Clinical massage is a type of massage therapy that creatively combines a variety of Eastern and Western techniques to help reduce, eliminate or manage pain, increase range of motion, improve posture and help you relax.

Pain of all kinds can have a significant impact on your life.  If your pain is preventing you from playing your favourite sport, being able to work or even put on your own socks then clinical massage can help.

I aim to treat each client in a sensitive and holistic way, taking into account all aspects of your life including, occupation, stress levels, lifestyle, fitness and general health. There is a focus on self care and where appropriate I may give you stretches or exercises to do between treatments. My aim is to put you back in control of your own pain condition and for you to feel involved in your recovery.

Clinical massage combines a range of advanced bodywork techniques to tailor make treatments for each individual client. These include:

Assessment – a series of clinical massage treatments will include on-going assessment of the quality and intensity of your pain, your posture, range of motion, stress levels and general well-being. This helps to inform the treatments and measure progress.

Deep tissue massage- friction or static pressure are applied to areas of muscle that are restricted to release the tissue, enabling it to resume its full length and functionality.

Swedish massage – specific strokes are used to increased blood and lymph flow in the body.

Soft tissue release– a combination of static pressure and stretching is applied to individual sections of a muscle to release constricted areas and return it to its full length and functionality.

Myofascial Release (MFR) – Fascia is a continuous connective tissue that surrounds all structures of the body including muscle fibres, tendons, ligaments and bones. Adhesions and restrictions in fascia can lead to pain and dysfunction of muscles joints and organs and releasing these enables me to help more effectively with a wider range of pain conditions.

Trigger Point Therapy – trigger points are tight areas within a muscle where the fibres of the muscle that normally slide over each other become stuck together and won’t release. They are tender to the touch and can cause pain in predictable patterns throughout the body. For example trigger points in the muscles of the neck can cause headaches and lower back pain can be caused by trigger points in the buttocks. Locating and releasing these Trigger Points can reduce or eliminate pain and is an integral part of a clinical massage treatment.

Stretching – I use a variety of stretching techniques to help restore length and functionality to muscles. These techniques range from a passive approach where I stretch the muscles for you, to more active techniques requiring your participation to strengthen the muscle and re-educate the body.

Acupressure points – these points are key points located all over the body that lie on the energy meridians used in Eastern medicine.  They can be used to balance and unblock the flow of energy around the body.

 

What sort of conditions can be treated?

Clinical massage can be adapted to the needs of the individual client so almost anybody with a pain condition can benefit from a treatment. Some examples of conditions I can help with are:

• Back pain
• Headaches
• Stress and tension on neck and shoulders
• Whiplash
• Repetitive Strain injuries e.g tennis elbow
• Carpal tunnel
• Frozen shoulder
• Sciatica
• Sports injuries
• Clients with long term medical conditions such as osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, Chronic fatigue and depression can also benefit.
• Preparation for, or recovery from sporting activity.

This list is not exhaustive so if you have a condition that is not on the list please give me a call to see if I can help.