SAS Sport and Remedial Massage

31/01/2026

A vital muscle in the Human Body..

The one muscle that stores your stress, your fear, your tension… and your memories 🤔👇

If you’ve ever opened your hips in yoga or stretched deeply and suddenly felt emotional, shaky, or overwhelmed — you didn’t imagine it.
You touched your psoas, the deepest muscle in your core and one of the most sensitive parts of your entire nervous system.

This muscle is not just a hip flexor
It’s a fight or flight responder

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Why this muscle holds so much tension

When you feel stress, fear, shock, or pressure, your brain triggers a protective reflex:
curl in, guard the organs, get ready to run.

That reflex contracts the psoas every single time.

In modern life:

• stress piles up
• we sit for long hours
• the body never gets to run, shake, or release the tension

So the psoas stays tight, shortened, and tired.

A tense psoas can contribute to:

• lower back discomfort
• tight hips
• shallow breathing
• restlessness
• increased stress response
• difficulty relaxing

Not because it “stores trauma” in a mystical way, but because it is deeply wired into the nervous system pathway responsible for safety, alertness, and survival.

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The gentle release that works (no forcing, no deep stretching)

The psoas doesn’t like aggressive stretching.
It releases when the nervous system feels safe.

Try this simple, evidence-supported position:

Constructive Rest Pose

1. Lie on your back

2. Knees bent, feet flat on the floor

3. Let your knees fall inward so they rest against each other

4. Hands on your lower belly

5. Stay for 10–15 minutes

This position allows:

• the pelvis to settle
• the spine to decompress
• the psoas to soften naturally

You may feel warmth, tingling, or gentle shakes — all normal signs of relaxation.

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Why this works

Your psoas sits beside:

• the diaphragm (breathing)
• the lumbar spine (stability)
• major nerves
• blood vessels

So when it relaxes, you breathe deeper, your nervous system calms, and the whole body feels safer

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The truth in one sentence

Your psoas is not a storage locker for emotions — it’s the messenger between your stress and your body
When it finally relaxes, the whole system exhale

Save this, try it tonight, and see what shifts

27/01/2026

Not too old to lift weights.
Not too old to learn something new.
Not too old to build muscle, build confidence, and build a life that feels bigger than the one you’ve been settling for.

Age doesn’t erase adaptability. Muscles still respond to load. Tendons still remodel. Hearts still get stronger. Bones still respond to force. The research is insanely clear: humans remain trainable deep into old age.

A lot of people don’t quit because their body can’t do it
they quit because they assume they’re “too late.”

Too late to change.
Too late to get fit.
Too late to feel strong again.

But I’ve seen 70-year-olds start lifting for the first time and stand up taller within weeks. I’ve seen balance improve, pain decrease, moods lift, and identities shift
not because they were special, but they tried.

Start slow.
Start scared if you must
but start.

You are not past your prime.
Your prime just looks different now
steadier, wiser, more grounded, driven by purpose instead of ego.

And that’s powerful.

It’s not about turning back the clock
it’s about proving you’re still here, still capable, still adaptable, still beautifully human.

You are not too old to start.
But you are too valuable not to.

27/01/2026

This explains how different types of activities can help our bodies.

27/01/2026

Worth having a look at this and understanding the pain that a tendinopathy can cause. Thinking how we use our bodies are important.

Tendinopathy is the leading cause of tendon pain.
It’s not just “wear and tear,” and it’s not a sign your body is broken.
Tendinopathy describes a process where a tendon struggles to adapt to the loads placed on it, leading to structural changes and pain.

It can feel frustrating
stepping down the stairs hurts, lifting a bag hurts,
even doing what used to feel easy suddenly feels threatening.

But tendons are living tissues. They remodel, they strengthen, and they respond beautifully to the right kind of training.

With progressive loading, patience, and guided exercise, most people regain function and reduce pain significantly. You don’t need to “rest forever,” give up the activities you love, or assume this is permanent.

Tendinopathy is a signal not an ending.
It’s your body asking for smarter loading, not less life.

With proper rehab, consistency, and support, tendons can become even stronger than before, and movement can become enjoyable again.

Your body is not failing you
it’s capable of adapting, healing, and thriving.
Give it time, give it structure, and give it hope.

17/01/2026

🦴 ANTERIOR vs POSTERIOR PELVIC TILT – DETAILED BIOMECHANICAL EXPLANATION

Pelvic tilt refers to the orientation of the pelvis in the sagittal plane and is a key determinant of spinal curvature, hip joint loading, muscle length–tension relationships, and gait efficiency. Even small alterations in pelvic position can significantly influence posture, movement, and pain patterns.

🔴 ANTERIOR PELVIC TILT (APT)

In anterior pelvic tilt, the anterior superior iliac spine (ASIS) moves inferiorly and anteriorly relative to the posterior superior iliac spine (PSIS). This causes the pelvis to rotate forward.

Primary muscle contributors:

Tight / overactive:

Iliopsoas

Re**us femoris

Erector spinae

Lengthened / weak:

Re**us abdominis

External obliques

Gluteus maximus

Biomechanical consequences:

Increased lumbar lordosis, raising compressive forces on facet joints

Anterior shift of the trunk’s center of mass

Reduced hip extension during terminal stance in gait

Increased reliance on passive spinal structures for stability

Functional and clinical implications:

Common in individuals with prolonged sitting habits, athletes with repetitive hip flexion, and children with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy

Contributes to low back pain, hip flexor tightness, anterior hip joint stress, and inefficient gait patterns

Often associated with crouch gait, excessive knee flexion, and increased energy expenditure during walking

🟢 POSTERIOR PELVIC TILT (PPT)

Posterior pelvic tilt occurs when the ASIS moves superiorly and posteriorly relative to the PSIS, rotating the pelvis backward.

Primary muscle contributors:

Active:

Re**us abdominis

External obliques

Gluteus maximus

Hamstrings

Passive stabilizers:

Taut iliofemoral ligament

Biomechanical consequences:

Reduction of lumbar lordosis toward a neutral spine

Improved lumbopelvic stability

Enhanced hip extension efficiency

Decreased anterior hip and lumbar loading

Functional and clinical implications:

Provides a more mechanically stable posture

Often emphasized during core strengthening and postural re-education

Excessive posterior tilt, however, may flatten lumbar curvature and reduce shock absorption, highlighting the need for balance rather than overcorrection

🚶 PELVIC TILT AND GAIT MECHANICS

During normal gait, a controlled anterior–posterior pelvic motion allows efficient shock absorption and propulsion

Excessive anterior tilt limits hip extension → short step length and compensatory lumbar extension

Posterior tilt dominance may reduce stride length and pelvic rotation

In neurological populations, poor pelvic control disrupts pelvic–trunk dissociation, increasing energy cost

🧠 CLINICAL & REHABILITATION SIGNIFICANCE

Understanding pelvic tilt is fundamental in:

Postural assessment

Gait analysis

Orthotic prescription (AFO, heel wedges)

Low back pain rehabilitation

Sports biomechanics

Cerebral palsy management

Effective correction focuses on muscle balance, motor control, and functional integration, not just static posture.

📌 Key takeaway:
A neutral pelvis is the foundation of efficient movement, spinal health, and optimal biomechanics.

12/01/2026

Upper Crossed Syndrome (UCS) is a postural muscle imbalance that affects the neck, shoulders, and upper back. It is very common in people who sit for long hours, use mobile phones a lot, or work at a desk without good ergonomics.

“Upper Crossed” Means

The term comes from the crossed pattern of muscle imbalance in the upper body.

√ One diagonal: tight muscles
√ The opposite diagonal: weak muscles

This crossing pattern pulls the head forward and the shoulders inward.

(Overactive) Muscles

1. Upper Trapezius

√Located at the top of the shoulders and neck
√Often tight due to stress, prolonged sitting, and poor posture
√Causes shoulder elevation and neck stiffness

2. Levator Scapulae

√Runs from the cervical spine to the upper medial border of the scapula
√Tightness contributes to neck pain and restricted rotation

3. Pectoral Muscles (Pectoralis Major and Minor)

√Located on the front of the chest
√Tight pecs pull the shoulders forward
√Leads to rounded shoulders and reduced chest expansion

(Underactive) Muscles

1. Deep Neck Flexors

√Include longus colli and longus capitis
√Responsible for stabilizing the cervical spine
√Weakness leads to forward head posture and neck strain

2. Lower Trapezius

√Important for scapular depression and upward rotation
√Weakness causes poor shoulder blade control

3. Serratus Anterior

√ Stabilizes he scapula against the rib cage
√ Weakness may result in scapular winging and shoulder dysfunction

Postural Changes

√Forward head posture
√Rounded shoulders
√Increased cervical lordosis
√Increased thoracic kyphosis
√ Protracted and elevated scapulae

Symptoms

√ Neck and upper back pain
√ Shoulder pain or impingement
√Tension-type headaches
√Muscle fatigue
√ Reduced neck and shoulder range of motion



√Prolonged sitting and poor posture
√ Excessive mobile or computer use
√ Lack of postural strengthening exercises
√ Stress and sustained muscle tension

Management

1. Stretching (Tight Muscles)

√Upper trapezius stretch
√Levator scapulae stretch
√ Pectoral stretch (doorway stretch)

2. Strengthening (Weak Muscles)

√Deep neck flexor training (chin tucks)
√Lower trapezius exercises (Y raises)
√Serratus anterior exercises (wall slides, push-up plus)

3. Postural Re-education

√Neutral head alignment
√Scapular setting
√Ergonomic correction at work

Early Correction Matters

If untreated, Upper Crossed Syndrome can lead to:
√Chronic neck pain
√Cervical disc problems
√Shoulder dysfunction
√Reduced functional performance

10/01/2026

Runners worth attending

If you’re a runner in Hartley Wintney or the surrounding area and want to feel more confident, strong, and supported in your running, this event is for you. 🏃‍♀️✨

We’re hosting an Injury Prevention for Runners evening designed to give you practical tools you can start using straight away. Whether you’re training for your first 5K, building back after injury, or simply want to enjoy your miles more, this friendly session will help you understand how to support your body while you run.

Our Senior Physiotherapist Tamsyn, who specialises in running injuries, will guide you through effective techniques and explain how small changes to strength, form, and preparation can make a huge difference. You’ll leave with simple, empowering tips to improve performance and reduce the risk of injury.

📅 Wednesday 21 January 2026
🕖 19:00–21:00
💷 Tickets: £10 Plus £1.55 booking fee (includes a complimentary drink!)

Every ticket directly supports the Victoria Hall Charity, helping fund urgent roof repairs for this important community space.
We’d love to welcome runners of all levels — come along, learn something new, and boost your confidence for the year ahead.

🎟️ Book your ticket here https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/injury-prevention-for-runners-tickets-1976882514818?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl.

Facebook event link: https://www.facebook.com/events/831292053020391

07/01/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Bi9fHMnGf/

Don’t blame aging for all the abilities you’ve lost.

Yes aging does change the body.
Research shows that after midlife, we gradually lose muscle mass, power, and balance. Reaction time slows.
Recovery takes longer.
These are normal physiological shifts, not personal failures.

But science is equally clear about something else.
Aging itself accounts for far less decline than inactivity does.

Studies on sarcopenia, balance, and mobility consistently show that much of what we attribute to “old age” is actually disuse. When muscles aren’t challenged, they weaken rapidly at any age.
When balance isn’t practiced, the nervous system becomes less confident. When joints aren’t moved through their ranges, stiffness increases and pain follows.

The body adapts precisely to what it is asked to do.
Ask it for less, and it becomes less.
Ask it gently, consistently for more, and it responds.
Even in later decades of life.

This is why strength training improves muscle and bone density well into the 60s, 70s, and beyond. Why balance training reduces fall risk. Why walking, resistance, and simple movement can restore function people believed was permanently lost. These aren’t motivational slogans they are well-documented physiological truths.

What often limits us is not age, but fear: fear of pain, fear of injury, fear of discovering our limits. Over time, that fear quietly shrinks daily movement, and the body follows that smaller map.

Each time you move carefully, imperfectly, honestly you send a signal to your muscles, bones, and nervous system: this still matters. That signal, repeated over time, becomes strength. Becomes confidence. Becomes resilience.

Aging changes the pace.
It changes the strategy.
But it does not eliminate the body’s capacity to adapt.

What you practice, you preserve.
What you abandon, you lose faster than time ever intended.

And every small act of movement is not defiance of aging
it is cooperation with biology.

01/01/2026

Positive news for Cupping therapy. I use this regularly with individuals in my treatments.

🩸 It’s not just a bruise—it’s a biological switch.

We’ve all seen the purple circles.

From Olympic swimmers to your favorite CrossFit coach, cupping therapy has been trending for years.

Most people assume it’s just for deep tissue release or pain relief.

But a groundbreaking 2025 study just completely changed how we look at those marks.

Researchers published their findings in PLOS ONE, focusing specifically on university baseball players.

They wanted to see if cupping did more than just loosen tight shoulders.

They split the athletes into groups: one received real "dry cupping" suction (-400 mmHg), and the other got a "sham" version with barely any pressure.

They measured them for 8 weeks during intense preseason conditioning.

The results were wild.

The athletes who got the real cupping didn’t just feel better.

Their bodies physically recovered faster at a nervous system level.

The study found that cupping significantly improved the recovery of the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS).

Specifically, it helped the athletes switch out of "Sympathetic" mode.

That’s your body’s "fight or flight" stress response—the state that burns energy and halts recovery.

And it switched them into "Parasympathetic" mode.

That’s the "rest and digest" state where actual growth and repair happen.

In the high-stress world of athletics, the ability to flip that switch quickly is the difference between burnout and a breakthrough.

So the next time you see those purple circles, don't just think "pain relief."

Think of them as a remote control for your nervous system. 🧠

References: Chen, C. L., & Tang, J. S. (2025). Effects of dry cupping on exercise, autonomic activity and sleep in baseball players during preseason and in-season conditioning. PLOS ONE, 20(2), e0319479.

31/12/2025

Happy New Year to all my wonderful clients Past, Current and Future 🥂🍾🎉🎊🥳🍾🥂
Thank you for trusting me with your bodies and enabling me to help you through the medium of massage and soft tissue therapy..
Here is to a healthy, happy and prosperous 2026. More learning and application from me in order to help you. Hopefully new ventures too.
Take care and may you all enjoy your evenings with friends and family 🎉🎊🥳🍾🥂🥂🍾🥳🎊🎉