Frequently Asked Questions

The high quality, targeted manual therapy, including massage and joint mobilisation that I offer, is extremely effective at reducing pain and improving function. This is especially for those clients who follow up their treatment with the rehabilitative exercise programmes I prescribe.

The number of sessions depends on the scope and severity of your problem. However, many clients find they experience a considerable reduction in pain and a corresponding improvement in function after just one or two treatments. Others, including those with long-term health conditions, find that they benefit from regular visits every 2 to 4 weeks to help them manage their issues and improve their quality of life.

A sports massage should be delivered by a suitably qualified, registered and insured practitioner. A therapist with basic qualifications is likely to deliver a basic treatment. If you have underlying health conditions you should check with your doctor to ensure that massage is a safe and appropriate treatment for you.

Sports massage is a specialised set of manual therapy techniques, such as trigger pointing and soft tissue mobilisation, that can be beneficial for anyone in pain, or suffering from a sports injury or stressed.

Sports massage is a description of an approach that encompasses clinical diagnostic tools and a range of treatment techniques for individuals trying to resolve a specific issue rather than a treatment exclusively for sports people. Deep tissue massage describes a firm style of massage for either the whole body or a broad range of areas of the body.

Prior to both types of treatment you should inform the therapist about any injuries you have and any areas you do not want the therapist to treat. You should communicate the level of pressure you prefer the therapist to use throughout the massage.

Pain relief: individuals from home workers to athletes often experience muscle soreness, tension, and pain due to the nature of their activities. Sports massage can help alleviate these discomforts by releasing tension in muscles and promoting relaxation.

Overused muscles can become fatigued and stressed for several reasons including the stresses caused by the recent increase in home working. Muscles respond to this fatigue by shortening which might simply cause pain but might also restrict joint movement and move the body out of its optimal alignment, Sports massage helps to relax these muscles and return them to their normal length.

A sports massage can be suitable if you are trying to address a specific area of pain or dysfunction such as neck or lower back pain. It’s less suitable if you have an acute injury such as a ligament sprain or where there is an open wound at the site of the injury. A reputable therapist should be happy to address your concerns before you make a booking.

Deep tissue and Swedish massages are similar but the main difference is in the pressure applied. A deep tissue massage tends to involve more pressure whereas a Swedish massage is gentler and may be more appropriate for someone seeking a more relaxing experience.

Thai massage is general in its approach seeking to aid overall mental and physical well-being. It uses a combination of acupressure, deep tissue massage and stretching with the therapist using feet, knees, hands and elbows to apply force.

Sports massage is a more targeted approach with a clinical basis aimed at addressing a specific problem such as lower back pain using techniques such as trigger pointing and soft tissue mobilisation. A good sports massage therapist should take a proper history of an injury and use clinical methods to assess and treat it.