PLEASE NOTE THIS SERVICE IS SUSPENDED DUE TO THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC.
Remedial Massage and Sports Massage use very similar techniques – but the word “remedial” is used because some people find the word “sports” puts them off accessing treatment as they wrongly believe it is only for true sports people.
In fact Remedial Massage can benefit anyone, however inactive.
Like Sports Massage it has its roots in the forms of massage developed over thousands of years, and which form one of the most effective and safe forms of therapy. Massage has always been used to ease pain and release tension, to bring about feelings of well-being and relaxation. As well as stimulating the muscular and nervous systems, massage can improve the circulation of blood and lymph and so have wider health benefits.
Sports Massage was a more recent development borne out of the desire to use massage to enhance the performance of top athletes in numerous sporting disciplines. The same techniques have many applications outside the world of sport and physical activity.
Typically, compared to a salon massage (such as an Aromatherapy Massage or Swedish Massage), Remedial Massage goes deeper and is more focused. When a problem is found in the tissues, a Remedial Massage Therapist won’t simply pass on, but will then focus their energies on addressing the issue they have uncovered.
Along with the stroking and kneading motions of ancient massage, Remedial Massage will use neuromuscular techniques to help persuade tight muscles to let go and relax, along with various stretching techniques.
A Remedial Massage appointment always includes an initial assessment even for returning clients, and an aftercare reappraisal to discuss what has been achieved and what stretching or strengthening exercises are recommended to continue your recovery.
So how can a Remedial Massage help you?
Our bodies evolved over millennia to live lives very different to the ones we lead in the 21st century. Our bodies are optimised to spend the day walking and running, looking for food (and running away from things that want to eat us!). In contrast our modern lives demand that we often have to hold positions for for periods of time. For example I am sat typing this on a laptop, which means I am static, I am sat down meaning my hips muscles are shortened (and so will feel tight when I do stand up again), my head is slightly bowed forward to look at the screen, and my arms are held in position so I can type. I run a real risk of hip problems, and neck/shoulder problems (which can then also result in major headaches), especially if I do this for a long period of time or combine it with other relatively static activities, such as driving a car.
Our bodies age too, which can mean we end up carrying not only problems such as arthritis in our joints, but also muscle tension and pain from how we then hold ourselves to try and minimise the pain from the arthritis. Sometimes the pain and movement restriction from the muscles outweighs the original problem.
In both these cases, and I see many of these in my clinics, Remedial Massage can help restore normal function to the soft tissues. I won’t ever be able to remove the arthritic neck joint, but by “restoring factory settings” your pain level will be significantly reduced, and you will be more mobile. Sadly yes the person with the arthritis will need to come back at some point as the muscle tension will rebuild, but I advise on stretching exercises which can help here.
Finally, the sort of Overuse Syndrome injury picked up by an athlete in training can just as easily plague someone who isn’t in training. A sudden change in the demands of your job, or a new activity at home, might trigger a small injury that, if untreated, becomes something significant. Again Remedial Massage can help here too.
I am trained and experienced in dealing with all these aspects of Remedial Massage, to help you live a life as free as possible from pain and discomfort!