Gill Westwater Massage Therapy

20/12/2025

I had a client yesterday with a vague hamstring ni**le. We agreed on a plan to use hot stones and therapeutic ultrasound to really warm the area up, followed with targeted massage to relax the area and finally light myofascial release to help everything move freely. She was feeling better by the end of the session and we spoke about the importance of a warm up, especially when it's winter and muscles are really cold at the start of a run.

It's really helpful to remember that when you we have a vague pain or ache, we can still carry on running without doing any real damage, but when the pain starts to increase beyond a 4/10 on the pain scale - either during our run or the day after - we shouldn't ignore the pain but reassess what we're doing.

Massage can help reduce muscle tightness and make sure you keep moving well as we start thinking about spring races.

15/12/2025

As part of the sports therapy HND modules I'm doing, I've just submitted ethical approval to carry out an online questionnaire looking at injury risk in runners - from perimenopause to post-menopause. There's so little information out there for us as we get older that I'm hoping the research might help identify some best practices to keep us healthy and pain free during this stage of our lives.

If you're interested in helping out - the questionnaire will probably take around 15 minutes to complete - please let me know and I'll make sure you get a link when it's available (I'm expecting it be late January)

10/12/2025

When I was going through menopause it felt like every day some new surprising (and NOT in a good way!) symptom arrived. It was really shocking how many things were related to hormones. Frozen shoulder is one of the issues menopausal women are more likely to develop. HRT can actually help reduce your chances of suffering and it might help treat it once you have it. But exercise is a key treatment.

Massage can ease things off and help you start moving a bit better, allowing you to focus on stretching and strengthening the area and start the recovery process.

Flexible appointments times available, £35 per session.

DM/call to book in.

05/12/2025

As many as 1 in 4 women over 50 suffer from lateral hip pain. These are some simple modifications you can make to help reduce the pain.

Lateral Hip Pain is often aggravated by activities involving hip adduction. Modifying or reducing these can help symptoms.

Just remember that long term avoidance is not the answer! Aim to adapt activity rather than avoid and plan a graded return when ready.

28/11/2025

🎄🎄🎄 Struggling to think about Christmas?
Give the gift or relaxation and looser muscles! 🎄🎄🎄

Menopause massage... sports massage... CBD massage available.

DM or call to purchase.

22/11/2025

The most common cause of lateral hip pain is gluteal tendinopathy (not bursitis as previously thought). I've had a couple of clients recently who were suffering and had been told to stretch... but this can exacerbate the situation, not improve it.

1 in 4 women over 50 suffer from this condition, which can be really debilitating. Call or DM to find out how I can help.

16/11/2025

What great feedback from a client today. She'd hurt her neck and was in so much pain she couldn't work. I'm lucky to be based at home and can be super flexible with timings so she could come in on a Sunday and left able to move her head much more than before.

I used a mix of relaxing massage techniques to calm the tight muscles then when she was feeling more comfortable introduced more focussed sports therapy techniques to improve her range of motion.❤️

DM or call to book in. I can normally fit in appointments at short notice if necessary.

07/11/2025

I've still got a couple of 30 mins slots tomorrow if any runner wants a post event treatment! DM to book in. Just £20 per session.

This weekend, we’re proud once again to be the base for the Glen Clova Half Marathon — a race that’s been part of our glen’s story for 37 years!

The very first event took place around 1988, the brainchild of the hotel’s manager at the time. A small race committee was formed by local residents and a few keen runners from Forfar — and so the Glen Clova Road Race was born. 🏔️

When Graeme Davie left the hotel, organisation passed to Fraser Clyne from Aberdeen, a multiple past winner of the race. By around 2000, it was taken on by Forfar Road Runners, who have kept the event running ever since.

Apart from the two COVID years, 2024 was the first time in its history that the race had to be cancelled — so we’re extra excited to see it back this year! 💛

From sunshine to snow (and everything in between!), the Glen Clova Half Marathon remains one of the most loved — and most scenic — runs in the Scottish calendar.

📅 Saturday 8 November 2025
🏨 Start & finish: Glen Clova Hotel

Good luck to everyone taking part — we can’t wait to welcome runners, supporters, and organisers back to the glen!
Limited restaurant tables left — book early to refuel in comfort! 🍽️✨
📞 To book, call 01575 550350 or email hotel@clova.com

07/11/2025

This weekend, we’re proud once again to be the base for the Glen Clova Half Marathon — a race that’s been part of our glen’s story for 37 years!

The very first event took place around 1988, the brainchild of the hotel’s manager at the time. A small race committee was formed by local residents and a few keen runners from Forfar — and so the Glen Clova Road Race was born. 🏔️

When Graeme Davie left the hotel, organisation passed to Fraser Clyne from Aberdeen, a multiple past winner of the race. By around 2000, it was taken on by Forfar Road Runners, who have kept the event running ever since.

Apart from the two COVID years, 2024 was the first time in its history that the race had to be cancelled — so we’re extra excited to see it back this year! 💛

From sunshine to snow (and everything in between!), the Glen Clova Half Marathon remains one of the most loved — and most scenic — runs in the Scottish calendar.

📅 Saturday 8 November 2025
🏨 Start & finish: Glen Clova Hotel

Good luck to everyone taking part — we can’t wait to welcome runners, supporters, and organisers back to the glen!
Limited restaurant tables left — book early to refuel in comfort! 🍽️✨
📞 To book, call 01575 550350 or email hotel@clova.com

07/11/2025

Still got a couple of 30 min appointments for tomorrow if anyone is hoping to try to avoid any DOMS! DM to book.

This weekend, we’re proud once again to be the base for the Glen Clova Half Marathon — a race that’s been part of our glen’s story for 37 years!

The very first event took place around 1988, the brainchild of the hotel’s manager at the time. A small race committee was formed by local residents and a few keen runners from Forfar — and so the Glen Clova Road Race was born. 🏔️

When Graeme Davie left the hotel, organisation passed to Fraser Clyne from Aberdeen, a multiple past winner of the race. By around 2000, it was taken on by Forfar Road Runners, who have kept the event running ever since.

Apart from the two COVID years, 2024 was the first time in its history that the race had to be cancelled — so we’re extra excited to see it back this year! 💛

From sunshine to snow (and everything in between!), the Glen Clova Half Marathon remains one of the most loved — and most scenic — runs in the Scottish calendar.

📅 Saturday 8 November 2025
🏨 Start & finish: Glen Clova Hotel

Good luck to everyone taking part — we can’t wait to welcome runners, supporters, and organisers back to the glen!
Limited restaurant tables left — book early to refuel in comfort! 🍽️✨
📞 To book, call 01575 550350 or email hotel@clova.com

05/11/2025

I'm onto the hamstring section of Tom Goom's Running Repairs course - finding out about the way that tendonitis develops - if you do something about it during the reactive stage - when you're starting to feel a ni**le and before structural changes start to occur - it should resolve faster than if you ignore it and it's reached the stage when the tendon tissue has actually started to degenerate.

Don't ignore those ni**les! DM or call to book in.