YOUR THERAPIST
STEWART WILTSHIRE BA KIN.
Who am I?
Hello, I am Stewart and welcome to Northern Lights Sports Massage.
I am a certified Sports Massage Therapist and hold a BA degree in Kinesiology. I always find myself happiest when I am moving and can understand how frustrating it can be when aches and pains get in the way of that. For as long as I can remember I have been involved in activity, whether it be recreationally or competitively. I found my love for football and rugby very early on in my life and moved into other sports like volleyball and eventually landing on a desire to compete in triathlons. This passion and the want to make a difference to people and help them live life with as little pain as possible, drove me to achieve my dream job as a sports massage therapist.
Activity in general and sports, both playing and coaching, have always been an interest of mine. After obtaining a Coaching Certificate through Aberdeen College, I discovered how passionate I was about sports and movement. I knew I wanted to learn more; this took me further afield to Canada where I received a Degree in Kinesiology from the University of Winnipeg. Through my degree, I discovered how our whole body is linked, and that where we feel pain isn’t necessarily the place that is causing the pain. I truly find it fascinating how the human body works.
What is Kinesiology and how does it link to massage therapy?
Kinesiology ties together a wider understanding of human movement. It involves the study of how muscles, bones, joints, and nervous systems work together to produce movement. I was lucky enough to learn about the principles of anatomy, physiology, biomechanics, psychology, and motor learning and the ways in which they effect movement and how that is linked to your overall health and wellbeing.
Massage Therapy brings together all of the above - one muscle affects another and that can impact your overall movement. Your muscles make you move and when they aren’t working together, that can lead to greater muscular problems over time.
How can I help?
I can provide an all-round analysis of your muscles and how they effect you and what you do on a daily basis. Whether you are stuck at your desk all day working from home, an everyday athlete, a casual football playing enthusiast, or someone who goes about your everyday. I can work with you to optimise your movements through assessment and massage.
Lets chat about how I can help!
my MISSION
My mission is to enhance athletic performance and promote overall wellness through personalised sports massage therapy. I am dedicated to providing a safe and supportive environment where athletes of all levels can recover, rejuvenate, and achieve their physical goals. Through skilled techniques and a deep understanding of the body, I aim to alleviate pain, prevent injury, and empower my clients to reach their peak potential.
THE PROCESS
PRE-TREATMENT
During your initial appointment we will talk about you. Your lifestyle, your health, what you hope to get out of massage. We will talk about your medical history and where you feel the most discomfot. We will take time to assess your posture and movements. A consultation is the best way to find out what treatment you need. Everyone is different and no body is the same. Spending time to talk through your injuries, aches and pains means we can tailor your future treatments to get you back to feeling like you.
DURING TREATMENT
During the treatment i will use a series of techniques. It will range from trigger pointing, deep tissue massage, and the use of soft tissue to reduce pain and increase flexibility. The session will be lead by how you are feeling on the table. The whole point of our session is to find what is causing the pain and work on relieving it. There will be moments where it will be painful but these moments will be short lived.
POST-TREATMENT
We can chat about how you feel after the session, depending on what techniques I have used, we will talk about how you might feel over the next few days. One session won’t fix all the issues but after your treatment we will walk through our the next steps and put together a treatment plan so that you can understand how why what I am doing will benefit you in the long run.
AT HOME
What you do at home is just as important as what I do during your session. In the end I want you to be able to use methods we talk about to reduce pain and work towards maintaining functional muscles. Through specific stretches and active movements, we can work towards reducing treatments and setting up a maintenance plan to keep you active whilst reducing pain. If you are unsure of what to do at home to help ease muscles between sessions, send me an email or a message. I am always willing to help.
