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Based in Reading, Berkshire, UK, Earley-Therapy can provide Remedial and Sports Massage at reasonable cost.

Massage treatment requires no prior preparation by the recipient except to shower immediately before wherever possible, so that the skin is clean. It is unwise to eat a heavy meal prior to treatment or drink alcohol.

At the initial consultation, details will be taken of medical history, any current medication and general state of health. Information given will be treated in the strictest confidence and will be stored in the form of a record card. This discussion is important to discover any contra-indications to treatment that may exist.

If treatment or medication is being given for a current medical condition by a general practitioner or therapist, then their permission must first be sought prior to your visit. Visits are listed on the record card and used to monitor progress.

Sessions usually last 45 - 60 minutes, depending on the purpose of the treatment being given.

These are reasons when massage treatment should not be undertaken and are usually the result of recent injuries, illness or medical conditions. In some cases it may be necessary to consult a general medical practitioner first.

Please arrive promptly for your appointment. If you have some distance to travel, it would be wise to arrive a few minutes early to allow you to relax after your journey.
Do not wear expensive clothing. In the unlikely event that treatment oil gets onto your clothing, it can be very difficult to wash out.
Wear suitable underwear (not boxer shorts or briefs). Towels are extensively used to cover areas of the body not being treated so patients are warm, relaxed and to maximise privacy. At times, it will be necessary to tuck towels into underwear to provide protection from oil.
Please ensure skin is clean prior to treatment, shower before where possible.
Drink plenty of fresh water prior to and after treatment. This assists in the removal of toxins and waste products from the body.
It is unwise to receive treatment when feeling unwell or suffering from a cold, flu or any kind of infection. Please cancel your appointment (see below). If you arrive for an appointment and treatment cannot be given, a cancellation charge will have to be made.
In the event that an appointment has to be cancelled, please give at least 24 hours notice otherwise a cancellation charge will have to be made.
To maximise the benefit of your treatment, do not allow yourself to get cold or sit in a draught on the journey home or afterwards at home or work.
Payment can be made by cash or cheque, payable to P. Chapple.

Remedial massage is the term used to describe the use of appropriate massage techniques to help relieve a range of musculo-skeletal conditions.

Treatment is preceded by a thorough case history and examination to assess the condition.

The treatment itself may consist of a variety of deep tissue and therapeutic massage techniques as well as active, passive and resistive movements and stretches to redress any imbalances that may be contributing to or caused by, the condition.

Where possible, advice will be given on self-treatment that can be administered including beneficial exercises and stretches, where appropriate.

Examples of musculo-skeletal and other conditions that have been found to be helped by remedial massage include:

Muscle and joint pain - examples : muscle strain, frozen shoulder, rotator cuff tear, tennis elbow, carpel tunnel syndrome, repetitive strain injury.
Torticollis
Whiplash injury
Back Pain
Arthritis
Sinusitis
Asthma
Assistance with rehabilitation and recovery from injury
Working with disabled persons to help maintain mobility, aiming to achieve greater independence.

An athlete’s training programme consists of developing skill, strength, stamina, suppleness and speed. The degree to which individual elements are developed depends on the nature of the sport. In order to improve performance, athletes submit their bodies to a programme of gradual and controlled overuse. This overuse places stress on the body. The body’s response is adaptation, so that future training sessions are less stressful. Hence, the athletes performance improves.

However, during the course of training and the resultant adaptation, an athlete may create soft tissue imbalances in the form of increased muscle tone. If these imbalances become chronic, they may hinder improvement and the athlete’s performance may suffer. Additionally, the athlete may be susceptible to more serious conditions. The constant build-up of tension within the muscles from regular physical activity may lead to increased stress on the joints, ligaments and tendons as well as the muscles themselves.

The benefits from massage treatment can aid recovery from injury, helping damaged tissue heal more quickly. Regular massage treatment can help prevent injury by assisting recovery from strenuous athletic activity, relieving stiffness and soreness and keeping muscles balanced.

Massage treatment can help increase an athlete’s body awareness so that they may be more aware of soft tissue imbalances at an earlier stage and thus help prevent injury. Regular massage treatment can help the athlete undertake a heavier training programme with the potential for greater gains in performance

Sports massage should be tailored to the requirements of an individual sports person, their particular sport and the phase of their training/racing programme.

Massage can be defined as 'the manipulation of soft tissue for therapeutic purposes'. Manipulation can be defined as the skillful or dextrous treatment by the hands. Soft Tissues are muscles, tendons, ligaments, joint capsules, connective tissue and skin. Therapeutic implies healing potential, well-being, beneficial.

The use of massage dates back many centuries, evidence of its use for medical purposes can be found in ancient scripts from Chinese, Indian, Japanese, Egyptian, Roman and Greek civilisations. Hippocrates (sometimes known as the Father of Medicine) wrote in 380BC “a physician must be experienced in many things - but assuredly also in rubbing----for rubbing can bind a joint that is too loose and loosen a joint that is too tight----”.

Modern massage techniques are generally the result of work in the early nineteenth Century by Swede Heinrich Ling who developed a system of massage based on physiological principles.

Physiological Benefits

The Cardiovascular System

The cardiovascular system consists of the arteries, veins and capillaries of the blood supply system and the lymphatic system (a system of vessels which filter and return fluid from the tissues to the venous vessels prior to their entry to the heart). Cells need blood for growth, repair and nutrition. Blood also removes heat and waste products. Massage can help stimulate the cardiovascular system and can help keep blood vessels soft and elastic. It can lead to vasodilatation (increase in blood vessel size) and hyperaemia (an excess of blood in the tissues which may be visible as flushing of the skin). The lymphatic system is not pumped by the heart but relies on muscle contraction for its transport. Massage can help stimulate the flow of lymph.

Most body tissues are permeable; that is, they contain tiny pores to allow fluid interchange. These pores can become restricted. The effect of moving fluid through the tissues by manipulation can help maintain tissue permeability. Massage can reduce tissue lesions (areas of dysfunction). Stimulation of the cardiovascular system also benefits the respiratory system (blood transports oxygen around the body) and digestive system (the digestive process involves muscular action).

Physiological Benefits

The Muscular System

The stimulation of the cardiovascular system benefits the muscular system (transport of oxygen and nutrients to the muscles). Relaxation or stimulation of muscle tissue can be achieved depending on the massage technique used (also the depth and speed). Massage can help improve muscle tone, that is, help relax muscle tissue that is too tight and can be used (with care) to improve the formation of scar tissue (non elastic tissue resulting from tissue trauma) in the post-acute or chronic stages of soft tissue repair. Excessive or chronic oedema (inflammation) in soft tissue can lead to the formation of adhesions (abnormal connective tissue across normally moving parts). These can be broken down (with care) using appropriate massage techniques.

Massage can stretch and separate muscle fibres increasing the elasticity and flexibility of the tissue, this can be applied over the whole muscle group or to a localised area of tissue. Simultaneously, this can help expose and locate unrecognised areas of soft tissue imbalance that the athlete may not have been aware of, helping to reduce the likelihood of injury.

Physiological Benefits

The Nervous System

A common reaction to massage treatment from someone who is receiving it for the first time is that they are very ‘aware' of the limbs that have been worked on. This is because massage stimulates the nerve endings in the tissues, which helps induce relaxation and reduce pain. Non-physical stress (for instance emotional) can lead to physical symptoms such as headaches and muscular discomfort. Massage seeks to reduce the negative sensory input and emphasise the positive.

On a psychological level, there are many benefits from massage treatment. These can be of particular relevance to athletes but should also not be discounted by non-athletes. Massage can lead to a general feeling of well being and relaxation, a feeling of being less tired and an increased perception of recovery. An athlete who feels good about and within themselves will perform better. Massage treatment can help increase an athlete's body awareness so that they may be more aware of soft tissue imbalances at an earlier stage and thus help prevent injury. Regular massage treatment can help the athlete undertake a heavier training programme with the potential for greater gains in performance. The importance of these psychological benefits should not be underestimated.

Physiological Benefits

The Cardiovascular System

Physiological Benefits

The Muscular System

Physiological Benefits

The Nervous System

Some Misconceptions