Helen Ashley Sports Therapy

Helen Ashley Sports Therapy Sports and Remedial Massage Therapist

Train. Treat. Repeat.

🎉 Excited for today’s delivery! My new Scar Wand has arrived!I was absolutely amazed by the results I achieved on Monday...
24/07/2025

🎉 Excited for today’s delivery! My new Scar Wand has arrived!

I was absolutely amazed by the results I achieved on Monday’s IASTM course that I came home and ordered one immediately! Can’t wait to put this to use in today’s treatments!

Massive thank you to for your super speedy delivery! 🚀 Please make more IASTM tools! Yours just hit different! Feel better in my hands and deliver better results for my clients!

Another certificate to add to my collection 🤓! A fun, informative day in Liverpool with  taking part in their instrument...
22/07/2025

Another certificate to add to my collection 🤓! A fun, informative day in Liverpool with taking part in their instrument assisted soft tissue mobilisation course. A great tool that I already use in practice, but it’s important to keep up to date and revisit previous learning. Every tutor, every course offers something slightly different.

It’s also a great opportunity to meet other therapists and gain knowledge and insight from each other.

Some recent feedback from one of my regular clients! She followed my advice and completed her rehab work diligently, whi...
11/07/2025

Some recent feedback from one of my regular clients! She followed my advice and completed her rehab work diligently, which is why she was able to return to sport and life pain free. This process involved her having to step away from her much loved Crossfit classes and competitions, but it also meant she was able to come back sooner!

So let’s look at why a combination of treatment and rehab is the best way to get back to sport and to a pain free life!

Getting back to your sport after an injury isn’t just about feeling better - it’s about building back stronger and smarter.

Here’s why combining hands-on treatment with targeted rehab exercises creates the winning formula:

Treatment tackles the immediate issues - reducing pain, improving mobility, and addressing tissue restrictions that keep you stuck

Rehab builds the foundation - strengthening weak links, improving movement patterns, and bulletproofing your body against re-injury

Together, they accelerate recovery!

Congratulations Simon Jackson! 🚴‍♂️ What an incredible achievement! Simon has just completed the gruelling 45.72-mile Ve...
15/06/2025

Congratulations Simon Jackson! 🚴‍♂️

What an incredible achievement! Simon has just completed the gruelling 45.72-mile Ventoux cycle challenge in Bédoin, France - conquering not just the distance and brutal elevation, but doing it all in scorching 37-degree heat!

His message says it all: ”Made it on the salt tablets 37 degrees, no aches and pains, so all good thank you.”

In our final treatment session before Simon headed to France with his friends, we focused on preparing him for this challenge. He was particularly concerned about cramping in the intense heat, which is why we discussed supplementing his usual electrolyte routine with salt tablets.

Here’s why this works so brilliantly:

When exercising in extreme heat, your body loses significant amounts of sodium through sweat - often more than standard electrolyte drinks can replace. This sodium loss is the primary trigger for muscle cramps during endurance activities.

Salt tablets provide a concentrated dose of sodium chloride that helps:
- Maintain proper fluid balance in muscle cells
- Support nerve function and muscle contraction
- Prevent the sodium depletion that leads to cramping
- Enhance your body’s ability to retain the fluids you’re consuming

The fact that Simon completed this massive challenge with “no aches and pains” shows how effective proper preparation and targeted strategies can be.

This is exactly what sports therapy is about - not just treating problems after they occur, but preparing athletes to perform at their best and avoid issues altogether.

Brilliant work Simon - you should be incredibly proud of this achievement! 👏🏻 I absolutely love receiving messages like this! And seeing my clients smash their goals! Can’t wait to hear all about it!

I completed my Level 2 Certificate in Understanding Nutrition and Health a few months back now.  Read on to discover WHY...
24/01/2025

I completed my Level 2 Certificate in Understanding Nutrition and Health a few months back now. Read on to discover WHY this was important for my professional development 👇

From day one, I realised healing isn’t just about hands on therapy and exercise - it’s about TOTAL body support. This encompasses the basics like sleep, nutrition, water, movement and recovery. I already had a good understanding of how nutrition is crucial to health and recovery but I wanted to back this up with further study, which means I can now help my clients even further.

By integrating evidence-based nutritional strategies with clinical practice, I can now offer a comprehensive approach that will help me continue to treat the person as a whole rather than just focusing on a single ailment or body part. This will help support tissue repair, inflammation management, and optimal recovery even further.


✨ Dry needling ✨What is it? Dry needling is a treatment that can help with muscle pain and tightness. It involves insert...
19/09/2024

✨ Dry needling ✨

What is it?

Dry needling is a treatment that can help with muscle pain and tightness. It involves inserting thin needles into specific sore spots in your muscles, called trigger points.

This can help in several ways: it can reduce pain, loosen up tight muscles, and improve how well you can move. This technique also helps boost blood flow to the area, which can speed up healing and reduce swelling.

It’s a great way to ease muscular pain and discomfort without using pain relief medication, and it can work well alongside other treatments.

Dry Needling Benefits:

1. Pain relief: Can reduce localised and referred pain associated with trigger points

2. Improved range of motion: May help relax taut muscle bands, increasing flexibility

3. Decreased muscle tension: Can alleviate muscle knots and tightness

4. Enhanced blood flow: May improve circulation to the treated area, promoting healing

5. Reduced inflammation: Can help decrease local inflammatory responses

6. Accelerated recovery: May speed up muscle repair after injuries or intense exercise

7. Improved muscle activation: Can help restore proper muscle function

8. Neurophysiological effects: May influence pain perception and central sensitisation

9. Complementary treatment: Can be used alongside other therapies for enhanced results

10. Non-pharmacological approach: Offers a drug-free option for pain management

💙 Post Surgery Treatment 💙Clients seek my services for various reasons, with post-surgical care being a common need. Eac...
05/09/2024

💙 Post Surgery Treatment 💙

Clients seek my services for various reasons, with post-surgical care being a common need.

Each appointment begins with a thorough assessment of the client’s current condition, which guides the selection of appropriate techniques.

In the case of my client who recently underwent ankle fusion surgery and is still in a cast, our primary focus is to reduce inflammation and alleviate muscular tension in the hamstrings of the affected leg. This not only aids in the healing process of the surgically treated limb but also indirectly benefits the unaffected leg by minimising compensatory stress.

Wearing a cast and undergoing surgery on one leg often leads to compensatory changes in the other leg, as it bears more weight and stress during the recovery period. This can result in muscle imbalances, increased tension, and potential overuse injuries in the unaffected leg, so it’s important that our treatment plan addresses both limbs to help maintain overall balance and prevent potential further issues.

Massage, cupping, and acupuncture can help address these issues in both legs. Once the cast is removed, we plan to incorporate manual lymphatic drainage into our treatment plan. This technique will play a crucial role in facilitating the recovery process by promoting efficient fluid circulation and reducing post-surgical swelling.

Having an adaptive approach ensures that the treatment evolves in line with the client’s healing progress, optimising their recovery journey at every stage.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

We all know I love the benefits of using myofascial cupping in my treatments, but people are often shocked when I cup th...
16/08/2024

We all know I love the benefits of using myofascial cupping in my treatments, but people are often shocked when I cup their feet, so let’s look at why this helps!

Myofascial cupping on the soles of the feet is beneficial for several reasons🦶🏼:

🦶🏼Fascia release: The soles of the feet contain thick fascia that can become tight or restricted. Cupping helps loosen and release this connective tissue.

🦶🏼Pain relief: It can help alleviate foot pain, including conditions like plantar fasciitis.

🦶🏼Improved circulation: Cupping increases blood flow to the area, which can promote healing and reduce inflammation.

🦶🏼Enhanced flexibility: By releasing tension in the fascia and muscles, cupping can improve foot flexibility and range of motion.

🦶🏼Stress relief: The feet contain many nerve endings, and cupping can help relax the entire body through these connections.

For yesterday’s client, my main goal was to help improve their circulation and flexibility in their right foot, ankle and leg! Combining cupping with massage, muscle energy techniques, trigger point therapy and peripheral joint mobilisations we were able to improve their range of movement!

Slide to see this client’s progression over two treatments! Picture 1: Taken near the beginning of the first treatment. ...
23/05/2024

Slide to see this client’s progression over two treatments!

Picture 1: Taken near the beginning of the first treatment. You can already see the left shoulder is already starting to sit a little lower. The gap between the ears and the shoulders is minimal, but not the worst I’ve worked on. You can also see at the base of the neck a small hump appearing and his necklace is disappearing into it.

Picture 2 and 3: These were taken at the end of the first treatment and you can see the shoulders are sitting more balanced and the small hump has decreased in size with the necklace sitting more visible. The gap between the ears and the shoulders has increased also.

Pictures 4 and 5: These were taken at the end of the second treatment! The client is looking a lot more balanced, the shoulders have dropped nicely away from the ears, and the neck is now fully visible!

I’ve avoided using technical language in this post - medical jargon isn’t always necessary. For me personally it’s about putting it in terms everyone can understand.

So what are the potential causes of the hump (cervical kyphosis) and the hiked shoulders?

In this case, it’s probably a mixture of muscle imbalances from his day to day work and his passion, kick-boxing. Mixed with poor posture and prolonged sitting hunched up on long drives in a vehicle that isn’t quite suited for their height.

A small hump like this can put excess strain on muscles and lead to pain, headaches, and reduced mobility.

I have received the most wonderful feedback on my Google business page from one of my amazing clients. Your kind words m...
10/04/2024

I have received the most wonderful feedback on my Google business page from one of my amazing clients. Your kind words mean the world to me! Thank you for your continued support and for always putting your trust in me! I’m always thankful for my amazing clients! I love having a job that allows me to help people!

✨ Myofascial Dry Cupping ✨Over the weekend, I completed my Myofascial Dry Cupping course for Sports Therapists and I am ...
08/04/2024

✨ Myofascial Dry Cupping ✨

Over the weekend, I completed my Myofascial Dry Cupping course for Sports Therapists and I am pleased to say that I have passed the course! 🎉

For those of you who may not know, a few years ago, I completed my Traditional Chinese Medicine Fire Cupping course, so I’m not new to cupping. However, my love for learning always pushes me to expand my knowledge, and this new learning has allowed me to explore cupping from a western approach and discover new ways to use the cups!

I truly believe that we have so much to learn from eastern treatment modalities, and incorporating these techniques into my treatments has been incredibly beneficial for my clients. The cups have a positive impact on the soft tissues, and I have seen first hand the results they can achieve.

By incorporating a mixture of therapy modalities into my treatments, I am constantly working towards the best possible outcome for my clients. My goal is to provide the most effective treatment and care to each and every one of you, and this new learning will allow me to further enhance my skills and deliver even better results in the clinic!

Thank you all for your continued support and for trusting me with your care. I’m excited to bring this new knowledge into my practice and help more people on their journey to optimal health and wellness. If you have any questions about cupping or any other treatments, feel free to reach out. I’m here to help!

Helen 😊 xx

🔥 Fire Cupping and Dry Needling 🔥Following a variety of Sports Therapy modalities, I finished the treatment with Chinese...
21/03/2024

🔥 Fire Cupping and Dry Needling 🔥

Following a variety of Sports Therapy modalities, I finished the treatment with Chinese Fire Cups and Dry Needles to enhance the results, but why?

Let me explain…

🔥 Fire cupping the quads can help improve blood flow, reduce muscle tension, and promote relaxation in the quadriceps muscles. This ancient therapy aid muscle recovery, promotes healing and provides relief for tightness and discomfort!

💉Targeting trigger points around the knees with dry needling can help release tension, reduce pain, and improve mobility. This technique may provide relief for conditions like patellar tendinitis!s

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