Every client has different needs - relaxation, stress relief, injury recovery and rehabilitation, etc - and very often a mixture of two or more of these.
For back problems there can be many causes, for example a stiff neck or aching shoulders may be caused by poor posture (typically too long spent leant over a computer), previous injury (including ankle/knee/lower back injuries), over enthusiastic
exercise (particularly in spring time gardening or decorating) or a physical symptom of stress/tension. By focusing on the affected area some relief will be given but, if the underlying causes aren't addressed then the problem will soon reappear.
I will always endevour to find the root cause of any problem and treat that alongside the symptoms. It may be that an old leg injury has left the pelvis misaligned and this appears as pain in the shoulders. By relaxing the shoulders and realigning the hips a long lasting release can be obtained.
Sometimes the client is not going to be able to avoid doing the thing that is causing/aggravating their problem, such as when problems are being caused by long periods working over a computer. However successful the treatment at some point the problem is going to reoccur. In cases such as this I would recommend a series of stretches and simple exercises targeting the problem areas. This will dramatically increase the length of time that the muscles stay comfortable, and they can be kept that way with a maintenance massage every 2-3 months.
Although I know the huge range of benefits that massage can bring, I also realise that sometimes it is not the best treatment, or that it may be more effective when used in conjunction with another therapy. In these cases I'm happy to refer to a network of trusted therapists whose skills include osteopathy, chiropractic, acupuncture, yoga/pilates teaching and personal training.
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