Urban Tool Massage & Bowen Therapy

27/02/2026

Great podcast my client sent me lastnight. 👍
So you know that the body doesn't work in isolation, but that said, it's common sense to take care of the individual parts to assist the overall machine.
I unconsciously do calf raises at various points throughout my day, once I zoned into what I was feeling today as I was doing them, it struck me how much I treat them like a 'roll down' for my spinal mobility.

The eccentric phase—the controlled lengthening of the muscle under tension—which is exactly where the "magic" happens in both movements.
​While one is a targeted strength exercise and the other is a spinal mobility staple, they share a very specific mechanical "vibe."
​The "Control" Connection
​The Calf Raise (Eccentric): As you lower your heels below the level of the step, you are fighting gravity to prevent a "drop." Your gastrocnemius and soleus are lengthening while staying engaged. It feels like a slow, resisted stretch.
​The Roll Down: As you peel your spine down bone-by-bone, your hamstrings and spinal extensors are working eccentrically to keep you from simply flopping over.
​Why they feel similar
​Both movements rely on sequential control and lengthening under load.
​Decompression: In a roll down, you're looking for space between the vertebrae. At the bottom of a calf raise, you’re looking for space in the ankle joint and a deep stretch in the Achilles.
​The "Brakes": In both cases, if you "turn off" the muscles, you'll snap or thud into the end range. The "reflexive" urge is to just let go, but the benefit comes from the slow, deliberate resistance.
​Tension Lines: Both movements heavily involve the Posterior Chain. A tight calf can actually limit how far you can go in a roll down because the fascia is all connected from the bottom of your feet to the top of your head.
Movement such as Refomer Pilates sessions will improve fascial glide, treatments such as Bowen Therapy & MFR will further increase fascial glide. They are the ultimate package!! 😃

Podcast Episode · Feel Better, Live More with Dr Rangan Chatterjee · 25 February · 2h 16m

26/02/2026

I had my first session of Craniosacral Therapy today with the really lovely and very gifted therapist Steven Rutherford.
I love having treatments of any sort, and I'm so lucky to be in Glasgow and surrounded by some really wonderful therapists. I knew from the second Steven started talking to me that I liked his way of working and communicating, so I'll be adding him to my 'must go and see' list.
I have great interoception, so even during the initial postural assessment where Steven had placed his hands on my neck, I felt a shift from within. During Craniosacral Therapy (CST), the quiet environment and light touch force your brain to switch it's focus inward, (I found this very easy, soothed by the gentle sleeping breath of his very sweet guide dog who was lying on the floor near the treatment table.) This is my time, I have no judgement, no expectations, I'm just happy to lie there feeling what my body wants to say in response to the expert hands I feel placed on me.
​Interoception is processed in a part of the brain called the insula. When Steven held the area around my C3 -Cervical Spine, it drew my insula's attention to a "clinch" or tension pattern I hadn't consciously noticed. (I think Steven had picked this up during the initial assessment, yet I'd went in with different issues) - "Where you think it is, it aint".
​When my brain finally "mapped" that tension in the safe, quiet environment, it allowed my nervous system to let go, and I suddenly found myself crying...(Crying is a physiological signature of an internal shift— my body essentially saying, "I don't have to hold onto this anymore). There was no memories, no conscious thoughts triggering the emotion. No laughter preceded it this time either, just some very sad feeling tears, tears that I really struggled to let flow despite the gentle encouragement from Steve.
Energetically and physically, the neck is associated with communication. Tension at C3 can sometimes be linked to things we've left unsaid or feelings we've suppressed to "keep it together."
During my treatment I had such a strong sensation of my body trying to find it's way home, like I was fumbling around in the dark looking for the light switch. It was a bittersweet moment, a feeling of recognition as to how much my body has 'held it together' whether physically through pain or simply emotionally through tough times. There was a silent dialogue between my brain and my body, "You're doing the best you can Louise, be gentle with yourself and you will get there'. When you are a therapist yourself, you can become frustrated with not being able to resolve your own pain, yet today's treatment has grounded me. Reminding me that I need to listen more to my body's whispers, and pull back a little on trying to micromanage my own physical rehab.
I'm taking it easy for the rest of today, lots of walking, some earthing and of course plenty hydration. I've got a very busy weekend coming up, lots of clients booking in all at once, one who I've not seen for about ten months messaged today asking me if I'm still working my 'magic'. Therapies like Bowen & CST aren't magic in themselves, in just the same way therapists aren't 'magicians. Our body's hold the inate secret to healing themselves, as therapists we just give guidance....Like turning on the lights!! 😉
It's easy to experience exteroception and become discordant from what's actually going on with YOU. Please take time out and touch base with yourself, your body and mind will show it's gratitude in many pleasant ways.
I hope this resonates, and I look forward to seeing you soon for your treatments.

25/02/2026

Haha, this is just awesome!!! I had a new client referred to me recently, he was having his first Bowen session on Friday, and I suggested he incorporate into his daily routine, there are just so many science backed benefits. He sent me this video yesterday captioned "I'm doing it 😄💪".
Let me see your locations, (feet included are optional( and don't let the rain put you off, it makes it even better. 🌱🌱

24/02/2026

The oddly shaped grey thing on my shelf is called a "Craniocradle" and it's one of the best health investments you'll ever make (well apart from booking an appointment to see me obviously 😉).
Start by lying down on the floor and placing the Craniocradle across your Suboccipital muscles (so.just below the bony ridge you can feel at the back of your skull). Place a pillow at the back of your knees and extend your legs out and let them relax, have your arms relaxed by your sides palms up. Fifteen minutes should do it (don't be surprised if you fall asleep or decide to extend it for longer).
​While gently focusing on your breathing, try to consciously soften your jaw. There is a direct neurological link between your jaw tension and your pelvic floor/sacrum. If your jaw is clenched, the CranioCradle has to work twice as hard to relax your lower back. Rest your tongue on the roof of your mouth, that's it's designated 'home'.
You might hear some conversational rumbles from your stomach as the tension surrounding your Vagus nerve relaxes, signaling Parasympathetic activation otherwise known as rest and digest.
What's happening?
Your Nervous System is Shifting: You are moving out of a stressed state and into a healing, relaxed state.
​Muscle Tension is Dropping: Deep physical relaxation often manifests first in the smooth muscles of the digestive tract.
​Decompression: By neutralizing the spine and cranium, you're reducing the "noise" in your nervous system, allowing internal processes to run more smoothly.
You will literally wipe away the 'stresses' of your day, so make time for this, put your phone away, be nicely hydrated and settle down for some pure bliss!! 👌 Night night.... 😴.... Told you so. 😄

23/02/2026

22/02/2026

Two more sessions to teach tonight before the Westend studio The Rehab Hub gets a makeover!! 🤩
There are spaces at both the 5.30pm Authentic & the 6.30pm Strength sessions tonight. Get booked in, if it's your first visit then download the Glofox App and we will give you a FREE session!
Bring your water & your grippy socks, I'll provide the energy & motivation. 💪

12/02/2026

Real Kefir & varied Fiber = Inflammation buster!! That's an easy peazy rung on the ladder. Take that step today! 💪🙌

A six-week study from the University of Nottingham suggests that pairing fermented kefir with a diverse prebiotic fiber mix may deliver a powerful anti-inflammatory boost. This “synbiotic” combination outperformed omega-3 supplements and fiber alone, leading to the broadest drop in inflammation-...

04/02/2026

What lies beneath... 👀🙌

What you’re looking at here is the deep posterior abdominal wall and lower thoracic region, with the superficial layers removed so you can actually see how these structures relate in real human tissue rather than a clean textbook diagram.

At the very top, running along the inferior border of the 12th rib, is the subcostal muscle. This is essentially the continuation of the innermost intercostal layer once you run out of intercostal spaces. It sits deep, close to the pleura, and its role is minor in respiration, more about fine control of the lower rib rather than producing forceful movement.

Deep to that, and spanning from the iliac crest up to the 12th rib and transverse processes of the lumbar spine, is quadratus lumborum. In cadaveric tissue like this, it often looks flatter and broader than people expect. Clinically, it’s a frequent contributor to deep lumbar and flank pain, not because it’s “tight” or “short,” but because it’s heavily involved in load transfer and sustained postural tasks.

Medial to QL you can see psoas major, running vertically along the lumbar vertebral bodies. In real anatomy it’s much more substantial and irregular than the neat fusiform muscle shown in models. Its intimate relationship with the lumbar discs, vertebral bodies, and neural structures is obvious here, which explains why lumbar spine issues and deep anterior hip pain often coexist.

You can also see iliacus inferiorly, lining the inner surface of the ilium and blending with psoas to form the iliopsoas complex. Again, this highlights that these muscles are not isolated structures but part of a continuous regional system.

What these images do well is strip away the myths. There’s no obvious “knot,” nothing visibly “out of place,” and no single structure that can be blamed in isolation. Pain in this region is rarely about one muscle misbehaving and far more about how these tissues are interacting with load, movement, and the nervous system over time.

04/02/2026

I'm a work in progress 😆 still rehabilitating my dodgy shoulder and my badly behaved thoracic spine. Gave the 'bum in the hole' a wee go yesterday... 😉

Semi-Circle involves spinal articulation, opening the hip flexors, and strengthening the hamstrings and glutes—all while your body is suspended off the carriage.💪 You go in both directions during this exercise, (this video was shortened).
The springs kinda get in the way, as it would have been better to sink futher into the well, but still a lovely exercise to do. 👌

31/01/2026

Seeing as it's the end of January, and what has been an extremely busy, and very productive month. I'm in for an 'intensive home detox'. By the looks of my cupping session yesterday turning me into a human pepperoni pizza, I really need this. 😲
A deeply restorative recovery session, I started this today with a wonderfully relaxing 20mins of lying on my Craniocradle to release my Suboccipitals, (very important for Glymphatics) while using my Red Light Lamp to boost my Mitochondria. I have to admit, I could just have stayed like this all day. 😴😴👌
Also using my peanut along my Thoracic spine to mobilise my paraspinals, as this is commonly an area of tension for me.
Moving onto my Lymphatic system, I've essentially created a "drainage sandwich" by opening the major lymph nodes (Doc Perry's Big 6) and then I applied organic castor oil all around my neck, collar bones & abdomen (to include my Liver). This supports the chemical side of my detoxification while the cupping handles the structural side, creating more movement and fascial glide around what is evidently a highly stagnant area. I finished this session by lying down on my back with my legs up against the wall to promote flow of the lymph and blood back up my body to the exits. Drinking my structured water, Green Tea, and some Grounding this evening. I'm feeling 100% ready for February, starting a new job on Monday, taking my Reformer Pilates instructor role up a notch, including running private group sessions. On the Therapy side, I've been busy seeing new clients who were referred to see me, I have more training in the pipeline in the next few months, including completing my IMFR certification. It's all systems go as they say, so it makes sense that I give the systems of my body a good boost too.
Life is good, I made some momentous decisions last year, and I feel like they were definitely the right decisions!! 😃👌💚

27/01/2026

I've been rehabing my own anterior shoulder pain this week.💪 Due to many years of working at a computer, and using a keyboard/mouse. I've developed chronic internal rotation of my shoulders. Having also suffered from chronic back pain, I was never in a position where I felt safe enough to strengthen my posterior chain to counteract my rounded shoulders. This compounded the issue, and my body has finally got pi**ed off with finding compensations and is letting me know loud & clear, that it needs to change.
I recently found myself with Bicipital Groove pain. (In part also due to some hyper mobility of my wrists, creating instability and incorrectly asking more of muscles futher along the chain).

While collagen is often marketed for "skin and hair," it’s actually a powerhouse for tendon repair—specifically for issues like bicipital tendinopathy.
​B​ecause my shoulders are internally rotated, my biceps (Long head) tendon is suffering from "wear and tear" (micro-tears) as well as inflammation. Collagen provides the specific building blocks to help the tendon remodel.

​Tendons are roughly 85% Type I Collagen. When you have chronic bicipital groove pain, your body’s natural collagen synthesis can’t keep up with the damage.
​Supplementing provides the amino acids (glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline) that act as "bricks" to rebuild the tendon's structure. (I also take a daily Essential Total Amino Acids supplement. (These differ from your BCAA's.)
​Studies show that collagen is most effective when taken 30–60 minutes before exercise. Movement such as my Pilates arm work acts as a pump, "driving" the collagen into the specific tendon being loaded.
​Did you know you need to take VIT C along with your collagen for it to bind correctly? I try to get most of my VIT C from my diet, but also take a supplement. 🍊🥬🫐

To rehab bicipital groove pain caused by internal rotation, I need to focus on Scapular Setting - getting my shoulder blade to move correctly, and Reciprocal Inhibition -turning off the tight front muscles by activating the back ones, including my Rhomboids, and Middle/Lower Traps.
The Scapula (shoulder blade) moves in directions such as Elevation (Lifting up), Depression (Pulling down), Retraction (Pulling into midline) Protraction (Pulling away from Midline).All the muscles associated with the shoulder girdle should work in harmony. If some are taking 'extended holidays', you're soon going to know about it! 😳

I've also used KTape for support around my shoulder, & wrist, creating a sense of 'stability' while I carry out my exercises, and some SMFR. 😉