Assessment
On initial assessment we will be starting with a conversation to establish any life details that will support a safe and clinically relevant assessment and treatment. This will include any medical history, your work, social / leisure activities and the history relating to what has been troubling you. We will establish expectations and discuss goals of treatment.
We then complete a physical assessment, which includes viewing body alignment, body movement, and hands on assessment. The aim is to understand how the tissues and joints in your body are positioning and tensioning themselves, where pain is situated establish the best ways to help your body make the changes that are needed.
In the case of remedial or sports massage sessions there will be a more streamlined version of the assessment.
Goal setting
What would you like to achieve?
Do you want to be making a difference to your chronic back pain?
Do you want to be able to eat without discomfort and bloating?
Do you want to be able to run for longer or without injury and pain?
Do you want to be able to cycle without back or knee pain?
Or do you want to be able to return to your normal daily tasks following joint surgery?
Visceral Manipulation
The techniques used in visceral manipulation include light touch to truly feel where there are areas of tension and discord in their structure, gentle movement of the body and gentle manipulation or stretching techniques of the tissues to aid their ability to move freely and naturally again. Unlike massage we are looking to affect changes in the deeper tissues of the body such at the organs and tissues connect our body from top to tail. This means that you should not be surprised if
Treatments often work best by giving the body time to adapt to it’s new positioning and tensions and due to often chronic conditioning of the tissues it may take a few treatments to make a lasting difference. Typically treatments work best giving approximately 3 weeks in between sesssion.
Physiotherapy
Following assessment we will be establishing the best course of treatment and generating a plan to support your rehab. This may include manual therapy, joint manipulation, soft tissue massage, kinesio taping, strengthening and conditioning exercises, or task orientated movement correction.
I may also give advice on modalities to support recovery such as hot and cold therapy, compression supports, pacing, and orthotics.
Massage and Connective tissue work
This includes a range of techniques including traditional massage - effleurage and petrissage - connective tissue release, muscle energy techniques and gentle stretching to release tension and
Home Visits
On home visits we look not just at the individual and body but we consider if the person is needing support with moving around their home environment. Each situation is individual and the main thing is to establish exactly what you are requiring from therapy, whether it is rehabilitation, management of conditions, or massage.
All of these treatments are hands on techniques. Where an assessment is required to consider body alignment and understand how your body is moving it is often necessary to be wearing minimal clothing. I therefore suggest bringing shorts if possible or loose fitting trousers and, if you wear a bra, then wearing one you would be comfortable in for assessment and potentially treatment. Often, after assessment we will be working on select areas and therefore only needing to view that area at any one time.
I recognise that not everybody who needs these techniques will feel comfortable or able to wear minimalist clothing. Please do not feel excluded if for a variety of reasons you feel you would need to remain more clothed. Please reach out and we can discuss how your needs can be accommodated