Exeter Massage Appointments

Looking for a professional Exeter massage service?

You’re not alone. Many of our patients benefit from the treatment, both physically and emotionally.

Massage therapy is popularly viewed both as a form of relaxation and therapeutic treatment, offering a wonderful form of natural healing.

In addition to proving relaxing, there’s much more that massage therapy offers for your health and wellbeing.

There are different types of massages that concentrate on specific conditions, as well as specific techniques best suited to different parts of your body.

So let’s take a look.

What is Massage Therapy?

Massage therapy is simply a manual manipulation of the body’s soft tissues that include muscles, tendons, ligaments and connective tissues, for the purpose of health and well-being.

This therapy has been practiced for centuries all over the world, with evidence even showing that it was used in ancient Egypt, China and India.

Types of Massage

Massage therapy can be classified in to two categories. One is a relaxation massage, while the other focuses on rehabilitation.

Rehabilitative

If you’ve ever sprained your ankle or cricked your neck severely, a massage at the clinic may be part of the treatment regimen.

A host of physical injuries that affect your soft tissues (which we’ll cover shortly) may call for a such therapy.

A rehabilitative massage is, therefore, a clinical or medical treatment and one that we offer at our Exeter clinic or during a home physiotherapy visit.

Relaxation

It’s no surprise that clients in our Exeter massage clinic commonly request relaxation massages.

It might be that you sit at work for prolonged periods and experience pain as a result.

After a brutal work out session, your body may be aching for a refreshing massage to sooth your sore muscles.

In both cases, muscle fatigue and stress can cause tension, eventually resulting in discomfort and potentially chronic injury.

Receiving regular therapeutic massages can counter such negative effects and leave you feeling looser and refreshed.

Types of Massage

Aromatherapy Massage

This type of massage not only focuses on the physical aspects of the body but also emotional well-being. This explains why you may leave a massage session feeling calm and present.

The techniques used in aromatherapy include the application of gentle pressure and soft rubs, using essential oils. Normally, the therapist will choose the best types of oil for your condition. Nevertheless, you can always suggest the types of oil you prefer.

During the full body massage, you either absorb the oils through your skin or inhale them through a diffuser. The sessions last from 45 minutes upwards.

This type of massage rejuvenates you physically, mentally and emotionally. If you feel stressed or anxious, this massage can help you rebalance, emotionally and physically.

Deep Tissue Massage

Do you experience chronic muscle pains? It might be that you are dealing with soreness or an injury. A physiotherapist may recommend a massage session to treat an injury that has become chronic over time.

A therapist employs slow strokes while using their fingers on the affected areas. This releases tension and the rigidity that the particular muscle may be experiencing.

After a deep tissue massage session, your muscles and connective tissues start regaining their mobility and flexibility. Although deep tissue massages may feel uncomfortable during the treatment, afterwards the effects will be noticeable, with greater range of movement and improved function.

Sports Massage

If you participate in any kind of sports, the high chances are that you routinely deal with various muscle aches and pains.

This might be because of micro-trauma sustained by your muscles during the activity. Furthermore, repetitive injuries can cause great discomfort.

A sports massage comes in handy while dealing with these type of situations. Besides that, it can act as an important prophylactic treatment, to help you avoid future injuries.

A therapist concentrates more on the parts that call for attention. For example, for running, your thighs maybe the issue. As a tennis player, it may be your neck and shoulder. Footballers commonly suffer with groin problems.

Depending on your needs, a massage therapist will apply deep pressure and soft strokes. A sports massage is essential to relieve muscle strains, pain and get you competing at peak performance.

Trigger point therapy

A trigger point massage is a technique we commonly utilise in our Exeter massage clinic.

It’s commonly recommended for people with chronic pain; long term symptoms that lead to other areas of the body becoming affected.

Sometimes, you may experience tightness in specific areas of your muscles, causing pain to radiate and refer. These areas are referred to as trigger points, and can often be felt as solid lumps in the muscle, where fibres have bunched up over time.

The trigger point massage technique uses a mixture of continuous gentle strokes and deep sustained pressure to each point, releasing the tension in each area.

Although it can be a whole body massage, a therapist commits most of the attention to the trigger points. If you have difficulties managing muscle pains that don’t seem to go away, a trigger point massage may help.

Reflexology

Not everybody likes a lot of touching during a massage session due to sensitivity.

Nonetheless, you might have good reasons to have a session. This type of massage seeks to apply pressure to reflex zones on your hands, feet and outer ears.

This type of massage may help with a range of issues.

Prenatal Massage

Pregnancy is a process that can cause a lot of issues in muscles and joints as they accommodate to the baby.

Massage can be used to ease the tension. Nevertheless, it needs careful considerations. A trained therapist is recommended, to avoid any undue risks.

Prenatal massage can improve circulation, while relieving muscle aches, joint pains and anxiety.

Hot stone massage

Damaged tissues and muscle pains can seriously affect your quality of life. If you’re on medication but grappling with regular pain, you could consider a hot stone massage.

This technique uses flat, smooth and heated stones that are placed on the body. These specials stones are typically made of basalt. The body areas that these stones are usually placed on include the spine, chest, face, palms, toes and feet.

The techniques used for this massage include kneading, tapping, circular motions, and stroking. Cold stones may also be used to sooth the skin afterward.

This type of massage, like the others, may help with muscle tension, pain, stress and anxiety.

sports massage

Referral for Treatment

In clinical settings, trained practitioners are administer different types of massage therapy to support their treatment.

They are usually aimed towards problematic muscles, ligaments, tendons, and other soft body tissues.

In some cases, recommendation for a massage therapy comes from a GP, although you will likely know whether you need a massage.

Conditions treated with massage

Some of the medical issues that we treat in our Exeter massage service include:

  • Neck and back pain
  • Headaches/Migraines
  • Whiplash
  • Tendinopathy
  • Repetitive strain injuries
  • Chronic and acute muscle pain
  • Lack of flexibility
  • Delayed onset muscle soreness (after sports)
  • Reduced sporting performance
  • Postural issues
  • Nerve pain, including sciatica

Risk Factors for Treatment

Massage therapy is generally a very safe treatment.

However, it’s always advisable to seek an experienced therapist who’s aware of any precautions and contraindications to treatment.

Such conditions include pregnancy and bleeding disorders.

What to Expect During a Session

Relaxation massage sessions and rehabilitative treatments may differ in the techniques used and the practitioner will customise the therapy in accordance with your needs.

It’s important to let your therapist know why you need massage therapy. Did a GP recommend it?

During your assessment, the practitioner will ask you questions about any underlying conditions which may require treatment.

Give your therapist a little background information concerning your condition. This enables the them to tailor the treatment accordingly.

After identifying the main areas of tension or discomfort, the therapist will decide which areas need attention.

Loose clothing should be worn for treatment. Sometimes the therapy can be applied through garments, but more often you’ll be provided with a towel and the area to be massaged will need to be exposed.

The number of sessions required depends on the symptom response, and often, massage will be included as part of a wider treatment regimen, including home exercises.

Mobile Massage

In addition to clinic-based sessions, we offer mobile massage in Exeter and around Devon as part of our home physiotherapy services.

Prices

Massage sessions cost £50.

Please allow up to 45 minutes for your treatment.

Exeter Massage Service Booking

We only work with select patients who we feel would benefit from this service, so we’ll likely ask a few questions about your symptoms to establish if massage is the most appropriate treatment.

Therefore, to see if you qualify for therapy, please contact us here. You can see what other services we offer here.

Home » Health and Wellbeing Services » Exeter Massage Appointments