Massage Sessions

We try to keep booking a massage session as simple as possible at Mountain Sports Therapy. You book yourself in for either 30, 60 or 90 minutes for a date and time that suits you, and that's about all there is to it.  When you arrive for your session you advise your therapist what style of treatment you would like for that session, or if you'd like to focus on a specific area of the body, then we can make a start. 

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As a Sports Therapy clinic we typically provide massages that are going to offer some long term benefits for your muscles and connective tissues (fascia), to help them recover from any accumulated fatigue, repair dysfunctional cells and restore your full functionality.  This is what we would consider a Deep Tissue Massage, but our style will always be adapted according to your preferences and expectations so after your session you leave feeling like you got the exact treatment that you were looking for. 

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We also offer massages that are more gentle and relaxing for those clients who are looking for that kind of treatment, which is commonly referred to as Swedish Massage. Our welcoming clinic room is calm and comfortable but keep in mind that because of our location inside a skatepark, there may be loud noises that can be heard from outside the room, such as the banging of skateboards on the ramps or the voices of happy children who are living their best lives!

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What sort of techniques do we use during massage sessions?​

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Depending on what style of massage you are seeking, this will dictate what treatment techniques you will receive. 

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Most massages tend to start with a little bit of Myofascial Release work to address any fascial tension that might be contributing to how your muscles feel tight or sore. This needs to be done before we introduce oil to your skin, so that we can get the traction we need to get the best results for this technique.

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We'll then warm up the muscles with various gentle effleurage and petrissage techniques to manipulate the tissues and get them ready for firmer pressures if you're looking for a deep tissue massage.  However, if you're seeking a gentle and relaxing massage session we will likely stick to these techniques for the duration of your session. 

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For deep tissue massage sessions, once the muscles are warmed up we will be able to apply more pressure to the tissues, perhaps with knuckles or forearms and elbows.  This deeper pressure is always guided by your feedback, so we don't press too hard and it feels just right for your preferences (everyone has a different threshold for firm pressure).

 

During deep tissue massage sessions we tend to work strategically through all of the muscles associated with the area we are working on, making a little bit of assessment and asking for your feedback to guide us along the way.  If we find an area that is extra tight or tender, we may utilise more targeted techniques to address that bit of dysfunctional tissue so your body can repair it in the coming days after the session.  This is often in the form of 'Trigger Point Therapy' or 'Deep Transverse Frictions' techniques which will target a specific problem area.  Ultimately, every session is unique based on what we find on the day, and how you guide us to help you. There is no set routine for us to follow and complete during a massage session, we tailor it to your needs on the day. 

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What is the difference between Sports Massage and Deep Tissue Massage?

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These two terms are commonly interchanged, and it's because there are so many over-lapping techniques that will be used for both styles of massage.

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To put it simply, a sports massage is usually linked to a sporting activity.  So this might mean the sports massage is directly before a training session or match to help warm up the tissues for activity. It may also be during a sporting activity, for example at half time of a football match.  Or a sports massage may take place directly after a sporting activity to help the body kickstart the recovery, so the muscles can repair as optimally as possible. 

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We can offer sports massage linked to your activities, you just need to advise us accordingly about your schedule and we may then advise you in return on how we can provide the best support.  We often open the clinic for recovery sports massage on the Sunday afternoons when the Manchester Marathon and Half Marathon take place each year, to support our clients who are participating in those events.  These massages typically use less pressure than our deep tissue massage sessions, and will utilise a few other techniques that we only use for sports massage, to offer the best possible support. 

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If you book a session that just fits in around your weekly training routine or regular daily activities, then the chances are that a regular deep tissue massage is what you're looking for.  This will help relax muscles during the session and stimulate them to repair and recover over the next 24-48 hours.   For that reason we always recommend that you avoid high-intensity activity for the next 24 hour's at least, so you can give your body the time to do it's best repair work after your session. With this in mind, you can plan your session to take place before a rest-day from your training routine, so you can get the best results from your visit.​​​​​​​​​​​

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​If you have any questions about our Massage Sessions or how we can help you, please contact us using any of the methods detailed at the bottom of this page.

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