anna symms remedial massage
Soft Tissue Therapy
Hands-on manual therapy to treat your aches and pains through an individual, person centred approach.
Includes the assessment, treatment and rehabilitation of musculoskeletal pain and injury to help you to enjoy a fit and active lifestyle and to keep you moving.
Each treatment is tailored to you; it varies from person to person and from session to session.
Located in East Grinstead, Sussex, UK.
Frequently Asked Questions
About Remedial Massage and Soft Tissue Therapy
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What is Remedial Massage and Soft Tissue Therapy?
A manual therapy that takes a hands-on, biopsychosocial, person-centred approach to treat your aches and pains and enhance the performance of your body, whatever your circumstances. Through the assessment, treatment and rehabilitation of musculoskeletal pain and injury it helps you to enjoy a fit and active lifestyle and helps you to keep moving.
Each treatment is tailored to you; it varies from person to person and from session to session.
Is it just a massage?
Whilst remedial massage may form the main, and important, part of your treatment, I also use other soft tissue therapy techniques which have fantastic results to increase your body’s movement and mobility. Hence the term Soft Tissue Therapy.
The services of a Soft Tissue Therapist are often referred to as Sports Massage, but this does not cover the other soft tissue therapy techniques that I am trained in.
Do you only treat sports people?
When the term Sports Massage is used I often get asked if I only treat sports people, the answer is definitely not!
Anyone can benefit from a Sports Massage as it can help relieve the symptoms of muscle fatigue. This fatigue can be caused by your occupation, sport and exercise, medical conditions (including surgery), emotional factors, posture, past injury and daily life.
Sports Massage can be a standalone treatment if required, but with me you will get a Soft Tissue Therapy session regardless of the name of the treatment on the booking form/email.
How do I know if I would benefit from Soft Tissue Therapy?
Whatever your age or lifestyle you may be feeling fatigued in your muscles, holding tension in areas of your body, feeling pain or restriction with certain movements or aching with movement or all of the time. Soft Tissue Therapy can help relieve these symptoms and help you feel and move better. It can also help identify the underlying causes of these symptoms and I may guide you with advice on exercise and lifestyle.
It can also help with early identification of problems and help with self awareness of your body. In this instance it can be used as a preventative treatment and can help identify overuse factors, leading to early identification of problems before they become an injury.
The long term aim of Soft Tissue Therapy is to prevent injury and improve your overall physical wellbeing.
What does a Soft Tissue Therapy session with you involve?
I may ask you to show me certain easy movements which will help guide me to which muscles and areas of the body need the most treatment. We may repeat these movements at the end of the session to see and feel the improvement.
I’ll always ask why you’ve come to see me and get you to explain what you’re feeling. I will ask some brief questions about your medical and injury history and your day to day life. Everything with me is confidential.
On the massage table I’ll always make sure you’re covered with a towel. Please wear comfortable clothing and I can work through clothing or the towel if you would prefer, in fact, some techniques are better this way.
I’m always happy to talk you through why I’m treating certain muscles or areas and what I find along the way. Feedback from you is equally as, if not more important and very much encouraged.
Importantly, I want you to walk out after the session feeling better than when you walk in. As such the pressure I use rarely goes above an 8 out of 10, if it’s too hard then you won’t relax and get the full benefit of the treatment.
I may also recommend some remedial exercises to help treat minor injuries and prevent further injury.
If I think it’s appropriate then I may suggest you see a specialist; this may be to complement the Soft Tissue Therapy with me, or because I think you need more specialist expertise which is beyond my skill set.
What sets you apart from other massage therapists?
I spent 12-18 months studying part-time with the London School of Sports Massage (LSSM) led by Mel Cash, to gain my BTEC Level 5 Soft Tissue Therapy Diploma; this is equivalent to a Higher National Diploma or a Foundation Degree. This included 12 in-person taught weekends, 100 practice hours, 4 written assignments, 3 case studies, multiple practice assessments, 1 final practical exam and short tests throughout the course.
The diploma included an in-depth study of functional anatomy, physiology and clinical procedures. I was taught to understand how the body moves and how it maintains a still position. This requires a knowledge of the musculoskeletal system and how the muscles attach to bones to contract and shorten to move the joints, as well as the fascial system which is a continuous network of connective tissue.
Reviews
Anna is a great therapist, very conscientious and sorted out stiffness and soft tissues. Although hands on therapy is firm Anna’s technique is not painful which helped me recover faster from intense activities!
— Didier
Having had many sports massages over the years it was a relief to get treated by Anna. She does not take the one size fits all approach the majority take, her sessions are deeply personalised, attentive and were thoughtfully tailored to my needs, at every session. If you value quality, expertise, and a treatment that truly addresses your body, Anna is the one you need to see.
— Alys M
Anna took the time to get to the route of my issues and always offered advice on exercises between my treatments to aid my recovery.
— Lynsey
Anna is super friendly and makes you feel really comfortable right away. She really knows her stuff and uses the best techniques to help with pain and recovery. I’d definitely recommend her to anyone looking for a great sports massage.
— Anonymous
Anna is fantastic and I would highly recommend her to anyone needing a sports massage.
— Tim
Contact Me
Please use the form below to get in touch with me.
Feel free to ask any questions or make a booking enquiry. I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.
Alternatively you can email me: asrmtherapy@gmail.com
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Techniques
I use the following techniques in my treatment sessions, the variety and inclusion of them varies from one person to another as treatments are tailored to your needs.
Throughout your session I will talk you through any techniques I am using, and I only use techniques or pressure that you feel uncomfortable with.
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Remedial Massage
Sometimes referred to as Sports Massage. There are numerous benefits of massage and the benefit that you feel can depend on your needs. Whether it is reducing tightness, fatigue or pain; improving movement, recovery and mobility; or an overall feeling of physical and psychological relaxation; massage can benefit everyone.
I use a blend of deep and more superficial massage through different combinations of speed and pressure. The massage treatment may feel different depending on the area of your body I am treating and I will adjust the speed and pressure accordingly. I will ask for feedback on the pressure I am using during the treatment and also notice how your body is reacting.
Soft Tissue Release (STR)
This is where a strong local stretch helps to release areas of scar tissue and adhesions and restore elasticity to your muscles.
Areas of scar tissue or adhesions are located through palpation of the tissues, usually through massage. Focussed pressure is applied to these areas and a stretch is applied to the muscle, this stretch can be quite strong and it is this that helps to break down adhesions in the muscle fibres. It can be repeated multiple times in multiple locations.
Myofascial Techniques
Fascial layers connect and envelop all of the tissues in the body as a single system, they surround the muscles but also run through them. As a result, fascial restrictions in one area of the body can be felt elsewhere
Myofascial strokes along the layers of fascia help to release adhesive bonds between them, allowing them to function unrestricted. This releases tension and improves fascial hydration and mobility.
Neuromuscular Technique (NMT)
This is where your nervous system comes in to play, helping to normalise your muscle tone though focused pressure to a specific area of soft tissue tension.
The area of treatment is an active trigger point, which can be identified through massage and feedback from you. Pressure is gradually then applied to the active trigger point until a suitable level of pressure if achieved, and through a combination of deep breathing and relaxation you will adjust to the pressure being applied and it level of pressure that you feel will to decrease.
Muscle Energy Technique (MET)
This is where excessive tension is released from your muscle and it’s balance is restored.
I assess the range of joint movement, either actively or passively, to see and feel which muscles are causing restriction in the range of movement in a particular joint. Contracting and relaxing these muscles, or the opposing muscles, gives a window of opportunity where they can be lengthened and stretched.
Positional Release Technique (PRT)
This is where restricted tissues are released by moving them into a comfortable, relaxed and pain-free position. It calms your nervous system through a previously restricted range of movement, allowing you to move more freely.
Some pressure is applied to a trigger point, identified through palpation, massage and feedback from you. I then move you into a position of ‘ease’ which is comfortable and relaxed; this is achieved through moving the joint through it’s range of movement which is affected by the restricted tissue. This position is held until the trigger point is completely pain free, upon which I return you to a neutral position.
About Anna
I am a Soft Tissue Therapist who is passionate about helping you feel and move better through hands-on techniques tailored to you. I gained my Level 5 BTEC Diploma in Soft Tissue Therapy at the London School of Sports Massage (LSSM) under the tutelage of Mel Cash. I am also a member of the Institute of Sports and Remedial Massage (ISRM).
I come from a farming, sports, and office job background. This has helped me understand the importance of being able to move freely and without pain, whether it is for recreational sport, work, or daily life. I am aware of the many physical and emotional stresses that we put on our bodies and I want to help relieve tension and restrictions that can build up in our muscles and joints. My sole aim is for you to leave the treatment room feeling better than when you walked in and for you to be able to live and enjoy life to the fullest.
I have a varied sporting background, playing hockey from an early age until my early 30s. Alongside and after hockey, I completed running races from 5km to marathons, including road, trail, cross country and obstacle races. I then entered the triathlon world and completed races from sprint to Ironman distance, including representing GB age groups at Olympic distance. I was also part of a channel relay swim team and have competed in road cycling and cyclo-cross races. I got hooked on CrossFit for a while and now enjoy functional fitness classes and generally being active outside walking, cycling and running everywhere.
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