About Massage

Massage therapy, often referred to as bodywork, is the application of various techniques to the muscular structure and soft tissues of the body. This includes applying fixed or movable pressure to the body, using primarily the hands, but also the forearms and elbows.

“Do you know that stiff neck and shoulders are the most common symptoms we treat?”

Massage has a positive influence on your overall health and well-being. Some of the specific benefits of regular massage include:

Reduced chronic pain, muscle aches, spasms and headaches, enabling you to enjoy a better quality of life
Increased flexibility, preventing you from feeling strains of injury and allowing you to perform activities you enjoy
Increased endorphin production (the body’s natural painkiller), helping you to relax and feel at ease
Preventing the pain of Repetitive Stress Syndrome, so that you sit at your desk or work out in the gym in comfort
Increased circulation and movement, helping you look and feel healthier and keeping your mind more focused
Increased endurance during physical activities, helping you to perform at your best
Boost to the immune system, reducing the chances of getting a cold or infection
Improved quality of sleep, so you can feel at your best for the day ahead
Lowered stress levels, so you can enjoy better balance in all aspects of your life
Comfort to pregnant women, enabling mothers to be to relax, increase their energy, and relieve discomfort

Bear in mind your treatment at The Massage Centre, will be tailored to your exact needs and requirements, so we can work to achieve the particular health outcome or benefit (s) that are most important to you.

On your first visit to our clinic your massage therapist will conduct a short consultation with you. This is to establish the reasons you are getting a massage, current physical condition, medical history, lifestyle and stress levels. This will enable you and your therapist to discuss and agree the best possible techniques and plan for the session.

Did you know that lower back pain is quite often caused by muscle tension in the front of your hips?

After the consultation your therapist will ask you to remove your clothing to a comfortable level and will leave the room. A towel is provided for draping during the massage. You therapist will uncover only the part of the body being massaged, insuring that your modesty is respected at all times and that you are kept warm.

The massage takes place on a comfortable, padded massage table. Your massage therapist may offer some advice that will improve the quality of your massage such as deep breathing, which will help if a particular painful or sensitive area is being massaged.

At the Chiswick Massage Centre we use water based oil, which does not leave a greasy residue. If you are allergic to some oils, make sure you tell your therapist.

Your therapist will massage either the full body or only specific areas, depending on your needs. A Swedish relaxation massage usually include all the major areas of the body, while a massage for a specific injury, pain, or tightness will be focused on that or any linked areas. Do remember that we are guided by you, so please let us know if you’d like a specific problematic area to be massaged more or if the pressure isn’t quite right.

At the end of the massage, your therapist will leave the room again so you can get dressed. You will then sit down shortly afterwards to discuss the findings of the treatment. Your therapist will provide aftercare advice, may recommend some stretches or exercises for you to practice at home and will discuss if future treatments would be beneficial.

Your therapist will provide you with aftercare advice to ensure you gain the most benefit from your treatments at the Massage Centre and to speed up your healing process.

It is important to drink lots of water after a massage. Massage helps to remove lactic acid from your muscles, and extra water will ensure that these toxins will be flushed from your blood stream, not reabsorbed in your muscles.

It is quite common to feel some soreness after a massage, especially a sports or deep tissue massage. If you experience any areas with redness, swelling, or heat, apply an ice pack to the area for 15 to 20 minutes. This will assist the healing process.

Where possible try and follow your therapist’s advice and recommendations. Stretching exercises and self-care help to provide relief and will prevent the problem occurring in the future.

This varies greatly from person to person and your general health and condition will determine this. If you’re experiencing chronic pain, you may need to receive the first few massage treatments weekly initially to achieve the desired effect. Once you have reached a level of relief and correction you will probably only need to receive a massage once every 4-6 weeks for maintenance and prevention purposes.

If you are in good health with no specific problems, you may choose to receive a massage once every 4-6 weeks, for maintenance purposes.

Your therapist will be able to inform you of treatment recommendations at the end of your session.

Massage is very effective in addressing chronic pain, and can often be complimented by other supportive measures, such as acupuncture, chiropractic or osteopathy treatments.