Sports and Remedial Massage
What is Sports or Remedial Massage?
Sports and Remedial massage uses a variety of different soft tissue techniques incorporating skills from many different types of massage including Swedish, Thai, Lymphatic Drainage etc. These base skills are then added to with the use of more recently developed techniques such as Muscle Energy Technique and Positional Release which have developed from our understanding of how the muscles and other soft tissues react to stretch, changes in circulation etc. The result is a comprehensive set of tools from which your practitioner can deal with a variety of conditions and create the effect required.
No one treatment session will be the same as each will be personalized to your requirements and what the practitioner finds. You may wish to have a relaxing massage and ask for the practitioner to relieve tension in the neck, shoulders and upper back built up through stress or alternatively you may have been feeling very fatigued and require a massage to help boost your circulation and make you feel more alert.
What happens during a treatment?
For your
first treatment a detailed history will be taken to determine the most
effective course of action. We will also discuss your current lifestyle and
expectations to set realistic targets by which you can see your improvement.
During the massage you will be required to remove only the necessary
items of clothing and underwear will remain worn at all times. For work on
the legs if you prefer you may bring a pair of loose fitting comfortable
shorts. Towels will be used to cover any parts of the body that are not
being worked on.
Typically most sessions will begin with broad effleurage strokes to warm the muscles and help with relaxation. Depending on the outcome of the initial assessment the session will then be tailored to your individual needs and may incorporate any of the following techniques:
Effleurage or Petrissage
Compressions or Frictions
Percussive Techniques
Muscle Energy Techniques
Positional Release
Neuromuscular Techniques
Stretching
Soft Tissue Release
Trigger point work
How often should I have Sports Massage?
Ideally Sports Massage should be used for injury prevention and general maintenance meaning that having a treatment weekly or once every few weeks is often more helpful than only having massage once an injury has occurred or long period of time has passed. However due to the hands on approach of Sports Massage even after just one session people often find a marked improvement in how they feel.
Who is your Sports Massage Practitioner
Chelsea Papworth is your qualified Sports Massage Practitioner. She qualified with a first class honours degree in Sports Therapy from the University of Worcester. If your first point of contact with the clinic is for sports massage and you are unsure if you need sports massage or physiotherapy, Chelsea is ideally qualified to identify injuries that may require physiotherapy and will then refer you to one of our Chartered Physiotherapists.
Sports massage can be an important part of a long term rehabilitation plan for more chronic problems as well as early intervention in acute soft tissue injuries. Many of our chronic back and neck pain patients benefit from regular sports massage to help maintain a pain free status once they have finished their treatment with our physiotherapists. If your Chartered Physiotherapist believes this might be a good option for you they will discuss that with you.
How much does it cost and will my Health Insurance cover the cost of treatment?
Sports massage at the clinic is £40 per hour.
Currently Sports Massage treatments will not be covered by your insurance company. The Sports Massage Association have applied to the Health Professionals Council and are currently awaiting the outcome of their application. If they are successful it will mean members trained to the appropriate standard and on the National Register of Sports Massage Practitioners will be eligible to provide treatments covered by medical insurance.