Massage for Pain, Tension & Restricted Movement
Pain, tension and stiffness can affect how you move, work, sleep and go about everyday life. Whether you're experiencing an ongoing ache, a particularly tight or uncomfortable area, or movement that feels more restricted than usual, massage may be one way of helping you feel more comfortable and at ease in your body.
At Touchstone Massage Therapy in Cambridge, I offer personalised massage for people experiencing persistent pain, muscular tension, stiffness and restricted movement. Rather than following a fixed routine, I'll tailor your treatment to you, taking into account what you're experiencing, how it affects you and what you'd like to get from your massage.
What might bring you for massage?
People seek massage for many different reasons. You may have an aching back after long hours at a desk, tension around your neck and shoulders, or an area of your body that feels persistently tight or stiff. You may find that certain movements have become uncomfortable or feel more restricted than they used to.
You may also be living with persistent or chronic musculoskeletal pain, or looking for appropriate support as you recover from an injury or surgery. In these situations, massage can form part of a broader approach to looking after your health and wellbeing, alongside any medical care, physiotherapy or other treatment you may be receiving.
You don't need to know exactly what's causing your symptoms before coming for a massage. Before your first appointment, I'll ask you to complete a comprehensive health questionnaire so that I can tailor your treatment safely and appropriately. If anything you tell me suggests that massage may not be suitable for you, I'll contact you beforehand to discuss this, wherever possible avoiding an unnecessary trip to the clinic.
How can massage help with pain and tension?
Research suggests that massage therapy can bring about short-term improvements in pain and physical function, although individual responses vary. It may also help to reduce feelings of muscular tension and stiffness and make movement feel easier.
One of the ways massage may help is through relaxation. Pain isn't simply a measure of what is happening in the tissues: our experience of pain is influenced by many factors, including stress, mood, sleep and how safe or threatened the nervous system perceives us to be. When massage helps you feel calmer, more comfortable and less guarded in your body, this may influence how strongly you experience pain.
This is one reason why I don't see relaxation massage and therapeutic massage as separate things. Even when a treatment has a particular focus — such as an aching back or tense neck and shoulders — creating the conditions in which you can relax deeply is an important part of my approach.
Massage and persistent pain
Living with pain over a long period can be tiring and frustrating, particularly when it begins to affect everyday activities, sleep or the things you enjoy doing.
If you're seeking massage to help you manage persistent or chronic pain, I may recommend an initial series of three to six treatments, usually beginning with weekly appointments. Depending on how you respond, we can then gradually increase the time between treatments to two or three weeks. After this, you may find that a monthly maintenance massage is helpful in supporting your ongoing wellbeing.
Depending on your individual needs, I may also suggest simple self-care approaches to try between appointments. These aren't intended to replace advice or treatment from your doctor, physiotherapist or other healthcare professional, but to support what we're doing together through massage.
What happens at your appointment?
Before we begin, we'll talk about what you're experiencing, how long it’s been affecting you and how it influences your everyday life. I may also ask about things such as your work, activities, sleep and stress where these seem relevant.
Your massage will be tailored to what we discuss and to how you respond during the treatment. Rather than simply working as deeply as possible on the area that hurts, I'll consider the wider picture and use an appropriate combination of techniques, pressure and pace.
For your first appointment, I allow an additional 10 minutes for this initial consultation at no extra charge, so our conversation doesn't reduce your massage time.
Making sure massage is right for you
Your pre-appointment health questionnaire helps me make sure that massage is suitable for you and can be adapted safely to your individual needs. If there's anything I'd like to discuss further, or if I think you may need advice from an appropriate healthcare professional before having a massage, I'll contact you beforehand wherever possible.
Ready to book your massage?
If you're living with persistent pain, muscular tension, stiffness or restricted movement and would like to explore whether massage could help, you can book an appointment at either of my treatment locations in central Cambridge.
If you're unsure whether massage is suitable for you, you're welcome to get in touch before booking.