New Sports Massage Therapist - Ampthill and Flitwick Therapy Clinic

We would love to introduce you to Steve James, who will be offering Sports Massage services every Tuesday from 2nd May 2023.

Steve James is our new resident Soft Tissue Therapist.

He treats a wide range of patients with varying levels of fitness and fitness goals.

As well as traditional maintenance style Sports Massage, patients are often referred to Steve by other therapists and so we collaborate and work together to deliver the right treatment plan.

This could include some simple stretches, strength & conditioning as well as rehabilitation exercises.

Typical clients range from those with everyday aches and pains and tensions – often due to working environment, lifestyle & stress as well as week-end warriors overdoing their training.

Steve has worked & coached athletes at local running and tri-sport clubs with a wide range of age & ability. Fully understanding the psychological importance of exercise & being outdoors and the frustration of reoccurring injuries interrupting exercise.

Interview with Steve

Why did you become a soft tissue therapist?

I had regular treatment when training and competing and I know what a difference they made to my everyday life.

What makes your job worthwhile?

In the space of 45mins you can positively affect someone’s outlook for the rest of the day & beyond, potentially preventing a minor issue becoming chronic.

What is unique about how you work?

Every days a ‘school’ day ( I love to learn) and finding the right treatment plan for different individuals – one that works for them.

Who has influenced you most in your career as a soft tissue therapist?

A book by Peter Coe & Dr David Martin which highlighted how the body adapts to the stress experienced. This helped understand how we develop, how to prevent injury through good posture, perfect practice & building strength & condition.

What’s the piece of advice you give to your patients/clients most often?

Prevention is key, have good working environment & posture, take regularly breaks & try to stretch a little but often.

What do you enjoy doing when you are not at work?

Campervan weekends visiting new places, outside is free – no subscriptions & no repeats. Riding my bike, usually up/down hill as the sun is coming up on a warm spring day.

Back Pain

Nearly two thirds of the population of the UK have experienced back pain which affects their ability to carry out daily tasks such as lifting or bending. 2.5 million people suffer back pain every day of the week. More working days are lost in this country through back pain than for any other reason.

Sources of the problem

It is not surprising that our backs cause most of the problems. Muscles in the back come into play during almost all movements we make, working against gravity to move us in the way we want to move. Back problems can be caused by acute and specific causes such as a fall or a road accident, but are more commonly caused by a gradual build-up of symptoms which increase over time. There is generally a fundamental difference in the treatment of back pain caused by injury than that caused by a condition such as rheumatoid arthritis or Ankylosing spondylitis.

How it can be treated, and what to expect at the physiotherapy clinic

Although there are a range of measures you can take to prevent back pain and to ease the symptoms, the Chartered Physiotherapist’s extensive training in anatomy and physiology means we are all experts in helping you understand what’s gone wrong, and how best to treat it. The most common causes of chronic pain are muscular or involve ligaments, joints, a trapped nerve or a disc. When you visit the Physiotherapist, they will carry out an extensive assessment before commencing treatment. This will include a discussion about your work, your leisure activities, and other aspects which could have caused the pain. You can expect a treatment which does not involve drugs, injections or complex machinery. Physiotherapy is still largely a hand-on profession. We will look at mobilisation of the joints of the spine, to see whether this causes or relieves the pain.

Massage helps to relieve spasm, increase circulation to the injured areas and help speed up the healing process. To some extent it is also down to you, you will be asked to carry out specific exercises to strengthen muscles and improve muscle support. Pilates exercises are effective in toning up your deep stomach muscles. Our physiotherapists are trained in Pilates and can give you individual advice and exercises.

Prevention methods

Don’t bend over for long periods of time, or bend when you could kneel or squat

Always warm up before you do any sport or exercise

Take time to improve your muscle tone, contract your stomach muscles for a few minutes each day

Always gently stretch backwards when you stand after having been bent over for some time

Whenever you sit, keep an eye on your posture to ensure your back is straight. Adjust your chair if necessary If lifting heavy or awkward objects, do bend your knees, not your back

Above all, call us! Whether it is to discuss your symptoms, or to discuss various aspects of your treatment, we will be happy to help.

Interview with Steve

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Back Pain