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Dr Tracie O'Keefe DCH, ND

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Massage therapy

Dr Tracie O'Keefe DCH (Doctor of Clinical Hypnotherapy), ND
Registered Naturopath (ANPA) & Remedial Massage Therapist

PH: 02 9571 4333

INSTANT HEALTH FUND REBATES THROUGH HICAPS MAY APPLY

How can massage help?

People often lead such busy lives and forget to have time to relax and unwind, so they build up excess tension in their muscles. Massage helps release tension from the muscles, allowing the blood to flow and circulate, clearing away toxins and promoting healing. It is also very relaxing to have a massage and after an hour on the massage table, people often feel like they would like to float home peacefully. We also provide different kinds of medical massage to help people deal with certain physical conditions.

What massages are available?

Swedish Massage

This is simply an all-over body massage that progressively goes through each part of the body to relax the person and relieve tension. There is a systematic series of massage techniques used to warm up the muscles, flex the limbs and dissipate stress.

Remedial/Sports/Deep Tissue Massage

The use of deep tissue massage, paying particular attention to muscle condition, fatigue and re-invigorating the muscle, helps overcome tired, strained or damaged muscles. For sports people, there is a need to regularly maintain the condition of the muscles to maximise athletic performance.

Many people suffer injury or strain to their muscles due to repetitive work, sitting at computers or standing awkwardly. Remedial massage helps clear the unwanted lactic acid from the muscle to allow new blood, repair cells and collagen fibres to rebuild the muscle. Aches and pains are generally the result of unhealthy or tired muscles that can be manipulated at a deep tissue level in order to help much faster healing and greater comfort.

Aromatherapy Massage

This is the use of essential plant oils along with plant base oils to be used with a deeply relaxing Swedish massage. We select a combination of essential oils after consultation with you to help heal and renew the body. This massage lasts for 90 minutes and includes full body, face and scalp.

For thousands of years, various plant extracts have been used to treat different human conditions: lavender for relaxation,eucalyptus for decongestion, tea tree for anti-bacterial properties, rose for skin rejuvenation and jojoba for calming and smoothing the skin. There is a selection of many essential oils from which we blend a particular mix to suit you personally as an individual.

Cellulite Reduction Massage

This is an hour-long massage, initially working on areas of the body to relax them and stimulate good blood flow. We use a combination of herbs and oils applied to the skin surface that are infused through the skin to begin to help to break down excessive cellulite.

Later in the massage, we use a G5 medical massage machine on specific problem areas to redistribute cellulite globules in the lower levels of the skin. What tends to happen with cellulite is that there is a globulisation of fat tissue and it needs to be broken down and redistributed into a smooth pattern so that the skin has a more healthy and youthful look.

Particular areas that clients often like attention paid to during a cellulite reduction massage are the thighs, buttocks, mid-riff and abdomen. The G5 machine is the machine that is used in surgery after liposuction to redistribute dermal fat tissue. It is very effective and progressively - along with a good dietary and exercise program - the client can see great improvements to the tone and texture of their skin.

Lymphatic Drainage Massage

This massage pays particular attention to help drain down the lymphatic system which is the body's waste disposal system. It often becomes clogged and blocked because the lymphatic system has no connection to the heart, therefore during tiredness or illness it can become sluggish and an excess of waste material can remain at different sites in the body.

The lymphatic drainage massage helps move the lymph (fluid of the lymphatic system) along the drainage corridors and stimulates the lymph nodes (processing plants of the lymph), cleaning out the system. This can be very beneficial for people who have sluggish skins, have had lymph nodes removed, elephantitis, fluid accumulation, are tired or have had too much travel and not enough time to take care of themselves. It's also very good from time to time as a process of cleansing and decontaminating the body, emitting toxins and allowing the body systems to flow naturally.

The great thing about lymphatic drainage is that once excess waste has been drained and expelled from the body, it leaves more room for oxygenated blood, white blood cells and healing repair mechanisms to carry out their daily job.

Trigger Point & Myofascial Release

Trigger point and myofascial release are techniques that separate muscular scar tissue and muscular knotting. Sometimes old injuries turn into adhesve scars within the muscular structure and it is necessary to separate those adhesions and lengthen the muscles. This technique is particularly useful after muscular injuries and in conditions such as frozen shoulder, which need intensive therapy after onset.

Why our massage therapist, Dr Tracie O'Keefe DCH, ND does massage

Tracie started to train in massage in England in 1970, with a woman called Yadda, who used to be a therapist to Russian athletes. She was so impressed with the relief she gave to body builders in her health club that she decided to train in massage therapy. In 1973 she qualified and throughout the years she has enjoyed giving massages. For her, the art of putting healing hands on a person for an hour and affording them great relaxation and relief from stress is very grounding. After coming to Sydney in 2001, Tracie re-qualified under the Australian system of massage therapy, being awarded a Certificate IV and a Diploma in Remedial Massage. She gained her qualifications with the Australian Institute of Applied Sciences, NSW School of Massage and the Gold Coast TAFE. Tracie finds as she moves around the clinic, being able to do massages complements much of the other therapeutic work she does.

What conditions can our massage therapist, Dr Tracie O'Keefe DCH, ND help with?

Can I claim for treatments on my private health fund?
You may be able to claim for massage therapy through your private health fund, either specifically for massage therapy or as part of a naturopathic consultation. Claims can be made either instantly through the HICAPS machine on the day, or by sending off your receipt to your provider. For details about claiming for treatments through your health fund, please visit our health funds section.

Are your products tested on animals?
All products, including massage oils, lotions, balms and linaments, used at the centre are cruelty-free: they are not tested on animals and do not contain any animal-derived ingredients.

Why choose the Australian Health & Education Centre?
Because Dr Tracie O'Keefe, DCH, ND is highly qualified in several modalities, including naturopathy, herbal and nutritional medicine, massage therapy, hypnotherapy, psychotherapy, counselling, with a wealth of many years' experience, she is able to look at patients from many different perspectives and evaluate what the best solutions are for that person. She can offer, if necessary, several treatment options within the one clinic. This means your healing process is conveniently managed with the one practitioner.

We are conveniently located on Glebe Point Road, just 10 minutes from the CBD and a 4-minute walk from Broadway Shopping Centre, where free parking is available.

We are happy to see patients independently or to work with patients' doctors.

Ph 02 9571 4333
to book an appointment

©Australian Health & Education Centre 2009