Frequently Asked Questions about Promassage – massage therapy clinic
As a team, we have treated and continue to treat a long list of conditions, including back pain, stiff neck, sciatica, arthritis, scoliosis, frozen shoulder, rotator cuff tears, neck and back injuries, stroke and heart disease; we have also provided relief to clients who are in recovery from surgery or accidents.
Firm advocates of self-awareness and holistic health, we believe very strongly in the power of regular massage sessions, which are designed to promote relaxation, stress reduction, and allow your body to heal itself.
Given this, it is hard to imagine any condition that might not benefit from the therapies we offer, and we remain open to treating almost any ailment, subject to consultation.
Massage is concerned with the body’s musculature and soft tissue. By applying exerted pressure and strategic manual techniques, massage aims to loosen and invigorate this tissue, improving mobility and alleviating tension and stress in the body as a whole.
Typically, the massage therapist will perform a lot of kneading and stroking as they work on the muscles. In addition, the therapist may use oil to facilitate a smooth and relaxing motion.
‘Therapy’ refers to the treatment of musco-skeletal immobility and pain, and focuses primarily on the fascia and other connective tissues. Our fascia is the biological fabric that holds and keeps us together. It is a thin, tough, but elastic type of connective tissue that wraps around most of the structures in our body, including our muscles, providing flexibility and support.
Symptoms arising within the fascia and surrounding tissues are highly varied and particular; ‘therapy’ is a term that covers the many types of treatment we offer – besides massage – which are capable of addressing the latter. See our page entitled “Therapies” for further information.
Sessions are typically scheduled once a week, and last for an average of one hour
The therapy proceed according to the following steps:
⁎ Data collection: at this first meeting, the therapist interviews the patient and takes down relevant details, such as clinical history, in order to plot out the evolution of the patient’s current pathologies. This information will be essential to understanding the patient’s response to the therapy, charting symptomatic changes and trends from one session to the next, and across the treatment as a whole, within a wider perspective.
⁎ Hypothesis of a work plan: with precise objectives, the fascial therapist decides which treatment to follow and which areas to focus on.
⁎ Motor examination: this is a clinical orthopaedic test to identify possible muscular deficits, or weak areas in the muscle tissue.
⁎ Palpatory examination: this process aims to identify the key areas in the body where problems have accumulated and which the therapeutic treatment will address.
⁎ Treatment commences
The number of the sessions is determined according to each individual patient, the nature of their ailment and their potential ability to heal.
We offer a free initial consultation, during which we diagnose and determine the cause of the pain, and, based on this, assign how many sessions seems appropriate.
Please note that the longer you neglect the problem, the more sessions you will need for proper healing to occur. Average treatment can last anywhere from 3 to 7 sessions.
Special preparation for therapy is not required, although if you have MRI or X-ray images, you need to bring them with you. Also, if you are taking any painkillers, your last dose should take place 3 to 4 hours before therapy.
A few things tend to happen immediately following a therapy: the pain at the symptom site decreases considerably, while the range of articular motion, along with muscle strength, increases. The patient is entering the reactive inflammatory phase, which effects to stimulate the correct remodelling of the fascia. This phase, intrinsic to the final goal of re-balancing of the system, can last up to 48 hours.
No, therapy during the menstrual period is not advised.
There are hundreds of conditions that acupuncture can successfully treat – both acute and chronic. It is commonly used for relief from various types of pain, such as chronic neck and back pain, arthritis, tendinitis, sciatica, migraines, and period pain. Other commonly treated ailments include chronic fatigue, digestive disorders, hay fever and asthma, skin conditions, and perimenopausal syndrome.
In recent years it has been used with great results for weight loss and skin rejuvenation, for increasing the success rate of IVF cycles, and for smoking cessation. And as many people find it relaxing, it is often sought for stress, insomnia and anxiety relief.
The philosophy of acupuncture lies in the belief that a person’s Qi – or vital force – needs to flow in balance in order for the person to stay healthy. In recent years, a large number of studies have shown that the acupuncture meridians and points in which the Qi is believed to flow, actually correspond to neural pathways in the body. Those, when stimulated, send signals to different parts of the brain such as the pituitary gland – resulting in the release of hormones such as beta-endorphins.
These in turn act in the body to increase the pain threshold – thus the patient feels less pain. They also reduce pro-inflammatory markers – further helping relieve pain and inflammation, increase the energy, boost the immune system, and induce relaxation.
These are the concerns of everyone who is new to acupuncture, so don’t worry, we are here to reassure you! Acupuncture is pain-free – you will feel a slight pinch when the needles are being inserted, but once they are in, many patients feel relaxed and even fall asleep. And it is safe – there is no risk of injury or infection.
How do we achieve that? Two things – trained practitioners with extensive knowledge in anatomy, and very thin, disposable needles – we never use the same needle twice.
It all depends on your condition. We won’t treat pain that you have had for a week the same way as a condition you have had for years – and therefore, the results will also arrive at different speed. An acute condition may get resolved in 1 session, whereas chronic ones typically require 5-6 weekly sessions.
During the initial consultation, we will perform an examination to assess your condition – including detailed case history and pulse and tongue inspection. Once that is done, we will be able to roughly evaluate how many sessions you will need to achieve a lasting effect.
Each of our therapists has a university diploma in physiotherapy, in addition to years of hands-on professional experience.
Our rates reflect a quality service whose benefits you will see not just during and immediately following, but also in the long term, given that our treatment is designed to reduce the possibility of future recurrences. This is because we equip you with a better understanding of how your body works, enabling you to leave our practice feeling stronger on every level.
Yes, you need to pre-book the therapy in advance.
We accept both card and cash payments.
We do not work directly with insurance companies however we can provide you with a customer service receipt, where our FHT number (Federation of Holistic Therapists) will be displayed.
Depending on your insurance, this may be enough to get compensation. We recommend that you contact your insurance company to clarify these details.
If your back pain is so bad that you are unable to move, we are able to come and treat you in your home.
Each case is considered individually depending on the availability of our staff and the area where you live. Due to the additional travel cost, the cost of therapy will increase.
Contact us to find out more about receiving a home visit.
Yes, we work with children of all ages. Please call to make a specific inquiry.
Our practice is 5 minutes from King’s Cross or Euston station. The address is 33 Chalton Street, NW1 1JD. If you’re walking, follow the Euston Road and turn onto Chalton Street.
Ask us your question by phone: +44 7593 763192 or send your request by filling this form.