When you come for your first appointment, there will be a few forms to fill in. These are for medical history and consent. We will then discuss your issues, expectations, and desired results. I will do a postural assessment and any special tests required if you have an injury, before agreeing on a treatment plan.
If there is something beyond the scope of massage therapy, I will suggest alternative solutions and practitioners such as chiropractors or physiotherapists.
Before the treatment, I will leave the room while you get yourself undressed and comfortable on the massage couch.
After the treatment, I will let you get yourself up and dressed slowly, offering some aftercare advice specific to you. We can then decide whether you want to come again, and if so, how soon.
You may feel a bit achy or bruised the next day, much like the day after a strenuous exercise session, but I can advise on stretches to help relieve this. A nice relaxing bath or shower can be very beneficial. Occasionally you may get bruising appear; I can usually tell if this will happen while I’m treating you. I will do my best to prevent this, but it will depend on the area of the body I am treating and your tendency for bruising.
It is ok to train before a treatment, but I highly recommended you don’t train for 24 hours afterwards. The exception is for specific pre-event massage designed to be used right before a sporting event.
After the majority of treatments, your body needs time to recover to feel the benefit fully. You might feel groggy for several hours as your body rebalances. I recommend drinking plenty of water and taking it easy for the rest of the day.
If you have a treatment after particularly strenuous physical activity, this will be a post-event massage. In that case, I will use slower and lighter techniques than a usual treatment as, again, your body needs to recover. Too much stress will overload your central nervous system and not create the desired results.
It doesn’t matter. If you have any aches, pains or niggles in your body, you will still benefit from a sports massage. Many people spend hours every day sitting at a desk, which brings a whole host of problems that sports massage can help. I can also advise you on posture to help prevent these problems from reoccurring. Everyday activities such as carrying a baby on one hip, hauling laundry baskets around, or long hours spent driving all bring issues and imbalances.
So, whatever your occupation or hobby, if you want to feel comfortable in your body, you will benefit from a sports massage.
As with all forms of massage and therapy, some contraindications prevent you from having a treatment. Massage can adversely affect some illnesses or diseases. I will cover these in your consultation, but if you are concerned you have anything that may prevent treatment, please let me know at the time of booking, and we can discuss this. I wouldn’t want you to make a wasted trip.
None of the treatments I offer has to hurt to be effective. I believe that if we can obtain results from a pain-free massage, then that is the way to go. Less pain will mean you can relax more, which in turn will bring more significant benefits.
Whether a treatment hurts will depend on the area I am treating and the issue in question. For example, deep massage of the quadriceps (front of thigh) is usually a lot more uncomfortable than treating the upper back. And don’t worry, I will ask for feedback throughout to ensure we stay within your pain threshold.
If your treatment involves needling, as I insert the needle, you may experience a momentary pain as your muscle contracts and twitches. If your treatment requires cupping, you shouldn’t experience any additional pain. The cupping marks are painless and harmless.
As a level 4 sports massage therapist, I am qualified to treat injuries. It would be worth letting me know about them when you book your appointment, and please let me know if you are having any other treatments, such as Physiotherapy or seeing a Chiropractor. This won’t prevent me from treating you, but it would be beneficial for me to know what you are already doing.
If, however, you are in the acute phase of injury (the first few days after it has happened), a sports massage is not advisable. In this instance, I may suggest you seek medical advice and contact me for an appointment when swelling is starting to subside.
To some extent, yes. However, I use towels to maintain your modesty and only the areas I am treating need to be exposed. Ladies (or even gents?!), please don’t worry about things like shaving legs… I don’t notice this; I am concentrating on treating your muscles and soft tissues. That said, good personal hygiene is a polite request.
Please try not to be self-conscious; I have treated people from all walks of life, all shapes and sizes. I am not here to judge you but to make you feel better.
If you are looking for a relaxing deep tissue massage, one treatment can be enough to achieve the desired effect. When it comes to injury management or prevention, it may need a course of treatments to get your body back on track.
We will always discuss what is best for you and your individual needs.
You can book a 45-minute, 1 hour or 1.5-hour appointment depending on your individual needs. If you are unsure which to book, please get in touch.
There are no age restrictions on having a sports massage, and in fact, they can ease pain and keep muscles healthy in athletic and active children. Your child can be just as prone to overtraining and not resting or stretching enough, leading to injury and pain.
However, anyone under the age of 18 will need consent from their parent or guardian. The guardian is welcome to be present during treatment. In fact, I’d recommend it as it allows us all to agree on the broader approach to maintaining the child’s health and fitness.
The treatment room at my home is calm, relaxing and peaceful. There is plenty of parking and no crowds or traffic to battle. The room is upstairs, so please let me know if this causes any problems.
The treatment room at Gain Fitness is fully accessible and located on the ground floor. There is ample parking and a waiting area offering refreshments. It is worth noting that Gain Fitness is an active gym so expect a level of background noise. You may also want to know that there are no external windows in the treatment room.
