is it for me?

Sports massage or soft tissue therapy is suitable for almost everyone and can have many benefits helping to improve life or your sport, by dealing with those nagging aches and pains that plague all of us from time to time.

These problems are usually caused by general day to day living, hobbies, work practices and sport and in most cases can be improved very quickly.

There are many reasons to have sports massage and very few not to, but if you have any concerns or would like to discuss anything in full confidence, then please feel free to call or email and i'll be happy to answer any queries or questions you may have.

age is no barrier

I have worked with clients of all ages, from the young budding athlete to my oldest client aged 92. If you are thinking of having a massage and are 16 years old or younger, you must bring a parent or guardian with you, who you are happy to have present during the treatment, and who knows your medical history.

In the case of the older and younger clients, massage techniques are modified to allow for changes etc, that are occurring in the body.

Some people may be contraindicated to sports massage, meaning they are unable to have massage because they have a medical condition that may be aggravated, made worse or spread through the body by having treatment.

This could be due to something as simple as a common cold, which is a short term contraindication, which once it has cleared you can have massage again to cancer which is a long term contraindication, which precludes them from massage, although even in these extreme cases, massage may still be available with a GP or consultants written consent. It entirely depends on the individuals circumstances.

There are a few conditions where massage is never recommended, such as having a pacemaker fitted and then there are medical conditions where massage is fine, for example high or low blood pressure, if it is medically under control.

It is always advisable to tell me all medical conditions when booking so I am able to make a preliminary judgment.

can I have massage during pregnancy?

In most cases yes. Over the last 5 years I have treated many pregnant clients who have found massage to be beneficial in dealing with the effects of pregnancy.

There are a few guidelines to follow if you are already having treatment and are planning on getting pregnant, it is best to let me know, just so that I am aware of the situation and can modify your treatment if I feel it prudent.

If you are pregnant and it's your first, you are contraindicated to massage in the first 15 weeks. As long as you have no medical problems during this period of time you are then fine to have massage. If this is your second or more and you have had no problems through previous pregnancies then you can have massage after the first 12 weeks. If you have had problems, this does not stop you from having massage, we just need to consult with your GP first.