Mal's Story
Speciality: Sports Rehabilitation, Strength and Conditioning, Soft Tissue Therapy, Medical Acupuncture, Neuro Muscular Electrical Stimulation and Cupping.
Mal qualified in the Army Physical Training Corps as an Exercise Rehabilitation Instructor in 2000 at Headley Court. He later graduated with a Sports Rehabilitation Honours degree from St Mary's University, Twickenham in 2007. Having now accrued over 30 years experience as a Physical Trainer, 20 of which specializing in rehabilitation; you can be assured of an informed and professional service.
Mal currently works at a Military Rehabilitaion Centre in Bath working with injured service personnel. Previous experiences include working in rehabilitation centres in Cambridge, Surrey, Cyprus, Northern Ireland, Tidworth, New Zealand and now Bath.
Mal is accredited at Level 4 with the Register of Exercise Professionals (REPS), is a member of the British Association of Sports Rehabilitators and Trainers (BASRaT), the British Medical Acupuncture Society (BMAS) and operates under the Professional Standards Authority.
Jessica’s Story
Speciality- Sports Massage & Strength & Conditioning
Over her 12 years in the fitness industry, Jess has frequently focused on rehab: helping people to relieve their pain while building strength and addressing imbalances so they can get back to doing the things they love. A keen gym goer, one-time Strongwoman competitor, and very occasional runner, she focuses on helping people move better, and feel better.
Originally from the USA, Jess lived in London for over a decade before relocating to Bath in 2021. She qualified as a REPs level 3 personal trainer in 2011, and in sports massage in 2018.
BATH Sports Massage & Rehabilitation
You may be an elite athlete, a gym goer, a tennis enthusiast, a dog walker, a postnatal mother, or simply suffering from aches and pains. Whatever your age BATH Sports Massage & Rehabilitation can help.
We assess, diagnose and treat by reviewing your everyday activities, your gait and any other functional factors that might be causing your pain.
Offering Sports Rehabilitation, Massage Therapy, Medical Acupuncture and a host of different treatments, our aim is to get you moving pain-free.
Using a holistic approach in our assessments and treatments, we aim to help you understand why your body is hurting as well as helping you to move more freely.
We don’t only treat your symptom - we identify the cause of the problem.
The treatment that BATH Sports Massage & Rehabilitation provides is 100% tailored to you: your lifestyle, your goals and your needs.
Services
Sports Massage & Advanced Soft Tissue Techniques - Relaxation Massage - Medical Acupuncture - Sports Injury Exercise Rehabilitation - Injury Prevention Screening
Sports Massage
Advanced soft tissue techniques, trigger point & myofascial release
Sports Massage assists with tissue repair and recovery following injury or exercise. It increases the circulation to the area thereby speeding refueling, healing and growth so you are ready to go again sooner.
It also physically manipulates the soft tissue fibres removing areas of tightness and adhesion within them and returning them to their pre-exercise resting length.
Sports Massage is great for the prevention, rehabilitation and treatment of soft tissue injury and with assisted stretching will improve your flexibility.
Medical Acupuncture
Western medical acupuncture, electroacupuncture & dry needling
Western acupuncture uses the Traditional Chinese Medicine meridian points but applies it to western reasoning of diagnosis and effects.
These points are not always directly over the area of the body being treated, but have been demonstrated to have an effect.
How does it work?
Acupuncture uses fine, flexible sterile needles to:
Stimulate the nerves to block/overlay pain.
Encourage the body to release its own natural pain killers and hormones.
To promote healing of tissues.
Dry needling uses fine, flexible sterile needles to:
Release the tight bands of tissue, known as myofascial trigger points, which can be caused by injury, abnormal muscle activity or nerve irritation.
Encourage the body to release its own natural pain killers.
To promote healing of tissues.
No drugs are injected during the procedure.
Electro-Acupuncture (EA) This technique is a modified form of traditional Western Acupuncture where low electrical currents are applied between pairs of needles. Benefits include:
Pain Relief - EA induces its analgesic effects via several mechanisms including the 'Pain Gate Theory' (practically blocking pain signals reaching the brain), releasing endorphins and effects on serotonin & noradrenalin.
Acceleration of tissue repair by increasing circulation, increasing blood flow, increased muscle strengthening, improved muscle control, reduction in muscle spasticity and healing of wounds, ulcers and scar tissue.
Sports Injury Exercise Rehabilitation
Evidence based injury recovery treatments & exercises
Our aim is to assess your current needs within your sport or lifestyle and develop a personalised and professional plan to get you to your optimum health and fitness. We can assist you with current injuries, past injuries and help correct movement so you can return to sport and lifestyle activities faster and stronger.
What is Sport Rehabilitation?
Sport Rehabilitators help people suffering from pain, injury or illness involving the musculoskeletal system. They help people of all ages to maintain their health and fitness, recover from and prevent injury and reduce pain using exercise, movement and manual based therapeutic interventions.
What to expect from your Sport Rehabilitator?
An initial consultation will offer an in-depth interview and physical assessment to identify an appropriate diagnosis, any predisposing factors to injury and any other health related disorders. They will then use clinical reasoning to tailor a recovery plan to return you to optimum function and physical activity. You can expect your Sport Rehabilitator to integrate advice, education and rehabilitation into all aspects of your life.
Sport Rehabilitators are trained to carefully record and protect all personal information, including sensitive information relevant to their condition as part of the treatment session.
What might my treatment include?
Treatment will incorporate evidenced based therapeutic interventions and exercise with the plan being monitored and modified where needed. This could include exercise rehabilitation, graded activity, manual therapy, workplace assessment and modification, massage, acupuncture, taping / bracing and electrotherapy.
Sport Rehabilitators will use a complete approach, considering the whole needs of the individual to allow optimal recovery and placing the patient at the centre of their own care.
What sets Sport Rehabilitators apart?
Sport Rehabilitators have a strong focus on biomechanics, exercise rehabilitation and returning patients to high levels of function. The overall skill set and focus is why the Ministry of Defence chooses BASRaT registrants for their most demanding exercise rehabilitation roles.
Sport Rehabilitators treat a range of injuries including:
Back pain – lower back pain, sciatica, disc problems and more
Pains and sprains in ankles, knees, shoulder groin, hip etc
Post-operative rehabilitation - (spinal, shoulder and knee surgery, joint replacements)
Total knee replacement rehabilitation
Achilles Tendinopathy
Cruciate ligament rehabilitation
Tennis elbow
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Bursitis
Injuries with an uncertain diagnosis
Post spinal surgery
Post trauma, including fractures
Chronic pain
Repetitive strain injuries
Arthritis
Are there any risks associated with treatment?
Like any exercise and manual therapy profession, you could get some post treatment soreness, this is usually minimal and short lasting; your Sport Rehabilitator is trained to reassess the effects of treatment and modify depending on your reaction. Your Sport Rehabilitator will inform you of any risks associated with your treatment to allow you to make informed choices. They are also trained to refer on to other members of the healthcare team wherever that is appropriate.
Occasionally patients have skin reactions to treatments such as taping, massage mediums and manual therapy techniques, your Sport Rehabilitator will identify this and adapt their treatments accordingly.
In the vast majority of cases Sport Rehabilitators treats injuries quickly and successfully; in some cases it has made a life changing difference to patients.
Relaxation Massage
For both physical and mental well-being.
With the current levels of societal stress and anxiety the world currently throws at us it's hardly surprising that we are seeing a growing population of stressed, tense and anxious people. Working postures have changed whilst spending more time at home and life in general is becoming more and more challenging.
Helping to reverse this effect on our bodies and mind is key and never before has a relaxing massage been so crucial in restoring our physical and mental well-being.
Injury Prevention Screening
Assessment of movement patterns and areas of weakness
The repetitive nature of modern lifestyles and the nature of most sports can lead to imbalances forming within the body, with certain areas in the body becoming tight and other areas "weak". These can eventually lead to pain, breakdown of tissues and chronic overuse injuries.
Nowadays more clients are asking how they can stay "injury free" when participating in their sport or day-to-day lifestyle. They want to know if there is anything they can do in terms of exercise that they can perform to try and remain injury free and maximise their performance in their sport.
The screening involves specific exercises, to identify musculoskeletal abnormalities that can reduce performance or lead to injury.
Identifying a person's inability to perform specific fundamental movements is important as it leads to injury related, compensatory, abnormal movement patterns. This screening process helps identify muscle imbalances, reduced flexibility, core stability weakness, neuromuscular control and balance problems that have all been identified as injury risk factors.
The BATH Sports Massage & Rehabilitation screening will assess the site, direction and threshold of uncontrolled movement through a series of functional tests. It has been developed to enhance performance and decrease the risk of injury and re-injury in athletes of all ages, sports people and all active individuals.
“Will it be Easy? Nope Worth it? Absolutely”
