Sports and Remedial Massage

Sports Massage

An individually tailored deep form of soft tissue massage that uses specific techniques to treat the stress, tension and fatigue that occurs through occupational, recreational or sporting activities.

Benefits include:

• Help relieve that stress and tension which hinders the achievement of optimum performance.
• Reduce the likelihood of injury during exercise.
• Speed up the recovery process and aid rehabilitation after injury.
• Ensure full range of movement and increase muscle flexibility.
• Improve postural and general body awareness

Who can benefit from sports massage?

You don't have to be a sportsperson to feel the benefits! Muscular tension, stress and fatigue can affect all of us, whether we are competitive or recreational athletes, DIY fanatics, gardeners, busy housewives, or stressed executives. Active or sedentary - you should find massage relaxing and therapeutic.

Many people appreciate the deep treatment offered by a sports massage therapist as they can really feel those knots being "ironed out". They also start to become aware of how their bodies react and tense up under stress; by heeding those warning signs they can then take early action to reduce their stress levels and relax.

What is massage?

Massage is an ancient therapy which is an effective yet very safe therapy which can help to ease pain, release tension and so induce relaxation and promote a feeling of well-being.

By working on the soft tissues, massage can stimulate the muscular and nervous systems and improve the blood circulation and lymphatic flow. This enables fresh oxygenated blood to repair the body tissues and metabolic waste products and toxins to be eliminated. This in turn allows the body to function more efficiently and counteracts the debilitating effects of stressful modern-day living.

How does sports massage differ?

Sports massage is a deeper form of soft tissue massage which uses specific techniques to treat physically active individuals, who may be more vulnerable to injury because of the stresses placed on the body by their sport. The sports massage therapist may also advise on stretching or strengthening exercises as appropriate to work in conjunction with treatment.

How can sports massage help me?

Sports massage is particularly effective in treating minor soft tissue problems, relieving niggling aches and pains before they develop into more serious overuse injuries.

It is also great in the pre-event situation, whether your needs are for relaxation or stimulation, and in post-event relaxation and recovery.

What happens during a treatment?

A brief medical history will need to be taken prior to the massage. During the massage, which may last for an hour if you require a full body treatment, a gentle base oil or lotion may be used. This normally sinks into the skin quite quickly - but we ask you to wear casual clothes, just in case there are still traces of oil on your skin. You may occasionally feel some post-treatment soreness but this will normally disappear after a day or two. Don't worry about this - it is usually a sign that the treatment is having a positive effect.

How often should I have a massage?

As often as you like, (provided that you are not suffering from any condition for which massage is contra-indicated) - ask your therapist if in doubt. Some people find that a weekly massage helps to control their stress levels, while others find that a treatment every few weeks works well.

Remedial massage is based on generally the same principles as sports massage and can use similar techniques. Remedial massage techniques are used to treat a wide variety of conditions in the aim of getting to the source of the problem. Examples of conditions treated are: muscular-skeletal problems (including back and neck pain), soft tissue injuries, headache, migraine, Multiple Sclerosis, and whiplash.