SupremeThe week 8 niggle started in week 3.
Every block builds tension in your calves, hamstrings, hips and back. Clear it and you train consistently. Leave it and your body works around it until something gives. Treat it before it becomes a problem, not after.
Nick Monczakowski 4.9 from 74 Google reviews · 13+ years
Treat it before it stops you.
Tension accumulates.
Every session adds a little. Clear it regularly and it never reaches the point where it changes how you move.
Your body works around it.
Tight calf, slightly different stride. Different stride, overloaded knee. That's how niggles turn into injuries.
Prevention is cheaper.
A session every few weeks costs far less than weeks out injured and a block thrown away.
Treatment that follows your season.
Rebuild.
Deeper work on stubborn restrictions and the niggles you trained through. Reset before the next block.
Maintain.
Clear what each block builds up. More often in peak weeks. This is where niggles get caught before they become injuries.
Prepare.
Deep work with time to settle before race day. Nothing deep in the final 48 hours.
Recover.
A full-body session to ease soreness and get you back training sooner. 90 minutes suits the big events.
Race on the calendar?
Book 4 to 7 days before.
Book your session · £80Built around your sport.
Calves, hamstrings, hips
The marathon cluster. Calf, hamstring, shin, hip and plantar fascia problems are all common in training blocks. Massage for runners →
Shoulders, forearms, hips
Nick coached tennis for 8 years, including at David Lloyd Raynes Park. He knows how serves, grip and rotation load the body.
Hip flexors, IT band, back
The cyclist's set: tight hips, loaded knees and a compressed lower back. Plenty of riders use the Hampton Court and Kingston routes.
Sport-specific
Shoulders for overhead work, hips and hamstrings for sprinting and kicking, forearms for throwing and gripping.
Whatever you train for.
Marathon & half marathon
Local club runners from Raynes Park Harriers, Kingston AC and Wimbledon Windmilers book maintenance through their blocks.
Tennis & padel
Shoulder, forearm and hip load from the court. Squash and badminton too.
Road cycling
Sportives, time trials and weekend miles. Regular off-bike maintenance keeps the hips and back moving.
Football & rugby
Sprinting, kicking and contact. Hamstrings, groins and hips take the most.
CrossFit & gym
Overhead pressing, heavy pulls and high volume. Shoulders and upper back need regular attention.
Dancers
Huge range demands and long rehearsals. Dom, a professional dancer, says his body has never felt better.
Training myths. Busted.
“Massage is only for when you're injured.”
Tap to flip →That's the most expensive time to start. Athletes who use it regularly train more consistently and pick up fewer overuse injuries.
“A massage before a race will make me sore.”
Tap to flip →Not if it's timed well. Deep work 4 to 7 days out leaves time to settle. Avoid anything deep in the last 48 hours.
“Foam rolling does the same job.”
Tap to flip →It helps between sessions. It can't find and release the specific spots building into a problem the way hands-on work can.
One hour. Tuned for your training.
- 01
Talk
Recent training, upcoming events and any early niggles.
- 02
Assess
Hands-on assessment of the areas your sport loads most, plus anything that feels off.
- 03
Treat
Work tailored to your sport and where you are in your training cycle.
- 04
Plan
Recovery and load advice timed around your next session or event.
Performing at their best.
“Hands down one of the best physiotherapists I have ever had. I'm a professional dancer of 13 years & Nick's approaches to recovery have been nothing short of incredible.”
Dom · Professional dancer“When I come back from a cycling tour and my body is in pieces, he always puts me back together by bringing all my muscles back to life.”
Paul · Cyclist“I had 5 sports massage sessions with him over 2 months alongside my training for the London Marathon and he helped prepare me to cross the finish line happy and injury-free.”
Lucy · London MarathonBefore you book for performance.
How often should I get sports massage during a training block?
Every 2 to 4 weeks works best during a marathon or endurance block, more often in peak weeks when mileage is highest. For team sports, once a month works well during the season. The aim is to clear built-up tension before it starts limiting performance, treating the niggle before it becomes an injury.
When should I get a massage before a race or competition?
4 to 7 days before a big event is the best window for a performance session. That gives your body time to settle without any soreness on race day. Avoid deep work in the final 48 hours. A lighter session 2 to 3 days out can help if you're used to massage, but don't have your first ever session in race week.
What is the difference between maintenance massage and injury treatment?
Maintenance is proactive: keeping your body working well, clearing training load and catching niggles early. Injury treatment is reactive: dealing with a specific problem that's already affecting training. The techniques are the same. Maintenance sessions tend to cover more areas while injury sessions focus on one region and what's feeding it.
Do I need to be injured to benefit from sports massage?
No. Waiting until you're injured is the most expensive and disruptive way to use it. People who use regular maintenance train more consistently, recover faster and pick up fewer overuse injuries. Prevention costs far less than treating an injury and the training time you lose to it.
When to see your GP first
Call 999 or go to A&E straight away if you have chest pain, severe breathlessness, fainting or a racing heartbeat during or after exercise.
Call NHS 111 or see your GP before booking if you have pain with any of these:
- A pop or snap with sudden pain, swelling or bruising
- You can't put weight on a leg or move a joint normally
- Numbness, tingling or weakness in an arm or leg
- Pain that keeps getting worse despite rest and lighter training
Not sure? WhatsApp Nick a quick description first. If massage isn't the right first step, he'll tell you before you book.
Common in training.
Train better. Break down less.
- £80 first session, assessment included
- Mon–Fri 11am–7pm
- Near New Malden station · free street parking
- Personal reply from Nick, usually same day
“I play football and he really helped me with my recovery and making sure my body felt good week after week.”