Massage Therapy

Massage therapy is an effective approach to treating a vast array of painful musculoskeletal conditions without drugs or invasive procedures like surgery. The professional massage therapists at Touch Stone Rehabilitation & Health Center in the Prince's Bay neighborhood of Staten Island, New York, provide customized massage therapy for patients of all ages at their private medical practice. Call the office or request a massage therapy appointment online today.

What is massage therapy?

Massage therapy is a widely used approach to healing that dates back thousands of years. References to massage therapy appear in texts from ancient Greece, China, and Rome, yet it remains prominent in modern medicine.

This hands-on treatment method involves manipulating the soft tissues of your body. The highly trained and certified massage therapists at Touch Stone Rehabilitation & Health Center use varying degrees of pressure and movement to release tension from your muscles, tendons, ligaments, and connective tissues. 

The goal of massage therapy is to relieve pain and improve mobility. Other benefits include increased relaxation, enhanced blood flow, and stress reduction. 

Massage therapy can be a stand-alone treatment, or it may be part of your comprehensive physical therapy and rehabilitation plan.

What are the types of massage therapy?

The expert massage therapists at Touch Stone Rehabilitation & Health Center tailor the massage to meet your specific needs. They may use one or more of the following massage techniques:

Swedish massage

The most commonly performed type, for instance, Swedish massage incorporates long strokes, deep circular motions, kneading, and tapping.

Trigger point massage

Trigger point massage focuses primarily on releasing painful knots in the muscles, also known as trigger points.

Sports massage

Sports massage is similar to Swedish massage, but with a focus on improving athletic performance. This type of massage may help you recover from or prevent sports injuries by increasing range of motion and relieving muscle stiffness.

What conditions can massage therapy treat?

Many people consider massage a luxury, but it has a wide range of therapeutic applications. Because it carries little to no risk, most people are good candidates for massage therapy.

The team at Touch Stone Rehabilitation & Health Center incorporates massage therapy into treatment plans for a variety of musculoskeletal conditions, including:

• Neck pain
• Headaches
• Back pain
• Sports injuries
• Arthritis, including osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, and rheumatoid arthritis
• Joint pain, including knee pain and shoulder pain
• Trigger points (myofascial pain syndrome)
• Automobile injuries

Studies also show that massage therapy can help relieve pain related to other conditions, such as cancer, anxiety, and depression.

To find out how massage therapy can relieve your pain, call Touch Stone Rehabilitation & Health Center or request an appointment online today.