MASSAGE THERAPY
A MASSAGE GIVES YOU THE SPACE TO SWITCH OFF, LET YOUR BODY RELAX AND HEAL ITSELF NATURALLY, BY RELIEVING ACHES, PAIN, TIREDNESS AND MANY OTHER PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL TENSIONS THAT YOU ARE PROBABLY NOT EVEN AWARE OF.
Read more about the types of massage we use:
WHAT IS MASSAGE THERAPY?
Massage therapy in manual manipulation of the soft body tissues (muscles, connective tissue, fascia, tendons, and ligaments) to enhance a persons health and well being.
People seek massage therapy for all kinds of reasons - to reduce stress and anxiety, relax muscles, rehabilitate injuries, reduce pain, improve sporting performance, and promote overall mental and physical health and well being.
Our therapist are highly trained and not just intent on inflicting pain to get results, research shows there is no benefit in a painful massage and it can be detrimental to the very purpose of having a massage.
After getting to know you in your initial consultation, your massage will be designed around you and your needs, consisting of a unique blend of massage techniques including sports, remedial, deep tissue, and holistic massage . This combination creates a very effective treatment that stretches the muscles, encourages movement and space in the joints, and works to relieve the tension and pain in problem areas, and feels absolutely great.
You can request a specific style of massage if you prefer, and whether you like your massage nice and light, or really firm, your massage treatment will be tailored to how you like it.
SPORTS MASSAGE
Strictly speaking, sports massage is a combination of techniques taken from many different massage styles appropriately selected to meet the needs of sports people for the different stages of their competition and training.
Although even the most un-sporty among us can benefit from a sports massage as it essentially just a targeted massage treatment tailored to your needs.
SPORTS MASSAGE CAN:
Ease stiffness and pain in tight muscles and joints that are stressed and overused in your sport.
Improve the effects of your training, and speed up the strength development of your muscles.
Help prepare the muscle for sporting activity, boosting your performance.
Speed up recovery post training/competition and reduces the effect of DOMs (delayed onset of muscle soreness)
Reduce fatigue to allow you to maintain intensive training.
A great supplement to your cool-down routine.
Improve flexibility.
Help you prevent injuries.
IN ADDITION, SPORTS MASSAGE HAS HUGE PSYCHOLOGICAL BENEFITS:
Calms nerves and encourages a competitive focus.
Relaxation and calm after the hype experienced not only during competition but also in the long build-up, hard work, and training.
Competing in sport is an emotional experience, both good and bad (mostly good overall!), and massage helps us to cope with the emotions many of us experience once it is all over (for that competition anyway!).
AND, IT JUST PLAIN FEELS GOOD IF YOU HAVE BEEN TRAINING HARD, IT’S LIKE A BIG PAT ON THE BACK AND A WELL DONE ME
YOU DESERVE IT!
REMEDIAL MASSAGE
Also known as therapeutic, medical, or clinical massage. Remedial massage uses advanced massage techniques to treat neuromuscular-skeletal problems.
If you are suffering from pain because of an injury or condition that is affecting your joints, muscles or nerves; you have muscle and joint tightness, pain, and stiffness from an old injury or scar tissue; or if you are in post-op recovery… remedial massage can help you.
The remedial massage treatment begins with an assessment of your pain and the cause, and the massage will focus on correcting the cause of the problem.
You will also receive help, support, and advice on self-help techniques that you can do at home to help speed up your recovery.
REMEDIAL MASSAGE USES TECHNIQUES SUCH AS:
DEEP TISSUE MASSAGE
This type of massage works deeper into the muscle fibres using oil, providing a much firmer and targeted treatment, often using the thumbs and elbows. Commonly thought of as excruciatingly painful, but a truly effective deep tissue massage, although it may produce a sense of discomfort, should never elicit the bodies pain response causing the body to tense up and go into the fight or flight response. This is just working against everything you are trying to achieve from your massage!
Deep tissue massage is great for releasing chronically tense muscles that are locked in pain and spasm. This is a technique used in both sports massage and remedial massage.
THAI YOGA MASSAGE
A profoundly complete full body healing experience that leaves you feeling totally relaxed and rejuvenated.
Not to be confused with what many people experience on holiday in Thailand, which is the traditional form of Thai massage which can be excruciatingly painful.
With its roots starting in India over 2500 years ago, there is good reason it is still being used today.
A full Thai yoga routine is between 2-2.5 hours long. This may sound like a long time, but during the treatment, you will enter into a deep state of calm and meditation, and you won’t ever want it to finish. But, with so many of us short on time, the Thai yoga routine can be condensed into 60 or 90 minutes.
This style of massage does not use oil or direct contact on your skin (except feet, hands and neck and head, unless the client requests otherwise), which is great for those who are ticklish, have allergies to oils, or have a skin condition. The treatment is traditionally given on a futon mattress on the floor (however, we use a wider massage table in the clinic to perform a Thai yoga massage).
Thai Yoga Massage is performed fully clothed, and rather than a constant kneading of muscles, which is the technique is western massage, pressures on the muscles and energy points are used instead. Stretching poses are used that can be described as passive yoga, and while in these poses the therapist will apply stretching, massage and mobilising techniques, giving every joint and muscle a chance to move, stretch and release.
We recommend wearing loose comfortable and stretchy clothing for this treatment.
SWEDISH / HOLISTIC MASSAGE
This is a gentle massage technique that involves kneading the muscles, long strokes, deep circular movement, and helps you feel relaxed and energised. It generally does not involve any requirement for you to move or change positions throughout the treatment, so if you feel the need to just lie still, and let your stress and tension be washed away, this is a good style of massage for you. Very good if you have been poorly, feel under the weather, or are going through stressful times.