Benefits of massage –

How can massage therapy benefit you? –

Having a regular massage can lead to an improvement with both physical and psychological issues. Touch, delivered in a caring and attentive way, can trigger the release of oxytocin, which has a calming effect and can help to reduce cortisol, the stress hormone. It can also release neurotransmitters, like Dopamine, associated with reward, motivation and movement. And Serotonin, which helps the body in many ways including with mood, digestion and appetite, healing, sleep, and memory. Overall the effects of a massage can be restorative and re-invigorating.

Some conditions that massage can help with include anxiety, stress, depression, digestive disorders, headaches, sleep patterns, nerve pain(including sciatica), repetitive strain injuries(carpal tunnel syndrome), soft tissue/sports injuries, joint inflammation(arthritis), fibromyalgia, fatigue, high blood pressure, general aches and pains.

Here a few more ways that having a regular massage can help –

• It can boost the immune system, by a localised increase in blood circulation, helping to deliver nutrition and hormones to your tissues, the movement of lymph fluids, and the reduction of stress and cortisol levels. It can also boost the number of white blood cells in your system, including lymphocytes, which strengthen your resistance to disease and speed up recovery times. And decrease the number of pro-inflammatory cytokines.
• Encourage the production of endorphins, the body’s natural feel good chemicals, which can act as a painkiller as well as improve your mood.
• Promote deeper and easier breathing by relaxing areas of tension and relieving congestion.
• Improve the quality of your sleep, which in turn will help to restore and heal the body. 
• Increase joint flexibility, helping with your range of movement and it may lead to an adjustment in your posture.
• Promote a general feeling of well being and help to restore your body’s natural balance. 
• Stimulate the nervous system, boosting your energy levels.

It can also help to reduce or relieve –

• Muscle tension, stiffness, spasms and cramps. 
• Constipation, which can be helped with an abdominal massage.
• Pain and swelling, in muscles and joints, leading to a reduction in chronic pain, post-operative pain and pain caused by a pinched nerve.
• Fatigue, anxiety and stress, and help to promote relaxation.
• Symptoms of PMS, for example depression and excess fluid retention.
• Your heart rate and temporarily lower blood pressure.
• The formation of excessive scar tissue and break down adhesions. 

Pretty impressive list, eh? And it probably could still be added to. I’m sure you will agree that having a massage is at the very least going to make you feel a little better, if not a lot! You may not experience all these effects in one go, and some are only temporary, so please invest in your health and make time to have a regular massage.

What to Expect –

Before Your Treatment –

If this is your first treatment with me you will be asked to complete a consultation form and provide a brief background to your current state of health. Please mention if you are allergic to any oils etc. Also highlight any areas of concern for you and what you would like to achieve from the session. Subsequent visits will just be an update and a revisit of your aims.

Please switch off your phone or on to silent at this point to ensure you are not disturbed during the session.

As some therapies do not require you to remove any clothing, please make sure you remain comfortable by wearing loose fitting clothes. Also try to avoid having a large meal before all appointments. If your session includes a face massage you may also wish to remove any make up before we start.

Whether you come to me or I come to you, I will then leave the room while you undress to your comfort level, generally to your undergarments and a towel/blanket will be left on the table as a covering. Once you are ready you can then call me back into the room.

Depending on your chosen therapy and physical limitations there may be some adaptations to this general set up.

Please feel free to ask any questions before, during and after the session and I will endeavour to provide an answer.

Arrival at my home –

If having a massage at my home please do not arrive more than 10 minutes before your appointment. I do not have a waiting room and may need time to reset the space between clients.

During the treatment –

I will only expose the area that I am working on and will ask you about the pressure levels. Please be assured that this is your massage and you can dictate the level of pressure and call a halt to a particular movement or the whole session whenever you wish. Also if the room temperature at my home, choice of music, position on the table etc are not to your liking please feel free to let me know. While I am happy to chat during your massage, please do not feel obliged to. This is your time so don’t feel you have to engage in polite conversation. Just relax and breathe…

Once the session has been completed, I will leave the room again and give you some time to enjoy the feeling of relaxation. When ready please slowly rise from your lying position and allow yourself to get your bearings as you may feel disorientated, before getting dressed. Again when you are ready, call me back into the room.

After care and advice –

Most people feel very relaxed after a massage session. However you may also feel a little sluggish for a time and experience a slight headache. As this healing process eases, you may then experience more energy, be more productive and more aware for several days after. If this your first massage, or first for a while, or you have opted for deeper pressure you may be slightly sore or experience a post workout stiffness feeling the following day. A warm bath may help to sooth this. A massage can cause some dehydration so please increase your fluid intake for the rest of the day.

You may also be given advice and stretches to help alleviate a specific problem so we can work together to lessen its impact on your everyday life.