JEM Massage Therapy / Joanne McNamara RMT Ladysmith BC

What is Massage Therapy?

I tried to find a definition of massage therapy and was hard pressed to find one more current than the 5,000-year old definition of “kneading the body.” We do so much more than knead the body – the body is comprised of connective tissue; we are trained to understand, mobilize, and work with this medium. From that, one may branch into several different areas of practice, such as sport’s massage, craniosacral therapy, manual lymph drainage, and so on. Simply put, we work with the soft tissues of the body in a way many professions do not. Still, the one-on-one time that a client receives from their therapist, I believe, is the largest differentiating factor between us and other professions.

Therapeutic Massage:

A Registered Massage Therapist is allowed to treat specific conditions as set out by the College of Massage Therapist’s of British Columbia (CMTBC). As Therapists, we are trained to determine and correct musculoskeletal injuries or dysfunction, to treat the symptoms resulting from such dysfunction, and to help the body relax by breaking the pain-tension cycle.

Not only is an RMT qualified to provide “hands on therapy,” but is also trained in rehabilitative exercises and homecare programs comprising hydrotherapy, stretching, strengthening, and postural exercises.

When striving to achieve and maintain long-term results due to musculoskeletal injury, home care and remedial exercises are a key component.

Massage directly impacts all of our bodily systems, including:

• Skeletal System
• Muscular System
• Articular (joints) System
• Cardiovascular System
• Lymphatic (immune) System
• Respiratory System
• Digestive system
• Urinary System
• Endocrine (hormones) System
• Nervous System
• Integumentary (skin) System

Health Benefits of Massage Therapy:

• Decreases Stress
• Decreases muscle spasms and pain of injuries
• Decreases/relieves chronic pain
• Decreases fatigue and muscle tension
• Increases circulation thereby increasing the removal of cellular waste (toxins)
• Increases soft tissue and joint flexibility
• Increases injury healing time
• Headache relief
• Increases athletic performance
• Strengthens the immune system
• Increases overall health and skin nourishment

Conditions Benefited by Massage Therapy: