I had a lovely young girl in for treatments a short while back. After a few sessions she asked to book her nanny in as she hurt her back last Christmas and has been struggling since – and this was now August!!

The wonderful J – who is 75 years old – came for a treatment. This was her first massage ever. She loved every minute of it, asked a lot of questions, and lo and behold: she was as good as new afterwards. She was technically skipping out the door! The pain was gone, after 8 long months of living with it. She only needed one more treatment to cement the changes, and now she will just visit for maintenance when she feels like it. There is no pain, and her mobility is greatly improved. And what’s more: she said “she felt 10 years younger”.

I have worked with a lot of older clients these past 2 months, and it scares me to realise that there is a whole generation out there (though many younger ones too) who live in pain and stiffness and therefore experience a negative change to the quality of life they lead, even though it could often be so easily avoided! In many cases the muscles just lock up and need a bit of persuasion to move normally again. As simple as that. Without that manipulation the problem often escalates until it takes over their lives. It can get as bad as having to rely on their families to help care for them, losing their independence and feeling much older than they ought to feel. This really breaks my heart.

There is a general understanding that most of us accept as truth: when we get older, the body breaks down, some sort of illness is inevitable, and pain is normal.

I have heard all the funny terms of clients suffering from OMS (Old Man Syndrome) or TMB (Too Many Birthdays). And I am just as guilty as you wanting to put things down to aging, but sadly I do not have the luxury as I know better: and I have these lovely old dears to thank for it.

There is a generation out there who suffer from pain or discomfort, who are told by the medical profession that it is just “wear and tear” and “old age” and are at best referred to a physio (which helps nothing when often the issue is muscle related). This generation is our mothers, grandfathers, the ones that cared for us. They grew up in a different time where putting up with pain was accepted, either due to lack of available help or lack of funds. Massage was seen as a luxury and not as a tool to help. They would never ever think of massage as a tool for general wellbeing.

I now took it upon myself to show them how much can be changed with massage. I teach them about their bodies, the ease of keeping it more supple; and I’m working on unlearning them those labels that they attach to aging. The shocked joy on their faces when a pain they were resigned to live with is gone in just one session… when an injured arm suddenly lifts up again… when they can sit up from a lying position for the first time in years without having to roll to their sides first… when they can look sideways where they couldn’t for years… It really means the world to them; and I feel like I am giving them their lives back.

So please spare a thought for your grandparents. Do they move with ease? Are they pain free? They do not have the knowledge that help is out there. And while I cannot help medical conditions (though even then I can usually improve overall quality of life), I can tackle general stiffness that comes with many years of hard work (NOT aging), and relieve a lot of pain. I can knock the “rust” off the joints, (again due to lifestyle choices and NOT aging) lengthen and mobilize the spine again, make them feel a whole lot younger in many cases. So if you suspect that your old dear needs help, bring them to me. As in literally bring them: a voucher may get put away and never looked at again. Give them the great gift of an easier life.  And I promise I will care for them like my own.