Ruth Swire
Sports Massage Therapy
Massage Therapy with Ruth Swire
Ruth has been a
Sports Therapist for a few years now and joined the
Copperhouse Clinic in 2014.
As a keen sports person and
having had her own fair share of injuries , she found that the deep
tissue and above techniques helped her in her quest to become pain free.
At the clinic she has learned that it helps having the other
professionals ‘on hand’ to ask advice about their expertise and how
everyone at the clinic can pull together to help people achieve a more
stable and comfortable life.
Ruth offers a range of massage therapy which
include:
-
Massage - Holistic and Deep Relaxation
-
Sports Injury Massage and Rehabilitation
-
Care Planning (with dry needling / kinesiology taping as required)
-
Bespoke Stretching - ‘one -to -one’
Massage - Holistic and Deep Relaxation
Massage is the use of hands to manipulate the soft tissues of the
body, mostly muscles. It is used to assist with rehabilitating the body
and to help relax and revive tired or damaged Muscles. It helps improve
circulation as it stimulates the skin and underlying tissues including
the nervous system as the therapist manipulates the skin surface.
There are various ways of carrying out massage
techniques and they can range from a lighter type which is mostly used
for relaxation. The deeper techniques focus on repair and
this is what we call ‘sports’ massage although that is a
blanket term and can be off-putting for some people who think it is
purely for sports enthusiasts.
There are various techniques that we use such as,
Compression, Deep Friction, Effleurage and Petri sage, Lymphatic
drainage, Muscle energy techniques, Soft tissue release, Connective
tissue massage, Neuromuscular. These techniques are used during a
massage and a therapist may use one or a few types depending on the
individual’s needs. Healthy muscles should feel smooth, without any
lumps or bumps within the muscle tone.
Massage is a bit like ‘ironing out’ the knots and
encouraging the blood flow into that are to continue the good work
that the therapist begins. Regular massage is most beneficial as it
helps maintain this release of tension and any inflammation, be it
through daily lifestyle issues or from a particular injury.
Sports Injury Massage and Rehabilitation
Care Planning (with dry needling/ kinesiology
taping as required)
People who obtain injuries from work, lifestyle,
i.e. gardening and every day activities sometimes need more than a
relaxing massage to deal with the problem.
The outer layers of skin, fascia and superficial
muscles need to be warmed up initially and this allows the body’s
nervous system to engage with the brain and allow the release of
natural chemicals to flood into the area being treated.
Once these chemicals start to work
the therapist notices a change in the tissue which then enables them
to work further into the tissue (muscles) which allows them access to
the deeper layers of the muscular system. This takes time which is why
most deep tissue massage takes at least half an hour but to really
benefit from a thorough technique it needs to be an hour.
Once the therapist has got to the
level they need they can then add the techniques listed above to
relieve the problem area.
Sometimes the use of kinesiology tape is used to
help stabilise an area which works with the superficial layers under
the skin and allow the muscles to slip over each other and give the
person some freedom from the injury if they need to continue training
or have an event where they cannot rest for too long.
Dry Needling is another useful tool for a
therapist to use. This involves a very fine sterile needle which can
be inserted quite superficially into the skin, depending upon the
muscle involved and where it is anatomically.
This then works with the nervous system to excite
chemicals from the brain to react to the presence of the needle and
flood the area with more of the body’s endorphins
which help ease the tension in that area.
All needles are single use only and get thrown
away in a special container after use.
Most people respond to this method very well and
it is quite painless.
People usually refer to the feeling as being
‘quite tingly’, ‘warm’, and can be described as a ‘heavy’ feeling.
The needles are only left in for a short time but
we ensure that the patient is aware that they may feel a bit more
relaxed after some needling and to be aware if driving straight away.
Bespoke stretching - ‘one-to-one’ sessions
Sometimes people need a bit more help than just a
massage or specific treatment. To help people with a home maintenance
programme can be highly beneficial and more cost effective for the
individual.
What I can help you with is to incorporate a
SIMPLE stretching or BASIC exercise regime that can be carried our
daily or as often as you choose.
Most people prefer to carry out their daily
exercises in the comfort of their own home rather than having to
travel to a gym or other class situation where they may not feel
comfortable.
The hard part about this though, is that the
individual wants to perform these exercises and is happy to be honest
about the regularity in which they are done!!!
All you need is a simple mat which can be
obtained from most sports shops and many avenues online, the incentive
to carry it out and some space!!!
Once people have the confidence they are carrying
it out correctly they feel more willing to continue and then when you
feel the benefits of the exercise there are always
ways to improve and include more repetitions or include other
’tools’ for extra weight or flexibility.