So what is Soft Tissue Therapy? Why not just call what I do Sports Massage?
Well for a start, I don’t just help sports people. Soft Tissue Therapy is for all of us – Young or old, desk bound or active, injured or training well.
Soft Tissue Therapy is the assessment, treatment and management of soft tissue injury, pain and dysfunction however caused.
Your Soft Tissues include all muscles, ligaments, tendons and fascia (connective tissue).
Most Soft Tissue Therapists are members of a professional association that helps us to keep up to date with current evidence based practice and ethical ways of working. The associations encourage us to continue with our education and work with other governing bodies to promote Soft Tissue Therapy as an accepted form of healthcare. I am a member of the I.S.R.M. (The Institute for Soft Tissue Therapists). Please check out their website for more details.
Assessment
This involves discussion between myself and the client as well as some simple functional tests to look at posture and range of movement. This helps both of us to pinpoint the route cause of the pain or injury. Sometimes this could be difficult to establish as most injuries are complex with more than one cause, however, many complaints have common themes such as lack of movement (desk work, driving) or repetitive strain (manual labour, child care).
Treatments
These include relaxing and deep tissue/sports massage as well as assisted stretching and targeted pressure on particularly tight areas of muscle. I will use some or all of these techniques during a session. This kind of massage is rarely painful except in small spots of tension. Pressure and “depth” of massage will be adjusted to suit the client and the type of treatment needed. With these adjustments, I can treat most people, regardless of their physical stature, age or pain levels.
Management
Long term management of the issue will usually involve some homework exercises or stretching that you will need to perform regularly to help alleviate the problem.
I will discuss and demonstrate these before you leave the clinic and can send your an email exercise sheet to remind you.
If you would like to discuss how I might be able to help you, please get in touch.