Volunteering abroad

Better late than never.

It's all go as usual at The London Massage Company. I'm in the throws of meeting a research dealine and Jane's preparing a trip to Morocco as I prepare to depart, Blighty bound. She'll be out there with Cross Cultural Solutions doing physiotherapy work with less able bodied adults and children. She ran the massage-a-thon back in August to help raise money, just over £700 in total - thank you again to all those who took part.To find out more about Cross Cultural Solutions visit: http://www.crossculturalsolutions.com/

She's been getting her head down and learning Arabic and French to make the whole communication thing alot easier. She's also been getting friends and colleagues to translate English Children's books into French so that she or her colleagues out there can read to the kids. I for one loved getting to read The Hungary Caterpillar and The Little Red Hen again!

Jane sent me this extract today:

".......discovered that I learned LOADS of French by sticking the French texts into the english books in preparation for this trip. Clothes everywhere. Arabic and French books everywhere. Paperwork and passports everywhere. Toys and games and paints and stuff everywhere. I think I may be being a little optimistic when I believe I can live in Turkey for 6 months if this is the state the place is in going away for three weeks....."

Jane will be writting up a full report of her adventure when she returns. So we'll be in touch later.

But in the mean time we wish you a great Eid, a merry Christmas and a happy New Year!

To find out more or sign-up to the Newsletter visit : www.thelondonmassagecompany.com or email us:
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Musculoskeletal Christmas Quiz

We have 6 Stretching videos to give away to the winner of our Musculoskeletal Christmas Quiz 2007, so come test your knowledge!

The names of the highest scorers will be put into a hat and the winner picked out in the New Year.
You can email us your answers at ask@thelondonmassagecompany.com or pop them in the post. (address on the website) Don’t forget to tell us who you are and how we can contact you. Answers in before January 4th 2008.

So here's the quiz - Enjoy!

1) In adhesive capsulitis (frozen shoulder) the main problem is joint laxity. True or false?
2) Synovial fluid is thixotropic. What does that mean?
3) There is a ligament on the head of the femur, in the very centre. To which structure does this ligament attach?
4) Which condyles of the tibia are larger, the medial or lateral?
5) Mark which of the following is an overuse injury:
adhesive capsulitis (frozen shoulder)
subacromial/subdeltoid burisitis
deltoid strain
rotator cuff strain
clavicvle fracture
humeral fracture
acromioclavicular ligament sprain
humeral dislocation
supraspinatus tendinosis
6) What are the name of the ligaments within the knee capsule itself?
7) What is the name of bone cells that 'build' new bone?
8) What are the actions of the psoas muscle?
9) Which anterior leg muscle has an exceptionally long tendon anddorsiflexes and inverts the foot?
10) To which bones does scalenes anterior attach?
11) Why is the jaw unlike other synovial joints?12) We number the metacarpals 1-5. What number is the thumb, 1 or 5?
13) What sort of joint is the proximal tib/fib joint?
14) What sort of joint is the distal tib/fib joint?
15) Which bicipital tendon runs in the bicipital groove, the long or theshort head?
16) Not everyone has palmaris longus. Where is this muscle?
17) The flexor retinaculum on the wrist binds the tendons of which muscles?
18) Which muscles flexes the tips of the fingers, flexor digitorum profundusor flexor digitorum superficialis?
19) What are the bones of the fingers called?
20) What type of synovial joint are knuckles, that is, themetacarpo-phalangeal joints, (not the inter-phalangeal joints)
21) Cryotherapy and thermotherapy, what does R.I.C.E stand for? For a bonus point, when P & R are added to the acroymn (P.R.I.C.E.R) what does the "P" stand for and what does the last "R" stand for?
22) Which bone is accessed by pressing into the 'anatomical snuff box'?
23) What does pectineus do?
24) To which structure does piriformis insert?
25) What might give rise to a Trendelenberg gait?
26) One of the hamstrings arises from close to the linea aspera. Which one?
27) In which compartment in the leg are dorsiflexors found?
28) In what way, anatomically and physiologically, is peroneus longusdifferent from peroneus brevis?
29) What is an interosseous membrane?
30) Cite two places in the body where you would find an interosseousmembrane?
31) What are the common names for Lateral epicondylitis and medial epicondylitis and which is which?

To find out more or sign-up to the Newsletter visit : www.thelondonmassagecompany.com or email us:
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Federation of Holistic Therapists

We're very excited here at The London Massage Company because we have just secured some teaching spots in 2008 with the Federation of Holistic Therapists (FHT).

The Federation of Holistic Therapists have the largest membership of any multi-disciplinary therapy organisation in the UK with over 21,000 members. They are the oldest Professional Beauty, Sports and Complementary therapy organisation in the UK and have been representing therapists for over 40 years. They are a true not-for-profit organisation enforcing high professional standards, with a good Code of Ethics and Professional Practice.

As part of encouraging the Federation of Holistic Therapists memembers to gain Continuing Personal & Professional Development (CPPD) each year they run workshops, courses and conferences of which The London Massage Company will be a part of.

In 2008 we will be running the following advanced massage workshops:
Effective Stretching, 1st March, Sheffield
MET (Muscle Energy Technique), 5th April, High Wycombe
STR (Soft Tissue Release), 18th May, Cardiff.

We look forward to seeing members of the Federation of Holistic Therapists there.

To find out more or sign-up to the Newsletter visit : www.thelondonmassagecompany.com or email us:
ask@thelondonmassagecompany.com

A day in the Dissection Lab

It's been a really busy week in the life of The London Massage Company, but when isn't it!

Jane has been in the dissection labs at Kings College, London taking some students on a journey of anatomy. And what a journey it is. For those of you reading this that have been in a dissection lab, you know what I'm talking about. When I was a student on the APNT Sports Injuries & Massage Diploma I had the opportunity of being in the dissection lab for a day, and it's a day I will certainly never forget.

I was a little apprehensive as I set off for Kings College that morning as I had no idea what to expect, well, apart from cadavers, and I wasn't sure how I was going to react on seeing one. Another thought was, 'I must prepare myself for the smell'. So with Vics Vapour rub at the ready and a clear view of the exit (just in case) we entered the dissection lab. The reality was much better than my preconceived ideas. Cadavers were just that and the Vics was used only twice.

The room was a little cold and adorned with jar-upon-jar of body parts in formaldehyde which were instantly fascinating. We donned our white lab coats and made our way to the back of the lab, past the metal dissection tables and their lids, until we were greeted by the Kings College team and Caroline Barrow who was going to be guiding us through our anatomy.

The body parts had been arranged on separate tables and covered with cloths until it was time to discover where exactly the wrist flexors were and just how trapezius fitted superbly onto the back. It was fascinating to observe just how amazing and intricate the body is but somehow, there was a simplicity about it all. All those anatomy text book pictures were put into perspective and it definitely gave me a better understanding of where and how all our muscles fit together so neatly.

I learn a lot that day, from Caroline and our Cadavers and we want to give our students at The London Massage Company the same opportunity. So whether taking the Intensive Sports Injuries & Massage Diploma, the Intensive Advanced Massage Diploma or you are taking a physiotherapy, osteopathy, chiropractic course else where, you'll be able to spend a day in the dissection labs at Kings with The London Massage Company. We are setting up links with the college and looking at dates in the diary so hopefully that day won't be too far away.

To find out more or sign-up to the Newsletter visit : www.thelondonmassagecompany.com or email us:
ask@thelondonmassagecompany.com

CAMExpo 2007 accomplished

I've just returned back to Casablanca after Jane and I Expo'd at CAMExpo. It was a really great weekend. We hardly had time to look around the stalls as we were running our Effective Stretching and Soft Tissue Release workshops, but the the massage workshops went really well.

We met some great people and recieved some really positive feedback, so thank you to all of you. I hope everyone that joined us on the massage workshops enjoyed them. Both days we're quite fast paced and 100% interactive. We wanted to give everyone value for money and teach them as much as we could in the hour that we had. No mean feat, but everyone got stuck in to the massage workshops and did a fantastic job.

We hope that everyone went away feeling comfortable to combine some Soft Tissue Release or some Effective Stretching into their massage routines.

To find out more or sign-up to the Newsletter visit : www.thelondonmassagecompany.com or email us:
ask@thelondonmassagecompany.com

Off to CAMExpo 2007

Today I'm hurridley tying up the loose ends before I fly back to the UK tomorrow. I'm leaving Casablaca for the weekend as The London Massage Company is making it's first public outing this weekend. It's CAMExpo 2007, running at London's Excel, and Jane and I are running two massage workshops over the CAMExpo weekend. We are running our Effective Stretching and Soft Tissue Release (STR) workshops.


The focus of the Effective Stretching massage workshop is on the practical aspects of this stretching discipline, but there's a touch of theory too. You'll learn to advise your clients on simple stretching routines and incorporate stretching into your massage sequence.
Also see the difference between active and passive stretching, why some stretches are ineffective and others are more effective, how to stretch all of the major muscles of the body actively and how to safely incorporate stretching into your practice.


Soft Tissue Release (STR) is all about muscles containing specific areas of tightness. Perhaps this tightness is due to fibrotic changes or to scar tissue. By localizing the stretch to a particular region of muscle, STR helps to gently but firmly encourage specifically tight fibres to stretch.
In this massage workshop you'll apply STR to all the major muscles of the body, passively, through clothing, incorporate STR into a massage routine, examine which works best for your clients, active or passive STR, help you devise active STR programmes for your clients as well as revising the locations and functions of all major muscle groups.


I'm really looking forward to it as it will be my first time presenting at CAMExpo, although Jane is an old hand it! It's one of the biggest Expositions in the Complimentary and Alternative Medicine calendar. It's a great opportunity to see which massage products are new on the market, learn new massage techniques as well as network with other massage therapists and companies.


If you miss us at CAMExpo then no worries, there are more opportunities to take our massage workshops.

To find out more or sign-up to the Newsletter visit: http://www.thelondonmassagecompany.com or email us:
ask@thelondonmassagecompany.com

Sports massage & advanced massage abroad

As we speak Jane should have landed safely in Turkey. To be precise she's in Kas (For those of you, who like me are unfamiliar with Turkish, it's pronounced 'cash' ) which is on the fabulous Lycia coast. However, she's not just there for a tan, she's their to finalise arrangements for our Massage Workshop Week and Intensive Sports Injuries Massage Diploma and Intensive Advanced Massage Diploma that we're running in May and October 2008.

Jane was on holiday back in May with her son Jake and got chatting with the hotel owner. Next thing I know I recieve a phone call "Zoë, I've found the first location for our massage courses abroad......."

Kas is settled in the region of Lycia, 2.5 hours from Dalaman. This beautiful harbour village sits quietly between the turquoise Mediterranean Sea and a stunning backdrop of the hills behind. This little village has everything you could ask for and plenty for you to explore when you’re not in the classroom learning all those new massage techniques!

Enjoy a coffee in the cosy cafes, eat great food in the restaurants and enthuse about your newly found massage skills over a glass of wine in one of the bars. The way the Massage Workshop Week, Intensive Sports Injuries Massage Diploma and Intensive Advanced Massage Diploma are structured there’ll be plenty of time for you to gather your thoughts and either explore the town and it’s intriguing network of tiny back-alleys, stroll the beaches close to the hotel or raise those energy levels with a range of sporting activities.

For both the Massage Workshop Week and Intensive massage Diplomas we've picked the fabulous Hotel Club Phellos for you to work, rest and play in. Located on a peaceful street in the centre of Kas, Club Phellos is tucked into the hillside above the harbour with wonderful views of the sea. The excellent service is executed by Club Phellos’ friendly and helpful staff. Jane loved every minute of her stay during May so it will be great for the Massage Workshop Week and Intensive massage Diplomas.

I'll let you know how her trip went when she gets back!

To find out more or sign-up to the Newsletter visit : www.thelondonmassagecompany.com or email us:
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Welcome!

Here's the first entry of The London Massage Company Blog.

In January 2007 Jane Johnson and Zoë Fitzpatrick decided to combine their talents and passions and create The London Massage Company. Their idea was to provide the best workshops and courses in sports and advanced massage techniques so that each and every professional allied to physical health could learn the skills they need to be outstanding in their field. A few months down the line and their idea has become a reality, and with a cherry on top! Not only do they run their Sports Injuries Massage course and advanced massage workshops in the UK, they run an Intensive Sports Injuries Massage course and a week of massage workshops abroad!!

Our credentials
Jane, Chartered Physiotherapist, MCSP, MSc, BSc, BA (Hons) has been a practicing Physiotherapist and sports and remedial massage therapist for over 15 years. Along side this she achieved her MSc in Health and Exercise at the same time as qualifying as a Fitness Instructor. Seven years ago she went on to gain her Teacher Training qualification and since then has been imparting her insatiable knowledge to knowledge-thirsty students. She has written all her own course and workshop manuals for the Sports Injuries & Massage Diploma, various advanced massage technique workshops and Anatomy and Physiology. As well as all of the above she’s a Mum and now co-director of her own company. She continues to teach courses and workshops for other schools.

Zoë, sports massage therapist has been in private practice overseas for more than 4 years. She set-up her first practice in Ghana, West Africa and now she's in search of new clients in Casablanca, Morocco. As well as currently co-directing her company with Jane she's on the fast track to speak French so that she can communicate with her new clients! Before embarking on her career as a massage therapist she was in Sales, Marketing and PR for 15 years, but is certainly happier now doing what she's passionate about! Watch this space for Massage Morocco.


To find out more or sign-up to the Newsletter visit : www.thelondonmassagecompany.com or email us:
ask@thelondonmassagecompany.com