If you have a question not answered below, please feel free to contact me, I’ll be very happy to answer your questions.
Location
Remedy Massage is at the Blackshields Therapy Clinic, Northside For Business Campus, Spring Ln, Ballyvolane, Cork T23 X56F.
Find us on Google Maps.
Conveniently located only 2km from the city centre and just 10 mins from the Jack Lynch tunnel, the Northside For Business Campus is directly behind the fire station on the N20 North Ring Road. Turn at the traffic lights by the fire station and it is directly in front of you.
There is secure parking to the right of the building as you face it.
Northside For Business Campus (Eircode T23 X56F)
On arrival, press the buzzer inside the main door for Blackshields Therapy (top button). Toilets are just inside the main door and the therapy clinic is on the ground floor, across to the left. Come inside the clinic and take a seat in our reception area.
Free client parking is available in the monitored car park to the right of the building as you face it, including two dedicated spaces for blue disc holders outside the entrance.
Parking is entirely at your own risk and consequence.
Bus 207 stops directly outside the Northside For Business Campus.
If you are unsure which bus stop to use, ask the bus driver and they will help you.
Access to the building is step-free and Blackshields Therapy Clinic is on the ground floor of the building.
Toilet facilities are available just inside the main door and include an accessible one.
Narrowest door width is 76cm (30″).
The treatment table is height-adjustable for ease of getting on and off it.
Treatment
A wide circle of the general population with musculoskeletal or neuromuscular complaints have benefited from treatment with Remedy Massage.
Complaints include whiplash, numerous other neck problems, frozen shoulder, headaches, numerous hip restrictions, low (lumbar) back pain, mid (thoracic) back pain, tendonitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, tennis elbow, tight shoulders, shinsplints, plantar fasciitis, sciatica, tight calf muscles, pulled hamstrings, strained adductors, rotator cuff (shoulder) problems, groin strain, gluteal amnesia.
Other conditions include anxiety, migraines, fibromylagia, multiple sclerosis, peripheral neuropathy. More examples available here – conditions treated.
Many people come on a regular maintenance basis to release tension built up over time; my most popular treatment is for the back, neck and shoulders, and is an effective antidote to today’s frequently chaotic and stressful pace of life. This is also a popular choice for gift vouchers.
An appointment usually lasts an hour. The actual hands-on treatment time, or length of time on the massage table being worked on, would typically be around 45-50 minutes. Shorter sessions of 30 mins can also be arranged – great for focused work or as part of a rehab programme. 30 minute sessions are unavailable for new clients due to time taken with the initial consultation, which varies from person to person (it may be 2 minutes but could easily be 15 minutes too if your issue is more complex or requires investigation).
Some situations or conditions contraindicate massage and in these cases it would be better to wait until they have improved, healed or stabilised, as a massage therapist may advise against treatment and, in some cases, may refer you to your GP or recommend a specialist. Whilst some contraindications are systemic (whole body), others are localised to an area and may worsen symptoms or affect your health, or spread infection either to another part of your body or to the therapist.
Whilst an assessment will determine whether massage is appropriate, major contraindications to look out for include:
Acute inflammation, fever, open wounds, infectious, fungal or bacterial skin diseases including spots, blemishes and rashes of certain kinds, recent bruising, scar tissue from a recent accident or medical procedure, unknown lumps, embolism, deep vein thrombosis (DVT), varicose veins, pregnancy (depending on trimester & health), menstruation for abdominal massage, haemophilia, cardiovascular conditions, chemotherapy, prolapsed disc (depending on type and severity) and diabetes dependent on type and state.
Always seek professional medical advice regarding health concerns.
Courtesy and advice come at no cost so call me for a chat (or contact me) and together we’ll see if or how massage could benefit you. I can also put you in touch with a client who was treated for the same or a similar complaint; maybe their experience will help you decide.
On your first visit the therapist spends some time taking your personal and medical history, or obtaining further context if your intake form was completed online prior to the appointment. Your doctor’s details may also be required if a referral is needed in some circumstances. Together you decide on a treatment plan that best suits you.
In subsequent sessions a few minutes are spent at the start reviewing recent health and agreeing the treatment for the session. Then simply time needed to get undressed to your comfort level & get onto the massage table draped under a flannel sheet, then afterwards get dressed again and conclude the session. The therapist normally leaves the room when you are undressing or dressing for discretion, privacy and ethics. You will always be draped appropriately and intimate areas are never revealed.
A light oil or lotion is normally used to control glide or grip on the skin. Sessions usually last an hour and all treatments are completely confidential between you and your therapist.
Your treatment will be given by a male therapist – please see the About Me page.
For someone coming in for a relaxing massage, the treatment is very soothing and you’ll feel more grounded, have a sense of wellbeing and feel freer in the area that was massaged, with usually an absence of a familiar pain or ache, or an ease in restriction.
For more demanding work, there may some level of discomfort but treatment should not be painful. Many conditions can be treated pain-free, or relatively pain-free, but this again depends on the extent of work required to resolve your issue.
Feedback is usually checked with you during the session. People may experience some discomfort – typically stiffness or soreness – for a day or two after treatment. This is an entirely normal response, and it shows that your body is taking time to adapt to the soft tissue changes from treatment.
Wearing ‘form-fitting’ clothing/shorts is recommended so that the therapist can get a clear view of muscular/postural changes in the body. Loose-fitting clothing is sometimes suggested, for example, access to working on the upper thigh (loose shorts).
You may be asked to undress to your level of comfort. A flannel sheet is provided for appropriate draping and the therapist will only uncover the part of your body being worked. Intimate areas are never exposed.
- If relevant, reports from MRIs or other scans are helpful whilst the actual discs or scans themselves are not.
- A list of prescribed medication and any other observations would also be useful, where applicable.
- Doctor’s (or specialist’s) details are only needed where someone is under medical or related supervision.
Whilst a treatment requires some degree of undress pertinent to the body part being worked, you are otherwise draped in a flannel sheet for discretion, comfort and warmth. Intimate areas are never exposed. The therapist normally leaves the room when you are undressing or dressing, for discretion, privacy and ethics.
Ages 16 (sixteen) and above may receive massage without prior consent. Anyone the age of 17 (seventeen) or under, needs a parent or guardian to sign a consent form, allowing treatment to go ahead. Whilst not required to be present during treatment, it is usually preferred that the parent or guardian stay. In some cases, the therapist may insist that the parent or responsible adult be present.
As a massage therapy clinic I specialise in manipulation and release of soft tissue, which includes fascia, muscle, tendons, ligaments and other structures supporting joints and the skeleton; so no I do not crack bones as such. Osteopaths and chiropractors are skilled in the adjustment or setting of joints (i.e. cracking of bones). This practice is generally discouraged for anyone without specialist training, particularly in self-treatment.
I use professional grade oils and lotions that are 100% natural.
The main oil I use (Ultra) is unscented and is water dispersible, so it washes out easily. It is ideally suited to sensitive skin areas. Because it is concentrated it is applied sparingly to perfectly control grip and glide. A little goes a long way!
Ultra Massage Oil – 100% natural and unscented
Fractionated coconut oil (this is a seed oil not a nut oil), high oleic safflower oil, high oleic sunflower oil, certified organic apricot kernel oil, certified organic avocado oil, tocopherol (natural vitamin E – gluten free).
Arnica Relief Lotion – mild scent
Purified water, coconut oil, high oleic safflower oil, apricot kernel oil, golden jojoba oil (certified organic) stearic acid & cetyl alcohol (vegetable wax emulsifiers), arnica montana oil, vegetable glycerin, aloe vera gel (certified organic) propanediol (derived from corn), silver citrate, citric acid, sodium hydroxide, essential oils of sweet birch, rosemary (certified organic), lemon, eucalyptus (certified organic) tocopherol (natural vitamin E).
Arnica Therapeutic Massage Oil – clary sage and rosemary scent (sometimes mistaken for lavender)
Grapeseed Oil, Pure Pro’s Hand-Infused Arnica Extract, Essential oils of Clary Sage and Rosemary (certified organic), natural vitamin E.
Services
With regret, I am no longer able to provide mobile services to your home or place of residence.
Yes, gift vouchers are available at the standard rate of a normal session. Anybody can buy a gift voucher. They can be bought directly from this website by card, and a personalised gift voucher will be emailed to you. Purchase a gift voucher
Gift vouchers must be transferable, by law. Transferable with consent simply means that the intended recipient of the gift voucher – the person whose name is on it – explicitly allows their gift voucher to be redeemed by someone else. They must give their permission to me in writing. This is because the voucher is digital and can be copied or distributed – potentially abused – but has only one recipient, the person named on it.
Why?
Another example:
Health Insurance
How it works is that you pay me the full fee at time of treatment and I issue a receipt which you then use to claim back from your insurer according to your policy.
Please ask for a receipt if you wish to claim, letting me know the name of your health provider.
Irish Life Health endorses massage therapy as a member benefit from IMTA (Irish Massage Therapists Association) members, with a claim of up to 50% or €30 per treatment and subject to your policy. You may need to check your policy document to see if this benefit is included in your policy.
Laya Healthcare recognises neuromuscular therapy received from members of the ANMT (Association of Neuromuscular and Massage Therapists). Once again this is subject to your policy and you may need to check with Laya to see if your policy includes this benefit.
General
I am not a Chartered Physiotherapist and I cannot refer to myself as a “Physical Therapist”; however, this has no bearing whatsoever on my provision of Neuromuscular Therapy along with other forms of advanced remedial bodywork that integrate with, or go beyond, massage. It simply means that I’ll not be referring to myself as a “Physical Therapist”, though people may still view what I do for them as ‘physio’.
Since 2018 the term “Physical Therapist” became a protected title for the exclusive use by members of the Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists who have completed an approved medical degree programme, or other students of physical therapy completing an equivalent, approved, programme.
Short answer: Yes. Long answer: Yes, please.
I may be with somebody at the time, so please leave a message, remembering to include your contact details, send a text or email. Calls, texts and emails are always returned. You are also very welcome to contact me via this website.
If you call me from a private number, I will respect your privacy and not answer. Kindly leave me a voice message with your contact details and I’ll be happy to call you back. Alternatively, you’re very welcome to text me.
Payment is due at time of treatment; card or contactless are preferred.
Cash is accepted in person.
Debit and credit cards with chip & PIN are accepted in person.
Apple Pay and Google Pay are accepted in person.
EFT payments are accepted for direct bank transfer (please ask for account details).
Payment links can be issued via text, email or an online chat service.
Phone payments are also possible for debit or credit cards with a 3 digit CVV number on the back.
Online card payments are available for gift vouchers from this website.
Online payments from this website, or payments via phone, go through Stripe.
Card payments made in person, or via payment link by text, email or chat, are made through SumUp.
All registered practitioners must adhere to the code of ethics and disciplinary procedure of their association. It is there to protect the client and safeguard the therapist.
Association of Neuromuscular and Massage Therapists (ANMT) – Code of Ethics
Irish Massage Therapists Association (IMTA) – Code of Ethics and Practice
24 hour cancellation policy applies.
The day before your appointment you will receive a text reminder. Cancelling the appointment after this reminder, or not showing up at all, will incur the full appointment fee. Fee must be paid in full before your next appointment may take place. The fee will be waived if the appointment slot can be filled.