Power of Massage

Christopher Leslie, OCR Diploma in Sports Massage

Treatments £50 an hour

Call:  07941090686

Member of the Sports Massage Association, Massage Training Institute and BackCare

How can massage help?  FAQs    Reviews

Acute and chronic pain such as back, neck and shoulder pain can be helped with a deep tissue or Thai massage.

It works by targeting the deeper layers of muscle and connective tissue rather than just the surface. There’s a clear reason it helps with muscle pain.

At the core, it improves blood flow. When a therapist applies slow, firm pressure, it increases circulation in tight or injured areas. Better blood flow brings oxygen and nutrients to the muscle, which supports healing and helps flush out metabolic waste that can contribute to soreness.

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Sciatic Pain

Massage can help with sciatica, but it depends on the cause of your pain.

When massage does help

Massage is most useful if your sciatic pain is linked to muscle tightness, especially in the lower back, hips, or the piriformis muscle (a common culprit). It can:

• Reduce muscle tension pressing on the nerve
• Improve blood flow and healing
• Ease stiffness and improve mobility
• Provide short-term pain relief

Techniques like deep tissue massage, trigger point therapy, or myofascial release are often used.

When it’s less effective

If your sciatica is caused by something structural—like a slipped (herniated) disc—massage won’t fix the root problem. It may still reduce surrounding muscle tension, but the relief is usually temporary.

How to use massage safely

• Start gently—deep pressure too early can aggravate symptoms
• Avoid direct pressure on the spine itself
• Combine massage with stretching and movement for better results
• If you see a therapist, choose someone experienced with nerve pain or physiotherapy

When to be cautious

Avoid massage or get medical advice first if:

• Pain is severe or worsening
• You have numbness, weakness, or tingling down the leg
• You’re unsure of the cause

Bottom line: Massage can be a helpful part of managing sciatica—especially for muscle-related causes—but it works best alongside exercises and proper treatment, not on its own.

If you book an appointment, I can show you a quick daily routine (stretching + massage) that targets sciatic pain specifically.

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Anxiety and Stress

Massage can be surprisingly effective for easing anxiety and stress—not just because it feels good, but because it changes what’s happening in your body and mind.

At a physical level, massage helps calm the fight-or-flight response. When you’re stressed, your body produces more cortisol (the stress hormone) and your muscles stay tense. Massage encourages relaxation by lowering cortisol and increasing “feel-good” chemicals like serotonin and dopamine. This shift supports the parasympathetic nervous system, which slows your heart rate, deepens breathing, and tells your body it’s safe to relax.

It also works directly on muscle tension. Stress often shows up as tight shoulders, a stiff neck, or headaches. By loosening these areas, massage reduces the physical discomfort that can actually feed back into anxiety—breaking that cycle.

There’s also a mental effect. The focused, repetitive touch can act almost like a form of mindfulness, helping you stay present instead of spiraling into worries. For some people, it creates a similar calming effect to practices like meditation.

Another underrated benefit is improved sleep. When your body is more relaxed and your stress hormones are lower, it’s easier to fall asleep and stay asleep—which in turn helps regulate mood and anxiety over time.

That said, massage is not a cure-all. It works best as part of a broader approach that might include movement, talking therapies, or stress management techniques. If anxiety is intense or persistent, it’s worth combining massage with other support.

If you would like further advice, I can suggest specific types of massage (like Swedish vs deep tissue) depending on what you’re dealing with.

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Headaches

Massage can help relieve certain types of headaches, but it depends on the cause.

For tension headaches (the most common type), massage is often quite effective. These headaches are linked to tight muscles in the neck, shoulders, and scalp. Techniques that relax those areas can reduce both pain and frequency.

Massage may help by:

• Loosening tight muscles in the neck and upper back
• Improving blood flow
• Reducing stress (a major trigger for headaches)
• Lowering levels of pain-related tension in the body

It can also help some people with migraine, especially when stress or muscle tension is a trigger—but it won’t stop all migraines, particularly those driven by neurological or hormonal factors.

That said, massage is less useful for headaches caused by things like:

• Dehydration
• Eye strain
• Illness or infection
• High blood pressure

A few simple techniques you can try yourself:

• Gently press and rub the temples in small circles
• Massage the base of your skull where the neck meets the head
• Apply pressure to the area between your thumb and index finger
• Use heat (like a warm compress) on tight neck muscles

If headaches are frequent, severe, or getting worse, it’s worth speaking with a healthcare professional to rule out underlying issues.

If you would like further advice, you can tell me what your headaches feel like (location, duration, triggers), and I can suggest more targeted approaches. 

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Training Pre and Post Event

Typical timing recommendations

• Heavy training blocks: every 2–4 weeks if useful
• Before event: light session 2–5 days beforehand
• After event: gentle recovery massage 24–72 hours later
• Deep tissue work: ideally not right before a key race

If you let me know what event you’re training for and what kind of training load you’re doing, I can give more specific guidance on timing and frequency.

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