Sports Massage Therapy

What is Sports Therapy?


A Sports Therapist specialises in the assessment, treatment and rehabilitation of musculoskeletal injuries, restoring clients to their optimum level of fitness, regardless of age or physical ability.

I treat clients with musculoskeletal conditions (muscle, tendon, nerve, ligament & fascia) utilising a combination of soft tissue techniques, joint mobilisations and corrective exercises


What can a client expect at a Sports Therapy Session?

Firstly, the client will be asked to give me as much detail about any past injuries that may predispose them to certain injuries. Next, we talk about the clients current injury, this allows me to understand how the issue started and help formulate a working diagnosis.

We now move on to the objective assessment, which involves looking at the person's overall posture, their ability to move the affected areas actively, passively and against resistance. Also, it is very important to see the client’s upper/ lower limb function together through more dynamic testing. Finally, I use special orthopaedic tests, which can either rule in/out more specific conditions.

Once a full examination and assessment has been carried out, I will give my client a working diagnosis and then move on to treatment.

Very often after treatment I give clients specific exercises to do at home or in the gym to help improve their condition between appointments.


Not injured? Just looking for a Sports Massage?

You don't have to be injured to feel the benefits of a Sports Massage. Whether you're a long distance runner, dedicated crossfitter or even someone who just has to sit at a desk for 40+ hours a week, soft tissue work can help massively with avoiding serious injury and maintain optimum mobility.


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What Is Rehabilitation & Sports Injury Massage?

Rehabilitation and sports injury massage is a no-nonsense massage technique that deals directly with the body’s soft tissue – Muscles, Tendons and Ligaments. It assists the healing and rehabilitation of injuries, their dysfunction and to facilitate improved movement. During this style of massage, we focus on the area causing the issue and the supporting areas that are compensating to get you through the day.

It has developed over the years to deal with the specific conditions that the human body experiences before and after injury. It utilises such techniques as MET (muscle energy technique), Soft Tissue Release, Deep Tissue Techniques, Classical Swedish Massage techniques and NMT (neuromuscular technique) along with Trigger Point Therapy and stretching.

How does it work?

When injury to muscle tissue occurs the muscle fibres will often misalign themselves whilst healing. Our muscles are covered by a layer connective tissue called fascia. This fascia covers all the individual muscle fibres, the larger bundles of muscles, and the whole muscle groups. It is one continuous piece of tissue that never stops growing and covers our whole body. Normally, when covering healthy, moving muscle it is a soft, gel like substance.

However, when our muscle movement is restricted (such as in the case of injury or postural misalignment), tissue fluids cannot reach the areas they need to in order to lubricate the fascia. The fascia hardens and scar tissue forms, further trapping toxins and waste materials, such as lactic acid. This causes pain and dysfunction as the body tries to remedy the situation by setting up a series of structural compensations - leading to further pain and more problems.

By moving these toxins and breaking down adhesions within the muscles, it allows improved flow of the nutrient rich blood and oxygen to the injured/pre-operative area. This in turn speeds up recovery, mobility and gets you back to where you need to be to continue with your life.

Who is it good for?

Everyone and anyone, from athletes to office workers to retired folk. If you have an injury and are recovering from an injury, then rehabilitation massage may just speed up your recovery, improve your flexibility and mobility. If you are preoperative it can help ensure that the body is in the best position possible to aid a quick recovery after the event.

There are of course some people/injuries that massage may not be suitable for, the following list is not exhaustive but is a good guideline.

Suffering with; Infectious Diseases/Skin Diseases, Cancer, Current Diarrhoea/Vomiting, Haemophilia, First Trimester of Pregnancy, Recently Given Birth, Thrombosis.

GP’s approval may be required for: Epilepsy, heart conditions, un-medicated blood pressure issues, Osteoporosis, Bells Palsy, Rheumatism/Arthritis.
What Is Deep Tissue Maintenance Massage?

Deep Tissue is a technique used within many massage styles including Sports Massage. It is a technique that focuses on releasing restrictions within the deeper layers of muscle tissue, aiming to release the chronic patterns of tension in the body through slow strokes and deep finger pressure on the contracted areas, giving a much firmer style of massage therapy. The purpose is to "unstick" the fibres of a muscle while releasing deeply held patterns of tension, removing toxins, while relaxing and soothing the muscle. It is both corrective and therapeutic. When used in rehabilitation as opposed to maintenance, it will not used on new or acute injuries.

Deep Tissue Massage or Myofascial Release has developed over the years to deal with the specific conditions and general tension/stiffness that the human body experiences. It utilises such techniques as NMT (neuromuscular technique) along with the Trigger Point Therapy and on occasion some stretching.

How does it work?

When muscles are stressed, they block oxygen and nutrients, leading to inflammation that builds up toxins in the muscle tissue. A deep tissue massage (DTM) helps loosen muscle tissues/adhesions, release toxins from muscles and get blood and oxygen circulating properly. Fingertips, knuckles, hands, elbows, and forearms are all used with long slow strokes. DTM helps to break up and eliminate scar tissue and usually focuses on more specific areas and may cause some soreness during or right after the massage. However, you should feel better than ever within a few days. Due to many toxins being released, it's important to drink plenty of water after a deep tissue session to help eliminate these toxins from the body.

Who is it good for?

Everyone and anyone, from athletes to office workers. It is beneficial to your health, improving your flexibility and mobility and relieving stress and strain on the body where chronic tightness/stiffness has set in. There are of course some people/injuries that massage may not be suitable for, the following list is not exhaustive but is a good guideline.

Suffering with; Infectious Diseases/Skin Diseases, Cancer, Current Diarrhoea/Vomiting, Haemophilia, First Trimester of Pregnancy, Recently Given Birth, Thrombosis.

GP’s approval may be required for: Epilepsy, heart conditions, un-medicated blood pressure issues, Osteoporosis, Bells Palsy, Rheumatism/Arthritis.

What is Holistic Massage

The term 'holistic' comes from the Greek word 'holos', meaning whole. The holistic approach takes into account the person's whole being, and not just the physical symptoms or problems. Treatment therefore takes into account the effect on the body arising from psychology, environment and nutrition.

Massage has an immediate local and physiological effect, it affects the whole body through stimulation and relaxation of the nerves using a variety of techniques. Massage can affect all the body systems in a positive way, promoting relaxation, eliminating toxins and a regular massage is a good immunity booster.

It can have a protective effect on the body for up to a week after a single treatment.

The Health Benefits of Massage:
  • Calms the nervous system and promotes a sense of relaxation and well being
  • Reduces tension and anxiety
  • Improves blood circulation, which delivers oxygen and nutrients to the cells
  • Stimulates the lymphatic system, which carries away the body's waste products
  • Prevents and relieves muscle cramps and spasms
  • Can help with pain management in conditions such as arthritis, sciatica, muscle spasms