Dawny Christien PG Dip. ITEC Dip, NAMMT (Sports Massage) most recently trained at St Mary’s University in Twickenham and attributes her skills to some inspirational teachers.

She is Twickenham born and bred (so rugby and injuries are in the blood!), she lives with her partner and their two children and, if you can’t find her in Twickenham, she’ll be in her camper van exploring the English countryside.

How long have you been a sports massage therapist?

I began practicing as a therapist in 2001 and moved onto a higher level Sports Massage qualification in 2012.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

In Sports Massage, I’m always helping people. Whether the complaint is a stiff muscle not being as flexible as it could be, or a very painful back spasm, I get a huge amount of satisfaction helping people to feel better and able to use their bodies how they want to. When I do deep tissue treatments, I get a big kick from seeing the client transform from a stressed out bundle of knots to a chilled out, pain-free person with a relaxed smiling face. I also love meeting different types of people and getting to know them. Plus, I get to wear tracky bottoms to work… the perfect job basically!

Is sports massage just for sports people?

I have treated some very high level sports people in my career, and I do enjoy helping athletes with injuries and training issues, but the approach can bring great results for everyone, including those who aren’t particularly active. Short, tight and overused muscles are all too common whatever the level of activity.

What other types of massage do you offer and what are the benefits?

Deep Tissue Massage is slightly different, partly because there is a profound relaxation aspect, and in that the nervous system takes a step back, blood pressure is often lower, and the muscles and connective tissue are drawn away from each other, offering improvements in circulation and fluid transmission. It’s a very enjoyable, yet deeply effective way to treat pain and stress, both the physical and emotional forms.

What are your clients’ most common complaints?

I treat a lot of backs and shoulders suffering from desk-based-working. It’s just a reality for so many people, but thankfully I’m on hand to undo the effects of modern life on the muscles.

Is prevention better than cure?  How important is it for patients to have regular massages?

In a perfect world we’d all be yoga instructors, I guess! But here on Planet Earth, we all do different things, and each of our bodies responds differently to our regular activities. Listening to your body is the first step, we all have different tissue types and will need a varying amount of treatment to keep us in good working order. Also, remembering that having sports and deep tissue massage so that you can live without pain is not pampering! It’s common sense, as we are all the more productive when we’re not distracted by pain and able to move around freely.

Finally, tell us a little known fact about massage

It’s thousands of years old! I’m often humbled when I remember that the basics of what I do have been practiced by tribal people and in traditional medicine since the dawn of time.

If you would like further information about our massage therapies or if you would like to make an appointment with Dawny or with one of our Osteopaths or Chiropodists, please contact the reception team on Tel: 020 8977 3295