Difference between Massage and Physio therapy
: : Frequently asked question to me in last few months is :
“What is the difference between Massage and Physiotherapy?”
My response was “ very simple !” . “Physiotherapy” is generally performed when a known physical condition is already present and more invasive procedures are not recommended. Meanwhile, “massage therapy” is performed as a prophylaxis /pre-treatment to prevent any physical problems. On a brighter side; massage therapy can be performed anytime to rejuvenate your mind and body and not wait until you start getting problems.
Furthermore, as we all know, “prevention is better than cure.” Massage therapies have been found to prevent musculoskeletal and nervous system disorders/ diseases. Not only as a preventative measure, massage therapies combined with physiotherapy are performed in some cases to get optimal health outcome. For example, in sports, athletics often have massage therapies to heal the fatigueness of their muscles/ joints or any other forms of potential injuries.
A variety of treatments are performed such as kneading, gliding, vibration and stretching which helps to release trigger points, improve circulation, and reduce muscle pain or stiffness, and improve overall function of the body. Additionally, massage therapies have also been found to help people in stress and anxiety.
NB : Massage therapy sessions can last between 30 minutes to an hour or longer up to 90 minutes, and patients receive one-on-one treatment in a calm, relaxing setting. Mostly, for an effective massage session, it requires 1 hour to target all the muscles/ soft tissues and joints. However, if targetting a specific muscle group, only 30 minutes of proper massage session has also been found to be effective by researches.