Gill Westwater Massage Therapy

08/03/2026

A client of mine had been training hard for Edinburgh half... came to me last week with a really sore leg, couldn't run, couldn't hop, and it looked like she might not manage to race this weekend. But we took a hour to address the irritation and calm down all the surrounding muscles, used hot stones and CBD oil and she's just messaged to say she smashed her race! Regular massages are a great way to manage your training load as it increases - whether you're aiming for a fast half or a very long and hilly ultra. DM to book in.

05/02/2026

I used to believe “no pain, no gain.” A painful massage that has you squirming on the table for an hour works - and I used to love it - but it isn't the only way!

You don't need to choose between a relaxing massage OR a treatment that targets your injury: massage can be relaxing, therapeutic, and effective all at once! A slow, firm treatment, that relaxes the muscles before introducing targeted techniques - such as stretching or trigger point work - can leave you feeling relaxed and aid recovery just as much as the painful version.

Whether you’re running, staying active, or just want to feel better in your body, a session can help your muscles recover, improve mobility, and leave you feeling ready to move — without aching afterwards.

Massage should feel good as well as aiding recovery and helping injuries — and that’s exactly what I aim for. DM to book your appointment.

02/02/2026

Had a great time yesterday providing massage at the Forfar Multi Terrain! Congratulations to everyone who braved the mud and puddles and hope your legs are feeling great today!

https://www.facebook.com/reel/880115724726870

26/01/2026

With all the chat going on about my research thought I'd better remind people that about the menopause massages I'm doing! An hour to yourselves, combining relaxation, acupressure points targeting menopausal symptoms and a full body treatment which can focus on any aches and pains you're suffering from, whether they're hormone-induced or as a result of your latest training session! In this awful weather, why not add in a few hot stones to make sure you totally unwind.

23/01/2026

**** Survey is now closed - thanks to everyone (227 respondents!) who took part. I'm really grateful. ****

Are you a (peri)menopausal runner? As part of my Sports Therapy diploma I’m doing some research into the impact the menopausal transition can have on runners. There’s still very little focused, evidence-based guidance to support us as our hormones change. I’m hoping this work will help improve understanding of injury patterns and factors that may be relevant, and contribute to future guidance helping runners stay healthy and keep running as they age.

The survey will take around 15 minutes to complete. I'd really appreciate your time.

Please get in touch if you have any questions.

If anyone is looking for more information - this paper has lots of advice.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/383149003_Maximizing_Running_Participation_and_Performance_Through_Menopause

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.