Your appointment 

What should I consider prior to having Sports & Remedial Massage Therapy? 
 
There are various things to watch out for before you have Sports and Remedial Massage Therapy and there are several situations which may prevent you from having treatment. If you are unsure please discuss the situation with our practitioners or seek medical attention as appropriate: 
 
A fever or an infection, this includes skin infections 
 
Any open wounds or recent (previous 48-72hrs) bruising, muscle tears, sprained ligaments, contusions (deep muscle bruising) or burn 
 
Bone fracture or joint dislocation 
 
Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) 
 
Any serious medical condition or illness  
 
An undiagnosed illness 
 
It might not be suitable for someone with uncontrolled diabetes, bleeding or clotting disorders or certain cancers so you need to speak to the practitioner or your own doctor before you start if you are concerned. 
 
You must tell your practitioner if you are - or think you might be - pregnant. 
 
The practitioner is trained to recognise whether massage therapy is safe and appropriate for you. If such a situation arises, you may be need to defer massage therapy or attend another health professional. 
 
Sport Massage and Remedial Therapy work the muscles in a deep and thorough way during the treatment and it is therefore not a good idea to eat a heavy meal or drink alcohol in the hours leading up to your massage. 
 
What happens when I go for my appointment? 
 
Many people say they would like to have a Sports & Remedial Massage therapy, only they're not quite sure what is involved… 
 
On arrival you will asked to complete a simple record form.  
 
Consent - It is essential to have your consent for all aspects of the treatment. Children (under 16) will require both consent and a chaperone. Your consent will also be requested if the practitioner feels it is necessary to refer you or discuss your case with another healthcare professional. 
 
Acupuncture - On arrival a form will be available providing information about acupuncture treatment if you would like to include this as part of your treatement. This will be discussed with your practitioner during your consultation and written consent obtained if deemed approriate for you.  
 
Consultation - Appointments begin with a consultation to discuss your current health and medical history. Lifestyle, occupation, emotional, sporting and leisure activities will also be taken into account. This helps to determine if there is a medical reason that you can't have a massage. It also helps the practitioner tailor the massage to meet your current needs. 
 
Musculoskeletal Assessment - An assessment of the musculoskeletal system is made. This could include evaluation of your soft tissues (muscles, joints, tendons etc.) and simple mobility testing. A trained sense of touch will be used to locate areas of tightness, strain, weakness or injury. 
 
Postural Analysis - Your posture wil be analysed and any imbalances or restrictions noted. 
 
Treatment - You will receive your treatment in a clean, warm, private, comfortable and relaxing treatment room. You will be asked to undress to whatever degree is comfortable for you for the assessment and massage session. Towels will be used to cover the areas of the body not being worked on to maintain modesty and keep you warm. 
 
Massage treatments are client-centred and tailored to you as an individual and a variety of techniques are utilised depending on what you need. If at any time you become uncomfortable, inform the practitioner. You know your body and your needs best. The practitioner will respond to whatever you feel is right for you. 
 
Treatment Plan - Whether you have attended for a one-off treatment, a course of treatments or intend to attend regularly your consultaion, assessment and treatment will be explained and discussed with you. It will also be documented and your records will be kept in a safe and secure place which can only be accessed by your treating practitioner. A treatment plan will be formulated as required and future bookings can be made. Advice on accessing other forms of healthcare, as appropriate, will also be given. 
 
Advice - The practitioners are knowledgeable about many aspects of healthcare, sport and training. Advice may cover, for example, rehabilitating from injury; aspects of postural health and well-being in the work place; managing stress; changes you can make to your lifestyle to increase your general health and help to prevent muscular discomfort or injury; adjustments to your training programme and possibly introducing complimentary forms of exercise to address over-training or improve sports performance. 
 
 
How will I feel after Massage Therapy? 
 
At the end of the session you will likely be in a deeply relaxed state, so you will be advised not to get up too quickly from the table. Get dressed at a relaxed pace. 
 
Massage therapy helps loosen tight, stressed muscles thus allowing blood and oxygen to circulate properly and release toxins. It is therefore important to drink plenty of water after a massage session to help eliminate these toxins from the body. This is will also help combat the dehydrating effect that massage can have on the body. 
 
Sports Massage and Remedial Therapy often involves using deep techniques which can sometimes cause discomfort. This may seem like a negative course of action, but this is only ever ‘good’ pain – that is, you will instinctively know that a problem has been identified and is being treated. You will be encouraged to describe any discomfort as it occurs and the practitioner will act upon this information immediately, modifying the technique to suit you. 
 
You may feel a little sore or achey in the areas that have received specific treatment following the massage. This is expected and is a sign that the body is healing itself. It should subside within a day or so leaving you feeling better than ever. The practitioner may recommend applying heat to the area or arnica cream to the treated area or modifying activities post-treatment. 
 
Please feel free to contact Smart Practice if you are concerned at all about post-massage soreness. 
 
What massage lotion is applied to my skin and why? 
 
The massage lotion applied to your skin will depend upon your requests and requirements: 
 
NAQI Sport Massage Lotion – Is an oil-rich but non-greasy, absorbent, unscented lotion which has been specially formulated for use by professional therapists for deep tissue massage. It allows for extended treatments to to assist the therapist to carry out effective massage sto relieve stiff, aching and fatigued muscles and joints. It is hypo-allergnic and free-from traces of nuts. NAQI Sport is dermatologically tested and suitable for sensitive and dry skin. It contains the same PH level as the skin and does not contain parabens, formaldehyde releasers or any other standard preservative agents which the skin can easily become intolerant to. It provides intensive hydration, protects and takes care of the skin but also rinses off easily with water. NAQI products are free from ingredients of animal origin and are not tested on animals.  
 
Songbird Vegan Fascial Release Wax – Allows the therapist to obtain a tighter grip for extra soft tissue control in order to manipulate it in a wide variety of ways. It is formulated for those therapists who are vegan or for if you are vegan and do not want beeswax in the product. The ingredients are exactly the same as the beeswax 'Fascial Release Wax', with the exception of the beeswax, which is replaced by a vegan, plant-based wax which can be used on everyone. It also contains a unique and effective blend of soothing natural ingredients such as arnica, hypericum, calendula and Viamin E which have healing and restorative properties. 
 
Do you offer follow up support after a Sports Massage treatment? 
 
All clients are welcome to contact Smart Practice for information or advice following a treatment session. You may want to revise what was discussed during the session, how you are feeling subsequently, or go over, for example, stretching techniques. Even if you came for a one off treatment you are invited to remain in touch. 
 

Remedial Exercise  

 
Remedial exercises, along with relevant take-home advice form a fundamental part of rehabilitation, aiding your recovery from injury and dysfunction and promoting your return to daily activities and sport. A personalised home exercise programme also improves general physical and mental well-being helping you to feel more involved in your own recovery.  
 
The exercises will usually include mobility, stretching and strengthening techniques which are tailored to your individual requirements that you are able to perform at home following your treatment in the clinic.  
 
At SMART Practice we will take the time to demonstrate exercise techniques to help you understand how your body should feel when doing them correctly. This will be followed up by emailing your exercise programme to you for you to access at home. You can download this onto a device and watch video links to ensure that you continue to do the exercises correctly and safely.  
 
Your response to the exercises also act as a guide to monitoring progress and tailor subsequent treatments. 
 
The provision of a self-care plan will complement your massage therapy & empower you to improve & maintain good health and function. 
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