A neuromuscular therapist is a health care provider who assists patients with mobility improvement and pain management. Often patients are referred to a physical therapist by a primary care doctor or specialist for help recovering from a surgery or traumatic injury, such as a car crash. Physical therapists help patients manage pain that results from chronic disease and other illness. Physical therapy can help enhance mobility when patients are faced with neurological disorders, such as after a stroke, and provide relief from arthritis or other mobility and pain issues.

A physical therapist uses medical exercise equipment and exercises to empower patients to regain flexibility and mobility where possible. They may use treadmills, steps, medicine balls, resistance bands, isometric exercises, weights and more to improve muscle control and movement. A physical therapist uses physical movement to help heal the patient, but also can sometimes prescribe medication as appropriate. A physical therapist can also become board certified in one of nine specialty areas.

Deep tissue massage is effective because of its technique – consisting of slower, stronger massage that stimulates deep into muscles. This can be especially helpful for athletes who expose their muscles to daily, intensive conditioning. Deep tissue massage will noticeably loosen muscles, alleviate pain, and increase mobility – all significant benefits for an athlete. However, you don’t have to be an athlete to enjoy the benefits of deep tissue massage.

• Relieve pain
• Treat injury
• Enhance wellbeing, function and performance
• Prevent recurrence of injury

First, your therapist will do an assessment to gauge your current physical health, and to give you a chance to disclose any previous injuries that might need attention. This will help them to decide what type of treatment is most suitable for the particular pain or issue you have.

Your therapist will then check your ‘range of motion’ – your joint flexibility – before starting your massage. During your treatment, your therapist pays particular attention to trigger points – what you might call ‘knots. These are the tightened areas of muscle that cause you pain and discomfort. Your NMT Dublin massage therapist will be able to locate these points and use pressure to release and soften them.

Usually, during a Neuromuscular Therapy Dublin massage session the therapist will work on one or two areas to get rid of the trigger points or “knots”, before massaging the rest of the body to help loosen the muscles and soft tissue.