professional massage services for therapy and all active people.
I will help you get back in the game at your optimum level of performance and prevent you from the risk of future injuries. My goal is to get you back on track as fast as possible.
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SPORTS MASSAGE THERAPY
SPORTS MASSAGE TO KEEP YOU FLEXIBLE, STRONG, AND ENDURING.
When most people hear the phrase 'sports massage', they nod knowingly and talk about how much it's supposed to hurt. While there may be a degree of discomfort while treating an area, a sports massage should never, ever cause pain.
Most athletes want to enhance their performance in their chosen sport and the downside of the hard training to achieve this is the potential for injury. A soft tissue therapist can help as regular massage can aid the athlete maintain their fitness levels and help reduce injury.
After training the muscles accumulate waste products, are depleted of nutrients, and sometimes some micro-trauma can occur. Massage can help stimulate blood flow throughout the tissues to bring fresh nutrients in and to help flush out the waste accumulated during training. This allows the body to rest and aids recovery more effectively than just resting alone.
Sports massage techniques can also be used to help warm up muscles before exercise (in a pre-event massage, for example). For many elite athletes, it is part of their regular training routine, but sports massage can be used by anyone no matter how active they are. If you move you body, you can benefit from sport massage.
DEEP TISSUE MASSAGE
Deep Tissue massage is an effective means of releasing chronic pain or tension in the body. The connective tissues of the body can become damaged through direct injury or chronic holding patterns. With that damage, the muscle tissue becomes shortened, pulling underlying structures out of alignment and causing pain in all directions and in areas far removed from the site of damage. I will use slow, firm pressure directed at the deep layers of the muscle. This type of massage helps to lengthen shortened muscle fibers, breaking up thickened areas and helping the tissue regain its elasticity. In addition, proper blood and oxygen flow is brought back to these tight muscles. The toxins that have been stored in those muscles are also released. When done properly, soreness from a Deep Tissue massage should not last longer than a few days.
DEEP TISSUE MASSAGE FOR RECOVERY FROM EXERCISE OR PHYSICAL STRESS AND STRAIN.
RELAXING THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE
RELAXING THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE TO RELAX AND BECOME ACQUAINTED WITH OURSELVES AGAIN.
So many of our modern ills relate to STRESS. A little stress in our life gets us out of bed, into work and enjoying the day. But long periods without a break, with time spent immobile, or with repetitive movements, and we get tense, knotted up and gradually our immune systems falter.
It is well understood that massage can unwind the stress, allowing us to relax and become acquainted with ourselves again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Your Questions, Answered
What is sports massage?
Sports massage is a targeted approach to treating minor and chronic injuries. Sports massage therapists generally use a wide range of techniques to realign and loosen muscle fibres in individuals who experience sport-related tension. It can also be used to improve posture and condition an athlete’s body so they can perform their best.
The type of sports massage used will depend on the injury or the needs of the individual. Usually, sports massage will incorporate soft tissue massage, deep tissue massage, and whole-body massage along with physiotherapy techniques to assist in recovery and rehabilitation. Sports massage is often recommended for athletes or individuals who engage in regular physical activity and are prone to sport-related injury.
What is deep tissue massage?
Deep tissue massage is a massage technique used to treat musculoskeletal issues. A deep tissue massage therapist will apply sustained pressure using slow, deep strokes to target the deeper layers of muscles and connective tissues.
Unlike other forms of massage that focus solely on relaxation, deep tissue massage is also used to treat muscle pain and stiffness. It’s for this reason that deep tissue massage is often recommended for individuals suffering from muscle pain, soreness or fatigue. The technique encourages blood flow which helps to loosen tight muscles and relax trigger points that cause knots and pulled muscles. This makes deep tissue massage great for rehabilitation and recovery from exercise or physical stress and strain.
What is the difference between deep tissue and sports massage?
Although both techniques are similar in their focus on relieving pain and tension, the key difference is that sports massage therapy is used on athletic individuals. Where many people can benefit from deep tissue massage for a range of muscular issues, sports massage is used specifically for healing or preventing a sports-related injury.
Sports massage therapists are trained in treating injuries experienced by athletes, such as hamstring strains or shin splints. Deep tissue massage therapists can identify and treat areas of muscle weakness, but they usually aren’t treating sport-specific injuries. In this case, deep tissue massage is better for those looking to treat injuries such as back and neck strains.
What are the benefits of sports massage?
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Relieve muscular soreness (DOMS)
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Increase muscle flexibility
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Increase joint range of motion
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Improve blood circulation and lymphatic drainage
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Remove metabolic waste and toxins from tissues
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Improve sleep and recovery rate
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Reduce pain signals sent to the brain
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Relieve stress by relaxing the nervous system
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Improve oxygen and nutrient delivery to tissues
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Support and enhance the immune system
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Breakdown fibrous scar tissue and adhesions
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Promote the soft tissue healing process
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Reduce risk of injury
What are the benefits of deep tissue massage?
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Deeper relaxation by removing muscle inflexibility
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Reduces stress caused by tension
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Chronic pain relief
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Relieve muscular soreness
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Improve blood circulation and lymphatic drainage
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Improve sleep
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Remove metabolic waste and toxins from tissues
When to use deep tissue or sports massage therapy?
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In preparation for an event (ideally 3-5 days prior to performance)
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Recovering from an event (ideally 1-5 days after performance)
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Following an injury (increase recovery speed and quality of injury repair)
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When performing activity on a regular basis
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When feeling tight, tense, sore or increased DOMS
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Anyone with acute or chronic soft tissue injuries
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Areas of tension in the body (most common in the back and neck).
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Suffering from muscular pain.
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Stressed and looking for deep relaxation.
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Recovering from an injury.
If you’re unsure whether a deep tissue massage or sports massage is best for you, this will help you figure it out. Generally, deep tissue massage can be used for relieving muscle tension, reducing stress, working knots, reducing muscle stiffness, and increasing circulation. Deep tissue massage is often administered as a full body massage, rather than focusing on a specific area of the body.
Sports massage, on the other hand, is a targeted massage approach that focuses on specific areas of the body that are in need of healing or relief. Sports massage would be better suited to an athlete or someone who engages in regular physical activity. Those who play tennis or participate in any sport that requires repetitive movements may find that sports massage can help to relieve pain in muscles and joints as well as reduce swelling or jarring. Sports massage can also be used by athletes to condition their body and aid in recovery.
Both deep tissue and sports massage use similar strokes, including kneading, circular movements, and tapping to relieve muscular pain and tension. A person may have more reason to seek out sports massage if they experience overuse injuries from physical activity. On the other hand, a person undergoing deep tissue massage may be looking for a more general relief from muscular pain and mental stress. These types of clients don’t have to participate in a certain activity, be an athlete, or have a specific injury to receive deep tissue massage.
When NOT to use deep tissue or sports massage therapy?
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Anyone with general massage contraindications (open wounds, broken bones, bursitis, periostitis, rheumatoid arthritis, myositis ossificans, skin infections, thrombosis, bleeding disorders)
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Anyone looking for a gentle experience
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Issues lying on your front.
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Open wounds or cuts.
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High blood pressure.
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Recently had surgery.
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Fever, flu or cold (these can be amplified after a massage).
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Pregnancy.
What should I expect from my first session?
Every session starts off with a brief chat to discuss the reason for your visit and determine the cause and effect of any issues you may have. Depending on this, the therapist will normally ask some further questions and put you through a few range of movement or strength tests. Your treatment will then be tailored to your specific requirements and explained before commencing.
The treatment takes place on a massage table, which is covered with a new sheet after every client for hygiene. You will given the privacy to change and place yourself face down on to the massage table. A towel will be then be draped so that only the area of the body being worked on is exposed. The therapist will communicate with you throughout the treatment to assess your comfort levels, and you may be asked at times to perform an active movement or controlled breathing.
I use the very best massage wax on the market which contains 100% natural ingredients and is also great for the skin. For particularly sensitive skin or those with allergies I also use coconut oil.
WHAT DO I NEED TO WEAR?
For most appointments I ask that your bring some loose shorts with you (80’s running style short shorts are perfect!) or workout shorts. This is so the very top of the thigh can be exposed when working on the upper leg, and it will also help to maintain your comfort throughout the session. However, if you know that your treatment will not involve any lower body work then shorts are not necessary.
For women, wearing a regular bra is ideal as the clasp can be undone by the therapist once you are laying face down. If you prefer to remove the bra for comfort that is fine, or if you are wearing a sports bra it will need to be removed. You will always be given privacy to get changed and place yourself face down on the massage table before the treatment begins.
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I CAN BRING THE SPA TO YOUR DOOR.
GET THE RELIEF YOU NEED!
I provide you with massage services and waxing treatments at my therapy room in Canterbury, or I can visit you at your home or workplace (minimum spend: £45 for mobile therapy services), covering: Canterbury | Ashford | Herne Bay | Dover | Margate | Broadstairs | Whitstable and within a 20-mile radius of Canterbury.