Hands, hips and knees that have got stiff
I cannot do anything about arthritis. I can do something about the muscles that have tightened up around it, and for a lot of people that is most of the day-to-day discomfort.
There are a few things worth checking first
An honest description of what this is
Massage does not treat arthritis and I am not going to suggest it does. What I can do is give attention to the muscles and soft tissue that have been guarding a sore joint.
Warmth, slow work and comfortable positioning. Nothing heroic.
Comfort is the whole design
We work at whatever pressure suits and in whatever position you can hold. Hands and feet get attention if you want them. Getting on and off a table is optional — the recliner is fine, the bed is fine.
Days when it is flaring
Tell me. A joint that is hot or red or too sore to touch is not something to work on, and if there is a fever with it I would rather you rang your doctor that day than saw me. We move the appointment, and nothing more is said about it.
How it goes, for this
On the phone
You tell me which joints and which days
What is worst in the morning, what a flare looks like, and how you are getting about. That decides where we work and how.
At the house
Wherever you are comfortable
Recliner, bed or table. Warmth, slow work, and hands and feet included if you want them.
After
Nothing to drive home from
You stay where you are. That is usually the part people notice most.
Not sure I can work on you? Pick the one that fits.
I can get on a massage table
Then that is what we will use. It is set up and ready in the room — and at home, for my regulars, it goes up and goes away within the hour. Nothing for you to arrange.
Only my own bed
That is fine and it is common. I work alongside the bed and adapt the positioning to you — pillows under the knees, side-lying if lying flat is not comfortable. A hospital bed is easier for me, not harder.
My recliner
Good. Neck, shoulders, arms, hands, feet and lower legs all work well in a recliner, and for a lot of people that is where the pain actually is.
I use a wheelchair
We can work in the chair, or transfer to a bed or table if you transfer easily and want to. Tell me which on the phone and I will bring what suits.
A kitchen chair is all I have
That is all I need. I bring a proper seated setup — you stay fully clothed, and it is the same work through the neck, shoulders and back.
I am asking on behalf of someone else
Call me rather than booking online. I will want to know what they can and cannot do, whether there is a hospital bed, and who will be there. If they have a guardian, a healthcare surrogate or a power of attorney, tell me who holds it. You are welcome to stay in the room.
Still not sure? PHONE and describe the room. It takes two minutes and costs nothing.
Questions
Will massage help my arthritis?
Massage does not treat the arthritis itself, and I would be careful of anyone who tells you otherwise. What I work on is the muscle around a sore joint, and an hour of unhurried attention is worth something on its own.
I bruise easily now. Is that a problem?
It changes the pressure, not the appointment. Say so at the start and I will work accordingly. If you are on blood thinners, tell me on the phone.
Can you come to my assisted living apartment?
Usually yes, with their permission — some have their own requirements for outside practitioners. Call me before you arrange anything and we will find out together what theirs are.