By in Sports Injury

The Body Matters : Southend-on-Sea’s Premier Sports Injury Clinic

Since opening in Ashleigh Drive, just off Broadway, Leigh-on-Sea in August 2008, the proprietor of The Body Matters, Louise Johnson has built up a team of highly-qualified health professionals dedicated to bringing people’s bodies to the peak of their performance and maintaining them at optimum levels.

Being an experienced sport, therapeutic and remedial massage therapist, hypnotherapist and personal trainer, as well as a marathon runner, Louise is well placed to determine the journey an individual needs to take to get their body – and mind – back in action. And if she feels that her own personal skills won’t achieve the right result, she will arrange a consultation with one of her team, which includes: nutritionists, homoeopaths, physiotherapists, fusion Chinese/western massage therapists and acupuncturists, counsellors and personal trainers.

Massage Therapy

Massage therapy is good for you – that’s a fact. Whether it’s a massage for relaxation or to soothe and aid healing of overworked limbs, the manipulation of muscle to break down and release the knots that cause tension helps to maintain a healthy body and increase performance potential.

Choose between a therapeutic massage to invigorate the mind and body, a remedial massage to alleviate pain and discomfort, or a sports massage to relieve muscle tension and fatigue. Massage during pregnancy and lymphatic drainage are also available.

Hypnotherapy

Hypnotherapy is a powerful and effective therapeutic technique where the therapist induces a natural state of hypnosis during which you will be comfortable and relaxed. You will be able to hear and converse with the therapist and retain full and accurate memory of the session. At The Body Matters, we offer suggestion and analytical therapies, and neuro-linguistic programming (NLP).

We have successfully treated anxiety and stress management, depression (including post-natal), grief and bereavement, weight issues, confidence building, unwanted habits, goal achievement including stopping smoking and performance enhancement in sport, life and work using hypnotherapy.

Physiotherapy

The Body Matters know and understand the desire for sporting clients to get back to their sport as soon as is appropriately possible. Identifying the possible factors that have contributed to your problem in the first place is an important factor in physiotherapy for attaining your goal of returning to full fitness. We provide a rehabilitation program, if required and advice on how to prevent a recurrence of the injury.

Chartered physiotherapist Clare Heath qualified in 2000 with an honours degree in physiotherapy from the University of East London. Clare specialized in the field of musculoskeletal physiotherapy working within the NHS and the private sector.

Clare is also a qualified pilates instructor and can offer specialist, rehabilitative pilates on a 1-2-1 basis. Pilates is beneficial for those with back pain, poor posture, sports injuries, arthritis, stress-related illness and before and after pregnancy.

Acupuncture

The World Health Organisation identifies over 40 conditions that acupuncture can successfully treat. Some of the most commonly treated conditions are aches & pains in the neck, shoulders, back, knees and joints as well as sciatica.

Jennie Chew combines traditional Chinese acupuncture techniques with a holistic approach to healing through massage and aromatherapy. Jennie’s work is inspired by a lifelong belief that the body has within itself, natural healing ability and that acupuncture works to stimulate this healing process.

As a qualified aromatherapist and massage therapist,  Jennie is also a member of the International Federation of Professional Aromatherapist.

Sports Therapy

Louise is joined by sports therapist Keiron Mote. Kieran graduated from the University of Kent with a degree in sports therapy and is a member of The Society of Sports Therapists.

Kieran has attended many events as a sports therapist including the Modern Pentathlon World Championships, the London Marathon, Southend Half Marathon, the Brazilian Jui Jitsu Open competition in Southend On Sea and many Southend based running, football and cycling clubs. Sports injury therapy is not just for athletes it can help to aid any physically active lifestyle.

Get into shape and give to charity

The Body Matters’ team is committed to helping get bodies into shape at local charity events.

We continue our support for Havens in June each year by providing sports therapy at the finish of the Southend On Sea Half marathon. 2014 being no exception!

We recently supported the first-ever Brazilian Jui Jitsu Open competition in Southend On Sea.

In 2014 we are proud to announce that we will be providing massage to the runners of the Great Baddow 10.

For two years we supported the Southend On Sea Triathlon by providing sports therapy, on behalf of Bosom Pals.

And on behalf of the Rotary Club in Thorpe Bay, for two years provided massage for the participants of the Foulness Bike Ride.

The Body Matters is open weekdays and Saturdays, with early morning and evening appointments available on request. To speak to Louise or book a treatment phone 01702 714968, or visit www.thebodymatters.co.uk

Louise