Heather Smith

Professional Qualifications & Memberships

​I have a BTEC Level 5 Professional Diploma in Soft Tissue Therapy which allows me to be a member of the Institute for Soft Tissue Therapists (ISRM) which gives formal recognition and representation to therapists who employ a range of assessment and remedial techniques to effectively treat a variety of soft tissue conditions.   As a member of the ISRM, I update my skills annually through continuing professional development (CPD).

​I am also registered with the Complementary & Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC) – the UK regulator for appropriately qualified and insured complementary healthcare practitioners.  The Department of Health recommends that GPs and patients/public use the CNHC register to access practitioners.  As a member of the CNHC I have met national occupational standards and abide by a rigorous code of conduct. 
 
My professional indemnity insurance with H & L Balens covers the scope of practice for Soft Tissue Therapy.

My Background

​​Before becoming a Sports & Remedial Massage / Soft Tissue therapist I worked in universities and the NHS, spending six years at the Robert Jones & Agnes Hunt (RJAH) Orthopaedic Hospital near Oswestry as a Clinical Trial Manager, setting up and running a multicentre knee surgery trial.  This included working closely with patients, physiotherapists and orthopaedic surgeons, and provided a useful insight into knee injuries and rehabilitation following knee surgery.  I was also involved as a co-investigator in designing, and gaining funding for further trials involving shoulder dislocation, wrist fractures, ankle surgery and orthotics. 
My academic background is in psychology and research methods which helps me bring a methodical and scientific approach to my work as a therapist, and an appreciation of the psychological factors involved in pain, posture and healing, and in the motivation to train and compete in sports.  

Years of study and working in a demanding job, spending long hours sitting at a computer, took its toll on me personally and I suffered a lot of tension and pain in my back, neck and shoulders.  I tried many things – different chairs, exercises, physiotherapy and the Alexander technique – all of which helped to a degree but it was still difficult to break the cycle of tension and pain.  Having worked hard physically in my youth as a groom and rider I particularly missed a physically active job and it was my mother who suggested sports and remedial massage as a new career and helped encourage me, drawing on her own training and 40 years’ experience as an NHS Physiotherapist.

My motivation

I enjoy many activities like rock climbing, walking in the mountains, horse-riding, gardening, and playing the guitar and piano.  I used to run and cycle for pleasure and fitness and have continued to practice yoga and swimming.  I am continually learning new exercises and insights, and often draw on my own experiences of overcoming problems.  A few years ago, for example, I twisted my knee falling off a bouldering wall and had to have reconstruction surgery for a torn anterior cruciate ligament.  

My clients come from all walks of life but the stresses and necessities of modern life make it difficult for most of us to move and relax in the ways our bodies were originally evolved to do.  As a result, many of us carry a lot of tension in our bodies which also impacts on mental health.  The majority of my clients spend a lot of time sitting over a computer, driving, and using a mobile phone, struggling to find enough time to relax and therefore benefit from having massage to unlock tension in the neck, shoulders and back, arms and wrists.  Some of my regular clients do a lot of physical training (e.g. cycling) and can recover more quickly and improve their performance by including massage into their training routine.  I also see people who are less active due to injury, or loss of function and mobility.  Some people become more physically active once they retire and want to spend more time doing the activities they love, and have more time to take care of themselves, including having a regular massage. 

An important part of my approach is to encourage and equip you, the client, with techniques to help alleviate aches and pains.  For example, in addition to hands-on massage therapy, I can provide home exercise programs tailored to your individual needs.  Many self-care techniques are simple enough to do throughout the day, even while at work, and can be incorporated into regular daily activities.  Exercises are taught either by me, or through carefully researched and selected videos and written resources made available to you.

Treatment tailored to your lifestyle...

I am interested in what you do, so I can tailor a treatment specifically to your lifestyle and activities. 
Click a link below for more information: