How Is Sports Massage different from other types of therapeutic massage?

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Some sports massage techniques are designed to shift an old or chronic injury back into its acute stage to trigger the body's natural healing process to complete the process of of repair.Through the incorporation of different techniques, Sports Massage is proven to be effective in:

• REDUCING SWELLING AND PAIN
• RESTORING BALANCE IN THE MUSCULOSKELTAL SYSTEM
• ENHANCING MUSCLE FUNCTION & JOINT MOBILITY FOR IMPROVED PERFORMANCE
• AIDING THE SPEED OF RECOVERY FROM INJURY

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Who is Sports Massage Therapy for?

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Massage Therapy is for everyone feeling the strain of every day activities on their body – elite/hobby athletes, office workers, frequent flyers, pregnant women, those with minor soft tissue injuries, seeking general muscle management or post-surgery rehabilitation.

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What techniques are used?

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Besides muscle and joint assessments, I use a number of different treatment techniques including;

• Frictions, applying deep pressure to tissues repeatedly, to break down fibrous adhesions or to soften scar tissue.

• Neuromuscular Technique (NMT),

• Soft Tissue Release (STR),

• Positional Release (PR),

• Muscle Energy Technique (MET) to improve muscle flexibility and joint range of movement. MET is a direct, non-invasive manual therapy often used to try to relieve pain, normalize joint dysfunction and increase range of motion, and can be applied safely to almost any joint in the body.
  Many athletes use MET's as a preventative measure to guard against future muscle and joint injury. It is also used by individuals who have a limited range of motion due to a variety of causes;
  and

• Connective Tissue Release (CTR) to knead, friction, stretch and release muscles and trigger points.

• Dry Needling - fine, short, stainless steel needles that don’t inject fluid into the body are inserted in to trigger point zones within your muscle or tissue. Dry needling is also sometimes called intramuscular stimulation. The points are areas of knotted or hyperirritable spots within taught bands of muscle. Dry needling helps release the knot and relieve any related muscle pain or spasms.

If appropriate for the problem, I also use myofascial kinesiology taping methods to elongate and support the treatment.

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Is Sports Massage Only for Athletes?

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Absolutely not. Sports massage is regularly adopted by individuals of all backgrounds, types and occupations. I treat individuals who live fairly sedentary lifestyles but work at a desk/computer for long hours, as often as assessing and treating those suffering a variety of sports injuries. Often individuals display postural adaptations to their daily routine, which has led to muscular weaknesses and imbalances creating trigger point referral pain, or compensatory pain and secondary injury. Sports Massage techniques may be equally and effectively applied to the elite athlete, the weekend warrior, and the casual gardener, as much as the office worker.

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When Should I have a Sports Massage?

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Prior to a sports event - to enhance optimal performance, by stimulating the circulation, calming nervous tension, and improve flexibility. After a sports event - to relieve soreness and assist with the removal of lactic acid and other waste products. During a training programme- to deal with existing injuries, and to allow you to train to your full potential and recover optimally. Anytime (providing you are not exhibiting any signs of contraindications to massage. Your therapist will check this prior to treatment).

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What Should I Wear for a Treatment?

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It is advisable to wear (or bring to change in to) some shorts and/or leggings. During the postural/dynamic assessment, it is necessary for me to be able to see the body's contours and alignment of joints. Some movement will be required, and so it is advisable to have something with you that does not restrict your ability to squat and lunge.

During the treatment itself, it is often necessary to work in contact with the skin, and so loose fitting shorts are ideal. Towels will also be placed over you for comfort and discretion.

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How Do I Pay for a Treatment?

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Payment may be made online, or in person after the treatment in cash or cheque.

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Are there any contraindications to massage?

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You will be asked to complete a short form outlining your personal details and the reason for your visit, which also contains a checklist of certain contraindications to massage. The therapist will look through this form prior to the start of the treatment and discuss with you anything that might be of concern. Based on this discussion, the therapist will decide to either continue with treatment and perform more thorough specific tests, in order to identify the appropriate treatment or, if necessary, refer you to your GP to obtain his/her consent for treatment to be administered. In this case, the therapist (with your consent), will write to your GP.

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Are there any side effects to deep tissue massage?

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Sometimes patients don’t feel as great after a massage, instead, they still feel discomfort. While complaints of minor reactions to treatment are normal, some more serious and/or rare problems can occur. These are some of the varying risks in undergoing deep tissue massage. LINGERING PAIN Due to the pressurised techniques used in a deep tissue massage, some people have suffered from some version of pain during and/or after their therapy session While this may seem alarming, this symptom is actually fairly common, simply because of how massage treatments are done. The movement of muscle fibres causes the stimulation that can often lead to a state of pain. If the pain you experience lasts more than a few days, check with your therapist or general practitioner for further advice. MUSCLE ACHES OR FATIGUE Naturally, your muscles are going to feel some soreness after a massage, since this penetrates the uppermost layers of muscle. Muscles will then feel relaxed, potentially causing fatigue or muscle aches. HEADACHES/MIGRAINES Experiencing a headache after your deep tissue massage isn’t as common as the previous side effects, yet they’re generally still not something to stress over. Naturally, your muscles are going to feel some soreness after a massage, since this penetrates the uppermost layers of muscle. Muscles will then feel relaxed, potentially causing fatigue or muscle aches. Drinking plenty of water after a massage can help alleviate headaches or even prevent them inthe first place. Possible reasons for your head pain may be due to odd positioning of your head during the massage; an induced headache from other pain in the pressurised areas; or, if your neck or upper back was massaged. The muscles near your cranium getting a release of tension or pressure can create a headache. FATIGUE OR SLEEPINESS As a result of releasing tension, feeling tired or groggy can be a factor after your deep tissue massage.

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How does Dry Needling differ from Acupuncture?

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Dry needling is a modern treatment designed to ease muscular pain. Both acupuncture and dry needling use thin, stainless steel needles. For both practices, needles are inserted into the skin and both also claim to treat pain. That’s where the similarities end. Unique qualities help differentiate the two. One practice has been used for thousands of years as an alternative treatment and has some solid research of effectiveness, while dry needling is an evidence and research based treatment method that has become more widely adopted by Physiotherapists, Sports Therapsts, Osteopaths & Chiropractors in the treatment of pain in the last couple of decades. Acupuncture is designed to relieve pain, discomfort, or issues by opening up a person’s energy flow or chi. Dry needling is designed to stimulate trigger points, or muscles that are irritable. During dry needling, one or more filiform needles will be inserted into your skin targetting specific trigger point zones within muscle or tissue. Filiform needles are fine, short, stainless steel needles that don’t inject fluid into the body. That’s why the term “dry” is used. Dry needling is also sometimes called intramuscular stimulation. The points are areas of knotted or hyperirritable spots within muscle. Once inserted, the needle helps release the knot and relieve any muscle pain or spasms related to it. The needles will remain in your skin for a short period of time.

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Are there any contraindications to receiving Dry Needling?

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Yes. Absolute Contraindications to dry needling include: • Congenital or acquired heart valve disease • Recent cardiac surgery or CCF
• Recent radiotherapy
• Spontaneous bleeding or bruising
• Pacemaker or intra-cardiac defibrillator (electro dry needling) • Acute cardiac arrhythmias
• Open skin wounds or injuries Relative Contraindications for Dry Needling include: • Varicose veins
• Malignancy
• Haematoma
• Pregnancy (We do not recommend Dry Needling Therapy during pregnancy) • Eczema or psoriasis or mole • Peripheral neuropathy
• Infections
•Tendency to bleed—anti-coagulant therapy
• Compromised immune system
• Previous adverse reaction to acupuncture or dry needling • Seizure induced by previous medical procedure
• Unstable diabetics
• Unstable angina
• Epilepsy (stable or unstable) or schizophrenia
• Chronic oedema or lymphoedema
• Manic depression
• Fatigue

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