Did you wake up this morning and find yourself unable to turn your head? Or have you been for a few runs and tweaked your hamstring, and now you’re off your training schedule? Or is your lower back preventing you from standing upright?  Sounds like you need a massage for a specific problem.

While ideally we all keep on top of things, often seeing to a niggle is a last priority until it goes from a niggle to a major inconvenience. Because of this, we see just as many specific problems for massage as we do maintenance/general appointments.

What do you do in a ‘specific problem massage’?

Like with all first sessions, we take a case history and do movement and postural assessments. In a specific problem massage, we want to be as targeted and effective as possible – getting you better faster. Expect to get up and down off the table multiple times during the session – by identifying exactly which muscle is causing the problem we can be more specific in our exercise/stretch prescriptions, which will save you time in the long run, and hopefully get to the cause of your problem more quickly as well.

How many sessions will I need?

The rule of thumb is 4-6 weekly or fortnightly sessions but this can vary quite a bit depending on length of time you’ve had it (and yes, off and on counts) and how active you are generally. Having a few sessions close together means we can break down layers of tension that have built up over time while introducing changes you can make at home to prevent them from coming back.

It will also depend on how much you follow our advice during the sessions. For example, if your problem is related to your posture, and you don’t change your posture or do any of the posture-adjusting stretches or exercises we give you it will take a lot longer than if you do. We look for a certain amount of improvement each session based on a number of factors, and should be able to let you know fairly quickly if you need to see someone else either instead of or in addition to us.

What exercises will I be given?

Exercises will be suggested based on your own situation and problem, but we generally add one or two per session, with some tips on how to fit it in to make it as manageable as possible. We understand you’re busy and probably don’t have an extra 30 minutes a day to do home care. We also offer a membership program where you can access videos of your exercises/stretches, keep track of when you do them, and sign up for email and text reminders to help you remember to do them.

When I have a problem, should I see my GP first?

The great thing about people who come to us after seeing their doctor is that many other more serious causes may be excluded. So while it isn’t strictly necessary, it’s not a bad idea to do so. However, if after seeing you we feel a trip to the doctor is indicated we will let you know and can provide you with a note for your doctor about what we found in a session and why we recommended you see them.

If you come to us with a specific problem we will focus on that to get you better as quickly as possible and help you stay that way.