FAQs

What happens during my appointment?

During your initial appointment, Victoria will take a detailed account of your condition and provide a full examination in order to gain an in-depth understanding of the source of your discomfort. She may ask you to perform some movements and exercises to assess your level of mobility. You may be asked to remove some of your clothing if it is covering the area of your body causing you pain.

Victoria will then formulate a treatment plan tailored specifically to you, which may involve massage and other treatment modalities. Exercises & stretches may be prescribed for you to perform at home. Any hazards related to your clinical care will be discussed with you too.

Further appointments will begin by assessing any changes to your condition. Your treatment plan will then be adjusted if necessary and your soft tissue therapy treatment will continue. The number of sessions you need is determined by your personal progress and recovery, Victoria wants you to return to full health and mobility as quickly as possible.

What should I wear?

We recommend you attend your appointment wearing loose comfortable clothing. A loose pair of shorts for lower back/leg treatment works well, and for ladies, underwear, or a bikini, if preferred, is suitable too. Ladies’ sports bras are not ideal if treating your neck/shoulders as they do not allow full access, whereas a normal bra does! Your modesty is protected at all times by using towels to cover any exposed areas.

Do you treat children and young adults?

Yes! We will only treat clients under 18 years of age in the presence of, and with the consent of, a parent/guardian. Victoria holds an enhanced DBS Certificate and has completed safeguarding training. Further details of these can be supplied upon request and a copy of our safeguarding policy can be viewed here.

Does the treatment hurt?

Not necessarily. Pain is a very individual feeling, everyone is different. Soft Tissue Therapy does not have to hurt to be effective. You may feel some discomfort during treatment. This is because when you’re injured, the body lays down collagen fibres to repair damaged tissue, but it does this in a haphazard way causing them to become ‘stuck’ and create restrictions in movement. The treatment works to separate these fibres and correctly realign them. Our goal is to work with you within your personal pain threshold, to reduce your aches and pains, and to improve your health, lifestyle and performance.

Do you provide treatments at events or training camps?

Yes, we do. We would love to attend your event, or sports training camp if you are looking for additional support to maximise your performance. Please get in touch here to discuss your requirements with us in more detail. We can then create a bespoke package to meet your needs.

Do you work with businesses?

Yes, we do. We enjoy collaborating with corporate clients to provide soft tissue therapy and/or massage service to their staff and customers. There are numerous advantages for employers, and we would love to discuss them with you. Please get in touch here to discuss your requirements with us in more detail. We can then create a bespoke package to meet your needs.

I have a pre-existing health matter, does that prevent me having treatment?

Not necessarily. In fact, Soft Tissue Therapy may actually help you.

There are some contraindications, however, that do apply to our treatments and it is imperative that you tell us about any reasons why treatment should not take place prior to booking an appointment as they may spread or exacerbate the issue.

We highly advise that you contact us to discuss any such issues by email or telephone ahead of your appointment. These can be:

open wounds or cuts/scratches, or skin infections including local contagious, irritable skin conditions, boils or abscess, fungal infections such as athletes foot (red flaky skin that might be contagious)
acute inflammation (redness, heat, excessive pain, swelling in the localised area)
bleeding disorders such as haemophilia, low blood platelet counts and by those taking blood-thinning medications such as Warfarin
any deep vein thrombosis, blood clots or significant varicose veins (light massage may be possible if minor)
fractures or weakened bones (such as from osteoporosis or cancer), where there has been recent surgery or Myositis -Ossificans (as a result of extended recovery from a broken bone or trauma)
systemic contagious or infectious diseases, including the Flu, the common cold and significant fever
acute conditions requiring first aid or medical attention
severe unstable hypertension or un-medicated elevated blood pressure
an acute flare-up of inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis
aneurism
frostbite
recent burn
varicosities
malignancy/melanoma
lymphangitis (recognisable by a dark line running up the limb towards the lymph nodes)
uncontrolled diabetes
cancer patients should consult their oncologist for approval before having a massage that involves deep or intense pressure
pregnant ladies should also consult their healthcare provider, especially in the 1st trimester as the massage is not recommended

What happens following treatment?

Soft Tissue Therapy can be powerful, and some individuals may react more strongly than others so I would always advise you to do the following:

Drink plenty of water for at least 24 hours after the massage to flush out all toxins/muscle debris etc. Use ice/cooling gel if appropriate or as instructed

Occasionally you may feel like your muscles have had a really good workout for up to 48 hours post-treatment. In this instance, you could take anti-inflammatories as recommended by your Pharmacist if you are feeling particularly affected after a massage, which tends to happen more when you’re dehydrated, or a bit run down. You may superficially bruise or experience some slight minor swelling too but they tend to be short-lived so nothing to worry about. If you are at all concerned, please do not hesitate to give us a call.