Alexandra Shave,
BSc (Hons) Health Sciences

Location:
Cheltenham Holistic Health Centre, UK

Advanced Integrated Myofascial Release Therapy (iMFT) practitioner (all genders), specialising in women's health and pelvic floor care.

Helping you move more freely, feel greater comfort, and reconnect with your body.

Alex takes an integrated approach, combining hands-on soft-tissue treatment with education, rehabilitation, and practical self-care to help you understand your body, take an active role in your recovery, and support your wellbeing beyond the treatment room.

Whole-body fascial therapy

iMFT is for all genders, supporting people experiencing persistent pain, tension, anxiety, stiffness, restricted movement, and the physical effects of stress, injury, emotional trauma, or surgery.

Specialising in women's health and pelvic floor care.

A gentle yet powerful integrated approach to hormonal health (including perimenopause and menopause) and any pelvic-related concerns.

Combining iMFT with individualised pelvic health assessment and treatment, which may include internal and external approaches to the pelvic floor, where appropriate and always with your consent.

Living with pain, tension or restricted movement can affect every part of life. Whether your symptoms have developed following an injury, persistent pain, stress, surgery or seem to have built up over time, treatment is tailored to you as an individual.

Helping you move more freely, feel more comfortable, and get back to the life you enjoy.

Integrated Myofascial Release (iMFR) is a gentle yet profound hands-on therapy that uses skilled touch and movement to help improve comfort, ease of movement and overall well-being.
Rather than focusing only on where it hurts, iMFR takes a whole-person approach. It recognises that pain and movement are influenced by many factors, including previous injury, physical health, lifestyle, stress and emotional wellbeing.
Many clients seek treatment for persistent pain, muscle tension, restricted movement, headaches, pelvic issues, stress-related physical symptoms, or simply because they no longer feel comfortable or at ease in their bodies.
Treatment is always guided by your comfort, goals and pace. Many clients describe feeling lighter, calmer, more relaxed and able to move with greater ease following a session. Over time, they often report improvements in pain, movement, confidence and their ability to enjoy everyday activities.
No two people are the same, so every treatment is tailored to your individual needs to help you feel more comfortable in your body, move with greater freedom, and return to the activities that matter most to you.

"The Healing Art of Myofascial Care"
Guiding You from Tension and Overwhelm to Flow, Resilience, and Regulation.

Fascia care can be beneficial for the following symptoms:

Stress and tension that's held in the body
Pelvic, hip, and abdominal tension
Persistent aches and pains
Muscle and joint stiffness
Fatigue and poor sleep
Neck, back, and shoulder tension
Headaches, jaw tightness and grinding
Postural strain and desk-related discomfort
Restricted or uncomfortable movement
Breathing that feels tight or shallow
The effects of adhesions and scar tissue

"Fascia - your body’s living internet of regulation and communication"
as described by Thomas Meyers (Anatomy Trains)

There is 4-hour free parking available just a 2/3-minute walk from the Cheltenham Holistic Health Centre, on most of Pittville Lawn (near Pittville Park).

Paid street parking is available opposite CHHC on Wellington Rd and Wellington Lane.

All treatment rooms are on the ground floor with easy access. Alex is in room 3.

“When we touch, we activate sensory systems that can modulate pain, reduce anxiety, and create a sense of safety — and that leads to real change.”
Ruth Duncan (MFR UK)

THREE TREATMENT OPTIONS

1. Integrated Myofascial Release Therapy
a gentle yet profound manual soft-tissue treatment for the whole body

Integrated Myofascial Release Therapy (iMFT) uses gentle, sustained pressure, slow movement, and stretching to support communication between your body and brain. Fascia — the body’s connective tissue and largest sensory network — constantly feeds information to the nervous system about tension, pressure, and movement.

Through calm, reassuring touch, iMFT sends signals of safety to the brain, helping the nervous system settle. This can reduce protective tension, ease pain, and support the body’s natural healing responses. As the fascia softens and reorganises, movement becomes freer, awareness clearer, and the body is better able to return to a state of balance and ease.

Learn more about Myofascial Release Therapy → click here.
Book an appointment → click here

2. Pelvic Health - Myofascial Release Therapy
assessing and treating the pelvic floor

Are you putting up with pelvic floor symptoms just because you have gotten used to them and think they are a normal part of life or ageing?

Is embarrassment keeping you from seeking help?

Do pelvic symptoms stop you from doing things that you enjoy?

Learn more about Pelvic Health → click here.
Book an appointment → click here

3. Holistic Health Coaching

Supporting your wellbeing by addressing physical, emotional,
and everyday factors that shape your health.

Holistic Health Coaching is a collaborative, whole-person approach that supports you to make meaningful, sustainable changes in your life. It looks beyond symptoms to help you understand how physical, emotional, lifestyle, stress, and behavioural factors are interconnected and influence your wellbeing. Health coaching empowers you with personalised strategies, insight, and accountability so you can take a more active role in your health and self-care.

Health coaching isn’t about quick fixes — it’s about lasting well-being and equipping you with the tools and self-awareness to confidently manage your health now and well into the future.

Learn more about Holistic Health Coaching → click here.
Book an appointment → click here

Clients seek treatment for:

Stress, anxiety, fatigue
Persistent pain anywhere in the body
Body stiffness and (hyper)sensitivity
Women's pelvic health: any pelvic issues
Emotional healing
TMJ & jaw problems
Scars and injuries (old and recently healed)
Enhancing athletic performance

Treatment focus:

Whole-body, mind–body care
Nervous system and stress regulation
Women's pelvic health
Emotional healing
Muscle, joint, and fascial health
Pain, tension, and posture
Injury, surgery, and scar recovery
Long-term self-care and resilience

Integrated Myofascial Release Therapy (iMFR) can help with:

🧠 Better stress resilience

Because fascia and the nervous system are deeply linked, healthier fascia helps you:

recover faster from stress
feel less overwhelmed
cope better with emotional and physical load
feel less tight in the body (chest, belly etc.)

🧠 Better nervous system regulation

Fascia is richly connected to your nervous system.
When it’s hydrated and mobile, it helps your body shift more easily between:

tension and relaxation
alertness and rest

This means:

less feeling “stuck” in fight-or-flight
better sleep
more emotional steadiness

🦴 Reduced pain and injury risk

When fascia becomes dehydrated or bound down, it pulls on joints, nerves, and muscles.

Healthy fascia helps:

reduce chronic pain
protect joints
spread load through the body
prevent overuse injuries

Many aches people think are “muscle” or “joint” problems are actually fascial.

🧘 More body awareness

Healthy fascia improves your ability to feel what’s happening inside your body. This means:

better able to make useful lifestyle changes
better coordination
fewer accidents
more intuitive movement
earlier warning signs when something isn’t right

🩸 Better circulation and healing

Fascia plays a role in how:

blood flows
lymph drains
waste products leave tissues

When fascia is mobile:

swelling reduces
Inflammation clears more easily
tissues heal faster after injury or surgery

🫁 Breathe with more ease

The lungs, ribs, diaphragm, and organs are all wrapped in fascia. When it’s healthy:

breathing is deeper and less restricted
tension in the chest and belly reduces
anxiety can ease

🏃 Easier, more efficient movement

Healthy fascia lets muscles slide, glide, and coordinate smoothly. This leads to:

less stiffness
better posture
smoother, more powerful movement
less fatigue when you walk, exercise, or work

Your body requires less effort to do the same tasks.

Alex can help with many symptoms related to most health conditions. Please don’t hesitate to reach out or make an appointment if you experience something not mentioned above.

Alex welcomes all people. An adult must accompany children under 15.

Contact Alex here if you are unsure how iMFT can help you.

*** NEW CLIENTS - PLEASE READ ***

The earliest I can accept new clients is September 2026.

If you’d like to get started, please book your session online.

You can use the link 'book now' or go to the www.chhc.co.uk website
and look for appointments from:
September 2026

Even if the online booking system shows earlier availability,

I may not be able to honour bookings before September.

If you need help urgently, please email (alex@fasciaclinic.uk) me.

It’s important to know that multiple therapy sessions are usually required. Some individuals may need only four sessions, while others with more chronic issues benefit from several months of treatment.

Each session builds on the previous one. I typically recommend scheduling the first three to eight sessions close together (weekly or at 10-day intervals) to build momentum before gradually spacing them out.

If you are in particularly poor health, you may need to allow a longer break of about two weeks between sessions to give your body more time to adjust.

The frequency and number of sessions needed vary from person to person, and there is no one-size-fits-all answer.

Booking in advance gives you the best chance of securing the day and time that suit you. If you only wish to book an initial appointment, that is also perfectly fine, but I cannot guarantee the availability of subsequent dates.

If you are new to our CHHC (Cheltenham Holistic Health Centre) online booking system, you have to create an account to make a booking online. Please make sure you save your personal details, AS WELL AS the appointment date (you have to click save twice). You should receive an appointment confirmation email from CHHC. If you haven't received one, something is not right.

Please call our receptionist at 01242 584140 (Mon-Fri, 10:00 am - 2:00 pm) for help with your booking.

***EXISTING CLIENTS***

If you cannot find a suitable appointment online, please email or message me on WhatsApp.

Last update July 2026

Alexandra Shave

BSc (Hons) Health Sciences

Advanced Integrated Myofascial Release Therapist

Alexandra Shave is a qualified Advanced Integrated Myofascial Release Therapist and Health Coach with a Bachelor’s degree in Health Sciences, BSc (Hons), for which she specialised in Remedial Massage and Neuromuscular Therapy (2012).

Alex has further Myofascial Release Therapy certification in:

Advanced Integrated Myofascial Release Therapy
Women's Pelvic Health Specialist (all pelvic health issues)
Pelvic Balancing (a gentle MFR sequence to realign the pelvis)
Unwinding (the body’s emotional self-regulatory system)
Understanding pain (persistent pain management)
Scar Tissues (scars can pull on any other body part)
TMJ (jaw issues)

Alex helps you to reduce symptoms like stress, chronic fatigue, pain, sleep disturbances, anxiety, hormone imbalances, stiffness, and restrictions related to and caused by many different health conditions. This can be life-changing.

She integrates her skills, knowledge, and experience to deliver the most comprehensive treatment and care possible. For over fifteen years, she has supported countless individuals in improving their lives by enhancing their mobility and emotional and physical well-being.

Besides training with Myofascial Release UK (In-Touch Education), she has health coaching, mentoring, counselling L2, Ayurveda, meditation and Reiki I/II certifications. She has a keen interest in nutrition and is a dedicated yoga and mindfulness practitioner -her knowledge of how the body and mind work is exceptional.

Alex is here to help you get back to doing the things you love and want to do in life.

Go to the Myofascial Release Therapy page or click here for more information.

Go to the About page or click here to read more about Alex.

Self-Myofascial Release Therapy
a gentle approach to self-care

Self-Myofascial Release is often part of your treatment sessions. It is a gentle yet powerful form of self-care that supports the work we do together in the clinic.

SMFR is not a stretching or exercise programme. It is a way of working directly with your fascia using three simple tools and sustained, mindful pressure — much like I use my hands during treatment. This allows you to support your body between sessions and continue the healing process at home.

During your sessions, you’ll learn how to recognise areas of tight, dehydrated, or restricted fascia and how to work with them safely and effectively. With regular practice, SMFR can help ease symptoms such as pain, stiffness, fatigue, headaches, brain fog, digestive discomfort, anxiety, and mood changes.

Learning to work with your own fascia gives you more control, confidence, and long-term support for your body.

Learn to self-treat like a Pro!

To go straight to the Self-Myofascial Release Therapy page, click here.

Fascia-focused rehabilitation
empowering you to progress faster

Fascia-focused rehabilitation supports healing by improving mobility, reducing pain, and facilitating more efficient movement. Myofascial release exercises offer a gentle yet effective way to work with muscles and fascia, supporting recovery and long-term change.

These exercises are integrated into your overall treatment plan to support your progress both in and out of sessions.

We can focus on:

Empowering you to understand and support your own body
Tailoring assessment, exercises, and techniques to your individual needs
Starting gently and progressing at a pace that feels right for you
Combining hands-on treatment with self-myofascial release and rehabilitation exercises
Building consistency to support lasting change

Improving thoracic movement

Improving fascial
recoil capacity

Improving sciatica and
low back pain

Fascinating Fascia Information

Fascial glide & mobility

Thickening fascia can become stiff, leading to impaired flow and gliding ability, which can cause a range of symptoms. The body can feel heavy and sluggish, leading to pain, oedema, poor balance, and more. The flow in the fascia can be impaired, causing collagen fibres to stick together and exerting higher pressure on nerve receptors, leading to pain and impeded signals. Muscles can also go into convulsions as they receive constant signals to contract.

Inflammation may occur when transport and communication throughout the tissue are disturbed, and the immune system tries to solve the problem. A tight connective tissue chain can distort the skeleton, so the balance is disturbed and joints wear.

The entire locomotion system is affected by poor coordination and endurance. The causes may be many: overload, damage by external trauma, inflammation due to lifestyle, poor diet, nutritional deficiencies, anxiety, depression or other issues.

Our bodies need motion to maintain optimal metabolism and circulation to the tissues. If we stop moving, the flow will decrease, and the fascia will stick together. It is a good idea to move after rest or being sedentary. Yawning with a deep inhalation and then a slow exhalation can also stretch the lungs. However, if the movement is obtuse and it hurts, it is easy to avoid activity, leading to stagnation in the flow.

Hyaluronan, found in the fascia's ground substance, binds water over 1000 times its weight, can quickly change viscosity ('thickness' of a liquid), and is an important component in tissue glide. Hyaluronan has many bodily functions and is one of the most important components of the fascia.

Psychological aspects also affect our patterns of movement. A person who is nervous and tense keeps their movements tight and builds up tension, whereas a more energetic person often is more mobile and relaxed.

It is important to regularly engage in strength, mobility, and flexibility training to maintain the health of your fascia.

Healthy fascia

uncompromised movement
improved body symmetry and alignment
increased blood flow, which means faster exercise recovery
reduced appearance of stretch marks and cellulite
scar tissue breakdown
reduced risk of injury
less perception of pain
improved sports performance
You can receive many of these benefits from integrated myofascial therapy and holistic health coaching.

Fascia facts

Fascia connects, separates, integrates, protects, communicates, helps us move, transfers load, and is involved in the cellular exchange of waste, oxygen, and nutrition.
It has an estimated 250 million nerve endings and constantly sends signals to the brain concerning movement and position (proprioception), our internal environment (interception), and potential tissue damage (nociception).
Fascia is able to store and release kinetic energy, which can help movement, speed, agility and power.
Fascia responds and adapts to its environment due to its elasticity and resilience.
It transmits forces throughout the body to prevent injuries.
The gel-like ground substance of the fascia helps our tissues glide. When this thickens, the tissue gets stuck and thickens, which can potentially cause dysfunction.
Fascia is affected by age, health, nutrition, sleep, injury, physical and emotional trauma and other bio-psycho-social factors.

DISCLAIMER: PLEASE NOTE THAT THE INFORMATION PROVIDED ON THIS WEBSITE IS NOT MEANT TO REPLACE PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL ADVICE, DIAGNOSIS, OR TREATMENT. PLEASE CONSULT WITH YOUR PHYSICIAN OR QUALIFIED HEALTH PROVIDER FOR ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS REGARDING YOUR MEDICAL CONDITION, MEDICATIONS, OR PRECAUTIONS.