Mark Fenn - Sports Massage Therapist

20/07/2025

Post Appointment Reflection: Shoulder Soreness Case

On Saturday I worked with a professional athlete experiencing some ongoing shoulder soreness. The appointment went well, all the techniques applied provided the expected outcomes in terms of sensation, feed back, relief and improved tissue quality.

What became clear during the session is that there was a previous shoulder injury a few years ago which was had no structured rehabbed at the time but had improved significantly. Although it hasn’t flared up since it’s a reminder that past injuries can sometimes contribute to current issues even subtly.

During the appointment we used a combination of manual therapy and cupping, particularly a gliding cupping technique that I find effective for lifting and mobilising the tissue while also allowing me to watch for any change in tissue colour and to feel for restrictions while gaining feed back from my client.

Following the session I’ve written a post massage review for the athlete outlining key notes from the appointment as well as some mobility drills and targeted rehab guidance they can incorporate into their strength work going forward. Depending on their schedule I may see them once more before they head home.

I did offer to travel to America to continue providing sports massage 😎

It’s a good example of how history, current training demands and ongoing care all play a role in keeping athletes performing at their best.

19/07/2025

All set up for my Saturday afternoon/evening appointments and today I will be welcoming a profession athlete from America.

A sore/painful shoulder is affecting training so while they are visiting the UK I will work with them to help them return to training.

If necessary I will refer them to physio or similar health professional but for now a sports massage will be a good starting point.

16/07/2025

My previous post spoke about therapy and then progressing with therapy when injuries, soreness and discomfort are present.

The post nudged a response and this morning I worked with a client who’s had calf soreness, pain and has prevented training consistently.

Sports massage has been used for about 6 months and although helps initially it hasn’t provided a positive long term outcome.

So we know sports massage helps but only short term for this person.

During the appointment I did provide 10 minutes of sports massage because I wanted to get hands on with how the calf’s felt and the response various techniques provided.

The outcome was all normal from a touch point but there was a clear difference is each calf. One was much bigger and had better muscle mass and the other was just not the same.

This had not been picked up previously so this opened a new door.

The next 40 minutes we spent in the gym working through some nice exercises and it was clear left and right leg strength was very different.

Both legs were not providing the reps we might aim to see based on evidence such as single leg calf raises and during glute, hamstring and quad focus there is a clear lack of strength.

This is all good and positive because we now have a plan on how to progress alongside a regular sports massage which they will have from their present sports massage therapist.

Sometimes if we book a sports massage that is what you get. Makes sense right?

It’s through my work as a sports massage therapist and a personal trainer I bring the 2 together.

I have provided 4 key exercises to be completed 3 times a week and have home and gym based options.

More importantly they have shown me how to do them so I confident their time will be well spent and if they have any questions they can drop me a message.

I’m really pleased my post helped 1 person and if I do that I’ve done my job.

15/07/2025

Are you having therapy or working on progressing?

I provide both and it’s important to understand which one is required.

I often provide pre and post event sports massage alongside what I class as a maintenance massage which is nice to have, often planned around training schedules and take place regularly.
This is what I call therapy, nothing else is needed other than the appointment.

So what about when it’s more than the above? Soreness, restriction, that sense of tightness or even pain. It might even be due to an injury.

This is were we need to be proactive.

The appointment provides the sports massage and the guidance to what can be done between appointments. It’s this bit that often can be missing. The bit between appointments.

During the next appointment we catch up on what has gone well, not so well and the process continues.

Relying on the appointment as all that is required probably won’t see any long term change.

It’s a big like thinking the therapy should be painfull or being pulled around is a good thing but come a gym session as soon as we feel a little soreness we stop. It just doesn’t make sense, we are ok with someone causing us discomfort but we wouldn’t challenge ourselves?

Therapy often gets spoken about like a badge of honour based on the level of discomfort. For me I see this as a negative and would question the process if there is one.

The process delivers the outcome.

The process needs a plan.

12/07/2025

Are you thinking long term?

Sports massage is often booked as a one-off appointment.

If it’s simply a nice to have that’s great it can be a valuable way to look after yourself.

But if you’re in a training block at the start, during or at the end it’s worth planning ahead and booking your massage well In advance so it fits into your schedule and supports your training goals.

If you’re coming because of soreness, restriction or even pain then let’s talk about more than just a single session.

We can look at a block of appointments and also discuss what you can do between sessions from mobility work to changes in training to get the best results.

These are the kinds of conversations I like to have before the first appointment, so we can work together on the best possible approach for you.

Managing expect and possible outcomes is really important otherwise we might not see the true value of what it does and doesn’t provide.

Look after yourself

Mark

10/07/2025

Sports massage is often seen as something passive, lying on the couch while the therapist works but we shouldn’t neglect techniques applied while being active.

How something feels when passive can be very different compared to being active.

This evening I used various cupping methods such as glides, shearing and cupping during exercise and the feedback was that it felt much nicer through the movement.

These types of techniques provide a short window where we can capitalise on the benefits within the training session.

Rocktape UK MSF Fitness

09/07/2025

Why Do We Book Sports Massage?

Over the years I’ve noticed a common trend: people often look to book sports massage appointments at the very last minute. Usually it’s a case of calling around to every therapist and taking whichever slot is available. On the surface that makes sense you’re sore, you want help and you want it now.

But let’s dig a little deeper.

Is a sports massage really the right choice for what you’re feeling? Are you in pain or just tight and uncomfortable?

Sports massage is not a quick fix. It’s one part of a bigger process and as therapists we’re here not just to treat you during your session, but also to guide you with the right information and strategies outside the session.

You may leave a session still feeling some soreness that doesn’t mean it didn’t work. It means your body is still processing the work that was done and recovery takes time. Progress often takes more than one session, combined with mobility work, stretching, strength and follow up care.

We live in a world of convenience but your body doesn’t always work on a convenient schedule.

So next time you feel tight, sore or in need of a reset don’t wait until the last minute to take care of yourself. Plan ahead, talk to your therapist, and build sports massage into a longer-term plan for your recovery and performance.

This was a topic of conversation on a recent Rocktape course I attended with like minded health professionals.

Rocktape UK

Call now to connect with business.

08/07/2025

The who and why is key to how a sports massage is delivered.

Yesterday I provided a post event sports massage to help with recovery.

Due to the time line between the event and the appointment with me it was important to keep pressure light. The last thing we want is to have too much pressure while the focus is on recovery.

I took the opportunity to take them through a 30min mobility session so they could learn and develop their own session to be used at any time they feel it will be of benefit from. This brings many benefits and travels with them without the need of myself.

I will see them again next week for a 2nd sports massage were I can bring in some additional techniques, go over the mobility plan and help then return to their full training schedule.

For now it’s active recovery on a stationary bike and some light gym sessions.

Recovery is part of the process and something we all need to manage.

29/06/2025

Train to Train — Why It Might Be the Missing Link in Your Performance

Through sports massage this is a topic I touch on quite often.

There may come a time when we need to train to do the training we want to do. That might sound odd at first

“I’m already training, why do I need to train to then train?”
But here’s what I mean:

Many sports and training styles, CrossFit, Hyrox, running, cycling, racket sports like badminton or tennis are highly specific in how they challenge your body. They target certain movement patterns, muscle groups and energy systems repeatedly. But what happens when supporting muscles or stabilisers that aren’t directly trained in those movements start to fall behind?

You might start noticing soreness, fatigue or even pain in areas that just can't keep up with the workload being placed on them. I’ve seen this time and again within my profession, especially now with more people doing events like Hyrox. The calves are a perfect example, they’re constantly in demand, especially in the running segments and although you're using your calves when you run it doesn’t always mean you're training them in a way that builds resilience and capacity.

That’s where the idea of training to train comes in. Sometimes it means stepping back and dedicating time to strengthening the muscle groups that are lagging behind the ones that your favourite sport relies on but doesn’t adequately develop.

For many adding just one focused session per week targeting these weaker links could mean:

Less fatigue or soreness during training
Improved recovery
Reduced risk of injury
Better performance in the sport they love

It’s a shift in mindset but one that can lead to a win-win situation. Train the muscles that your sport depends on and your sport will reward you back.

13/06/2025

I’m not here to sell you sports massage. I’m here to provide it when you feel you need it.

Whether it’s part of your self care routine or to support your training or recovery, I’m here when it suits you.

I honestly can’t remember the last time a client booked their next appointment straight after seeing me and that’s okay.

If you ask about future sessions, I’ll guide you to go with how you feel. Weekly, fortnightly, monthly, every 6 weeks, or just every now and then, whatever works best for you, works for me.

If I ever feel regular appointments are important for a short period, I’ll explain why and it will be specific to your situation/time frame and what we’re working on together.

How do you feel today?

Any questions or you sure if sports massage is the best next step drop me a message.

Mark

11/06/2025

With so many health and sport trackers available to us let’s not lose sight of what really matters.

The ability to listen to our bodies, to train on feel and not to ease up or to push on just because your device tells you to.

Let them guide you, help measure outcomes but not to rule the process.

02/06/2025

Guidance, Not Pressure.

The advice I provide is grounded in experience and it's always given without condition or expectation. What happens next is in the hands of the individual and if they want my support, I’m here.

One of the biggest mistakes I see in returning to training is trying to pick up exactly where we left off. For some, that might work. But for most, it leads to setbacks and mounting frustration.

Whether it’s time off for a holiday, a break in consistency or coming back from injury the goal is not to resume but to rebuild. We regress the plan, find the right starting point and progress from there and if needed we step back again to move forward with the process.

We can’t rush the process, we can respect it.

Struggling to get back into your activity or training?