Technically, all professional massage is therapeutic as all massage provides measurable benefits.

Sports and/or Therapeutic Massage differs from a purely relaxing massage in that its end goal is to offer a real therapeutic or health benefit.  Whilst it can be relaxing, this is not its main aim.  The therapist and the client work together with a shared goal of achieving structural changes within the body.

Massage is a healing art and one of the earliest remedial practices used to relieve pain and discomfort.  Through the manipulation of the soft tissues of the body it:

• Relaxes muscles
• Relieves muscular aches & pains
• Reduces tension and anxiety
• Increases and restores metabolism
• Improves circulation of blood and lymph around the body – delivering increased oxygen and aiding detoxification by enhancing the removal of metabolic waste
• Speeds up the healing process
• Relieves mental and physical fatigue
• Calms the nervous system
• Helps joints and muscles become more supple, increasing flexibility, Range of Motion and tone
• Improves skin tone.

As well as proven physical benefits, regular massage can help you to adopt a more optimistic and positive outlook on life.  We spend a lot of time ‘living in our heads’, thinking about the future constantly and planning.  For those who find it difficult to find time to exercise, this can result in a loss of ‘connection’ to our physical bodies.  Massage can be an important first step in this re-connection process and help us to start making healthier lifestyle choices by grounding us.

In general massage has a sedative effect, but with the right techniques, it can also prove uplifting to those feeling flat and dull with little energy.  It offers a very real benefit to those struggling with low mood/feelings of mild depression, anxiety and SAD.

To provide the best possible treatment, following an in-depth health & lifestyle analysis (including a Traditional Chinese Medicine Five Element Analysis), I will use a range of techniques that best suit your individual needs.  As a result, no two massages are ever the same and there is no set routine.

Traditional Massage

 

Swedish massage

This style primarily has a muscular and lymphatic focus and does not usually look to treat a client’s mental and emotional state, although this can sometimes occur indirectly.

I use smooth flowing effleurage movements from this style to warm up the muscles and allow you time to begin to relax and ‘switch off’.  This calming and rejuvenating technique is traditionally used to help the body to release the physical and emotional stress and tension it is holding on to and return it to a state of balance.

Kneading and wringing techniques help aching muscles to rid themselves of the toxins causing the discomfort. Chemical by-products such as lactic acid and CO2 build up in the tissues if the blood and lymph cannot clear it fast enough. This often occurs after strenuous exercise, physical labour or through experiencing and dealing with chronic stress.

Sports & Deep Tissue Massage

This is a general term describing various techniques that deepen traditional massage strokes with the aim of affecting the deeper musculature, tissues and fascia of the body.  It is particularly useful for easing chronic pain, muscular tension and associated pain, improving flexibility, Range of Motion, improving sports performance and post sports recovery and boosting low energy levels.

Sports or Clinical Massage is a great way to ease tension and get you moving and motivated.

Neuromuscular Massage

The pressures and stress of modern life often result in tension being held, particularly in the neck and shoulder area.  This can, over time, build until it becomes impossible to ignore causing mobility issues, pain and sleep loss.  As blood flows three times more quickly through a massaged muscle it can help maintain muscle tone, elasticity and flexibility as we age.

Due to chronic muscle tension and fatigue, the tissues of the back, neck and shoulders often become tight and congested. The circulation of nerve currents can then slow down and be impeded by these hardened muscle fibres (adhesions).

Neuromuscular massage is a specialised form of deep tissue massage which uses digital pressure and friction to release muscle strains also known as trigger points.  These are tender areas and the cause of many muscular pain symptoms

These techniques can also help restore balance to the autonomic nervous system which is the control system that unconsciously regulates body functions such as heart rate, breathing, digestion, urination, pupil response and governs the fight-or-flight response.

Relaxing the muscles and removing adhesions allows these nerve impulses to travel unimpeded, thus improving  functioning of the body’s systems and reducing stress (by calming the fight or flight response). As the effects of stress on the ANS manifest through the mind, body and spirit, calming this system can help provide holistic relief.

Holistic Massage

Holistic Massage aims to treat the whole person, mind, body and spirit.  The intention and energy of the therapist is also vitally important through the use of intuitive touch.

An in-depth consultation will provide me with a detailed picture of your current physical health, medical history, mental and emotional state, lifestyle and dietary choices.  I am then able to respond by providing a customised treatment plan to suit your unique needs at that time.

Acupressure Massage

 

Using Acupressure and Meridian work, holistic massage differs from Swedish massage in that its focus is energetic rather than muscular or lymphatic.  It works to connect with and balance the flow of energy (Qi), within the body.

Based on the same principles as acupuncture, but without the needles, acupressure applies gentle finger, thumb and palm pressure to specific points located along the meridians (the body’s energy pathways), to stimulate, sedate or disperse Qi, as appropriate.  The aim is to:

• Clear blockages in the channels/meridians/energy pathways and facilitate the healthy flow of Qi throughout the body
• Stimulate the body’s own healing abilities
• Release  emotional and physical tension being held
• Reduce chronic stiffness
• Improve flexibility

It is particularly good for treating  chronic pain, lower back pain, nervous disorders, constipation, migraines, poor flexibility, muscle tension, stress levels and to stimulate blood and lymph flow.

Depending on the presenting symptoms and the outcome of the Five Element Analysis, treatment will aim to address the major imbalances using a variety of techniques to either:

• Calm – used when Qi is hyper stimulated, thus the aim is to relax the body and mind.
• Tonify – the aim is to strengthen and restore the body’s Qi to a state of balance when it is deficient or weak.
• Disperse – if Qi is stagnant it needs to be dispersed/spread around the body so that a balanced energetic flow is created in all channels/meridians and organs.

By applying pressure using the palm, thumb and fingertips to the nerve ganglia along the spine, acupressure massage has an instant regulating effect on the ANS, further enhancing neuromuscular techniques.

Regular massage treatments, tailored specifically to your physical and psychological needs, can be invaluable in restoring your energy and leaving you feeling refreshed, rebalanced and re-energised.