Sports massage

Clare Stapley

Clare Stapley joined the goPhysio team in September 2009.

Clare is a fully qualified Sports Massage Therapist. She trained with Premier in Bournemouth and is a Member of the Sports Massage Association.

Although the title suggests a focus on sports people, you do not need to be sporty to reap the benefits from a sports massage. The majority of Clare’s clients are not what you would commonly perceive as ‘sports people’ and in fact anyone suffering from a condition causing muscle stiffness that limits their range of movement will benefit greatly from this treatment.

A sports massage is a deep tissue manipulation, which helps to realign soft tissue fibres and is often complimentary to existing physiotherapy treatment. Soft tissues include the skin, muscles, tendons, ligaments and fascia, all of which are connected to bones and joints in some way.

Many of Clare’s clients have a regular massage which is important to ensure the muscles and connective tissues are kept supple and tension free. This combined with regular stretches and exercises, can aid the body to return to its normal function making everyday activities more manageable and maximising your bodies potential.

It is important to make you aware that sports massage is not normally a relaxing treatment. Be assured the positive results may last for many weeks and often months following an initial course of treatment making this type of massage worthwhile.

Clare has worked at many sports events, including the London Marathon, providing massage to participants both before and after the race, improving both performance and recovery. Clare is also a qualified personal trainer giving her a good understanding of the physical body and the importance of maintaining everything in balance.