How massage can benefit you
As a massage therapist you would expect me to be a big advocate of touch therapies. We often think of the benefits of touch therapies like massage in terms of our physical health but they also impact out mental wellbeing too. So l wanted to share with you the details of a new report that has found that introducing touch therapies withing the NHS could potentially reduce mental health problems by 10%, potentially reducing sick days by 1.76 million.
The report also concluded that touch therapies including massage can help you manage
- back pain
- neck & shoulder pain
- osteoarthritis
- cancer symptoms and treatment side effects
- fibromyalgia
- HIV/AIDS
- premature infant care
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What is good standing posture?
We all know we need to maintain good posture, but what exactly is good standing posture? Good standing posture When standing, keep these tips in mind:
- Keep your shoulders back and relaxed.
- Pull in your abdomen.
- Keep your feet about hip distance apart.
- Balance your weight evenly on both feet.
- Let your hands hang naturally at your sides.
Take the wall test
To test your standing posture, take the wall test. Stand with your head, shoulder blades and buttocks touching a wall, and have your heels about 2 to 4 inches (about 5 to 10 centimeters) away from the wall. Reach back and slide your hand behind the curve in your lower back, with your palm flat against the wall. Ideally, you'll feel about one hand's thickness of space between your back and the wall. If there's too much space, tighten your abdominal muscles to flatten the curve in your back. If there's too little space, arch your back so that your hand fits comfortably behind you. Walk away from the wall while maintaining this posture. Keep it up throughout your daily activities.Check out your reflection
To see if you're keeping your shoulders straight, stand in front of a mirror. Aim to keep your shoulders square and relaxed.It all adds up
Although good posture should be natural, you might feel wooden or stiff at first if you've forgotten the sensation of standing up straight. The key is to practice good posture all the time. Remember its never to late to start practicing good posture.
Forget what you think you know about Parkinson’s …
There seems to be a trend at the moment of researchers discovering that chronic disease starts in the gut. A theory was proposed in 2003 that was that Parkinson’s which is seen as a brain disease originates in the gut. Now researchers from Aarhus University in Denmark have confirmed that Parkinson’s migrates from the gut. Another important discovery is that the hearts of people with Parkinson’s can also be affected. In fact, the protein alpha-synuclein starts in the gut, then damages the heart before moving on to the brain. They also discovered that it’s in the heart where the damage to the nervous system begins. Researchers now say that a build-up of the protein alpha-synuclein in the gut can be detected up to 20 years before the disease manifests. Researcher Per Broghammer says that understanding where Parkinson’s originates is the first step towards preventing the disease and developing an effective treatment. Reference https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00401-019-02040-w

Headaches – Treatment & Prevention – Part 1
Previously, I explained the different types of headaches. Now I want to explore how you can treat them. Orthodox treatment of headaches is over the counter painkillers, while stronger prescribed medication may be required for migraines. However it should be noted that frequent use of pain killers can trigger what are referred to as rebound or withdrawl headaches. (For more information on withdrawl headaches see >> http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/headaches/Pages/Painkillerheadaches.aspx Or http://www.migrainetrust.org/medication-overuse-headache ) Massage There is scientific evidence to confirm my experience that massing the neck, shoulder & upper back can help alleviate tension headaches and some migraines, specifically the frequency of headaches & the duration of headaches. Researchers believe that two mechanisms could be responsible. Firstly, the increased serotonin could help relieve the headache (many existing headache medications increase serotonin levels). Secondly, the increased hours of sleep and fewer night wakings may lower levels of substance P - a neurotransmitter responsible for pain. So next time you get a headache, consider booking a massage with us. Scientific References
- Cristina Toro-Velasco, Manuel Arroyo-Morales, César Fernández-de-las-Peñas, Joshua A. Cleland, Francisco J. Barrero-Hernández. Short-Term Effects of Manual Therapy on Heart Rate Variability, Mood State, and Pressure Pain Sensitivity in Patients With Chronic Tension-Type Headache: A Pilot Study. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, 2009; 32 (7): 527 DOI: 1016/j.jmpt.2009.08.011
- Quinn C, Chandler C, Moraska A. Massage Therapy and Frequency of Chronic Tension Headaches. Am J Public Health. 2002 October; 92(10): 1657–1661.

