Flow Sports Massage

Sciatica… Many of us experience it at some point in our lives. It’s a royal pain in the butt, literally.

At best, it’s some tingling or some occasional pain/sensation shooting down the legs that comes and goes.

At worst, it has you bent over hissing in pain at every move and a good night sleep is just a sweet memory to cherish.

So what do we know about this beast of a condition and what are we going to do about it? Mr Google will tell you the basics, and that treatment and recovery can last many months. It’s not very encouraging to be honest. But just how correct is this? Here’s the lowdown on sciatica, and everything you never knew you wanted to know about it.

The sciatic nerve is a major long nerve that runs from the base of your spine down the back of the legs, passing through the pelvis and the butt muscles, weaving out from behind your Piriformis muscle (more on that happy little fact in a minute). It helps with leg movement, and sensations in the leg. It’s your messenger between your brain and your legs. Cool stuff, huh?

However, nerves have this tendency of getting compressed, pinched etc. One day you may wake up and your hips are sore, your legs are on fire, and you can barely move without heavy painkillers.

Enter SCIATICA.

You’ll likely run (hobble) to the doctors (and fair enough). They will diagnose you with Sciatica upon hearing your symptoms, hand you painkillers and pass you onto a physiotherapist, who will give you a sheet of exercises. Sounds familiar, I’m sure.

But let me complicate things for you, for the purpose of better understanding on what actually goes on in your body, because of course it is not as simple as that. And I bring you good news with it I promise! Knowing more details on this condition can help you enormously in getting the best suited treatment that can actually make a huge difference in your recovery.

Here’s the secret: not everything sciatica shaped is sciatica. Sciatica is a convenient umbrella term for everything that creates an issue with the sciatic nerve, but there are several other conditions that have the same symptoms, and it matters a lot to know which one you have exactly as they all need different approaches. For the best chance of recovery, it pays well to know what is exactly going on in your body.

SCIATICA is nerve pain caused by a nerve compression in the lower spine. Spinal stenosis, herniated or bulging disc, a bone spur, certain disc conditions, lower back injury or general wear and tear that can make this happen. So it specifically relates to your spinal vertebrae misbehaving, compressing and causing the inflammation of the sciatic nerve right where it leaves the spinal cord. That will create the signature shooting pain down the leg.

PIRIFORMIS SYNDROME is where the sciatic nerve gets compressed by the piriformis muscle on your butt right after it exits the spinal cord. When the piriformis muscle is stressed by overuse or injury, it tightens around the sciatic nerve and can produce sciatica-like symptoms. Usually, the nerve passes underneath the piriformis, but for some unlucky people it passes directly THROUGH the muscle, so that can create a disposition to sciatic issues. But even if the nerve passes behind it, inflammation and muscle tightness can still get you the same way.

SI JOINT DYSFUNCTION is another condition that creates the same symptoms as sciatica even though it is not actually compressing the nerve itself. This joint is where the bottom of your spine and your hip bone connects, and it absorbs and transfers the upper body weight onto your legs. Stabilised by some muscles and ligaments, a lot can go wrong here, as it’s really heavily used. Degeneration, injury, inflammation, misalignment are all very common. Pregnant women can be especially susceptible to SI joint disfunction as the hormone changes soften it to prepare for the hip opening for childbirth.

Any of these three can be the cause of your sciatic pain. Individually, or in a delightful soup of complex tandem.

In my years of treating people with sciatic pain, my experience is that most cases are muscle tension related (Piriformis syndrome or SI joint dysfunction). Which is great news, because it can be relieved by specialised massage to ease muscle tension and loosen up the whole hip area, encouraging mobility and hip balance. In some cases, where the sciatica is actually spinal based, treatment can be trickier. If I find that is the likely case, I’ll encourage a doctor visit to ask for some investigation to see what is going on with the vertebrae. But even in these cases, gentle massage at the lower spine can relieve muscle tension that would be likely contributing to the pain, and we can even gently manipulate the vertebrae to see if we can relieve some of the compression. I had good results with this as well, though relief may be shorter term and the issue may not get resolved so easily.

That’s it in a nutshell, trying to bring some clarity to all those suffering from sciatica, and encouragement that a good massage therapist/physio who understands the condition could be your best ticket to quick pain relief and actual recovery.

It’s been too long since I worked on creating a new treatment for you, but long last, here’s the first of two planned for this year, launching from today!

Toning anti-cellulite treatment is available for bookings, and boy, are you in for a treat!

And while it is mainly about cellulite reduction, it has even deeper unexpected benefits, so it is not just for your dimples.

The reason that I’m so excited about this is that this one is a vigorous one. Vigour does not usually factor into massages… we naturally opt for slow and smooth movements to create relaxation. Even with sports massage, unless it is a pre-event massage, the movements themselves are deep but measured.

But not here, nuh-uh! With this little baby, we’re going to go at fast speeds till your fat cells get dizzy and decide to lay low for a while. Well, not exactly, but close enough. And the funny thing is, that despite the dynamic approach, you will still feel amazingly relaxed, yet energised at the same time!

The treatment is based on body brushing (your new best friend), and Columbian wood therapy. The body brushing is an excellent self-care technique that you can do yourself at home once you fall in love with it here. It leaves your energy system buzzing, wakes up your lymphatic system, and exfoliates your skin till you’re smooth as a baby’s bottom.

Columbian wood therapy uses different wooden tools to break up your fat cells and eliminate them. They each feel different, they target different layers, and they are plain fabulous.

As usual when developing a new treatment, I asked for help from some local ladies, who provided me with their body, patience and feedback. And the feedback blew me away as it has shown me that this goes deeper than just cellulite. They talked about a renewed sense of excitement for self-care, of feeling more energised and positive, and increased confidence. These I would take any day even over cellulite reduction.

Here’s what Cara thought about it after her first one: “The cellulite treatment is pure pleasure, experiencing different massage techniques and pressures (…) After the treatment you feel incredible, your body feels lighter, and you feel totally energised. It truly is a feel good treatment”.

And according to Louise “This treatment was fantastic! (…) I felt a deep sense of balance for days afterwards. I noticed my hip area felt smoother and tighter after just the first treatment and I felt confident to wear shorts again in the warm weather.”

For more details on the treatment go to http://www.flowsportsmassage.com/toning-anti-cellulite-treatment/

I’m very excited for you to try this out!

Today was a strange day.

I had two new clients this morning, and they both represented very opposing ideals. They were like a pea and an asparagus in a pod. Like day and night.

This got me thinking that I’ve never really touched upon the subject of inclusivity, so I think it is high time I declare myself as it can be very important for some people.

I, Beatrix, representing Flow massage, welcome EVERYONE. I love diversity, and practice enthusiastic non-judgement (unless you are our current prime minister lol)

I don’t care what religion or idealism you belong to, what your gender or sexuality is, what colour your skin is, how old you are or how you look, you’ll be treated with the same reverence as everyone else.

I adjust my treatments if needed to accommodate everyone. I’ve worked with Muslim women who weren’t comfortable undressing for a massage; I’ve worked with far-right activists covered in tattoos, people deeply religious or pagans, plenty of LGBTQA+ members, people with crippling anxiety, skin problems etc. You name it, I likely worked on them.

I don’t have to think like you or even agree with you to still welcome you with openness and respect. I do not judge people: I don’t know their backgrounds and they owe me no explanation. They come for relaxation or pain relief, so that’s exactly what they are getting.

The only things I do not accept is rudeness and disrespect. Thankfully I very rarely have to deal with that, and I’m perfectly capable of downsizing anyone that needs downsizing in a fairly polite manner.

So that’s all, that’s my credo. Welcome to Flow Sports and Relaxation Massage.

A massage means a different thing for everyone.

A lot of people have never had one. The majority of these are people were born in times when massages weren’t really a thing, maybe just a fancy notion for the wealthy. Massage as a healing method just wasn’t widely available or affordable. They simply don’t consider it in any way as it’s an alien concept altogether – and I saw in many cases the negative effect it can have on their quality of life.

A lot of people see massages as a holiday treat, and associate massages with hotels and spas abroad. And that’s a lovely way to relax for sure.

And then there are some who turn to massage as a last-ditch desperate attempt to help with aches and pains, usually after they’ve been everywhere and got nowhere fast. Oh boy are my they best “converts” 🙂

Sportsmen and women would often have a better understanding of the essential nature of a good massage, they use and abuse their muscles more than most so the common injuries force them into having to deal with them. Though often they still prefer a physio to look at them first, at least massages are on their radar.

And at last, there are people who have understood the benefits of the massages, and committed to a regular or semi-regular regime. It often happens after a super beneficial session where there’s so much unexpected improvement that for them it borders a miracle. I’ve seen way too many people hopping off my couch dazed like drunks, giggling and floaty, on a total natural high saying that they feel suddenly 10 years younger. And they probably are – “you are as young as your spine is” as they say, and I work a lot on backs and spines, as well as I remove a lot of energy and emotional blocks too. Becoming looser, more mobile and extremely chilled has that rejuvenating effect.

Whichever group you belong to, there’s one benefit that isn’t mentioned much when regular massages are talked about: we all know they are very relaxing, and they can help muscle tension.  But they can also be used as a BODY MOT.

MOTs are something we do for our cars by law, making sure that they are safe and roadworthy. But are you yourself safe and “roadworthy”?

Now I cannot claim it is a full medical of course: there are limits on what I can pick up on. I’ll not see viruses, cancer cells, degeneration, and other funky stuff that happens deep inside. That’s for your medical team. However, you would be surprised how many things I can point out about your overall physical and mental wellness!

*I can see your posture issues as they develop (which also talk volumes about your emotional background), and I can give some early warnings on tight areas that may not cause an issue yet but are clearly developing into one if not corrected.

*I can determine a lot about the state of your nervous system just by checking your breathing.

*I will tell you about any abnormalities I find that you cannot see: lumps, skin and mole issues, and all sorts of irregularities. Especially when they are on your back, they’re technically invisible for you. Better catch anything before they turn into a problem.

*I can feel if your lymphatic system is in overdrive, which may indicate an infection or something that it’s fighting hard deep inside. Those are best checked out by your gp.

*I can sense many things in your energy field: I’m not super sharp at it but I know when you are fully depleted or when you feel desperately overwhelmed. I also listen to HOW you use your words (that’s my Nlp training) and that carries a lot of information on where you’re at in itself.

I can tell a lot about your overall health by talking to you and working on your body. So when you think that you are just getting a treatment for a particular issue, think again: I’ll be naturally seeing and working on way more than you ever anticipated.

Of course, not everybody needs this, so I only share where appropriate; but I noticed an increasing in the number of people who give me free reign to work with what I think I need to. I fully appreciate this level of trust, and am more than happy to assess what needs done most – and it’s often not what they thought was needed.

If you just want a relaxation massage, then that is exactly what you’ll get without me poking around… but if you want a body MOT, then I’ll be checking out everything that’s possible to pick up on on my couch.

Prevention is the key here.

And that’s where regularity comes in: be it yearly, monthly or weekly. Keep those joints mobile and the muscles in top condition so you can reduce the probability of injuries or a burnout, and make sure any issues are picked up on well before time.

You need it as much as your car does.

A quick housekeeping post…

There will be some small changes from the 20th of June. I have held off on a price change in the autumn, when most places raised them due to the cost of living. I wanted to keep the pressure down for people. However, it is time, as Flow is working at prices lower than anywhere else despite offering such high level and range of service. So from the 20th of June there will be a £5 price raise.

The new prices are

1hr £45

90m £65

2hrs £85

I’m also changing my cancellation policy. I understand if an appointment needs to be cancelled or rearranged. Even if last minute, I often have 1-2 people waiting on cancellations most weeks, so there’s at least a chance I can fill the spot even a short notice. I used to have a 2 strike policy for no shows, meaning I only refused bookings from people if they stood me up twice. As of now it changes to a 1 strike policy. Any missed appointments will be charged an extra £20 upon rebooking, and will only be able secure a booking upon prepayment. I send out reminders the previous days so it takes but 10 seconds to reply to cancel if needed.

That’s it folks, as you were 🙂

Beyond excited to announce the launching date for the new Vagus nerve stimulation treatment! You can officially book from the 15th of July. 

If you are not sure why it could be important for you, please read on, it will be well worth it I promise! 

I was originally inspired to create a treatment that is centred around abdominal massage. Before I knew it, it took on a life of its own, and evolved through several steps to become what is essentially a Vagus nerve stimulation; as far as I know possibly the only one in Northern-Ireland, certainly one of a kind as it was created by me through lots of research, studies and practice. 

So, let me just briefly fill you in why this is so exciting, and what amazing results my trials have produced. 

The Vagus nerve is an important large nerve that connects your brain to your main organs: heart, lungs, liver, digestive system. It is also the main nerve to help you calm down. Let me repeat this: the Vagus nerve is what is responsible for you being able to come down from stress.  

• A strong vagus nerve means a sense of wellbeing, the ability to cope with stressful situations, a good digestion and reduced inflammation, and deeper connection in our social lives.  
• A weak vagus nerve means mental health difficulties, struggling to cope in stressful situations, an inability to think clearly and feeling overwhelmed, impaired digestion and immune system, inflammation, and a lot of chronic health conditions. 

Vns (Vagus nerve stimulation) was first used in epileptic patients whose seizures could be suppressed by correct stimulation at the neck. A vagal nerve stimulating implant similar to a pacemaker was invented to treat epilepsy, pain, depression, migraines, tinnitus etc. All with excellent results so far, studies are still ongoing as it is tried for more and more conditions. 

So here is a list of conditions where the vagus nerve stimulation (Vns) device has been shown to improve symptoms: 

• Epilepsy – it results in 50% seizure reduction in up to 50% patients over time 
• Migraines, headaches and vertigo – the vagus nerve calms the centres in the brain responsible 
• Depression – Vns device is now more widely used to treat depression 
• Sleeping disorders – helps falling asleep and improves sleep quality 
• IBS and other digestive issues – miscommunication between the gut and brain is key to these conditions 
• Anxiety, PTSD – studies show a reduction in stress, Vns is like a biological antidote to stress related mental health issues 
• Fibromyalgia – patients always have low vagal tones. The vagus nerve is key in inflammatory responses, a strong vagal tone reduces inflammation and pain. 
• Tinnitus – there has been very positive results in treatments, currently being explored 
• Autism – low vagal activity has been associated with autistic behaviours and language impairment; Vns may provide symptomatic relief. Studies showed improvement in alertness and mood. 

Pretty impressive, right? Though with the device, it takes some time for the improvements.  

I have been trialling my Vns treatment for the past few weeks, and here is what I can report: 

Out of the 4 people who have received only a partial treatment, one went into a state of feeling centred that lasted for 3 days, with further lasting improvements on her Ptsd. One who was off work with anxiety experienced some deep emotional shifts that left her exhausted and feeling off that day, but a few days later woke to feeling bored and restless being at home, wanting to go out and meeting friends – she literally got “bored” of her own anxiety. Another reported that the night after treatment he noticed that his sense of taste, which he lost to Covid a few months back, returned. And another said that she had a very stressful week afterwards, and she definitely felt that she coped way better than usual. 

I’m literally overwhelmed by this response. I still cannot comprehend how a partial treatment already achieved so much. It will be a while before I work on more people and will have a more reliable result feedback, but I’m really looking forward to working with people with different conditions to see how much the treatment helps.  

So, that’s it in a large nutshell.  

The treatment is 90 minutes long and fully clothed. Suitable for everyone.

One of the most overlooked massages is lymphatic drainage. Understandable – it consists of very slow light strokes, and does not work with muscles so it may not feel like much is done even if it is very relaxing. But trust me on this: the importance of lymphatic drainage is undeniable.

Recently I had some requests for this massage so I thought I will refresh and deepen my knowledge to be able to give the best service. I have to say, it was a fun ride and I learned so much extra, I’m really excited to now make much more use of it during the massages!

So, what’s the big fuss about it?

Our bodies have two major fluid systems: the blood system and the lymph system.

The blood system gets a lot of attention, and its main purpose is to carry oxygen and nutrients to each and every cell in the body, and upon its return pick up waste materials like CO2 to carry away.

However, some of this “debris” is way too big for the tiny capillaries: large proteins, bacteria and viruses end up filtering into the lymph system for clearing. And it is a very important task indeed!

One huge disadvantage this system has is that it’s missing a large pump. Instead, it has devised clever ways to move around: it’s using our movements (which is why a lot of our lymph nodes are at the joints), a series of one-way valves, and tiny muscles to slowly pump these toxins away for clearance. Sloooowlyyyyy………

And it’s all good while we live a healthy active life – but it doesn’t take much to end up with a sluggish lymphatic system. Injuries, operations, illness, bed rest, a sitting lifestyle, overweight, a witch’s curse etc all put a huge pressure on the lymph system making it sluggish and encouraging toxin build up. (ok maybe not that last one lol)

So sometimes it needs some encouragement to enable us to heal and live better.  Lymphatic drainage massage is rumoured to help the lymph system speed up 20-fold! This massage will only go skin deep where the lymph flows, and with gentle pressure and excruciatingly slow movements it shepherds the lymph towards the closest lymph nodes for processing. Did I mention sloooowlyyyy?

It is especially important at sites of swelling, be it post-operation, post-injury or oedema, to encourage lymph movement to start the healing. Stagnation is the hotbed of all ill.

To be fair, every type of massage and movement will act to speed up lymphatic drainage, and it is used during massage session freely where needed (so when I slow down for some light strokes, I promise you it is for good reason); but the lymphatic drainage massage is the most efficient if there is swelling of any kind.

If you think that this is what you may need, give me a call to chat through you needs so we can devise a cunning plan to get you back to your best self!

Hello lovely people, been a long time since I wrote anything – it’s been a crazy year for us all! Sports massages have thankfully been allowed to stay open this year so at least I’ve been able to keep you all going.

A few changes to report!

Since December I have only been able to work mornings. This is far from ideal but I have to accept that I am a full-time carer and work has to fit around that. I am hoping that in time it will change and I can commit my full time to my favourite craft, but for now this is all I have, and I thank you all for understanding and working with me.

There is also a small price change from the 15th May. I have been charging the same price for many years now and I have expanded my services plenty since, so this is well overdue. So from mid-May I’ll be charging £40/hr weekdays and weekends both. Similar level treatments are charged nearly twice that in many places, so I trust that won’t be a problem.

I am soon officially adding Abdominal massage as part of my services – I have been working on that for a while now but with restrictions on and off it’s been slower to manifest than before. Abdominal/visceral massage can really help digestion, and depending on the level of the treatment I can work on some organs, and also work towards easing anxiety. I had great feedback so far on the effects – I’ll tell you more next time!

Looking forward to seeing you all on the couch 🙂

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.