What is Massage Therapy?

Massage Therapy is a manual therapy that acts directly upon many systems of the body to rehabilitate injuries, relieve pain, maintain function and promote health. Research studies have found massage therapy improves the following:

  • Circulation of blood & lymphatics
  • Muscular function
  • Nervous system function
  • Immune system
  • Pain perception
  • Psychological state
  • Respiratory function

What does a Massage Therapist do?

Registered Massage Therapists are more than just hands-on health care professionals. They also can advise you to improve your posture, they can provide strengthening and stretching exercises that can help improve your condition and advise you on proper ergonomics at home and at the office.

Registered Massage Therapists may utilize a combination of many techniques, for example, Swedish Petrissage, Neuromuscular Techniques, Trigger Point Therapy, Myofascial Release, Muscle Energy Technique, Cranial Sacral Technique, Manual Lymphatic Drainage, Joint Mobilizations, Therapeutic Exercise, Stretching and Postural Education.

Some conditions that may benefit from Massage Therapy

  • Whiplash
  • Headaches
  • Low back pain
  • Neck pain
  • Dysfunctional muscle tension
  • Ligament sprain
  • Muscle strain
  • Muscle spasm
  • Pregnancy
  • Arthritis
  • Tendonitis
  • Carpal tunnel syndrome
  • Postural problems
  • Repetitive strain (overuse) injuries
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ)
  • Sports injuries
  • Edema & swelling
  • Joint dysfunction

Massage Therapy Facts

  • Massage therapy is the most frequently used therapy for musculoskeletal problems, and is especially useful in controlling pain
  • Massage therapy improves the immune systems of people with all sorts of conditions, including HIV
  • 95 per cent of massage therapy patients surveyed said it improved their conditions
  • Nearly 90 per cent of back patients who receive treatments say they feel dramatically better following treatments
  • Premature babies who receive daily massage therapy treatments gain 47 per cent more weight and go home an average of six days sooner
  • Cancer patients who receive massage therapy experience less pain, improved mobility and less swelling
  • Massage therapy reduces the pain and stiffness of people with fibromyalgia
  • People suffering from tension headaches who receive massage treatments experience significant long-term improvements

Massage Therapy Research

  • 98 per cent of patients believe massage therapy is an effective treatment for their medical conditions.
  • 95 per cent of patients say massage therapy improved their condition
  • 49 per cent of patients say massage therapy allowed them to stop or reduce drug or other medical treatments

“Massage is the most frequently used therapy for musculoskeletal problems, and is particularly useful in controlling pain.”
QTF on Spinal Disorders. “

Scientific Approach in the Assessment and Management of Activity Related Spinal Disorders. A monograph for Clinicians. Report on QTF on Spinal Disorders.” Spine 12, no 7, Suppl:; (Sep. 1987): sl-59
“…it is most valuable to know that cervical pain patients can be helped to improve temporarily by simple manual techniques (massage therapy)* as a first step towards complete treatment.”

Brodin, H. “Cervical Pain and Mobilization”, Journal of Manual Medicine 1985; 2818-22

“multimodel treatment regimen that contained … manual treatments (massage, mobilization) of the cervical spine” was more effective for the treatment of chronic whiplash pain than the regimen in which “patients who received TENS and Ultrasound treatment only”.


Dr. L. Provinciali. Soft Tissue Review, Volume 1, Number 6, page 21, July 1996“In the early phases of WAD [whiplash associated disorder], short courses of cervical manipulations or mobilization therapies have been shown to be of benefit. These procedures should be conducted by skilled or trained professionals, which may include … massage therapists or physicians.”


Physical Medicine Research Foundation (PMRF) B.C. PMRFBC Whiplash Initiative Comprehensive Syllabus page 77, 1997.

*Techniques applied in this study fall under Scope of Practice for Massage Therapy in B.C.

Why Choose a Registered Massage Therapist?

British Columbia has the highest professional standards for Registered Massage Therapists (RMTs) in North America. To become an RMT in BC, you must be a successful graduate at an accredited college.

Massage therapy students are put through a comprehensive training program including substantial hours of hands-on training. This extensive education is necessary because massage therapists are part of the provincial health care program, they need to know the intricate details of how the body works, how to identify dysfunction and conditions, what to do and be able to effectively communicate with other health care professionals.

The College of Massage Therapists of British Columbia (CMT) was created to protect the public. The CMT examines and licenses all therapists and acts as the profession’s regulatory body, ensuring you receive safe and ethical care.

Tips For Effective Treatments

  • For initial session – we suggest you book for 60 minutes. This will give us the time to both assess and treat your injury on your very first visit.
  • Don’t limit your treatment. Consider using related health care professionals such as Chiropractic, Physical Therapy and Acupuncture. We can help you safely and properly integrate other treatments to best meet your goals.
  • Bring yoga or exercise clothing to your treatments. This will help to make your treatment and assessment sessions as comfortable as possible.
  • Maximize your treatment time. Arrive up 10 minutes early to take care of intake forms.