Manual Osteopathy Massage (MO Massage)

What Is MO Massage?

Manual osteopathy (MO) is a hands-on manual therapy that aims to restore balance and alignment to the body by looking at and treating patterns of tension. Its effect on the musculoskeletal system has significant impacts on other systems in the body, including the respiratory system, circulatory system, and lymphatic system.

MO is often used to reduce pain and inflammation, increase mobility, improve organ functions, and decrease joint stress and alignment issues. By looking at the body as a whole, it discovers and treats the root causes of dysfunctions in the body. This promotes better self-healing and can often resolve issues that have not responded to other long-term treatments.  

MO massage therapy is a specific treatment solution that combines the benefits of massage therapy (usually therapeutic massage), with manual osteopathy. This approach provides a better range in treatment options in a single session, allowing our therapists to achieve more extensive and personalized results. 

The Benefits of Manual Osteopathy & Massage

Manual osteopathy in combination with massage can be effective in treating a wide range of conditions and areas of pain or tension. Many clients book MO massage when they are experiencing recurrent neck pain and lower back pain, but this unique treatment option can also be effective in treating: 

• Postural imbalances
• Mobility issues
• Injuries and falls
• Digestive issues
• Migraines
• Spinal pain and spinal injuries
• Leg pain 
• Scar tissue and post-surgical treatment
• Knee pain 
• Tennis elbow
• Arthritis and joint pain 
• Shoulder pain

If you aren’t sure if MO massage is the right treatment option for you, call to speak to our experienced therapist or get in touch with your regular therapist to see if your treatment plan can benefit from combining MO and massage.

How the Treatment Works

MO massage uses a combination of light pressure (during manual osteopathy portions of the treatment) to moderate/deep pressure (during massage portions of the treatment). Depending on what has brought you in for treatment, your therapist may switch back and forth between the two techniques throughout your appointment.  

What to Wear During the Appointment

Your comfort is always our top priority. MO massage can be performed in various states of undress. Be sure to wear comfortable, soft, and stretchy/loose clothing to your appointment so that your therapist can reposition and stretch your body and limbs when needed if you don’t need to undress. If further undressing is required to treat a specific area of the body, you can discuss your comfort level with your therapist. 

How It’s Billed

In these sessions, the primary treatment is massage therapy, so your session will be billed as massage therapy. If you have questions about billing or you would like to learn more about direct billing services, please reach out directly to our customer experience staff. 

What You Should Know Before You Book an Appointment

What to Expect – Before the Treatment

Before beginning your treatment, your therapist will go through your health history and ask you about any problem areas, pain, tension, or injuries. He or she will then perform a manual osteopathy assessment while you remain dressed. This involves a light touch and is often a full body assessment that looks for issues in balance and alignment. After any issues have been identified, your therapist will explain the treatment plan for that session and begin. 

What to Expect – During the Treatment

In addition to massage techniques used in therapeutic massage and deep tissue massage, your therapist will rely on several adjustments used in manual osteopathy, including: 

• Osteo-articular adjustments around joints.
• Fascial release focused on soft tissues. 
• Cranial-sacral techniques focused on the head, spine, and sacrum.
• Visceral manipulation aimed at treating organs such as the liver, heart, pancreas, bladder, and intestines.

The type of adjustments that need to be made will depend on your primary concerns and goals. 

What to Expect – After the Treatment

The results directly after treatment can vary from client to client. Some people feel sore or experience light pain as a result of shifting within the body. This tends to clear up after a day or two, followed by relief from tension and pain. In other cases, clients go home feeling relaxed and relieved right after the treatment. 

If pain and tension persist for more than a few days after treatment, be sure to reach out to your therapist to book a follow-up appointment. Like MO and massage therapy on their own, MO massage often requires a few treatments before clients feel the full healing effects. 

Manual Osteopathy Massage Therapists in St. Albert

Massage therapy and manual osteopathy are two distinct types of manual treatment, and although they often share common goals and techniques, they require separate education. Some of our experienced massage therapists at Urban Massage & Wellness are cross-trained in manual osteopathy, allowing them to provide a broader level of treatment to clients with more complex needs. 

Enjoy the Benefits of MO Massage

If you experience persistent pain, tension, or chronic conditions, MO massage may be a well-rounded solution that addresses both the symptoms and root causes of dysfunctions in the body. Whether you are new to MO massage or you have experienced these treatments separately, this is a great opportunity to add a new approach to your treatment plan. 

To book an MO massage, head to our simple online booking page and choose MO Massage Therapy. You can also call us to speak with our experienced therapists if you would like to learn more about MO massage therapy in St. Albert.