FAQs

We are soft tissue specialists, which means the muscles, tendons, ligaments and the other types of connective tissue or fascia. When these are too tight or imbalanced, back or shoulder discomfort etc can result.

The bones of the skeleton act like levers that enable us to move via the joints when acted on by the contraction of our muscles. Both the skeleton and the muscles sit within wrappings of connective tissue, which is continuous throughout our bodies.

Both the muscles and different areas of the connective tissue can become tight through factors such as; a) How we use them – be it repetition of movements, injuries from sport or the jobs we do, b) Habits -how we hold ourselves, often very linked to our emotions, stress levels etc or c) Our Our physical structure – what we are born with or develop as we grow up, including leg length differences and spinal twisting etc. Once tight the muscles and connective tissue will cause imbalances within the body and produce compensations in other areas, which can lead to the discomfort we are all familiar with at some point in our lives. Look in the mirror, is one shoulder higher than the other, is one side of your hips further round than the other, is your belly button in the middle for instance?

We believe that if the body is not in balance then it will not work efficiently and ultimately may lead to problems in later life. We will assess and test you during your case history and ongoing throughout your treatments in order to help your body to rebalance by releasing connective tissue restrictions, by lengthening over-tight muscles and conditioning weak ones.

A full history will be taken including general health, any symptoms and injuries. Following this, the therapist will conduct a few simple tests highlighted by the history. All this helps us to target the root of the problem rather than just the symptoms.

Please make sure you wear loose fitting clothing as a minimum. Normally, depending on how you feel, you will wear just a towel and underwear during the treatment. The Target Massage practitioner will need to access as much skin as possible. However, you must feel comfortable and your practitioner will discuss this aspect with you before your treatment. If you have never had a massage and do not know what to expect, there is really nothing to worry about. If you are nervous or shy, remember that we see bodies of all shapes, sizes and ages. You are welcome to undress on your own; thereafter you will be covered with towels. You will be made to feel safe and as comfortable as possible since modesty is your prerogative.

LADIES, if you are nervous about your first visit, please feel welcome to bring a friend/partner along with you.

Non-toxic massage oils/water based oils and lotions are used. The water dispersible oils contain soya and coconut oil with Vitamin K and have a slight fragrance of 100% Grapefruit oil. The lotions are specially designed for Sports massage and are without Parabens or Formaldehyde. All oils and lotions are generally used sparingly during Sports massage or Deep Tissue massage and are easily absorbed by the skin and washed out of fabric. You will not leave the clinic feeling greasy, just pleasantly moisturized!”

Obviously arrive as clean if possible.

Please allow yourself some time to “come to” after your session. Do not operate heavy machinery, go for an expensive meal or even drive immediately afterwards, if possible. Your treatment can affect your abilities for finely tuned activities for a few hours afterwards, at least. It is not unusual to feel a little post massage soreness for a day or two after a Sports Massage or a deep tissue massage. This is normal and shows that useful work was done. You will be advised on whether to ice or gently warm the area. If you are worried in any way about being sore, or have an important event I the next day or two, please tell us, it really is no problem to work around.

Sometimes Sports massage or Deep Tissue massage can be a little uncomfortable, but it is only ever a ‘good’ pain. That is you will feel that is constructive and instinctively know it is doing good. YOU are always in charge, so if you’re uncomfortable in anyway please say and we’ll try a different approach! We know that this type of massage will not work on tense clients. Often clients will report having gone for a massage treatment with other styles of massage therapist and found it unsatisfactory, as it was far too light and not deep enough. There is certainly a place for this type of massage but it is not something we find our clients request very often here. We treat every client on an individual on a case by case basis and we quickly adapt to the wide range of pain tolerances we see in clinic. Of course if you want it light, or lighter, please say ­ we aim to give a massage you want, not simply what we deem ‘appropriate’.

Always advise your therapist if you are pregnant, have a history of heart or respiratory problems. Also, if you have joint problems, any skin allergies, or if you have recently had surgery.

Do not drink alcohol before or immediately after the treatment and do not arrive full from eating.

Home visits are available for Inner London and Greater London to the north. They are also available in Cambridge and surrounding areas. They are by prior appointment only and please refer to the Pricing page for current prices.

Conditions that we see in clinic can be from a wide range falling within a few broad groups.

MUSCULOSKELETAL INJURIES such as Contusions (affecting the muscles), Strains (affecting the muscles and tendons), Sprains (affecting the ligaments) and Whiplash which are usually injuries arising from sporting activities or accidents.

* You can read more about Contusions, Strains and Sprains in my Blog posts: What are Contusions?, What are Strains? and What are Sprains?

OVERUSE INJURIES such as Plantar Fascititis (Including Foot Pain), Tendinitis, Bursitis, Frozen Shoulder, Periostitis and Compartment Syndromes.

* You can read more about Overuse Injuries in my Blog post: Plantar Fasciitis, an Overuse Condition

POSTURAL DYSFUNCTIONS such as Iliotibial Band (ITB) Contracture, Patellofemoral Syndrome, Hyperlordosis (Increase in Lumbar curve), Hyperkyphosis (increase in Thoracic Curve) and Scoliosis.

* You can read more about Hyperlordosis in my Blog post: Hyperlordosis and about Hyperkyphosis in this blog post.

Also seen are Tension Headaches, Sciatica, Piriformis Syndrome, Thoracic Outlet Syndrome and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

* You can read more about Sciatica in my Blog post: What is Sciatica?

Important information about the conditions listed here. We are not physicians and as such we do not diagnose ANY condition. Any diagnosis of ANY of the conditions listed above will have come from a fully qualified healthcare professional such as a Doctor/Clinician, Physiotherapist or Osteopath etc. We are part of the recovery and rehabilitation process that would have been suggested and sanctioned by whomever is in charge of your treatment. We will immediately refer you to a fully qualified healthcare professional if you arrive at clinic with any undiagnosed condition.

All Massage services are available in London in the areas falling into a 2 mile radius of the clinics at the following post codes:

SW1 – Westminster, Belgravia, Pimlico, SW3 – Chelsea, Brompton, SW4 – Clapham,
SW7 – South Kensington, SW8 – South Lambeth, Nine Elms, SW10 – West Brompton,
World’s End, SW11 – Battersea, Clapham Junction,
Parts of: W1 – Mayfair, W2 – Bayswater, Paddington, W4 – Chiswick, W8 – Kensington,
W14 – West Kensington, SW2 – Brixton, SW5 – Earl’s Court, SW6 – Fulham, Parson’s Green,
SW9 – Stockwell, Brixton, SW15 – Putney, SW18 – Wandsworth, SE11 – Lambeth

All Massage services are available in Cambridge and the surrounding areas. Postcodes of existing clients include:

CB1, CB2, CB3, CB4, CB5, CB7, CB8, CB9, CB10, CB11, CB21, CB22, CB23,
CB24, CB25, SC8, SG4, SG19, CM7, CM11, CM23, SG8, PE27, AL7, NN3, EN7