Bea sports injury clinic - sports massage

"Massage therapy is not only a matter of relaxation...."

"Sports massage therapy can be used to treat both chronic and acute conditions, from every day aches and pain to sports injuries, sports and orthopaedics massage may be the perfect treatment for you."

About Me

I specialise in pain free sports massage for the treatment of chronic pain and injuries in general – because massage does not need to be painful to be effective.

My main focus is the assessment, treatment and rehabilitation of musculoskeletal conditions that affect your health and wellbeing.

From sports injuries to everyday aches & pains, my goal is to work with you as an individual to plan an effective treatment.

I started my career in 2000 as a lymphatic drainage massage therapist where I had the chance to work with cancer patients and also pre and post-surgery massage treatments, but it was after moving to Ireland 8 years later that I found my passion for sports massage, I completed my first 2 years course in sports massage and never stop learning since then. I am currently the only certified orthopaedic massage therapist in the Midlands (from James Waslaski`s Orthopaedic and Pain management program).

I am also an approved member of the Sports Therapy Organization, Sports Massage Association and the Complementary Therapists Association in the UK.

Training and qualifications

• ITEC level 3 in Sports Massage
• ITEC level 4 in Anatomy and physiology for sports massage, injuries treatment and prevention
• Advanced Orthopaedic massage
• Manual integrated therapy
• Myofascial release
• Myofascial trigger point therapy
• Kinesio taping for the athlete
• Pregnancy massage
• Manual Lymphatic Drainage Massage
• Swedish massage
• Lomi Lomi massage

Therapies

Orthopaedic Massage

Orthopaedic massage is a kind of therapy that combines and applies different techniques to achieve a specific outcome – to get people out of pain or reduce it significantly enough to improve quality of life, increase range of motion, and improve posture and restoring normal muscle balance. It involves therapeutic assessment, manipulation, and movement of soft tissues to reduce or eliminate pain or dysfunction.

The goal of orthopaedic massage is to treat injuries of soft tissue, these include muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves, fascia, joints and cartilage, targeting muscle imbalance and dysfunction. Orthopaedic massage is also meant to improve the function of soft tissue and increase joint mobility.

Orthopaedic massage is a PAIN FREE TREATMENT, it works by releasing each layer of tissue to access deeper tissues without the need for excessive force, thus avoiding pain while working some of the deepest lying tissues in the Every session is customized for each client because every person’s body is different.

Orthopaedic massage sessions start out with a consultation, where the therapist and the patient will discuss the specific problems. The therapist will ask questions about the problems that the patient is experiencing, placing a focus on the musculoskeletal system.

A postural assessment and a series of functional tests will be performed to assess the injury and determine the treatment. It is recommended that clients bring sports shorts to change into and a sports bra for female clients.

A tailored treatment strategy is then created based on the assessment and is discussed prior to treatment.

Sports massage (Injuries prevention)

Sports massage is one of the fastest growing forms of treatment for athletes in the prevention of injuries, enhancing performance and in rehabilitation. The significant purpose of a sports massage therapy is to help reduce stress and tension which builds up in the body’s soft tissues during physical activity. The sports massage will help prepare the athlete for peak performance, to drain away fatigue, to relieve swelling, to reduce muscle tension, to promote flexibility and to prevent injuries. Sports massage therapy can help prevent those niggling injuries that so often get in the way of performance and achievement, whether a person is an athlete or a once a week jogger.

It uses a full range of techniques including NMT (Neuromuscular technique), joint stretching and articulation, STR (Soft Tissue Release) and vibratory movements to locate and repair any damage caused to muscles, tendons, fascia and joints

Benefits of Sports Massage

• Prevents injury and loss of mobility.
• Restores mobility to injured or sore muscles.
• Increases performance levels.
• Extends the life of a sporting career.

Deep Tissue Massage

Deep tissue massage isn’t just for sporting people to recover from training and treating and preventing injuries, it can be of great benefit to a variety of other complaints and injuries which occur in daily life. It is great for those for example, who work in the office all day and experience discomfort as a result of bad posture or repetitive movement, deep tissue massage can minimize lower back pain, releases tension in a stiff neck, sore shoulders, upper back, and loose tight muscles in the arms and legs.

What is a deep tissue massage then? It’s the manipulation of the deeper layers of muscle and soft tissues in the body. Slow strokes and direct pressure are applied to relax the top layer of muscle in order to reach deeper layers of the muscles, one layer at the time.

Why pain free? We all have a natural reflex to resist pain. When the body is experiencing pain, it reacts with tension and then this reflex is triggered. When too much pressure is applied during a massage, the muscle or group of muscles will naturally resist force by tightening further. This is the opposite effect we want to achieve with the treatment. Effective massages relax and release areas of tension.

Lymphatic Drainage Massage

A massage technique that uses a gentle pumping technique to stimulate the lymphatic system and improve lymph drainage.

Used as a treatment for lymphoedema, and also as a complementary therapy for general health.

Lymphatic drainage is a holistic approach to promoting a healthy lymphatic system. The lymphatic system is a complex network of vessels and ducts that move fluid throughout the body and is responsible for moving toxins away from healthy cells and carrying germ-fighting materials to cells when they are under attack by viruses. Though fluid moves through the lymphatic system, it does not have its own pumping mechanism. Lymphatic drainage is a type of therapy that is intended to help the body produce a free-flowing lymphatic system.

Acupuncture and Dry Needle

For the treatment of sports injuries.

raditional Acupuncture is a form of ancient Chinese medicine which has been used for the past two thousand years to treat a variety of illness and medical conditions.

Traditional acupuncture is based on the belief that energy flows through the body in channels called meridians, acupuncture practitioners believe that illness or injuries are caused when this energy channel is blocked and energy isn’t flowing throughout the body. Energy flow is restored by inserting very fine needles into the channels that have become blocked, stimulating the body’s healing response and restoring its natural balance. Acupuncture also increases blood flow into the area being treated and good blood supply is important for tissue repair. Different combinations of points are used to treat different conditions. Acupuncture is used to treat a wide range of conditions and injuries; the overall aim is to restore the body’s balance.

More recently, dry needling or also called medical acupuncture has been widely used and accepted all over the world. Dry needling is a technique used in physical therapy to treat muscle dysfunction, by inserting very fine needles into trigger points, or “knots”. These trigger points are usually the result of a muscle injury, such as common sports injuries or repetitive strain. Trigger points are painful when pressed on and can also refer pain to other areas.

The goal of both acupuncture and dry needling therapy is to reduce pain, improve mobility and restore function. These are powerful techniques that can relax tight, painful muscles. Research has shown that the insertion of needles stimulates deep sensory nerves in the body that causes a release of pain-relieving substances, such as endorphin’s, which act as the body’s natural pain reliever. The effects of dry needling also include increased blood flow and decreased muscle tightness. These techniques are a great compliment to hands on therapy.

Prenatal and Pregnancy Massage

pecially tailored for the mum to be, this technique involving deep tissue and Swedish massage, improves your circulation, take some of the strain off your muscles and joints, and totally re-energize you.

Please note: Pregnancy massage is not recommended at the first trimester of pregnancy.

Pregnancy massage can:

• Reduces swelling in hands, feet and ankles
• Lessens sciatic pain
• Eases muscular discomforts in areas like the low back & neck, calf cramps, it also helps with tension and tightening that can be experienced throughout the body
• Help increase flexibility.
• Helps with relaxation which in turn can decrease insomnia
• Increases blood and lymph flow which can help increase the elimination of toxins through the circulatory and lymphatic systems, this can also help with fatigue.
• Helps relieve anxiety or depression
• increase blood circulation
• Eases stress mothers often feel after the birth

There are many more benefits! This list will hopefully give you an idea of how beneficial massage can be during pregnancy.