Sports Massage in Mill Valley, Marin County

Assessment-led sports massage for runners, cyclists, triathletes and active people across Marin. Every session starts with assessments — so the hands-on work addresses the actual cause of your pain or restriction, not just the spot that hurts. This is not a generic pampering.

Initial session (90 min, includes full assessment) — $300

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Who this is for?

I work exclusively with athletes and active people:

  • Road and mountain cyclists — including everyone who rides Mt Tam

  • Runners, from trail to track

  • Triathletes and Ironman athletes

  • Youth athletes in soccer, equestrian and field sports

  • Anyone whose sport has given them a nagging, recurring problem

Two things I help with:

  1. Staying uninjured. Most sports injuries aren't accidents — they're the end result of a muscular imbalance that's been building for months. Assessment finds them before they become a problem.

  2. Working through injury. Acute and chronic issues related to your sport.

If you're looking for relaxation, candles and ambient music, I'm not your person and I'll happily point you toward someone who is. I specialize in athletes.

What makes this different

Anatomy first. The foundational rule of good bodywork is knowing your anatomy — where every structure is, what it does, and what it's connected to. My qualification is a BTEC Level 5 in Sports Massage from the London School of Sports Massage, a two-year program roughly equivalent to an associate degree and considerably more comprehensive than the California minimum.

Clinical experience. I spent two years in a London physiotherapy clinic working with acute and chronic injury caseloads — everything from sprains and strains to disc prolapse and neurological conditions.

Assessment and reassessment. Every new client starts by giving a comprehensive case history, gait analysis, movement screening and muscle testing, and ends by retesting what we changed. If it didn't change, we try something else. The whole system, not the sore bit. Pain is almost never where the problem is. Shoulder instability can trace back to restricted big toe extension on the opposite side. Knee pain often starts at the foot or the hip. I'd rather spend twenty minutes finding the actual cause than an hour rubbing the symptom.

A coach's eye. Alongside massage I'm a strength coach, a former triathlete, commando and sprint coach with a background in biomechanics and gait analysis. You get both.

What a session actually looks like

It's not a spa treatment, and I want you to know that before you book.

You mostly stay dressed. Shorts and a t-shirt, or whatever you train in, but I may ask you to remove certain garments for access.

You work. You'll move between positions throughout, contract muscles on cue, and stay awake and engaged. This is a conversation between us, not something done to you.

The music is rock, hip hop, disco, latin or classical, depending on the day. No pan pipes or running water.

It can be uncomfortable. Releasing a trigger point is not relaxing. It should never be unbearable — tell me and I adjust — but expect to work.

We finish with movement. Usually core activation or some locomotion, so your nervous system holds onto the range of motion we just created. Leaving is part of the treatment.

You'll leave with something to do. Homework is specific to what we found, not a generic stretch sheet.

Techniques I use

Every session is built around what your assessment shows, so no two are the same. Depending on findings I'll draw on:

  • Soft tissue release

  • Neuromuscular technique

  • Positional release

  • Deep tissue work

  • Trigger point release

  • Reciprocal inhibition

  • Joint and tarsal mobilisation

  • Muscle testing

Pricing

Initial session (90 min, includes full assessment) — $299

Follow-up sessions (60 min) — $229

Package of 5 (after initial) — $999

TIPS NOT ACCEPTED — excellence is standard and anything less shouldn’t be paid for. If you’re not 100% satisfied with the treatment, it’s on me.

FAQ

What's the difference between sports massage and a regular massage? A relaxation massage is designed to feel good and reduce stress, and it's very good at that. Sports massage (aka medical massage) is designed to change something — tissue tension, range of motion, how a bone moves. My sessions start with assessment, target specific structures based on what that assessment finds, and end by retesting to confirm something actually changed.

Do I need to get undressed? No. Most clients stay in shorts and a t-shirt or their normal training kit. The techniques I use work through clothing and often require you to be moving, so being dressed is practical rather than a compromise. That said, sometimes I may ask you to remove your top to access upper body structures.

Does sports massage hurt? Some of it is uncomfortable — releasing a trigger point in particular. It should never be unbearable. I check in constantly and adjust pressure. "No pain no gain" is not a treatment philosophy.

Is it relaxing? No, and that's deliberate. You'll be moving between positions, contracting muscles on request and paying attention throughout. If you want to fall asleep on the table, book a relaxation massage instead — there are excellent practitioners in Marin who do that beautifully.

How soon before a race should I book? For a hard, deep session: at least 4–6 days out. Deep tissue work can leave you sore for 24–48 hours and you don't want that landing on race day. Within a week of an event I'll keep the work light and mobility-focused. Book your deep work in your training block, not your taper.

Do I have to be a competitive athlete? No — but you do need to be active. I work with anyone training regularly for something, whether that's a Dipsea time or just riding Mt Tam every weekend. I don't take general relaxation or desk-related wellness clients.

What happens in a first session? Roughly 20–30 minutes of assessment: full case history, gait analysis, movement screening and muscle testing. Then hands-on work targeting what we found. Then movement work to lock in the changes. You leave with specific homework. Allow 90 minutes.

How many sessions will I need? Depends entirely on what we find. A single acute restriction might resolve in one or two. A long-standing imbalance built over years of training takes longer. I'll give you an honest estimate after your first assessment and I'll tell you if I don't think I'm the right person for it.

Can you help with an existing injury? I work with acute and chronic sports injuries, alongside your physical therapist, doctor or surgeon rather than in place of them. I don't diagnose. If something needs medical assessment I'll say so and refer you.

Where are you based and what areas do you cover? Mill Valley, serving Corte Madera, Larkspur, Sausalito, Tiburon, San Rafael, San Francisco and the wider south Marin area.