Relaxing and Regenerative Massages

The therapeutic effects of massage

A massage therapist always starts from the individual problems and physical predispositions of the particular patient. Massage strokes achieve therapeutic effects in the body not only at the site being massaged, but also in more distant areas, and even throughout the whole body.

During a massage, dead skin cells are removed, which opens up the pores and the ducts of the sweat and sebaceous glands. This improves the mechanical processes in the skin cells. Blood flow to the skin and subcutaneous tissue improves, increasing the supply of oxygen, nutrients and protective substances. At the same time, the removal of waste products is increased.

Massage therapy supports healing throughout the whole body. It eases tension in muscles, joints and deep tissues and improves circulation in the target area. Relaxation and increased circulation help your body recover faster, which increases the benefit of your other treatments too, such as physiotherapy.

What can you expect from a massage therapy visit?

Here at physio&care in Bratislava we're proud of the quality of our massage therapy services and the range of massage types our therapists provide. Our massage services focus on therapeutic massage as well as sports massage, but we also provide relaxing massages.

Neck and head massage

Calming, especially mentally, and treating stress are what a neck and head massage promises. The procedure begins by releasing stiff shoulder and neck muscles and continues with a gentle massage of the scalp. The effect is releasing, anti-stress and deeply relaxing.

Neck and head massage is suitable if:

• you have a job that demands concentration
• you're overworked
• you have headaches or migraines
• you have trouble falling asleep, are under pressure and stressed
• you're bothered by tinnitus, unpleasant noise and "ringing" in the ears
• you want to support hair growth and improve its quality

Classic massage

Classic massage is one of the manual relaxation techniques with an immediate effect on physical and mental state. During the massage, the massaged muscles are released and their blood flow improves, removing stiffness and pain, as well as bringing overall physical and mental relaxation to the client. Classic massage can be performed on the whole body, or just on problem areas.

Classic massage is a mechanotherapy technique whose goal is to favourably influence changes caused by various illnesses, physical and mental strain, to strengthen health and increase the body's overall resistance. Touch and massage are among the oldest treatment methods. They are used to remove fatigue, as a means of refreshment and regeneration, but also as preparation before, or immediately after, athletic performance.

Uses of classic massage:

• muscle pain from overloading the axial system
• headaches
• stiff neck
• cervical spine problems
• vertebrogenic pain syndromes
• movement system disorders – various joint inflammatory processes, degenerative joint disorders, intervertebral disc disorders, diseases of tendons, fasciae, joint capsules, ligaments, rheumatic diseases
• conditions after injuries and surgeries – tears of tendons, ligaments and joint capsules, scar formation after burns, after fractures once the cast is removed
• convalescence
• various nervous system diseases – movement disorders, multiple sclerosis
• digestive system diseases
• respiratory system diseases – bronchial asthma, conditions after pneumonia, after pulmonary emphysema, after lung surgery, chronic bronchitis

Sports massage

Sports massage is technically similar to classic therapeutic massage and is used by active athletes throughout year-round training as part of sports recovery. The goal is to prepare the body for extreme physical exertion, achieve maximum athletic performance, or remove excess fatigue after physical exertion. We perform sports therapies with the goal of removing pain, muscle tension, or easing injuries. Therapies and massages prepare the athlete's body for exercise and reduce the risk of injury. We recommend sports massage to professional athletes, but also to amateur athletes, to achieve better results.

With sports massage it's necessary to take into account what type of sport is involved, what phase of training the athlete is in, as well as the extent and intensity of the athlete's load, climatic conditions and individual predispositions.

Uses of sports massage:

• before short-term and long-term exertion
• in difficult conditions, in cold weather
• for active stimulation before competition
• for endurance sporting disciplines

Connective tissue techniques

Connective tissue techniques are used when reflex changes (connective tissue zones) occur in the subcutaneous connective tissue. The effect lies in stimulating nerve endings in the skin tissue and connective tissue, applying either a shallow connective tissue technique, a friction technique, or a combination of the two. After correct application, a feeling of strong fatigue with malaise occurs after 1–2 hours, followed by a feeling of pleasant release and freshness after a short sleep.

Cupping

Cupping and vacuum massage are effective for detoxification, getting energy flowing, musculoskeletal pain, and many internal complaints. It involves applying round cups with appropriate suction. This suction strongly opens the pores, from which toxins are drawn out. If an area is weakened, this is practically always shown by an increased amount of toxins in that area. Bruise-like marks can often appear after cupping. Cupping cleanses the blood, has an anti-inflammatory effect, and is used to treat headaches, migraines, rheumatic diseases, joint pain, to release excessive muscle tone, angina, gallbladder, stomach and kidney pain, swelling of the lower limbs, depression, asthma, menstrual cycle disorders, digestive problems, anaemia and ovarian inflammation.

Anti-cellulite massage

Cellulite forms as a result of fluid accumulation in the subcutaneous tissue. The result is disrupted lymph flow. Anti-cellulite massage using cups stimulates the subcutaneous structure for better subcutaneous metabolism and improved removal of waste products. After an anti-cellulite massage your skin will be firm, smooth and supple. Subcutaneous fat pockets will be reduced and "orange peel" skin will be a thing of the past.

No special preparation is needed. However, it is important to inform the massage therapist about your health condition so they can professionally assess the suitability of cupping for your body. Like any type of massage, anti-cellulite massage also has contraindications — it is not recommended, for example, with varicose veins.

Foot reflexology massage

Foot reflexology massage has a diagnostic, therapeutic and preventive purpose. Feet are exceptional organs. Each foot contains 26 bones (together, both feet make up a quarter of all the bones in the body), 7,200 nerve endings and 107 ligaments. By working on reflex zones on the foot, blood circulation improves, and practically all organs and parts of the body are influenced and stimulated. The feet are one of many microsystems where we have easy access to, and can easily therapeutically reach, the whole body.