Red Light Therapy and Remedial Massage: The Honest Version
You've probably seen red light therapy on your phone. Someone in a glowing face mask, promising the world in fifteen minutes.
That's not what this is.
It's a mat with lights built into it, and it's now something you can add to your 45, 60 or 90 minute session. Thirty bucks on top, no extra time on the table, because it runs while I'm already working on you.
Here's what it actually does, no lab coat required.
What it actually is
Picture a normal massage table, plus a soft red and near-infrared glow built into the surface. You lie on top of it, eye protection on, and I get on with the actual massage around it.
Near-infrared is the invisible cousin of the red light you can see. It reaches a bit deeper into the tissue than the visible stuff in those face masks, but it's not heat doing the work. Some units warm up a little, mine included, but that's a side effect, not the point.
What it's actually doing
Two things, and I'm not dressing them up as more than that.
First, most people find it relaxing. Lying there with a warm glow on you, on top of an already good massage, tends to feel pretty nice. That's not science, that's just what people tell me.
Second, it is used to support circulation and tissue recovery. Nothing fancier than that. Think of it as nudging the tap open a touch wider while I'm already working the muscle underneath.
That's it. Two things. Everything you might've heard about tendons, sleep or the deeper cellular stuff, I'll leave to the research nerds. My hands are still doing the actual work here, the light's just riding along.
Why it's not its own appointment
Most places selling this put you in a booth on your own for ten to forty minutes - another appointment, another trip across town, forty to sixty bucks a go around Melbourne. Yet the tissue is never "worked". Imagine how great the muscles would feel after receiving RLT, then having the restrictions removed so the body can get on with moving and grooving like it should!
Mine runs under you while I'm already elbow-deep in the actual treatment. Same $30 whether you're booked in for 45 minutes or 90, because the light doesn't care how long the massage runs.
I bought it, used it on myself for four weeks, then put it on the menu. Nobody got a free run before meeting the price tag - me included.
Who should skip it
Not your first visit. That appointment is for working out what's actually going on. Bolting on extras before I know that is backwards.
One thing worth flagging: some medications make you more sensitive to light. A quick consent form covers that the first time you book it.
Unsure? Tell me and I leave it out. Nothing else about your session changes either way.
Curious? Add it when you book, or ask me about it next time you're on the table. No pressure either way.
Frequently asked questions
Does it make my session longer?
No. It runs at the same time as the hands-on work. A 60 minute session with red light is still 60 minutes.
What does it feel like?
Warm and quiet. You wear eye protection and lie there as you normally would.
Which sessions can I add it to?
The 45, 60 and 90 minute consultations. Not the Initial Consultation.
What does it actually do?
It is used to support circulation and tissue recovery, and most people find it a relaxing add-on to the massage. It's not a treatment for any particular condition.
Should anyone skip it?
Some medications make you more sensitive to light, and that's what the consent form asks about. Unsure? Leave it out and ask me at your appointment.
0 Comments