Bodycare in Highgate

For some of us, summer means the start of a fitness kick to get bikini ready, or just to enjoy the opportunity of running or playing sport in the rare British sunshine. Sudden fitness kicks can lead to equally sudden injuries, however - muscle pulls, joint sprains or the inflammation of chronic problems. And that's when it can come in handy to know where your local physical thearapist is to be found.

For both acute and long-term pain, I can personally recommend Chris at Hornsey Physiotherapy Clinic. Based at The Factory gym and dance studios on Hornsey Road, Chris uses a combination of massage, joint manipulation, physical training and - where appropriate - acupuncture, to release and retrain wayward joints and muscles.

Treatment is available for sports injury rehabilitation, chronic biomechanical problems and postural complaints. You don't have to be a gym member to use Chris's services, and he has a second clinic based in Kentish Town. Call 020 7482 3875 or email info@hornseyphysio.co.uk for an appointment.

An extensive range of bodycare treatments can also be found at the Back Into Shape clinic on Swains Lane. Osteopathy, physiotherapy, posturology and massage are just some of the treatments and therapies offered by Simeon Niel-Asher and his team.

Niel-Asher is well known in the osteopathy community for his work on trigger points and the treatment of frozen shoulder; there's even a frozen shoulder therapy named after him. The clinic also offers a variety of bodywork and rehabilitation methods, including a "vibration clinic" using Power Plates to tone and strengthen muscles and increase bone density. Arsenal FC use them, and now so can you!

Soft-tissue massage, mobilisation,  and posture training are also available at Highgate Physiotherapy on Archway Road. If muscle fatigue is your problem, you might find a deep-tissue massage at Highgate Health Centre beneficial; the centre also offers relaxing Indian Head Massage, hot-stone treatments and craniosacral therapy.

Is it time for you to give your body a tune-up? Do you have a therapist who always knows just which part of you to put right? Let us know if we've missed any of your favourite bodyworkers below!

Image: Thomas Wanhoff