Sports Massage in short
Sports Massage works on muscles, tendons, and fascia that have been under load, from training, repetitive movement, or injury.
Sessions are 60, 90, or 120 minutes. Available at both our Hackney and Islington studios with practitioners who specialise in this work.
Rohan
George
Who delivers it?
Rohan: Massage Therapist (Hackney / Islington). Deep tissue and sports massage specialist. Works regularly with runners, climbers, and people whose bodies are under physical or postural load.
George: Massage Therapist (Islington / Tileyard). Sports and deep tissue practitioner working at our Islington studio.
Looking for something broader, soft tissue work plus dry needling, cupping, mobility work, and bodyweight rehab? That's Sports Therapy with Emelie.
Sports Massage with Rohan or George is the right choice for muscle-focused work; Sports Therapy with Emelie is the right choice when you need an assessment, a treatment plan, or active rehab alongside the soft tissue work.
What it helps with
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Acute muscle tension after training or competition
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Recovering from soft-tissue injuries, strains, pulls, overuse (once past the acute inflammatory phase)
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Persistent tension from running, cycling, climbing, weight training, or any repetitive sport
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Return-to-sport rehab after an injury
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Repetitive strain from desk work or physical jobs, sports massage isn't only for athletes
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Mobility plateaus, when the same stretches have stopped working
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Pre-event preparation and post-event recovery
What a Sports Massage session involves
You arrive, talk through what's going on in your body, recent training, where the pain is, what you've already tried, and then lie face down (or face up) on the table. Your practitioner uses a combination of deeper pressure, myofascial release, neuromuscular techniques, stretching, and sometimes movement assessment to address the specific areas under load.
Sessions can be intense in places, but they should never feel like injury. You'll be asked for feedback throughout, and you can always say you want less (or more).
Afterwards your practitioner will usually suggest a few things to do at home, gentle movement, targeted stretches, things to avoid. Drinking water afterwards helps. Some soreness for 24–48 hours is normal.
What clients say
"Invigorating experience! I recently had a treatment with Rohan and it was truly exceptional. As someone who leads a very active lifestyle, my body goes through a lot during the week. Being a massage therapist myself also makes me quite particular when it comes to the quality of a treatment."
G. M.
"As a runner, I needed a deep muscle release and the session was excellent. The physiotherapist Rohan was very professional, knowledgeable, and attentive. I felt amazing afterwards and will definitely be coming back."
Marta D.
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Often combined with
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Sports Therapy (Emelie): when you need a full clinical treatment, assessment, or active rehab
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Stretch Therapy (Noémie): to address mobility, not just tightness.
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Reformer Pilates (Laura): for whole-body recovery and strength.
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Chiropractic Care (Holly): when there's a structural issue underlying the tension
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Nutritional Therapy (Livia): for athletes managing recovery, inflammation, or training load
If you'd like a more integrated approach across two or three of these, look at our Integrative Care Packages
Wellbeing that gives back
When you book with us, you’re giving back. Every booking directly funds therapy for people facing economic barriers, including refugee women and those living with chronic pain or PTSD.
Frequently Asked Questions
There's overlap, but they're different in intent. Deep Tissue is primarily a technique, slow, sustained work on the deeper layers of muscle. Sports Massage is goal-led, it uses deep tissue, plus stretching, mobility, and soft-tissue techniques, all aimed at a specific physical outcome. See our comparison blog: "Which massage is right for me?
Sports Massage with Rohan is focused on soft-tissue release through massage. Sports Therapy with Emelie is a broader clinical treatment that can include massage but also uses dry needling, cupping, mobility work, and bodyweight rehab exercises, all tailored to a specific issue. Book Sports Massage when you want muscle-focused work, maintenance, or recovery. Book Sports Therapy when you have an injury, a persistent mobility issue, or you need a treatment plan with rehab built in.
It can feel intense where there's adhesion or chronic tension, but it shouldn't feel like injury. Your practitioner checks in regularly. You can always ask for less.
No. The "sports" in the name describes the techniques, not who they're for. Desk workers, parents lifting kids, and anyone with repetitive movement patterns benefit just as much.
Sports Massage isn't typically the right fit for pregnancy, book our Pregnancy Massage instead, which is adapted to the trimester and your physiology. Postpartum, once cleared, Sports Massage can help with the specific tensions of carrying a baby, talk to your practitioner about what you're feeling.
To support your active training, we generally recommend a Sports Massage every 2 to 3 weeks to keep you moving at your best. If you're focusing on acute recovery, weekly sessions are ideal until the area completely settles. For general maintenance, a session every 4 to 6 weeks suits for most people.
Book a Sports Masage
Unsure if a sports massage is right for you?
We’re always happy to help.
Email us at hello@abuelitas.co.uk
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