Massage and Manual Therapy
This can be a combination of …or …just one of the following depending upon your preferences or requirements :
- ADVANCED REMEDIAL MASSAGE
- SPORTS MASSAGE
- HENDRICKSON METHOD OF MASSAGE & MANUAL THERAPY for Orthopaedic Conditions
- TUI-NA (Chinese Medical Massage)
- DEEP TISSUE MASSAGE - and fascial release
- SOMATIC MOVEMENT exercises
- REMEDIAL EXERCISE
1. Who can benefit from ‘Massage and Manual Therapy’ ?
Regular clients include amongst others …
- OFFICE WORKERS ..neck, shoulders and low back pain, headaches / migranes
- FARMERS ... back back, shoulders, neck pain
- HAIRDRESSERS ...beck, shoulders, back pain, frozen shoulder
- LONG DISTANCE DRIVERS ...Sciatica and low back pain, disc problems
- NEW PARENTS ...Muscle strains from carrying youngster
- BUILDERS / MANUAL LABOURERS ...back pain, hip pain and injury
- MASSAGE & BEAUTY THERAPISTS ...mid back and low back pain and tension
- ARTHRITIS SUFFERS ...inflammation and pain with restricted movement...hands, back, neck
- ATHLETES …from runners, golfers through to horseriders and triathletes
- SOLDIERS ... muscle strains
2. How does this type of bodywork differ from other forms of massage?
This is much more than a relaxation / spa style massage. An orthopaedic style assessment process is used to rule out anything which may require medical attention or a different type of therapy such as Physiotherapy. This information is used to create a specific treatment plan which is reviewed according to your needs as the treatments progress over time.
Here is a brief overview of each type of therapy I use …
- ADVANCED REMEDIAL MASSAGE … utilises focused, deep, soft tissue massage and joint mobilisation techniques to help ‘remedy’ a musculoskeletal problem.
- SPORTS MASSAGE …a version of remedial massage which has a sports specific focus such as pre-event, inter-event, post-event and associated injuries and support of.
- HENDRICKSON METHOD… of Massage and Manual Therapy for Orthopaedic conditions…a unique and highly effective system that combines joint mobilisation, muscle energy techniques and soft tissue massage into one.
- TUI-NA / Chinese Medical Massage … a system of massage and manual therapy which includes working on acupuncture points with a kneading pressure to create a more specific and deeper release of tension and imbalance.
- DEEP TISSUE MASSAGE .. and fascial release … a very slow deep massage, typically uses a massage wax for greater grip and slower glide. Works the deeper connective tissue (fascia).
- SOMATIC MOVEMENT ...gentle and very safe home exercise movements for quickly and easily releasing muscle tension.
- REMEDIAL EXERCISE … simple home stretching and strengthening exercises, sometimes using resistance bands.
3. Massage and Manual Therapy benefits
- Improved range of motion of joints and limbs
- Catching and resolving minor musculoskeletal issues before they develop into something more
- Acceleration of soft tissue healing
- Reduction of inflammation
- Reduction of pain
- Reduction of muscle spasm which can interfere with normal posture and movement
- Improvement in overall well-being and enjoyment of life
4. What happens during an appointment ?
At the first appointment a consultation is undertaken to screen out anything which may require medical intervention or a different type of therapy such as physiotherapy, acupuncture etc. This is followed by an assessment of the areas of discomfort and a general postural assessment, orthopaedic / special tests can be used to further help identify areas of imbalance across the body. The information is recorded and used to formulate the treatment plan; this usually takes 20 minutes. This is followed by hands on treatment using one or a combination of the above mentioned massage techniques.
5. "How many appointments will I need and how long are they ?"
This depends on the nature of the problem. The first appointment is 60 minutes in length which includes : consultation / assessment / treatment. Injuries usually require a course of treatment ranging from two to three for a simple muscle strain … sometimes several treatments are needed over a number of weeks for more complicated issues. On going regular maintenance treatments are popular and effective in helping with chronic long standing MSK issues. Home care advice is also given to help you speed up the process and help you manage the presenting issues.
Regular maintenance massage significantly helps with the management of long-term issues of musculoskeletal discomfort and tension …giving an overall improvement in well-being.