https://www.facebook.com/289467801394295/

Body Needs, The Fitness Lab, 29 Court Street, Haddington (2025)

We do this by supporting, educating, and empowering people to move, train and take care of their entire body in a way that suits their lifestyle, interests, and needs. We use a broad spectrum of tools to help you achieve your goals, whether that be carrying out day to day tasks pain free or returning to a level of sport performance. Sessions can involve manual therapy techniques, but this is only one part of the process, and coaching, breath work, movement exercises, and strength based work is a significant part of the work we do. Our approach has a big focus on what people can do for themselves away from the treatment table or the therapist's hands, so our best work is done with those who are open to this style of therapy and ready to commit to action.

11/11/2025

Muscle Knots - actually knotty or just naughty? 🤔

If I had a tenner for every time someone told me they needed me to rub out knots in their muscles, I'd be a rich gal! But sadly for my bank account and for those who ask, I can't rub out knots. It's not a flaw of mine though, it's simply because nobody can rub out knots because muscles do not have knots!

Say whaaat?!?

I know, you're now wondering well what the hell is that bumpy, gristly, ropey bit that is causing me so much gyp?!?

Well first thing to say is that the achy painful sensation you are experiencing is 100% real and getting a general massage or more targeted soft tissue treatment can help the area feel better as if the "knots" have been "released". So if it isn't a knot, what is it?

What you are likely feeling is hypersensitive areas of muscle that are not able to have good resting tone. Muscles are meant to contract through their fullest range (short and long) when required and when not required they should return to a more resting relaxed state. This doesn’t always happen and it can cause some serious discomfort and pain or make you move differently. Although the pain can be quite intense, this is a classic example of the level of pain NOT equating to the level of damage. Phew I hear you say, what good news, but why does massage help not-knots if it isn't rubbing them out?

Because massage is not just working with the physical tissue but also your nervous system, which is the boss of your body and a bit of a defensive wee thing. It just wants to keep you safe and when it feels threatened, it can produce or amplify pain messages as well as generate tension to keep you alert and ready to move away from perceived danger. A massage is a way of communicating with that boss and giving it some reassurance that the thing it was worrying about isn't actually that big a threat. Cue the boss shifting from high alert to more of a chilled vibe, resulting in that tension drifting away and those muscles returning to a more rested state aka no more knots, hurrah!

But sometimes it doesn't work. Why? Because of the same reason, your nervous system. In this case though the massage has not been enough to reassure the nervous system that it can chill out. Sometimes that can be because the massage itself has been too firm and the body has tensed up further. Hence why the "no pain no gain" approach to massage is not effective and it is unnecessary!

It also might not work because there are other reasons for the body holding onto tension - stress, poor sleep, inactivity or weakness, poor nutrition and hydration, anxiety, grief, worry, etc etc. If those things are not being addressed then a massage alone is unlikely to make enough of a difference to calm that nervous system. It might provide temporary relief and if it does, that is a perfectly acceptable choice... providing the person knows and understands this and makes an informed choice to proceed. However, therapists failing to tell someone that this could only be a temporary relief then repeatedly smashing away at someone is where this knotty situation becomes naughty.

So the next time you feel that knotty sensation, remember you're not really knotty, your body just needs some attention. And if you want some help figuring out what attention it needs without being told "those are the worst knots I've ever felt" then I'm your gal 👋🏻

29/10/2025

Forgive the shouting but needs must...

DISCS DO NOT SLIP!

Some of their contents might leak out of their outer casing or the outer casing might stretch and result in the disc explanding, but they do not slip out of place, nor can they be "popped back in".

A better term is a disc herniation or protrusion but not all of these are problematic. Studies have shown that around 30% of adults in their 20s have a disc herniation but they are completely asymptomatic ie it causes them no pain or issues. This percentage increases as we age with a whopping 84% of those in their 80s having an asymptomatic disc herniation. Yes, eighty-four percent!

There also are symptomatic disc herniations of course but with these, the vast majority cause most pain in the leg or arm, rather than the back or neck where the disc is. Infact some people with disc herniations experience ZERO back pain!

So what does this tell us? Amongst other things it tells us that scans don't tell the whole story so it is unwise to rely solely on that as a diagnostic tool. It might be useful in some persistent cases or specific scenarios, but it is not essential in the majority of cases. There are other clincial signs and assessments that are far better indicators of a symptomatic disc herniation, which is one reason why your GP won't send you for an MRI.

Another reason they won't send you for an MRI is that the prognosis for those who do have a symptomatic disc herniation is positive with 60-80% making improvements within 6-12 weeks. By the time you got an MRI appointment through it is likely the disc will have reabsorbed anyway. Knowing this does not make the pain of a genuine disc herniation any easier but because we can use other clinical signs and assessments to diagnose a herniation, we can begin a treatment plan immediately. This brings me to the second part of this myth - discs cannot be popped back in!

The course of healing the disc and any nerve damage that comes with it will happen naturally with time and can happen without any intervention. No need for a physiotherapist, chiropractor, osteopath, sports therapist, or any other therapist that is out there. Yes that's right, your body can heal by itself without any outside help. However, getting some support to reassure you, provide appropriate exercises, manage symptoms, and guide you through the recovery so that your body is an optimal healing environment, can be invaluable.

Sadly though there is no therapist that can "pop your disc back in". They can make a spinal adjustment which is where the joints of the spine are passively moved, and this can result in more range of movement, reduction in pain, and increased function. These are temporary changes though, and other things are needed to make longer term impact. This is the same for any manual therapy intervention whether it is massage, soft tissue release, assisted stretching, mobilisations, KCR etc so I'm not just being critical of spinal manipulation! The true power of any of these interventions is that they can open the door to the person doing what they need to do to help their body heal. It might be that the new range of movement allows them to walk more freely which means their confidence and trust in their body grows again so they can move more often. It might be the reduction in pain means they can get a better night's sleep which in turn allows them to face the next day refreshed and reenergised. It might be that a massage allowed them to let go of some tension they were holding which means they can relax more. It might be having a therapist to listen to their fears and worries about their pain helps them feel heard and supported. These are all valid reasons for getting some manual therapy for a disc herniation (or any physical pain or injury) but it definitely is not to get your disc popped back in!

If you're tired of being told these myths and are ready for an evidence informed and thorough assessment of what you need to get you back on track and independent from repeated treatments, then drop me a DM.

27/10/2025

Soft Tissue Therapy is for you if you have some general aches from training or working hard, or you are looking to optimise your recovery and keep any aches at bay. The session will include an element of assessment but not to the same level of detail as Recovery 360 or Movement Mechanics session. The majority of the time will focus on hands on treatment which could include a range of active and passive techniques depending on what is needed. Due to the limited focus on assessment, only basic exercises or advice can be given during the session.

A Recovery360 session (formerly Pain, Injury & Rehab) is for you if you have a new or ongoing injury or injuries that you would like to understand and work towards resolving. We will look at all aspects of your health and wellbeing to get the broadest picture of you and understand what might be going on for you and consequently be able to give you whole body, whole person, and whole life solutions. Why such a broad picture and high level of detail in Recovery360? Because you are a unique human, and so much more than an injured or painful body part so you need solutions personalised to you. Your solutions could involve hands on treatment, exercise rehabilitation, training adjustments, nutrition guidance, lifestyle advice, and signposting to other professionals. Your plan will come to you via email with explanations of what is going on for you, links to videos of a programme of rehabilitation exercises, and any other advice or guidance that I might feel you need.

Movement Mechanics is for you if you are serious about your training and want to maximise your performance in the gym or in your sport. It is also suitable for those who would like understand why the same injury, setback, or plateaus keeps occurring despite "doing all the right things". Movement Mechanics involves a Full Body Muscle Imbalance and Function Assessment, and is a real deep dive on all things movement related - no stone is left unturned! Following a Movement Mechanics assessment, you will get an email with a detailed programme of exercises, including links to videos, to address what we found, and get you back on track!

What do YOU need most?

21/10/2025

Why would YOU work with me?

I am a Sports Therapist with additonal qualifications in Movement Mechanics, Strength and Conditioning, as well as an honours degree in Sports Studies, and I've been a therapist for 10 years. Good to know I'm qualified and experienced but that doesn't tell you who I am, how I work and who I do my best work with. Today I'm going to share with you a little about who works well with me...

You are someone with a musculoskeletal (MSK) issue relating to either pain, injury, or performance, and you want to resolve it. Or, you're someone who trains or plays sport regularly and wants to support recovery and maximise your performance potential.

You are someone who values their health and wellbeing, and prioritises, or tries to prioritise, movement and physical activity.

You are someone who wants to take ownership of your situation and play an active part in your recovery.

You are someone who appreciates attention to detail and likes to understand the why and how behind things.

You are someone who is committed to taking action and doing the necessary work to make a difference.

You are someone who recognises good quality service might not be the cheapest but it also doesn't need to break the bank or have you signed up for life.

You are someone who wants manual therapy to be part of your recovery but not the sole intervention.

You don't need to be an athlete but you might aspire to be more athletic.

You don't need to be "in shape" but you might be trying to improve your health and fitness.

You don't need to have performance goals but you might want to move with more confidence and trust in your body.

You don't need to have a clear idea of what is going on or what you need, but you might need to have an open mind.

Sometimes it's also helpful to know who I am not the best therapist for...

Those who want a passive quick fix from magic hands need not apply. Although I have on occasion been called Harry Potter after the work I've done. Mind you others have claimed I'm more like Voldemort so you know... 🤷‍♀️

Those who want a relaxation massage will not find what they are looking for. My room is next to a gym, it's bright, there's no chilled music, and I talk. There's lots of therapists who do relaxation beautifully well and I will 100% point you in their direction rather than do it myself.

Next time I'll share some information on HOW you can work with me 😊

Finally, and this could be dangerous, I invite any current or previous clients to share in the comments anything they'd like to add about working with me...

17/09/2025

After months of studying in-depth biomechanics, undertaking movement assessments, completing case studies, and finding solutions to movement problems, I'm proud to say I'm officially a fully certified Movement Mechanics Specialist 🥳

Those of you who have worked with me will know how much I harp on about pain, injury, and performance being multifactorial. I always have and always will take into account these different factors but I will live and die by my belief that MOVEMENT MATTERS! That might simply be moving more over moving less and I will always advocate for that in the sense that doing something is better than nothing ie imperfect action beats perfect inaction. Or, for some people, it can be about moving less because they are actually over-training or under-recovering, neither of which are good for reducing injury risk or maximising performance.

Sometimes though, HOW we move is the key to recovering from injury and unlocking performance potential. That's where Movement Mechanics comes in. We look at the body as an entire working organism, assessing movement capacity at each joint for any missing qualities, then match that to where you need to be to recover from injury or reach your performance potential. No stone is left unturned. Movement based solutions are identified that are uniquely yours, helping your understand what it is that your body needs as well as allowing you to take control of your rehab and get back to doing what you love!

This isn't for everyone but for those of you who love to train regularly and want to recover from injury or shake on-going niggles, Movement Mechanics will help you push on and enjoy living your active life. Full details on how to get involved will be available soon so watch this space! In the meantime, if you want a taste for what will be coming, check out

Big thanks to Ash for such a comprehensive course and also thanks to for all his support, feedback and encouragement on assignments ❤️

Address

The Fitness Lab, 29 Court Street
Haddington
EH413AE

Website

facebook.com

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Body Needs posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Practice

Send a message to Body Needs:

Body Needs