CITY OF LONDON MASSAGE & SPORTS MASSAGE
MASSAGE AT THE CITY OF LONDON HEALTHCARE CLINIC
What is massage?
Massage is the manipulation of the body’s soft tissues sometimes with applied pressure. A trained therapist will use various techniques and methods to knead the skin, muscles, tendons and ligaments to improve the circulation of nutrients, blood flow and energy throughout the body.
One of the most ancient forms of healthcare; massage has been used for centuries all around the world helping bring pain relief and relaxation for people experiencing tension or discomfort.
Massage is helpful for relieving mental stress and providing physical relaxation as it helps the mind to switch off allowing the body to rest and and the natural healing processes of the body to flow.
How can it help?
Massage is particularly helpful if you are experiencing any kind of muscular pain, tension, feeling tired or stressed.
Through increasing circulation through the tissues and stimulating the energy centres throughout the meridians of the body; massage helps to improve the flow of oxygen and nutrients to the body assisting in the detoxification process. This helps reduce pain and tension in the muscles as well providing relaxation for both body and mind helping to bring balance.
The NHS often recommends massage to support in all types of pain management and medical conditions, especially pre and post-surgery eg. manual lymphatic drainage, during rehabilitation and as preventative healthcare for overall health and mental wellbeing.
Types of massage offered
We offer a variety of massage services at the London Healthcare Clinic, each with different benefits and for different requirements:
Holistic/Swedish massage – Also known as relaxing massage; this is a classic massage technique in the west, offers long relaxing strokes and deeper pressure for specific areas of tension. This is a good all-round massage to help boost circulation and energy, clear out toxins, provide pain relief and overall relaxation for both mind and body.
Deep Tissue massage – Deep tissue is a more remedial way to support key pain/tension areas. This massage builds on a holistic massage technique; first warming up the muscles before applying additional pressure and techniques to work more deeply into the tissues, ease out knots and general areas of tightness in the muscles. A variety of skin-rolling, deeper pressure and trigger point work techniques are used to help free up areas of tension as well as techniques to support the fascia such as: myofascial release and fascial unwinding.
Manual Lymphatic Drainage – Commonly recommended before and after surgery, during pregnancy and for swelling issues; Manual Lymphatic Drainage or MLD as it also known uses a very gentle light touch focusing on the lymphatic system of the body to support drainage of extra fluids and toxins through the bloodstream. This technique is especially helpful for people pre and post surgery, experiencing oedema, puffiness, swollen legs, arms such as during pregnancy or as a result of certain medications and conditions.
Sports Massage – A sports massage is helpful for people looking for the treatment of injuries or repetitive sprains or strains that have built up over time in specific soft tissue and muscle areas. Working specific muscles groups and tension areas, this technique helps enhance sports performance, aid recovery and prevent injury.
Reflexology – Focusing mostly on the feet, Reflexology works by applying pressure to specific parts of the feet to stimulate organs, systems of the body and promote circulation and relieve stress. The therapy uses a combination of long and short gentle strokes on the feet, some mobilisation techniques and specific targeted pressure on certain areas of the feet, dependent on the issue to be addressed in the session. Hands, head and ears can also be treated.
Choosing a particular type of massage is not necessarily important as it depends on where you are currently experiencing pain or discomfort and then the therapist can adapt and use various tools and techniques to suit your individual needs.
Feel free to discuss your needs with our Receptionists who can help determine which treatment and therapist is right for you.
FAQs
Does having a massage hurt?
Massage does not generally hurt however some deep tissue work can sometimes be uncomfortable and you might feel a little sore the following day. This is completely normal and a natural part of the healing process.
During the session the therapist will check-in with you regarding the pressure and you can say at any time if you are finding the pressure uncomfortable.
Who can benefit from massage?
Everyone can benefit from a massage at any time due to its rebalancing, relaxation and pain-relief benefits and massage is particularly effective for treating a whole range of health problems and injuries.
Here are a few of the most common physiological conditions that can be improved through regular massage and healing touch:
● Neck/shoulder pain
● Upper back pain
● Stiff shoulders
● Muscle strain
● Postural issues
● Tight muscles
● Sore muscles
● Lower back pain
● Digestion issues
● Period pain
● Hip pain
● Knee pain
● Joint pain
● Sciatica
● Insomnia
● Whiplash
● Tennis elbow
● Frozen shoulder
● Plantar Fasciitis
● Lack of flexibility
● Scar reduction
● Jaw pain/TMJ Issues
● Carpal tunnel syndrome
● Pre/post-surgery support
● Recovering from injury
● Headache/migraines
● Chronic fatigue/ME
● Anxiety/depression
● Stress/burn-out
● Vertigo/dizziness
● Low energy/feeling tired
● Recovering from illness
● Fertility and pregnancy
● General aches and pains
What to expect in a session
At the start of a session, your therapist will ask some questions to understand your current symptoms prior to commencing treatment. This is an important part of the session as it allows the therapist to ascertain any problems you are experiencing and create a suitable treatment plan for you. All information shared is strictly confidential.
Once the initial assessment is completed your therapist will leave the room while you undress so that you can lie down on the couch. You will be covered with towels and/or a blanket during the session and the therapist will check that you are comfortable throughout the treatment, making any adjustments if needed so you are able to fully relax. (For Reflexology – clients remain fully clothed taking off only their footwear)
Length of sessions vary depending on the area to be treated, the first session will take slightly longer as it will include the consultation, so a 90 minute session is recommended.
After this, a 60 minute session is a good length of time for treatments otherwise if you would like more time to relax a 90 minute session is best.
What to expect after a session
After a massage treatment we always recommend that you stay hydrated drinking lots of water, eat light and nutritionally balanced meals and rest if you are able to so for the first 24-48 hours after treatment. You may then resume sports and exercise activities as normal.
Dependent on the therapist you are working with, they may also provide wellbeing recommendations to help support your condition such as stretches and other self-care practices to do in-between sessions.
In terms of number of recommended sessions, this varies based on your reason for treatment. You can sometimes find relief from one session, however for specific pain and ongoing conditions we recommend having a series of sessions over a couple of weeks/months. For overall holistic wellbeing and balance and ongoing preventative healthcare, a session once a month or two is highly recommended.
Why choose us
London Healthcare Clinic provides Gold Standard service. We provide therapists with high calibre knowledge, expertise and are good at what they do.
Working across different modalities we are able to support you holistically and work with you to bring your health back into balance.
Backed by the latest science, expert analysis, coaching, we help clients and patients better understand the key to solving their health problems with our expert therapists carefully chosen to provide the utmost care.
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Massage Therapists
Simona Dvorackova
Senior Massage Therapist, Craniosacral Practitioner & Breathwork Practitioner.
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