Sports Massage Therapy in Stratford St Mary, Suffolk

Sports massage uses similar deep-pressure techniques to deep tissue massage, but it is tailored specifically to your sport, training schedule and movement patterns. Deep tissue work is broader, addressing general tension, chronic pain and posture. In practice, many sessions combine both depending on your needs.

Yes. Fiona is based at The Manor Health & Wellness Centre, 11 Manor Road, Colchester CO3 3LX, and welcomes individual athletes as well as clients connected to clubs and teams from Stratford St Mary and the wider area.

Each session begins with a consultation about your sport, training and any injuries, followed by an assessment of the muscles your activity loads most. Fiona then combines deep tissue, targeted stretching and trigger point techniques, and finishes with aftercare and training-load advice.

Competitive athletes in heavy training often benefit from weekly or fortnightly sessions, while recreational athletes usually do well with fortnightly or monthly visits. If you are preparing for a specific event like a marathon, increasing frequency in the weeks before and after is advisable.

Yes, regular sports massage is widely used as a preventative measure. By identifying and releasing tight or restricted areas before they become a problem, and by improving flexibility and movement quality, it reduces the overuse injuries that come from repetitive training loads.

Both can help, but they serve different purposes. A pre-event session tends to be lighter, focused on activation and mobility, while a post-event session is about recovery and easing muscle strain. Fiona tailors the approach to how close you are to your event.

Fiona has worked with football, rugby and bobsleigh at professional level, alongside a wide range of recreational sports and fitness activities. Her history includes Colchester United FC, the Bristol Rugby team and the British Army Bobsleigh team, plus hundreds of weekend athletes, runners and cyclists.

Yes. By releasing tight muscle and restricted tissue and including targeted stretching, sports massage can help restore range of motion and improve how freely you move. Better flexibility also supports performance and reduces the risk of strain during training and competition.

Fiona holds qualifications in Sports Therapy, Massage and Rehabilitation and is a member of the Federation of Holistic Therapies (FHT). With over 25 years in the health and wellness industry, she has worked with professional sports teams and military athletes alongside hundreds of recreational clients.

It can feel firm on already-tender muscle, but Fiona works within your tolerance and communicates throughout. There may be some discomfort on tight or fatigued areas, but it should feel like productive pressure rather than pain. Ask for a lighter touch and she will adjust.