I give relaxation massages, not medical treatments. They do affect your body and the way you feel, so it matters that you tell me beforehand if something is going on. We then decide together whether a massage is a good idea right now, and if so which one.
Stiff muscles, a locked neck or sore legs after sport
Not everyone comes here to relax. Some clients arrive with a complaint: a neck that has seized up after days at a laptop, shoulders that will not drop, stiff thighs and calves after a run, or muscle soreness two days after a hard session. Thai massage works well for that. I stretch and press the muscles and joints through their whole range of movement, and greater mobility is exactly the effect that research on massage is most consistent about. Muscle soreness after exercise is usually less afterwards, and you feel recovered sooner.
I do not call it sports massage and I am not a sports masseur: I trained in Thai massage, at Wat Po and Chetawan in Bangkok. What sports massage and Thai massage have in common is that they address the same complaints and deliver on the same points: moving more easily, less stiffness, less soreness. What massage does not do, in any form, is make you stronger or faster. Research finds no effect there.
The other thing I see a lot is muscles that have locked up, and hard, tender spots in the neck, shoulders and back – knots, as clients call them themselves. I work through those slowly, with pressure and stretch. Some of my clients also have migraine or frequent headaches and tell me that a massage helps, particularly when it starts in the neck and shoulders. Let me be clear that this is their own experience and not a treatment: the research on massage for headache and migraine is limited and not conclusive. What I can do is reduce the tension in the muscles around it. Whether that does anything for you, you will only notice by trying.
If you have an injury, or a complaint that has not gone away after a few weeks, see your doctor or a physiotherapist first. Massage is not a treatment for that, only an addition, and sometimes it is better to wait. If you are unsure, just call me on 030 877 6157.
Pregnancy
During pregnancy I cannot give massages. That is because of the pressure I apply in a Thai massage. I make no exception to this, not even for a lighter treatment. For a pregnancy massage you are better off with a practice that is specially trained for it.
Under the care of a doctor or physiotherapist
If you are being treated by a general practitioner, a specialist or a physiotherapist, please consult them before you come to me. They know your situation and can say whether massage fits with whatever else is going on. I am not the right person to judge that, and I would rather do nothing than something I am not sure about.
Please tell me beforehand
When making the appointment, or at the start of the treatment, please let me know if any of the following applies to you:
- fever, flu or an infection at the moment
- a recent operation, fracture or injury
- a skin condition, wound or rash on the area that would be massaged
- blood thinners or other medication that affects bruising
- complaints radiating into an arm, hand or leg
- a condition where you yourself suspect that pressure or stretching is unwise
That list is not there to put you off. In most cases a massage is perfectly possible, sometimes with less pressure or with a different treatment than you had in mind. But I do need to know.
During the treatment
A Thai massage is firm, but it should never hurt. Say so straight away if it becomes too much and I will reduce the pressure. There is no need to grit your teeth, and it is easier for me to adjust during the treatment than to hear afterwards that it was too hard. What you can expect afterwards is under after the treatment.
Still unsure? Give me a call: 030 877 6157. Then we can discuss it before you leave the house.
