Massage can assist with many major health issues, including:

Stress / Headaches

Sports injury / Preparation / Maintenance

Rehabilitation / Recovery

Diabetes

By easing muscle tension, massage also eases stress on the nervous system, allowing you to feel more relaxed. Relaxation is better achieved with a full body treatment. Massage also improves blood and lymph circulation throughout the body, through stimulation of the soft tissue. Toxins and waste products are more easily eliminated, which in turn, allows nutrients and essential gases to be taken up by the cells of the body more easily. This aids repair and recovery and may in turn, prevent illness. Regular massage is also an excellent preventative measure, for stress and injuries.

Massage Effects:

relaxation

pain reduction

mproved mobility

improved circulation

muscle balance

nerve rehabilitation

stretching soft tissue (e.g. muscles)

reducing scar tissue & adhesions

cellular recovery

STRESS / HEADACHES

Just the act of touch can help reduce stress tension, but scalp, neck, shoulder and upper back treatment can be very liberating.

By loosening the neck, shoulder and scalp muscles and their attachments, many stress headaches can be relieved. By reducing muscle tension,especially in the neck and reducing the tension associated with any associated musculoskeletal disorders, massage can decrease the recurrence of migraine headaches.


SPORTS INJURIES / PREPARATION / MAINTENANCE

Massage creates a localised increase in pressure, which helps with the removal of muscle waste like lactic acid. Lactic acid builds up in the muscles during and immediately after hard exercise. This normalises tissue metabolism and facilitates the repair and build-up of tissues following training. In addition massage can stretch those other tissues that cannot be reached by any other method.

Stretches that we utilise on contracted or spasming muscles assist in the normalising of muscles, tendons and fascia.

Massage also has an advantage in that it can be used to stretch muscles regardless of joint range. It also breaks down scar tissue that may be present in the muscles, tendons or ligaments in the sportsman as a result of past injuries or the gradual build-up of overuse injuries due to repeated microtrauma. This can cause tension and inflexibility, which may lead further problems. Adhesions may occur where fibrous tissue causes different tissues to stick together due to inflammation as well as microtrauma. This will reduce the tensile property of tissues and may restrict movement. Deep friction massage technique is used to break down scar tissue and adhesions. It will help the return of normal tissue tension, and will restore both contractile properties and a normal range of movement.

Local relaxation of the muscles is achieved by many of the mechanical effects of massage, such as increased warmth, circulation and stretching. An event preparation can be just as important in injury avoidance. The massage is adjusted, dependant upon the time before the event.

A regular massage is an insurance against injury. Muscles are put under stress during exercise. During normal exercise, lactic acid builds up in the muscles, limiting the recovery of the muscles and their effectiveness. Also microtears occur with vigorous muscle use. A massage maintenance program will assist in the removal of lactic acid as well as the breaking down of scar tissue, loosening and stretching damaged or contracted tissues.

REHABILITATION / RECOVERY

Whether from an operation, accident or illness, massage can be of assistance. It will stimulate nerves, muscles and lymph, and thereby aid in mobility, waste excretion from cells and nutrition in the regions affected. A regular massage program may be required for effective treatment. In chronic conditions, regular massage treatments over a certain period are required to counter the muscles memory effect. The muscle will need to relearn it's relaxed state.


DIABETES

The effects of Diabetes are many, with some important ones being a lack of circulation and neuropathy in the limbs. This in turn leads to muscle atrophy and nerve insensitivity and more severely, ulcers and amputations.

Although it has to be approached with caution, massage will return some of the function and feel, or at least slow the deterioration. A maintenance program will benefit the sufferer significantly in many cases, with improved mobility, circulation (and skin colour) and feel.


OTHER MODALITIES

- a very light skin stretch technique is employed to promote the increased movement of lymphatic fluid in the body.
Although remedial massage does also assist in the movement of lymph, it is not as effective, nor possibly indicated in the conditions that MLD are used for.
MLD is used for the treatment of some headaches, post operative recovery, peripheral oedema (fluid buildup in the extremities), detoxification, cancer treatment recovery, lymphectomies (removal of lymph nodes). These are just some of the uses of MLD.
Please always check that you do not have any contraindicated conditions or medications.

- DTT is used to stretch the fascia, which runs throughout the body to join and partition the muscles and organs of the body.
DTT is not just a heavier form of remedial massage, it is a specific treatment. Deep moves are used to warm and stretch tight fascia. One prime example of fascia is the bundle called the Ilio-tibial band (ITB). DTT moves may also be used by us within our Remedial Massage routines for specific problems.

- is a powerful tool for relaxation and stress management. Areas of the feet are manipulated to stimulate the related areas of the body. Janet has achieved qualification in this therapy and would be happy to discuss the treatment with you.

*Further information will appear at a later date!