Lesley Melvin Massage Therapist
Expansion plan for health centre
Church Street in Stornoway is set to see the expansion of its role as a provider of therapies with the development of the Stornoway Complementary Health Centre. This is based around Lesley Melvin’s work as a massage/complementary therapist dealing mainly with therapeutic, remedial and sports massage.
It is a year since Lesley expanded her work by moving out of PJ’s Hairdressers in Keith Street to establish her own practice in 32C Church Street and she has never looked back, as having the advantage of a “shopfront” has meant people found it much easier to find her.
Lesley and her husband Donald moved to Lewis nine years ago after he took voluntary redundancy from Scottish and Southern Energy. Although she was born in Glasgow, Lesley’s family is from Carloway and she was drawn home by these strong local ties. In addition, over 10 years ago she moved from traditional nursing to providing massage and complementary therapies.
Although the public in general have no problem with the idea that touch can soothe children’s ailments and tensions, it is harder for adults to get to grips with the concept of such therapy, or with more complex concepts such as reflexology, where finger pressure is applied to specific reflex points on the feet which correspond to different parts of the body, creating balance and harmony.
Lesley has seen a continuous growth in the number of people attending massage treatments, including the very specific Lymphatic Drainage Massage which aims to treat up to 60 ailments such as chronic sinusitis, arthritis and sports injuries.
She now works four days a week – Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and either Monday or Wednesday depending on the demand from customers, while on Fridays Catherine Anne of The Healing Tree uses the Church Street base to provide her range of therapies. It is this aspect that Lesley hopes to build on by developing the Stornoway Complementary Health Centre concept with other therapists also operating from the same premises. By coincidence, there is already Sirirat Thai Massage operating next door so there is already a range of such therapies on offer in the same part of Church Street.
Like other similar businesses, there is no receptionist and appointments have to be made direct to Lesley by phone or by arriving in the premises and speaking to her directly in between clients. There is a welcome table in the waiting area, providing teas and biscuits, and where there is a notepad for clients and potential clients to leave their details/requests.
A lot of her business comes from word-of-mouth recommendations as clients pass on the good news of the impact of her treatments. Lesley’s nursing background gives confidence both to herself and to clients and potential clients as she has training in anatomy and physiology plus experience of a range of conditions. The range of ailments and conditions which can be helped include muscle and joint pain and restriction in the back, neck, shoulder, R.S.I, headaches, sports injuries, stress, constipation, period problems, etc. She points out that both jobs with intense activity and desk-bound sedentary occupations produce a range of aches and pains that can be alleviated through massage or other therapies.
Success can be easily measured. If people had discomfort or are suffering joint restrictions, after treatment these problems can be reduced with clients feeling less pain, greater range of mobility and more relaxed. However, she points out that people cannot expect her to solve all their problems – once the treatment has started to work they have to take more responsibility for their own bodies and behave in a way that reduces stresses and strains. And, she admits, “Some people don’t like being told to change their lifestyle – but good posture and stretching/exercise is the order of the day!”
The majority of people attending her practice are women – on average about 80 per cent – but the number of men prepared to try out these treatments is growing and on one recent day, the proportion swung completely round and almost all her clients were men, showing a gradual change in attitude.
There is also a growing appreciation of the benefits of the treatments which come at a cost of £35 for the first Remedial Massage Session lasting around an hour and ten minutes, with follow up sessions costing £30. A basic therapeutic massage for relaxation purposes starts at £23. The men are often sent by their wives or girlfriends or are suffering from specific injuries such as those caused by sports.
Lesley says that a lot of people have been suffering discomfort or pain for a long time and come to her first before going to their GP. Lesley always stresses to her clients that massage and complementary therapies do not replace GP care and on occasions has had to turn clients away until they have seen and been diagnosed by a GP and/or physiotherapist before she will decide if her treatments are suitable for each individual.
Lesley’s business has been going from strength to strength and her aim is to offer a “multi-discipline dedicated complementary centre,” where people in Lewis and Harris can come to either relax or receive appropriate treatment to relieve their aches and pains.
Contact
32C Church Street, Stornoway, Isle of Lewis HS1 2JD
Tel: 07796 924994
