Treatment · Brighton & Hove
Deep tissue and sports massage for injury recovery, muscle tension, training support and chronic pain. Tailored to your needs, not a fixed protocol.
Why Sports Massage
Sports massage is one of the most versatile and evidence-supported manual therapy tools available. Whether you're recovering from injury, managing training load or dealing with chronic tension, the right application produces measurable results.
Targeted work to injured tissue accelerates healing by improving local circulation, reducing adhesions and restoring normal tissue extensibility. Particularly effective for muscle strains, tendon problems and post-exercise soreness.
Regular massage as part of a training programme reduces recovery time between sessions, identifies developing tension before it becomes injury, and maintains the tissue quality needed for consistent performance.
Sustained postural load, desk work and stress accumulate as chronic muscular tension that stretching alone rarely resolves. Hands-on soft tissue work addresses the deeper layers that self-treatment can't reach.
Massage produces measurable reduction in pain through multiple mechanisms, including reduced muscle guarding, improved tissue oxygenation, and stimulation of the body's natural pain-inhibiting pathways.
Active trigger points, localised areas of muscle hyperirritability, refer pain to distant sites and are a common driver of both local and widespread pain. Direct trigger point work produces rapid and often dramatic relief.
Restricted range of motion from tight musculature, fascial restriction or joint stiffness responds well to targeted soft tissue work, restoring movement quality and reducing the compensation patterns that lead to injury.
Types of Massage
Sports massage is not one technique but a collection of approaches applied according to what the tissue needs. Each session is tailored rather than following a fixed protocol.
Sustained pressure applied to the deeper layers of muscle and connective tissue to release chronic tension, break down adhesions and restore normal tissue function. Firmer than relaxation massage but should not be painful, working at the edge of comfortable pressure produces the best results.
Specifically designed for people in training or recovering from sport. Combines effleurage, petrissage, friction and stretching techniques to address the specific demands of the sport and the individual's training load. Can be applied pre-event, post-event or as maintenance between sessions.
Focused sustained pressure on specific trigger points within muscle tissue to produce release and reduce referred pain patterns. Often combined with other techniques within a session. Can produce immediate and significant pain reduction, particularly for headaches, shoulder pain and chronic back pain.
A more clinical application combining massage with assisted stretching, joint mobilisation and movement assessment. Goes beyond the tissue to address the underlying movement patterns and weaknesses that are maintaining the problem. This is what distinguishes a clinical sports therapist from a massage therapist.
Pricing
First session includes full assessment, clinical history and hands-on treatment. We identify what's driving your problem before we start.
Book NowReturning patients or those booking regular maintenance massage. Focused treatment building on previous sessions.
Book NowBook once every 4-6 weeks and receive 10% off every session. No upfront payment, just a commitment to regular intervals.
See PlansAlso available: Block of 5 sessions, get the 6th free · NHS staff and teachers receive a discount
Your First Session
First sessions are 45 minutes. We don't just start massaging, we find out what's going on first.
We discuss what's brought you in, your training or activity level, and any relevant medical history before touching anything.
Where relevant, a brief movement assessment identifies the areas of restriction or compensation contributing to your problem.
Targeted massage to the areas that need it, using the techniques most appropriate for your presentation. Pressure adjusted to your feedback throughout.
Clear advice on what to do between sessions, whether regular massage would help, and whether any other intervention is warranted.
Common Questions
It shouldn't be painful, but it is often firm. Working at the edge of comfortable pressure, where you feel significant sensation without sharp pain, produces the best results. Pressure is always adjusted to your feedback and tolerance. Post-session muscle soreness for 24-48 hours is normal and usually followed by significant improvement.
For injury recovery, weekly or fortnightly sessions initially, reducing as the problem resolves. For maintenance and training support, once every 4-6 weeks is typically sufficient. For chronic tension or stress-related muscle problems, monthly is a good baseline. Your specific situation will be discussed at your first appointment.
Comfortable, loose clothing you don't mind being moved around in. Depending on the area being treated you may be asked to undress to your underwear, which is entirely at your discretion. Modesty is maintained throughout with appropriate draping.
In most cases yes, though the approach changes. Acute injuries in the first 48-72 hours require a gentler approach, avoiding direct work on the injured site. After the initial acute phase, massage is typically beneficial and can significantly accelerate recovery. If in doubt, call first and we'll advise whether to come in.
A spa massage is primarily aimed at relaxation, uses lighter pressure and follows a standard routine. Sports massage is clinically focused, uses specific techniques based on assessment findings, works at therapeutic pressure and is aimed at changing tissue state and reducing pain or dysfunction. The two serve different purposes.
Not at all. Sports massage is the name of a clinical approach, not a requirement for the patient. Many of my regular massage patients are desk workers, people with chronic pain or those who simply carry significant tension. The techniques are equally effective regardless of your activity level.
"Tim is incredibly professional, knowledgeable, and easy to talk to. He goes to great efforts to explain the details of your injury in a way that's easy to understand and gives you lots of practical tips on how to ease the pain. I find the sessions a huge relief and benefit."
Online booking available 24/7. Treatment rooms at Hove Fitness, 2 St Heliers Avenue, Hove BN3 5RE.