About Tim Young | Pain & Mobility Therapist Nelson

Therapeutic Massage for Pain & Mobility

Helping people move better, feel better and find a way forward.

I’m Tim Young, a therapeutic massage therapist with more than 25 years’ experience in healthcare, rehabilitation and hands-on treatment.

My approach has been shaped by years of working with people in pain, my background in nursing and rehabilitation, and my own experience of persistent back pain.

I believe good treatment starts with understanding what’s going on, then using hands-on therapy and practical strategies to help you feel and move better.

ABOUT ME

Therapeutic Massage for Pain & Mobility

Helping people move better, feel better and find a way forward.

I’m Tim Young, a therapeutic massage therapist with more than 25 years’ experience in healthcare, rehabilitation and hands-on treatment.

My approach has been shaped by years of working with people in pain, my background in nursing and rehabilitation, and my own experience of persistent back pain.

I believe good treatment starts with understanding what’s going on, then using hands-on therapy and practical strategies to help you feel and move better.

From healthcare to hands-on therapy

My background in healthcare began with St. John as a youth cadet, before studying nursing and working in hospitals in New Zealand, the UK and Canada.

After several years in nursing, I spent four years in a live-in rehabilitation setting in London, supporting a client with significant physical limitations following cervical spine problems.

That experience taught me a lot about persistent pain, recovery and the importance of treating the person rather than simply focusing on a diagnosis .

It also reinforced something that has stayed with me throughout my career: Good treatment starts with listening and paying attention to what the person in front of you actually needs.

An experience that changed how I think about recovery

I worked one-to-one in a live-in rehabilitation role with a man in his 70s who was severely physically limited by pain and restricted movement.

Over four years, through a consistent approach combining exercise, movement, stretching, hands-on treatment, encouragement and accountability, he went from struggling to walk a few hundred metres to ballroom dancing for an hour a day, five days a week.

His recovery was slow and far from linear, with plenty of setbacks along the way. Working with him twice a day, seven days a week, I developed a deep understanding of how a body can change through persistent pain, and how it responds to movement and hands-on treatment.

I learned to listen with my hands.

Most importantly, I learned that recovery takes time, commitment and consistency. Hands-on treatment can play an important role, but it works best as part of a broader approach that helps people move, build confidence and take an active role in their recovery.

My own experience changed the way I work

My own experience of persistent pain has changed the way I work with people today. I believe it has made me a better practitioner, with a deeper understanding of what people are experiencing when they come to see me.

I’ve experienced the deep, gnawing, pinching pain around the hip that makes you wonder whether something is seriously wrong or whether you’ll eventually need a joint replacement. I’ve experienced the strange and unsettling nerve sensations, numbness and weakness that can leave you feeling fragile, uncertain of your body and worried about what you can safely do.

When you’re living with pain like this, it’s not simply a physical sensation. It can affect your confidence, your sleep, your movement and your trust in your own body. Even everyday activities can become difficult, and it’s easy to lose sight of the possibility that things might improve.

I understand how frustrating that can be, particularly when progress is slow. My own recovery taught me that meaningful change often takes time, patience and consistency. Massage can help ease discomfort and make movement feel more manageable, but lasting improvement may also require regular strength, stretching and mobility work, gradually rebuilding confidence and giving the body time to adapt.

This experience shapes how I work today. I take the time to listen, to understand how pain is affecting your life and to work with you at a pace that feels manageable. I don’t expect you to push through pain or promise a quick fix. My aim is to provide hands-on treatment that helps you feel more comfortable, alongside practical advice and simple exercises that can support your progress between sessions.

I know how difficult it can be when your body doesn’t feel the way it used to. I also know that improvement is possible, even when it takes longer than you’d hoped. I bring that understanding, patience and perspective to every treatment.

My Approach

Therapeutic Massage

Hands-on treatment is the foundation of my work. I tailor each treatment to what you’re experiencing, with presser and approach adjusted throughout the session.

Understanding what's going on

I take time to understand what’s been bothering you, what affects it and what you’d like her with.

Practical advice

Where useful, I may suggest simple exercises or strategies that can help between treatments.

I don’t believe every problem needs the same approach. Treatment should be guided by what you’re experiencing, how your body responds and what you’re hoping to get back to doing.

My Approach

Therapeutic Massage

Hands-on treatment is the foundation of my work. I tailor each treatment to what you’re experiencing, with pressure and approach adjusted throughout the session.

Understanding what's going on

I take time to understand what’s been bothering you, what affects it and what you’d like her with.

Strength & self-management

For many people, hands-on treatment is only part of the answer. Building strength and confidence is essential for longer-term progress.

Practical advice

Where useful, I may suggest simple exercises or strategies that can help between treatments.

I don’t believe every problem needs the same approach. Treatment should be guided by what you’re experiencing, how your body responds and what you’re hoping to get back to doing.

My experience

25+ years healthcare experience

A background in Nursing, healthcare and rehabilitation

16+ years hands-on treatment

Extensive experience providing therapeutic massage and hands-on treatment.

Registered Nurse

Bachelor of Nursing, UNITEC

4 years in rehabilitation

Experience supporting people through complex physical limitations.

Therapeutic Massage

More than 16 years of hands-on treatment experience, including Thai massage and therapeutic bodywork.

Yoga

A long-standing part of my own approach to movement, strength and wellbeing.

What you can expect

I take time to understand what’s been bothering you and what you’d like help with.

I’m calm, thoughtful and unhurried.

Your treatment is hands-on and tailored to you. Pressure and approach is adjusted throughout the session.

Where useful, Ill also suggest simple things you can do between treatments.

My aim is straightforward: to help you feel better, move more comfortably and get back to doing the things that matter to you.

Why I do this work

I get a kick out of helping people feel better. Seeing someone move more freely, regain confidence or return to activities they thought they might have lost is incredibly rewarding.

There are no guarantees and no single treatment that works for everyone. But with the right support, a practical approach and consistent effort, meaningful progress is often possible.

My goal is simple: to help you understand your body, move with more confidence and find a practical route out of pain and discomfort.

My experience

25+ years healthcare experience

A broad understanding of health, injury and recovery.

16+ years hands-on treatment

Extensive experience working with acute and persistent pain.