Susan Martin Soft Tissue Therapy

19/01/2026

How do the tissues of our body adapt as we exercise and increase the load upon them?

Muscles – It has long been accepted that muscle cells grow when subjected to regular bouts of exercise followed by periods of rest. When fed with sufficient dietary protein they enlarge as a response to the stress of training. This is why we plan our exercise regimes to increase load at a regular pace and incorporate rest days.

Bone – Activities like walking, running, jumping, and climbing are especially good for building bone. They are called weight-bearing activities because they use the force of our muscles and gravity to put pressure on our bones. The pressure makes the body build up stronger bone. It is especially important for children to build good bone density and can also help as we get older to reverse the effects of aging.

Ligaments and Tendons - It takes a little longer to strengthen tendons and ligaments than it does muscles because they get less blood flow. However, regularly increasing loads will thicken the collagen fibres in your tendons and ligaments and make them denser. In addition, increases in tendon stiffness in response to resistance training have been identified in both animal and human studies. Stiffness is the force required to stretch a tendon. Increased stiffness can improve the ability of the attached muscle to rapidly generate force.

Cartilage - Numerous studies have shown that runners have lower rates of knee Osteoarthritis than sedentary people. They have shown that rather than breaking down your joints, running helps to keep them lubricated and stimulates your body to build new cartilage. Researchers have also found that running conditions your cartilage to become more resilient as it adapts to the demands of running. Sedentary people who have developed Osteoarthritis are advised to exercise regularly for these very reasons.

If you have any questions or need advice about any soft tissues, please get in touch.

17/01/2026

The human spine consists of 33 interlocking bones known as Vertebrae. This chain also involves more than 100 joints, 220 ligaments and 120 muscles. Often, medical professionals and therapists split the spine into 5 sections called (from the top down) – Cervical, Thoracic, Lumbar, Sacrum and Coccyx.
The Spine’s main function is to protect the Spinal Cord. This column of nerves connects your brain to the rest of the body, allowing you to control your movements and organ functions. Serious damage to the spinal cord can, therefore, cause paralysis. Other, more minor issues can cause pain or loss of function in some areas.
Between each vertebra of the upper three sections is a shock absorbing disc. This disc is made up of a soft gel-like centre encased in a strong outer shell. Occasionally, Discs can tear and allow the gel to leak out. This is commonly called a “slipped” disc and can be very painful. It is a common cause of “Sciatica” and will require medical treatment from your G.P.
The spine also supports your head, gives a framework for your body and allows for the attachment of your limbs.
Apart from disc problems or chronic conditions such as Osteoarthritis, most back pain is caused by small muscle strains or in-activity (stiffness).
Regular movement keeps all of our joints lubricated, including those in the spine. A daily stretch routine incorporating your whole body along with regular strengthening exercises for your core and back muscles will help you to maintain a pain free lifestyle.
If you have any questions or need some advice, please get in touch.

14/01/2026

Wounds to parts of the body that contain a joint can be slower to heal. These high movement areas make it difficult for the body’s healing process to “flow” as intended due to disruption of the repairing tissues. Other areas with high movement such as the hands, feet and face can also heal slowly which could affect your ability to conduct daily tasks or use facial expressions to their full extent. To help the body to deal with the repair in a quick and efficient way, whilst minimising tight scars and maintaining a full range of motion at joints, proper treatment is essential.
Deep wounds are healed with scar tissue, shrinking and tightening as it matures. Scar tissue is less elastic than the virgin tissue. It has no sweat glands or hair follicles and tends to be weaker than the tissue it is replacing. However, it feels tight and strong. When a scar forms over a joint, this shrinking, also known as contraction, pulls nearby tissue inwards. This can result in limited movement around the joint.
Maintaining movement, along with gentle massage of the scar area will help to prevent this tightening. There is a fine balance to maintain between keeping the wound still to prevent disruption of the new tissue and moving the joint enough to retain a good range of motion. Your surgeon, nurse or physiotherapist should be able to advise on this balancing act whilst the wound is healing. Once the skin has closed, you can use over the counter, silicon based, scar gel to keep the area moisturised and supple. Gentle movement at the joint along with massage, several times a day, will encourage the body to heal in a way that allows full movement in the future. This will be a long - term process with small gains every day.
Silicon based scar gels and patches can be obtained on-line or from Boots and Superdrug (in the UK). Please use as instructed and check the ingredients carefully before applying.
If you would like to seek professional help with massaging your scars to improve functionality, you can find someone in your area through this directory (https://restorescartherapy.com/clinics). If you are based in Berkshire or surrounds and would like a chat, please get in touch.

12/01/2026

The Achilles Tendon is the largest tendon in your body and connects both of your calf muscles to your heel bone. It enables you to point your toes and stand on tip-toes. It also provides the spring to push off from each step when running or walking.
Injuries to this tendon are fairly common, either through overuse or a tendon strain (tear).

Risk factors include:
Age – Men over 30 are more prone to Achilles injuries,
Wearing high heels – Puts more stress through the tendon and shortens the calf muscles,
Training on uneven surfaces – Extra stress on ankle and lower leg,
Increase in exercise amount or intensity – Sudden increases will stress the tendon and muscles,
Tight calf muscles – Pull on the tendon and make it more prone to injury.

Pain in the lower leg, above the heel is the most obvious symptom of an injury to the Achilles tendon, particularly when you point your toes, stand on tiptoes or push off when running. (can also be felt when pushing off the wall in swimming) Often, pain will be noticed when you start to move suddenly, for example, a sprinter at the start of the race or a gymnast jumping onto a piece of equipment.
If the tendon tears, pain will be more intense and there could be bruising and swelling. You will also find it difficult to move your foot.
As with any muscle or tendon strain, minor injuries will heal on their own in a few weeks. It is unlikely that you will need medical attention although a Physiotherapist will be able to advise you on your rehabilitation once the initial pain subsides. Make sure that you rest from the activity that is causing the problem. Replace with a non-load bearing exercise like Swimming or Yoga to maintain your fitness. Self - care should involve frequent, gentle stretching, over the counter anti inflammatory drugs (if necessary) and rest of the injured leg. Massage and foam rolling can also help to improve the blood flow and aid healing.
A total tendon rupture will require medical treatment and may need surgery to re-attach or replace the tendon. This injury will take months to heal and will need specialist physical therapy and rehab exercises.
If you have any questions or need some advice about how to manage this, or any other injury, please get in touch.

10/01/2026

Pain that started recently may not be caused by something you did recently.
If your body can’t do something the right way, it’ll do it the wrong way… without asking permission first. You may be doing it the wrong way for a long time before you start to notice the strain.
When pain does strike we need to look at all aspects of your lifestyle to establish the likely cause. Only then can you make the changes necessary to get your body back to working in the right way and stopping the pain.
If you need any help with this process, please get in touch.

07/01/2026

The Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) is one of four ligaments that keep the knee joint stable. It is commonly damaged during sports that involve twisting at speed such as Skiing, Football, Netball and Ultimate Frisbee. (One of my clients tore hers’ playing this!)
Sometimes the athlete is able to stabilize their knee without the need for a reconstruction by strengthening the surrounding muscles but, more often than not, surgery is necessary.
The ACL can be reconstructed using donor tissue from the patient. Often a hamstring or adductor tendon is used. This procedure is usually performed by keyhole surgery so surface scarring is minimal.
After the operation, rehabilitation through Physiotherapy exercises and strength training will be necessary and it may take 6-12 months to make a full recovery.
I have had success with Scarwork™ after these operations as this treatment seems to ease aches and pains within the knee joint, improve range of movement and reduce tensions in the area around the donor site.
If you have any questions or want to discuss, please get in touch.

05/01/2026

Simple visual explanation of how doing a variety of swim strokes can give us all round fitness. Water is much denser than air so we use a lot of energy pushing through it. Swimming strengthens our bodies whilst supporting joints. Great for anyone recovering from injury or worried about their mobility on land.
Breaststroke works multiple different muscle groups, particularly the chest muscles and hamstrings. Because all the power in breaststroke comes from the legs, the thigh muscles, quads, and core muscles also benefit greatly. Many people find that they can breathe easily during this stroke.
Freestyle or front crawl is the most efficient stroke and is favoured by both sprinters and long-distance swimmers. This style can burn hundreds of calories in an hour and provides a full body workout with all the muscles in the arms, legs, back, and core being worked.
Backstroke is a relaxing stroke to swim. It offers several benefits including improving posture, strengthening the core muscles, increased hip flexibility, and working the arms and leg muscles. Easy breathing is an advantage but some people like to see where they are going.
Butterfly burns the most calories of any swimming stroke, approximately 900 calories for every hour swum. Swimming butterfly provides an excellent all-body workout with a focus on the core and upper body. It also works the arms, chest, and upper back muscles, and improves coordination and flexibility.
If you have any questions or need some advice about getting into regular swimming, please get in touch.

03/01/2026

As a general rule, people like to do the things that they find easy and perform best in.
For their sport and wellness, it's no different. It’s comforting to stick to what you know.
Strong people like Weight training and Wrestling, flexible people love Gymnastics and Dance, tall people gravitate towards Athletics or Basketball. But often I see people repeat the same plans and be surprised when they produce the same results. These are the same things that probably achieved your previous success and by all means, review and keep the successful parts of your training plan, however, we all can appreciate that what we're worst at is often what we need to do the most in order to improve our overall skill level. This variety helps us to avoid injuries and bring balance to our training.
When was the last time you deliberately did something you weren’t very good at or didn’t like in order to improve the sport you love? Evolution in training, as in life, is key to continued success.

31/12/2025

As we say goodbye to 2025 and look forward to the new year, many of you will be making resolutions about getting fitter, losing weight or attempting a new challenge.

At this time, why not also resolve to look after your body and mind a bit more? Forming healthy habits will be more successful long term than imposing restrictions upon yourself. Remember that food is fuel and the scales don’t measure health.

Here are 9 daily, healthy habits that we can all attempt:
9000 steps per day
8 hours of sleep
7 glasses of water
6 minutes of meditation
5 servings of fruit and veg
4 breaks to stretch and re-focus
3 meals
2 hours of no phones before bed
1 session of exercise

If you are trying to be more active, then regular massage along with stretching and a bit of foam rolling will have a significant impact on how your body can perform for you.
Massage can improve blood flow to muscles which will relax them and give them more nutrients and oxygen. Vital if you want them to work harder. It can also improve range of motion at joints and increase your flexibility. Again, very important to help us produce the best form and reduce the likelihood of injury. Regular treatment can also stop those little niggles from becoming big problems that prevent us from training and achieving our goals.
My website - https://sportsmassageearley.co.uk will give you more information about Soft Tissue Therapy, Scarwork™ and how I can help.
I offer a discount to all my regular clients so if you have any questions, want a bit of advice or need to book in for a treatment, please get in touch.

I offer Soft Tissue Therapy, Sports Massage or Scarwork™ to treat a range of conditions. I am based in Earley, Reading, Berkshire.

29/12/2025

The Big, or First toe, plays a vital role in our balance when standing and push off when walking or running. Up to 90% of the control of our foot comes from the flexibility of the big toe. As we push off, our big toe needs to extend. This tightens the plantar fascia across the bottom of our foot and provides stability and shock absorption. A lack of toe flexibility leads to a loss in this stability and the muscles or joints further up the leg need to compensate. This compensation often causes problems and pain.
Compensations in the foot:
Push off from the ground during walking or running usually occurs through the first and second toes. If these toes cannot extend properly then the push will drift onto the other, smaller toes. These are not designed to take this load, so the resulting instability can lead to stress fractures and neuromas.
Compensations at the knee:
Sufficient big toe extension enables your foot to supinate (heel turns in) and your knee to externally rotate in able to achieve full extension. If the foot pushes off on toes 2-4 this places strain through the knee whilst decreasing the power in your stride. Therefore, not only are you more likely to experience knee pain, but you will be running slower in the process.
Compensations at the hip:
Without sufficient extension at our big toe our ability to extend the hip is severely affected. Our hip extension is connected to the knee straightening (see above) but the shift towards pushing off from the lesser toes can cause the hip to rotate laterally. At a time when you’re looking for strength and stability in this area, your body has to respond with these compensations that provide an unstable gait and less power.
This video shows some simple stretches that can help you to improve your toe flexibility and strength. If you have any questions or need some advice, please get in touch.

27/12/2025

In my profession I often hear the expression “Motion is Lotion”.
I take this to mean that the more we move, the better we move. Regular and varied movement avoids stiffening of the joints and ensures that blood flow brings essential nutrients and oxygen to the muscles.
Our bodies are not designed to remain motionless for any length of time and therefore any form of exercise and movement must be beneficial.
I am going to focus today on WALKING as it is a natural movement that can be undertaken by almost everyone, relatively simply and cheaply. You just need a bit of time and some supportive shoes.

The main benefits to regular walking are:
It helps to maintain a healthy weight (or lose weight) by increasing metabolism and building toned, lean muscles.
It reduces stress and improves mood.
It gives Cardiovascular benefits (Heart and Circulation).
It is low impact so suitable for most people with less chance of injury.

If you want any advice about adding more movement into your day, please get in touch.

24/12/2025

Why Scars are like Mushrooms:
When you see a mushroom emerging from the ground, all you notice is the fruiting body of the fungus. Sometimes they can be tiny, sometimes they group together and sometimes they can be very large and obvious. Regardless of this they all appear to be a relatively confined structure. However, the part you see on the surface is only a very small part of the whole Fungi anatomy and the same is true for the SCARS on our bodies.
If you look beneath the ground, under a mushroom you will find a matrix of fibres called the Mycelium. These are the root network and can spread out for miles. They will interact, connect and blend into the fibres of plants, trees and other fungi. Through this network fungi can share food with the plants and trees, communicate with each other and spread out over vast areas.
Now whilst our scars don’t talk with each other and share nutrients with other structures in your body, their impact, as in fungi, is bigger than it seems.
Look under the skin of a scar and you will find a similar web of fibres. Whilst you only see a defined line of scar tissue at the surface, underneath threads from the scar can spread to surrounding structures, be that muscles, bones, fascia or organs.
These lines of scar tissue communicate in a less helpful way. They can cause tension, pull and restrict those other tissues caught up within them. They often stick layers of tissue together and the normal slide and glide between skin, the fascia and organs will no longer be present.
So, in summary, if you have a scar, no matter how large or small, over time other areas of your body can start to feel restricted, tight or painful. This may well be the result of the matrix of scar tissue trailing off from that scar.
With advances in medical technology, many more people are now having surgery and more operations are able to be done through keyhole surgery, but don’t forget the size of the scar you see on the surface doesn’t always match the size of the area affected inside.