Medical massage is a therapeutic treatment performed by trained massage therapists under physician prescription. Unlike wellness massage, medical massage is goal-oriented and targets specific musculoskeletal complaints, pain patterns, and functional limitations identified during medical assessment.
At St. George Hospital, massage therapy is integrated into treatment programs for chronic pain, post-surgical rehabilitation, and stress management during intensive medical treatments.
Medical massage employs techniques including deep tissue work, myofascial release, trigger point therapy, and lymphatic drainage. These techniques increase blood flow to affected areas, reduce muscle spasm, break down adhesions in fascial tissue, and stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system to promote relaxation and pain relief.
Medical massage is one of the most well-established manual therapies with extensive evidence supporting its efficacy for musculoskeletal pain, stress reduction, and rehabilitation. Systematic reviews in journals including the Annals of Internal Medicine and Pain Medicine demonstrate benefits for chronic low back pain and neck pain. The therapy is very safe with minimal contraindications including acute fractures, active skin infections, and deep vein thrombosis in the treatment area.
