How I work
Purposeful remedial massage that feels good to receive
Massage should be useful. It should also feel like something you can receive rather than something you have to endure.
At Myomasters, I work slowly, deliberately and with care. Treatment may include firm, gratifying pressure, but I do not confuse intensity with effectiveness. Pain is not proof that a technique is working, and your ability to tolerate discomfort is not being tested.
The aim is to provide remedial massage that responds to what is happening in your life, supports the things you want to keep doing and leaves you feeling that the appointment was worthwhile and enjoyable.
Trust before treatment
This work begins with trust
The body is not broken by default.
Pain, tension and changes in movement can be frustrating, unsettling and sometimes frightening. They can make you feel as though your body has become unreliable or that every uncomfortable sensation represents another problem that needs to be corrected.
I do not see you as a collection of tight muscles waiting to be fixed.
My role is to listen, assess what is useful to assess and create the conditions in which treatment may help you feel more comfortable and confident in your body.
This does not mean promising that massage will remove every symptom. It means working honestly, skilfully and collaboratively towards changes that matter to you.
The purpose of the work is straightforward: to help restore trust in your body so you can remain involved in your life.
The appointment journey
My approach in four steps
Listen first
Your appointment begins with a conversation about what has been happening, how it affects you and what you want from the session.
You are the expert in your own life. My job is to bring clinical knowledge, skilled touch, curiosity and attention. Together, we identify a practical purpose for the appointment.
Assess with purpose
Assessment should guide treatment, not create an unnecessarily complicated story about your body.
I may look at a relevant movement, explore how an area responds to touch or ask questions that help determine whether remedial massage is appropriate.
Treat responsively
There is no standard Myomasters routine. Pressure, pace, position and technique are adjusted according to your preferences, goals and response.
Your feedback is part of the treatment. You can ask for something to change at any time.
Review what matters
Progress is not measured by how sore you feel or how many tight spots were found.
We consider whether treatment is helping you move, work, rest or participate more comfortably in your life.
Assessment may help us
- identify a useful starting point
- understand which movements or activities are affected
- choose an appropriate treatment approach
- recognise when another practitioner should be involved
- establish something meaningful to review afterwards
What progress may look like
- moving with greater confidence
- returning to an activity
- tolerating work or training more comfortably
- sleeping or resting more easily
Progress is personal
- feeling less guarded
- understanding your symptoms with less fear
- remaining engaged with what matters to you
- needing treatment less often
Improvement is not always immediate or linear. If massage is not helping, we should be willing to reconsider the approach rather than simply repeating it.
Remedial-axation
Remedial massage without the endurance test
I sometimes describe my approach as Remedial-axation.
It is remedial massage with a clear purpose, delivered in a way that can also be comfortable, satisfying and deeply relaxing.
Imagine reaching the end of a remedial massage and actually wishing it would continue, while also noticing that movement feels easier or an uncomfortable area feels different.
I know. Radical.
Firm pressure can feel wonderful. There is a particular sense of pleasure and satisfaction when pressure reaches the right place, rather like finally scratching an itch.
That does not require you to grit your teeth, hold your breath or cling to the table while waiting for the difficult part to end.
I want pressure to feel purposeful and gratifying while remaining comfortable enough for you to receive it.
Pace and pressure
Why I often work more slowly
I may work more slowly than you are expecting.
Slowing down gives me time to notice how you respond and gives you time to settle into the contact. Rather than repeatedly attacking an area, I can allow pressure to develop gradually and adjust it before you begin bracing against it.
Sometimes I use stillness, simply spending time in an area without trying to force an immediate change.
I might apply sustained pressure through your shoulders, hold an arm or leg with gentle traction, or introduce a satisfying stretch that is difficult to create for yourself.
At other times, treatment may involve active movement, massage across a broader area or a more focused technique.
Slow does not mean vague or passive. It means giving the work enough time to be responsive.
Responsive treatment
Firm pressure without the endurance test
You can still request firm pressure.
More pressure is not automatically better treatment. I will not pursue intensity simply to demonstrate that I can work deeply or because remedial massage is supposed to hurt.
I generally allow pressure to build gradually. This makes it easier for you to tell whether it feels useful, merely intense or simply unpleasant.
Sometimes the appropriate response is more pressure. Sometimes it is less pressure, a different angle, a change of position, movement or leaving the area alone.
Intensity is a choice, not a test of toughness.
Choosing treatment
Techniques are tools, not the treatment
You do not need to decide which massage technique you require before booking.
Depending on what is appropriate, I may draw from:
- Swedish and general massage techniques
- deep-tissue massage
- trigger-point techniques
- myofascial approaches
- gentle sustained contact
- movement and therapist-assisted stretching
- myofascial glide cupping
- Functional Release Cupping
- craniosacral techniques
These are tools rather than separate philosophies that must be applied to everyone.
The important questions are not whether a technique sounds advanced or how many techniques are used. What matters is whether the approach suits you, has a sensible purpose and remains within the scope of remedial massage.
Consent and communication
Treatment with you, not treatment done to you
Consent is more than obtaining permission at the beginning of an appointment. It continues throughout the session.
You remain in control of:
- which areas are treated
- what clothing you remove
- how much pressure is used
- whether a particular technique is included
- how you are positioned
- whether treatment continues
You can ask a question, request a change, decline a technique or stop at any time. Good communication does not interrupt the treatment. It helps make the treatment yours.
Scope and referral
Honest limits are part of good care
Massage can be a useful part of managing pain, muscular discomfort, training demands, stress and changes in movement. It cannot diagnose or resolve every health problem.
I will not manufacture urgency, promise certainty or tell you that you need an indefinite course of treatment.
If your symptoms suggest that dental, medical, physiotherapy or other professional assessment would be more appropriate, I will explain that and recommend referral.
The purpose is not to make you dependent on treatment. It is to contribute something useful and help you continue with greater confidence and capacity.
Is this right for you?
Who this approach may suit
My approach may suit you if you:
- want remedial massage without unnecessary pain
- appreciate firm but responsive pressure
- prefer clear communication and realistic expectations
- want treatment adapted to your body and circumstances
- feel sensitive, guarded or easily overwhelmed by treatment
- are managing persistent discomfort
- want support around work, training or returning to activity
- value a quieter, unhurried treatment environment
- want to understand the purpose of what is being done
It may be less suitable if your main priority is receiving the strongest possible pressure regardless of comfort, or if you expect massage to provide a guaranteed structural correction.
You do not need to share my language or understand my treatment philosophy before booking. You only need to tell me what has been happening and what you would like help with.
We can work from there.
Frequently asked questions
Questions about how I work
Is Remedial-axation a separate service?
No. It is the name I use to describe the way I approach remedial massage: purposeful treatment that can also feel comfortable and relaxing.
Book a standard remedial massage appointment. You do not need to select Remedial-axation separately.
Is this just relaxation massage?
No. Your appointment still has a remedial purpose and may include assessment, focused treatment, firmer pressure, movement or review.
The difference is that treatment does not need to be punishing to be purposeful.
Can I still ask for deep or firm pressure?
Yes. Firm pressure can be satisfying and useful when it suits you. I will adjust the pressure according to your preferences and response rather than assuming that deeper is always better. I will work at a level of pressure that is safe and beneficial for you, and that is safe for me.
Will we talk throughout the massage?
Only as much as is useful or comfortable.
There may be some conversation when I need feedback, further information or want to check how something feels. You are also welcome to talk, remain quiet or let me know that you would prefer minimal conversation.
Do I need to choose a technique before arriving?
No. Book a remedial massage and tell me what you would like help with.
I will explain any technique that requires particular discussion or consent, including dry needling, intraoral massage or cupping, before it is used.
How many appointments will I need?
There is no standard treatment number.
It depends on what is happening, how long it has been present, your goals, your response and whether other care is involved. Progress should be reviewed rather than assuming that ongoing treatment is automatically necessary.
What if massage is not helping?
We should acknowledge that.
That may mean changing the treatment approach, allowing more time between appointments, suggesting another form of care or recommending assessment by another health professional. I can recommend another health professional whom I trust.
Repeating treatment without a useful reason does not serve you.
Does this approach fit how you want to be treated?
At Myomasters, you can expect remedial massage with a clear purpose, responsive pressure, honest communication and treatment adapted to you.
You do not need to choose a technique or arrive with the correct explanation for your symptoms. Book a remedial massage, tell me what you would like help with, and we will work from there.