Thai Massage. As per the name, Thai Massage is a technique of bodywork that finds its origin in Thailand. The history of Thai Massage starts about 2500 years ago with Jivaka Kumar Bhaccha (Shivago Kompara ) a friend of the Buddha, who had a really wise knowledge about medicine. Still nowadays, along the different mantras pronounced during the morning prayer time, for many Thai Massage courses, there is a prayer to Shivago, for his teacher’s role. As time did pass by, the technique did start differing from the rural Thai Massage and the Royal Thai Massage. The first one was passed orally from teacher to students between the pour people and monks. The second one, indeed, was based on the Royal family knowledge and had more influences coming from India, the Muslim world and China too. But what’s the difference between Thai Massage and other practices? Thai Massage is a dry massage therapy that is performed using different compressing and stretching actions that are similar to those used in Yoga. Indeed, as practitioners, when we offer a treatment we concentrate on our breath to ensure that we feel present, and also to improve the movement of our body. Personally to improve my technique I then on my own time practice Thai Yoga and meditation (Vipassana). But let’s get back to the History of Thai Massage and its benefits. Thai Massage is well known for: 1. Relieves pain and relaxes muscles. By combining stretching and firm pressures along with trigger points, this technique allows tight muscles to relax and length. Improving mobility, motility. 2. Improves joint motions By doing direct work on muscle tensions and occasionally on tendons too, there is an indirect benefit for the stimulation of lymph, synovial and cerebrospinal liquids, that run in the space between joints. 3. Improves blood circulation Along with the Thai Massage History, there are techniques of blood stops that help in improving blood circulation. 4. Improves immunity Many are the benefit of improving blood circulation. Along those, there is the strengthening of the immune system. 5. Improve mental relaxation By bringing the body to a deep level of relaxation, the mind would follow and adjust to a more relaxing state. 6. Improve sleep Combining all the benefits listed above, Thai Massage is a great technique of work that can help improve sleep. If this post is talking to you, and you are in need of a massage, book your next session by clicking here.
Oct
Rotator Cuff Muscles and Bursitis. What muscles are the rotator cuff muscles? And why are so important? What happens when the rotator cuff muscles are out of balance? What is Shoulder Bursitis? Firstly, we look in too which 4 muscles are the rotator cuff muscles. Subscapularis Origin Subscapular fossa of scapula. Insertion Lesser tubercle of humerus. Action Arm internal rotation; Stabilizes humeral head in the glenoid cavity. Infraspinatus Origin Infraspinous fossa of the scapula. Insertion Greater tubercle of the humerus. Action Arm external rotation; Stabilize the humeral head in the glenoid cavity. Teres Minor Origin The inferior lateral border of the scapula. Insertion Greater Tubercle of Humerus. Action Arm external rotation, arm adduction; Stabilizes humeral head in the glenoid cavity. Supraspinatus Origin Supraspinous fossa of scapula. Insertion Greater tubercle of the humerus. Action Arm abduction; Stabilization of the humeral head in the glenoid cavity. Now, that we are more aware of the rotator cuff muscles’ anatomy, we can look into their functionalities. So, the rotator cuff muscles’ functionality is to hold the humerus bond in place in the glenoid cavity. Furthermore, if it was not for those groups of muscles when our arm goes into abduction, the humorous head would pop out of the shoulder joint. Indeed, for abduction, we refer to the arm movement, where the arm goes away from the body laterally. As listed above, all those muscles originate from different areas of the scapula. As per result, muscle as Infraspinatus and Subscapolaris are responsible for balancing the scapula along the sagittal plane. For instance, if the Infraspinatus is overtaking in force the Subscapularis, the scapula would result in a winged position. Consequently, this would affect other muscles that insert onto the scapula, for example, Rhomboids, Lat Dorsi etc… Regarding the injuries, as I already mentioned in the blog post “functional test”, the rotator cuff muscles can easily be injured. This is due to the acromion clavicular joint anatomy. Indeed the space between the humeral head and the acromion is quite narrow and hosts what we call Bursa. If this post is talking to you, and you are in need of a massage, book your next session by clicking here. So, a Bursa is a soft bag, that seats between the bonds, allowing tendons to run through the joint without being exposed to pinch between bonds, and keep the bonds separated, avoiding frictions. As per result, by putting the Bursa under repetitive stress, it tends to swallow and get inflamed. Consequently, the tendons that run below the bursa can get squeezed, creating shoulder bursitis, or shoulder impingement.
Oct
Firstly the Cervical Occipital muscles are a group of muscles, that seat inferior to the skull and are bilateral to the first and second cervical vertebrae. Cervical Occipital muscles are responsible for 45° of rotation out of 90°. Along with these muscles we find: – Obliquus Capitis Inferior; Origin: Spinous process of Axis (C2) Insertion: Transverse process of Atlas (C1) Innervation: Suboccipital nerve – Obliquus Capitis Superior Origin: Transverse process of Atlas (C1) Insertion: Superior line of Occipital bone Innervation: Suboccipital nerve – Rectus Capitis Posterior Major Origin: Spinous process of Axis (C2) Insertion: Inferior line of Occipital bone Innervation: Suboccipital nerve (posterior ramus of spinal nerve C1) – Rectus Capitis Posterior Minor Origin: Spinous process of Atlas Insertion: Inferior Line of Occipital bone Innervation: Suboccipital nerve The actions supported by Occipital Muscles are to extend and rotate the head. How tight Occipital Muscle affect ROM. When rotating the head, so looking at your right or left, you may notice that you don’t have a full range of 80° to 90°, and you start rotating with the thoracic too. One possible reason for this is tension at the occipital area, due to muscle tension and or facet joint irritation. Moreover, to the rotation and extension actions the Cervical Occipital Muscles, are responsible for holding the head up straight. This characteristic is to be taken into consideration with the anti-gravity functionality. In addition to the Cervical Occipital Muscles, other anti-gravitational muscles are the Soleus, Quadriceps Femoris Group, Gluteus Max, and Erectors Spines group. The anti-gravity functionality is essential for the body to fight back gravity (9.81 m/sec2) and allows the body to stand straight up. This group of muscles received information in regard to the gravity pressure from the feet. This information travels along the nervous system starting from the Center of Gravity (COG) of the feet. If the COG is not balanced all body gets affected with a loss of balance as per result. Furthermore, in modern days, the Cervical Occipital Muscles are under constant stress as per all the other anti-gravitas muscles. This is due to spending long hours standing or seating. For example, standing for long hours would overload the feet, leg and back muscles, whereas seating would inhibit the leg muscle but overload the back and cervical muscles. On top of that, spending long hours looking at the phone and or PC would additionally put stress the Cervical Occipital Muscles muscles, as they get over-stretched. How massage can help? As per massaging this area, as therapists, we look into avoiding the Suboccipital triangle, which is defined by the border of the OCI, OCS, and the RCMaj. The Suboccipital triangle is an endangerment site. This means contains superficial, delicate structures that are relatively unprotected and therefore prone to injuries, such as the Vertebral artery, Suboccipital nerve (C1) and Suboccipital venous plexus. If this post is talking to you, and you are in need of a massage, book your next session by clicking here. And what about exercises? As per all the muscles of the body, there are exercises that can be done for the Cervical Occipital Muscles. Along with Thai Yoga, I teach a really simple exercise that recalls the Scap Off Load Test ( a Functional test used to determine what muscle of the cervical region may affect the head rotation). Firstly, in this exercise, available in the Melbourne Massage and Treatment YouTube playlist, you are seating on the floor with a cross leg (a yoga block or pillow can be used as per support), hands projected backwards, with wrists seated below shoulders on a straight line. As per result, the neck would seat in between the shoulders. Secondly, by flexing the head forward, reach the manubrium (the bond that connects the clavicles) with the chin, and with a gentle rotation movement, start rotating the head in a circular movement. Indeed per many Thai Yoga exercises, it is important to be aware of the movement, the body sensation and the speed of movement, which is to be slow and weighted out.
Sep
Thai Yoga, is an exercise practice that would take you to a place of relaxation and better physical and mental well-being. As you may already read on the website page about Thai Yoga, this exercise aims to improve your mobility, motility, and body awareness. Those exercises are based on the principle of Thai Massage and Myotherapy approach. I did study Thai Massage with Arjan Pichest Boonthumme, at his home school in Chiang Mai. Indeed is Pichest the pioneer of this type of exercise. Book now your next private Thai Yoga class with Giovanni. He teaches his students to practice those exercises in order to help us, students, to understand how to reduce physical tension from the body, and to be a better practitioner. Even though he doesn’t call them Thai Yoga. When I left Thailand after my 1st period of training with Pichest (early 2018), I start practising these exercises nearly daily. I was not following a specific sequence, and I was not offering yet the workshop. As I kept working as a massage therapist, and I was suggesting these exercises to my clients, to keep tensions low and enforce the job done with the Thai Massage, I then realise how all these exercises put together, could actually help others heal their bodies and improve their health. I start then offering these classes at the Dancehouse in Carlton, and occasionally I will offer free classes at the Carlton Garden too. So how it works a Thay Yoga class? Well, as per Thai Massage based, those exercises aim to work on muscle’s tensions and reproduce physiological responses that massage would usually generate. Said so, as you work on your body, and you feel in first person the stimulus and the response given to the stimulus, you would be able to improve your body awareness. How it does differ from a regular Yoga class? The difference from a regular Yoga class is that along with a Thai Yoga class, most of the exercises don’t require a specific elasticity or mobility capacity, even though, once you practice them you would realize how easier is to move a joint and how freer the body is feeling. This happens because during the class, as we stimulate the blood flow starting from the upper limb, and moving down the lower limb, the body gets warmer, and the stiffness gets cleared away. Furthermore, during the class, I would show how the usage of the breathing wave technique helps in mastering the practice. This way of breathing, not only improves the oxygenation of the body, and so the healing of it, but also helps the participant to learn how to deal with the body sensation that arises along with the workshop. Yes, I would not lie to you, some of these exercises can reproduce pain. But hey, have you ever heard of a Thai Massage pain-free? Well, Thai Yoga exercises are not so different from it. In conclusion, Thai Yoga is not recommended for those with conditions like hypertension, osteoporosis and or diabetes n. 1 or whilst pregnant.