Tag: back

Back massage

by Nigel Williams, posted in Treatments

If your back is tired, aching, stiff and sore massage can help. Poor posture, mental tension and injury can make life unpleasant, sometimes unbearable.

Book in sooner rather than later and we’ll help you turn things around.

Before we begin we’ll take some details. Tell is how it feels and a brief history of how it’s developed.

Then to the massage. Stage one covers the whole back. It gets you settled and relaxed and introduces movement to warms and softens the muscles and tissues,

In stage two we go deeper, building a picture of the areas of tension as we work in to them. Here you start to notice the effect of the massage. You’ll be more aware of the specific areas and aiming to stay relaxed through the massage.

Stage three gives specific treatments to affected areas. That might be more or deeper pressure, stretching, trigger point release, working with connecting tendons or fascia. You’re going to feel this – in a good way!

Take a minute or two to relax there’s time to talk about what’s been discovered and what else you can do to help. If you have chance to take it easy afterwards that’s great. You’ll be feeling chilled out.

If you’ve got something you particularly want to ask just drop us a line or give us a call. You’re welcome.

Enjoy your massage and feel great!

Preparing for a performance event

by Nigel Williams, posted in Treatments

So you’re training for the big day. Can massage help?

People often think a massage will be useful after a big event, but how can it improve your performance? Building a few massage treatments into your training plan might just help you keep on form.

So how can massage help?

1. During a performance event you are probably going to push your body beyond what you’ve done in training. Something is going to limit your performance. Massage can help you deal with problems as they arise in training so they don’t come up and bite you when it really matters.

2. To work efficiently muscles need to engage and release. You may be putting a lot of effort into engaging muscles, but not thinking about them releasing. In its optimum condition muscle become soft when it relaxes – feel the difference in you biceps as you tense and release. A massage which pinpoints tight muscles can help release them and, importantly, give you the know-how to work with them yourself.

3. Your massage therapist can help you tune in to and understand the feelings you get in your body and advise on the right course of training. If you get a pain, for example, should you ease up your training, stop all together or carry on with your plan? What stretches or specific exercises might help?

4. Most events require strength and suppleness. Rigidity anywhere in your body will hold you back. The same applies to poor posture.

5. and last, but not least, you will feel better, happier and more relaxed. But that’s for wimps, right?

And if you want a massage afterwards to celebrate your achievement, well you deserve it.

Prices and booking

Remedial massage

by Nigel Williams, posted in Treatments

Remedial massage (aka clinical massage) works with whatever problem or problems you are suffering. This could be lower back pain, limited movement in the shoulder, difficulty sleeping or headaches.

We look at the whole picture, listening to what you tell us and using what we feel to inform our direction. We work with you to create a massage that best suits your needs.

We’ll use direct massage techniques where we find muscular related problems and more soothing and nurturing techniques as required. Where a site is too painful to work directly we can use other strategies.

Remedial massage can also be used to investigate problems and help you decide on any further treatment. Discussing problems during the treatment can be helpful. Attitudes to health and well-being and your relationship with your body can be useful topics of conversation. Where we offer advice it will be constructive and realistic.

Our approach to remedial massage

Our massage is not painful. We believe that pain is part of the cycle of tight muscles. We want to create movement and flexibility without triggering a counter-productive pain response.

Our approach is flexible, informal and open.

  • Understanding. It’s important to find out what’s happening.
  • Effective massage.
  • Recommendations. We can help you understand your symptoms and suggest the next steps.

If you need more advice, please make use of our free 10 minute phone consultation. Call 07941 094318.


Call now 07941 094318

Preparing for a performance event
Clinic locations
Prices & booking

Deep tissue massage

by Nigel Williams, posted in Treatments

When you need something more

Deep tissue massage works with the muscles and tendons which hold posture and allow everyday movement.

Consider deep tissue massage if

  • You are having difficulty with everyday activities
  • Your shoulders are stiff from being at a computer
  • Your hips are stiff from sitting or driving
  • You have lower back pain
  • Your posture is causing you problems
  • You’ve tried stretching but it doesn’t seem to help

Our deep tissue massage is effective because:

  • We listen to what you say
  • We listen to how your body responds
  • We judge the right pressure for maximum benefit
  • We give your body the time it needs to release
  • We look at the wider picture

Deep tissue massage is directed where it is needed, most frequently in the neck, back, shoulders or legs. The aim is to reduce any pain and increase freedom and mobility. It also brings a deep sense of release – mentally and physically.

Why deep tissue massage?

Tension in muscles restricts movement and can lead to recurring aches or a sudden sharp pains if an injury occurs. Aches usually build up over a period of time due to a repeated everyday action or posture. Pain is the result of damage to the soft tissue. We work carefully around pain – finding ways to ease the tension that causes it without inflaming the problem.

Sitting at a desk, computer or laptop and driving can all put the body into a strain position which is held for a long period leaving the muscles no chance for recovery. Massage makes you feel like you are alive again.

Our approach to Deep Massage:

  • Understanding. We want to find out what’s happening in your body.
  • Pain-free massage. We believe that pain is part of the cycle of tight muscles. We want to create movement and flexibility without triggering a pain response.
  • Depth. We go deep by carefully using and maintaining the correct balance of pressure and movement.
  • Recommendations. We can help you understand the symptoms you’re experiencing and suggest the next steps.


Call now 07941 094318

Prices and booking

Weekend Massage in Bath

by Nigel Williams, posted in Treatments

Receive a massage that listens to your individual needs and pay no more than you would for a spa treatment. Read more about our approach.

Weekend prices
One hour

65
90 minutes

90
Massage for Two
One hour

140
90 minutes

190

How to book

  1. Call, text or email to check availability and tell us what you need
  2. Pay online to secure your booking
  3. Receive confirmation by text and information by email
  4. Look forward to your massage

Our massages are by arrangement. Get in touch now and we’ll plan something for you.


Call now 07941 094318

Email: enquires@naturaltouchbath.co.uk

Full price list

What simple change can improve your posture?

by Nigel Williams, posted in Advice, Uncategorized

Our posture – the way we hold and move our bodies – depends on our activity, our habits and our emotional state – and it can change.

Posture is a recurring topic for us. People wonder if poor posture is exacerbating a problem. Sometimes we notice a pattern suggesting posture is a factor. Poor posture can cause problems, but it’s also a symptom. If we want to improve posture it helps to remember that is the result of circumstances – physical and psychological.

Unhelpful inherited values

We’ve all tried “standing up straight” only to flop back down a few moments later and give up. It’s easy to conclude there is no point trying.

There are so many things wrong with “stand (or sit) up straight” it’s hard to know where to begin. Firstly it assumes there is good and bad posture – not very helpful. Secondly the negative tone has echoes of a parent or militaristic school teacher. It makes us think that it’s our fault we have “bad” posture.

When we do try to adjust our posture we’re probably not sure what we’re doing. We have no route to progress and nothing to guide us. We didn’t decide how we would like our posture to be and how to achieve it. It’s also really hard work. We’re trying to force ourself into a shape we’ve labelled “good” posture and soon stop because it’s so much effort. When we do stop our body reverts back to the position it was in before. We call it failure and don’t want to try again.

So, let’s take a more sensible look at what forms our posture and how we can work with it.

Our posture isn’t set. Our bones are dynamic – moved by our muscles. Our spine is a series of joints, each with a range of movement. Habit and how we feel are also very important. We are generally not aware of our posture. Our unconscious mind takes care of it. Luckily for us though we can take control and with practice change the pattern.

You can change the position of your body more easily than you think. The trick is to find a position which is comfortable and looks good then you will want to adopt it. It’s then a matter of forming new habits.

It helps to look at the whole body. The angle of our pelvis, for example, is going to affect our lower spine, which in turn affects the upper body shape.

A positive attitude is important. We are moving to something better for ourselves that we have chosen.

Because it’s hard to do this on your own I have designed a practical workshop to look at your posture, see how you feel about it and how you would like it to be, make some suggestions and together come up with one or two easy things you can repeat frequently throughout the day – positive steps towards the posture you want.

Posture workshop

My posture workshop is to help you
– know where you are starting and what you are trying to achieve
– feel confident about what you are doing
– find something sustainable you can integrate into your everyday life
– find something realistically achievable that will give you results
– feel supported in the process and have something to guide you

What happens in the workshop?

We look together at your posture and talk about how you see yourself and how you would like to be. Using photography helps.

Then I help you find a new posture – something you feel good about. Again we can use photos and see how you feel when you see yourself.

You’ll get chance to try your new posture – take it for a test drive. We want to make sure it’s going to work from day 1.

Once you have found and practised your new posture, you can leave with a sense of purpose, direction, realistic expectation and the photos to remind you, inspire you and guide you. I can also check up to see how you are getting on.

Prices and booking

I didn’t expect it to hurt there

by Nigel Williams, posted in Treatments

Following lines of tension finds the areas that really need massage.

It’s quite common for people to feel pain at a specific point, but following investigation we often find that the painful spot is part of a wider band of tension. A typical example is lower back pain which can result in sharp, painful twinges often triggered by a particular movement. There’s probably tension down into the hips and up into the back.

In this case I explain that I’ll work at the point where the pain occurs, but also explore a wider area. What I want to do is uncover the whole chain of tension and work along that chain so that the whole problem is reduced. I’m using my sense of touch to check the condition of the tissues – muscles and tendons – and locate the tension. Healthy muscle is soft and flexible. Muscles which feel tough aren’t able to release properly. The associated tendons, which connect the muscle to bone, feel like taught ropes.

Once I massage into these areas clients can be surprised that they are tender, but welcome the relief. It’s taking the pressure off the painful area.

The pain is often due to muscle damage so I will work carefully in that area. Pain causes more tension and that’s counter productive. People know what feels right for them so I just ask.

Once the treatment is over the pain should be eased and the client feels more relaxed. We also have a better understanding of how their body is behaving. We might talk about possible causes and explore possible solutions such as stretches or movements they can do themselves or changes they can make to their environment or activity patterns to help.

One massage can often be a turning point and indicate the next step towards recovery.

Working with pain

by Nigel Williams, posted in Clients, Treatments

How massage therapy can help when you are in pain.

Pain is relevant to massage therapy in a number of ways. In this article I look at the treatment of painful conditions such as lower back pain.

I have seen how pain can impact people’s lives. Pain effects everyday activities and can be upsetting and worrying. Pain makes it hard to concentrate on other things. People suffering from pain adapt their movements and activities in an attempt to avoid it. Clients say things like, “The only position I’m comfortable in is x, y or z and that’s getting worse.” The body also adapts unconsciously by changing posture and calling on other parts of the body to take the strain.

Of course pain can be a symptom of many things and if you’re not sure, do see your doctor. If however your pain is muscular then you might find that your GP doesn’t offer much help to address its cause.
Massage works to relieve pain in a number of ways. 1. by finding and relaxing muscle tension that is causing or contributing to your pain. 2. by relaxing the whole person 3. by changing the way you perceive pain 4. by helping you understand the mechanics of the problem you are experiencing. 5. by helping you make beneficial changes in your life 6. by changing the way your body feels and the way you feel about your body.

As I therapist I need to be sensitive. I don’t want to trigger the pain – which would exacerbate the problem. I have a range of techniques so I can adapt around the sensitivity yet still be effective.

A client I saw recently had stiffness in his neck which caused pain up into his jaw and temple and behind his eye. During his massage sessions I’m working to help release his neck which is the immediate cause I’m also working around his hips and back to help his posture – and we’re discussing the influences which affect his everyday posture. It’s also a supportive environment where he can talk about his health and take time to relax.

As I work into painful areas I’m using my sense of touch and my clients reaction to judge what’s needed. As well as providing physical relaxation, I want my client to experience that part of their body in a new way; a way that can respond positively without pain. I think this is an important part of my treatment as it breaks the cycle of pain and tension.

After treatments clients report feeling looser, have increased movement and simply feeling better. Sometimes there are great steps forward in a single session, but I can’t promise.
Once a particular issue is resolved, people often opt for a regular treatment to keep them supple and head off any future problems.

If there’s anything you would like to discuss, please call me.


Call 07941 094318

Email: enquires@naturaltouchbath.co.uk

Recovery and injury from the Bath Half

by Nigel Williams, posted in Advice

It’s normal to feel achy and stiff after a hard run – especially if you’ve pushed yourself to the limit.

Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) usually comes on the following day and will be familiar to anyone who has ever pushed themselves physically. A day or two later you should feel fine. In the mean time, look after yourself with good food and plenty of fluids.

If beyond that you’re noticing your muscles feeling tight then a massage can help. At this stage massage can help lengthen shortened muscles and break up any of the congestion which makes muscles feel hard.

If you’re suffering other problems such as back, hip, neck or shoulder pain, massage can help too.

Muscle Injury (Sprain)

If you have pain, redness, swelling and heat which came on immediately these are the symptoms of a muscle injury. You should immediately:

Rest the affected part
Apply ice to cool the area (not directly on the skin)
Bandage the area to help limit swelling and
Elevate the limb

Seek medical advice if you are unsure.

When these symptoms have gone you can gently return to stretching and exercise, being careful not to cause more damage to the weakened area.

As scar tissue forms, use massage to help it’s fibres line up with the muscle fibres. Scar tissue is not as strong or flexible as the original muscle.