Take this scenario; you’ve been paddling on the Sunday or have just come back from a paddling weekend at HPP or the Dart. You wake up the next morning and your muscles ache, not only that but your joints feel stiff and getting moving again takes a little while. This is caused by a buildup of lactic acid in your muscles, along with other toxins, which accumulates after periods of heavy exercise. Other factors which make Monday mornings more difficult is that maybe;

· You’ve had a pre-existing or niggling injury

· You didn’t warm up or cool down before paddling

· You injured yourself whilst paddling

· You paddled a bit too hard and a bit too much

All of these can cause muscle soreness, and if left untreated in some cases can lead to repetitive strain injuries, muscle fibrosis and muscle pain. In paddling, the most common injuries occur to the back and neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists and forearms.

Sports massage can be used to aid performance, or after to release toxin build up from paddling and loosen muscle tension. Regular sports massage can help to prevent injury whilst also promoting muscle recovery after performance. If you’ve had a niggling injury or an area that is always giving you grief, maintenance treatment can help keep it at bay whilst you continue to train or perform. Injuries can occur if you have failed to warm up or cool down, you have trained too hard or have had previous injuries.

· An initial sports massage treatment is typically 80 minutes, a consultation is included which roughly takes 20 minutes to complete.

· In this time we have a chat about the nature of your complaint, previous injuries and your styles of paddling, any sports you play or any training you may do in a gym environment.

· The next 15 – 20 minutes are spent doing an e xamination; here I look at the body as a whole, and also spend some time examining the area of complaint in order to produce a working diagnosis.

· The remaining time is spent on treatment. This is usually soft tissue work to start in order to warm the muscles and allow me to evaluate the muscular tissues, and pinpoint any other areas which may need some attention. Other techniques are then used depending upon the complaint and the best way to treat it.

· Each patient is different and therefore I like to spend time going over the treatment outlines and working diagnosis with each patient.

· Subsequent treatments are either 60 or 40 minutes.

I also am able to create specific programs to aid your rehab from injury to keep it at bay such as stretching and ice/heat treatment programs.

Holistic Massage…

Holistic massage focuses on aiding relaxation of the body, to help reduce stress and promote balancing within the body using traditional massage techniques. It is much gentler than sports massage but still work into the deep muscles and can be used to reduce stress related muscle tension and occupational related stiffness. There is more emphasis on allowing the body and mind to relax through the use of soothing touch. Holistic massage treats the body as a whole unit, and therefore the treatments are a full one hour. Massage oils are used in line with your skin type to promote healthy skin.

Holistic massage consultation aims to outline what you expect to gain from treatment, any conditions, injuries of illnesses you have had for contra-indications to treatment, as well as getting some information on your lifestyle and life habits.

As a member of White Water Action Medway, Hannah is offering special discounts throughout the year during for massages. If you are interested, want to know more or would like to book an appointment please don’t hesitate to give her a call on 07791 333803 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Prices

Discounts also available for full time school and university students!

Hannah's clinic day at the moment is Sundays between 9am and 5pm. The Clinic room is based at Bob Prowse Health Club in Maidstone, on Armstrong Road. Parking is available outside the gym and there is a bar for refreshments.

Gift Vouchers available for Christmas and birthday presents too just ask! Great for those who are difficult to buy for!