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What ailments can Reflexology help with?

Reflexology is a complementary therapy which is rapidly growing in popularity due to its well established reputation for helping patients de-stress and relax.  My clients have found it particular effective for:

  • PMT/PMS
  • Headaches and migraines
  • Sinus problems (including sinus pain, sinusitis, and nasal congestion)
  • Stress and anxiety  (including panic attacks)
  • Digestive disorders (including constipation and irritable bowel syndrome)
  • Stiffness
  • Depression
  • Tiredness (including Chronic Fatigue Syndrome)
  • Pregnancy (including constipation ,backache, pains, fluid retention and swelling)
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What helps fights colds? Part 1

Its that time of year when people tend to get colds, so I wanted to share some tips on natural ways to fight colds. Vitamin C The first thing I reach for when I feel I am run down or coming down with a cold is high dose Vitamin C.  There is scientific evidence to suggest that taking vitamin C can shorten a cold by nearly 20%. Zinc One study showed that if kids take a zinc supplement they reduce the number of colds they get by 50%.  If you take zinc when you start getting a cold it can help to shorten the duration of the cold. Pelargonium Sidoides An African herb is the key ingredient in Umcka ColdCare.  Studies sho that this herbal remedy can help resolve coughs, especially chesty coughs and relieve sore throats. Salt For sore thoats, I normally gargle with salt water.  Please be careful not to swollow it as it will make you vomit.  I then make a tea, by adding hot water to a chunk (2 cms) of fresh ginger, a slice of lemon and tea spoon of honey. References Strohle, A., Hahn, A. 2009. Vitamin C and immune function. Med Monastsschr Pharm. Feb; 32(2):49-54. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19263912 Douglas RM, Hemilä H, Chalker E, Treacy B. Vitamin C for preventing and treating the common cold. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2007 Jul 18;(3):CD000980. Review. Update in: Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013;1:CD000980  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17636648 Heydarian F, Behmanesh F, Daluee M, Kianifar H, Hematian M. The role of zinc sulfate in acute bronchiolitis in patients aged 2 to 23 months. Iran J Pediatr. 2011;21(2):231-4.  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3446156/ Singh M, Das RR. Zinc for the common cold. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013 Jun 18;(6):CD001364.  Update in: Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015;(4):CD001364    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23775705  

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What is the difference between sports and deep tissue massage?

Deep tissue is a very descriptive name and is self-explanatory.  The confusion comes when it is compared to sports massage.  The big difference is the focus. Sports massage is dedicated to

  • improving sports performance
  • prevention of and treating sports injuries
The reasons for booking a sports massage are:
  • You work out religiously, but aren't as relgious about stretching
  • You cycle or run to work and don't think to stretch
  • You play sports but don't cross train so have specific trouble spots
  • Your performance (in a particular sport) has dropped
  • You have a history of injuries and want to reduce the likely hood of further injuries
Deep Tissue massage is a problem solving massage for everyone. The reasons for booking a deep tissue massage are:
  • You work at a computer all day and your neck, shoulders & back are chronically sore
  • You are so tense your back feels like concrete
  • You have tired achy legs
  • You are in pain
  • You are stiff (or are unable to move your neck/arm/leg freely)
  • You are stressed or anxious
  • You have a knot or a muscle spasm
To book a treatment click here.  
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Hypertension – Introduction

HyperTension   Every year May 17th is dedicated to World Hypertension Day (WHD).  The purpose of WHD is to promote public awareness of hypertension.  In keeping with the spirit of the day, I am going to blog about Hypertension throughout May. So what is Hypertension? It is a stage of great psychological stress which causes abnormally high blood pressure.  The graphic to the left, indicates what is considered, low, normal, pre-high blood pressure and high blood pressure. We all know that if we go to the GP they check our blood pressure, but why is it so important? Firstly high blood pressure or hypertension is very common, according to the NHS it affects 1 in 4 adults in the UK.  Secondly it has no symptoms hence it is often referred to as the silent killer.   Thirdly it is the simply most significant risk factor for a range of diseases including:

  1. heart disease
  2. congestive heart failure
  3. stroke
  4. kidney disease
  5. dementia
The good news is that high blood pressure or hypertension is very easy to treat with mediation.  In addition there are a wide variety of lifestyle changes and therapy treatments that may assist hypertension. Read part 2
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Running & Running Injuries

In the UK around 10.5 million people run or jog as a leisure activity and or fitness activity.  Running injuries are common and may variables can contribute.  Running injuries can happen to both experienced and inexperienced runners - up to 79% of runners with get injured in any one year. Most running injuries occur in the lower extremities as you would expect.  With the knee being the most common injured site followed by the lower leg, foot and upper leg.  The top five injuries are:

  1. Patellofemoral pain - generic term for describe pain at the front and around the knee cap.
  2. Illiotibial band (ITB) syndrome - pain on the outside of the knee.
  3. Tibial stress fractures/syndrome - fatigue induced stress fracture.
  4. Plantar fasciitis - pain in the heel or bottom of the foot.
  5. Achilles tendonitis - pain, swelling and stiffness of the achilles tendon.
All the above injuries apart from stress fractures can be treated with sports massage. The high rate of injury among runners is a cause for concern so in future posts I will look at the common causes we see in clinic and discuss how to prevent injuries. Reference Sports Marketing Surverys Inc (2014) UK's running population reaches a remarkable 10.5m says Sports Marking Surverys Inc. A Altman, IS Davis (2012) Barefoot running: biomechanics and implications for running injuries.  Current Sports Medicine Reports 11(5):244-50 JE Taunton, MB Ryan, DB Clement, DC McKenzie et al (2002) A retrospective case-control analysis of 2002 running injuries.  British Journal of Sports Medicine 36(2):95-101
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Are their any side effects of Reflexology treatments?

The aim of Reflexology is to restore harmony within the client and instil a sense of well being.   During a Reflexology treatment, some clients experience fleeting sensations in their body.   As part of restoring the body to balance some clients may notice subtle changes in their appetite, changes to their sleeping pattern, dream more often, go to the loo more often or feel tired.   All of these reactions are short lived and the vast majority of my reflexology clients simply report that they felt tired after the treatment and then slept better.

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Muscle Soreness after exercise

We all know that postural muscles get tired and that creates knots. But muscles also get tired after exercises, this is called DOMS - delayed onset muscle soreness. DOMS is characterised by a dull, aching pain in the affected muscle, often combined with tenderness and stiffness. The pain is typically felt only when the muscle is stretched, contracted or put under pressure, but otherwise the muscle feels fine. The soreness usually increases in intensity in the first 24 hours after exercise. It peaks from 24 to 72 hours, then subsides and disappears up to seven days after exercise. DOMS can be the reason why sporty people feel aches and pains when they are treated if they have recently been pushing themselves when exercising. Unfortunately stretching or warming up the muscles does not prevent DOMS but gradually increasing the intensity of the exercise does. If treatment is desired, any measure that increases blood flow to the muscle, such as hot baths, sauna or a massage may help.

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Muscle cramps during Pregnancy

Previously I have looked at nutritional factors that contribute to muscle cramps, now I want to move on to lifestyle factors. Pregnancy Leg cramps may start to plague you during your second trimester and may get worse as your pregnancy progresses and your belly gets bigger. While these cramps can occur during the day, you'll probably notice them most at night, when they can interfere with your ability to get a good night's sleep.  You may want to see a nutritionalist to determine if you are short of calcium and magnesium as inadequate levels of both of these minerals have been associated with muscle cramps during pregnancy.  You may also want to  

  • Avoid standing or sitting with your legs crossed for long periods of time.
  • Stretch your calf muscles regularly during the day and several times before you go to bed.
  • Rotate your ankles and wiggle your toes when you sit, eat dinner, or watch TV.
  • Lie down on your left side to improve circulation to and from your legs.
  It is safe to have massage from the 12 week of pregnancy, and in our clinic we have sucessfully eased the pain of pregnancy related muscle cramps.
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Foam Rolling Guide – Part 2

In Part 1 I introduced the concept of foam rolling and explained what it is.  In part 2 I want to give you my tips and techniques. How long should you foam roll? For general maintenance, each muscle should be focused on for up to 2 minutes at a time.  I know many of my readers are highly educated and now there are over 600 muscle in the body – don’t worry you don’t need to foam roll them all!  You focus on the ones that feel tight and in need of the foam rolling. How to use a foam roller if you hunch over your desk all day? To open up your chest you can lay on the foam roller so it is underneath your spine – for about 10 minutes and this will open up your back & chest. Any more tips? You can essentially foam roll any part of your body.  You just start and place with the movement, speed and pressure to see what works for you.  But don’t expect it to feel comfortable – those tender spots are the ones that need the help most.  I would suggest you start off slowly and build up time, speed and pressure slowly. The outside of the thighs (or IT bands) are an area of tightness for runners and cyclists and its highly accessible on a foam roller.  The larger muscles in the legs, quads (front of thighs), hamstrings (back of thighs), calf musles are very easy to foam roll.  

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Tips to prevent lower back pain.

While on holiday I suddenly moved and strained my lower back muscles.  My muscle strain was sorted out by a combination of massage, stretches and back exercises.  So as I have now returned from sunny Bulgaria I thought I would remind people (including me) how to preventing lower back pain.

  1. Avoid sudden jerky movements. (Note to self, that includes while on holiday).
  2. Never slouch.
  3. Switch sitting positions often and periodically walk around or gently stretch muscles to relieve tension.
  4. Don’t bend over without supporting your back.
  5. Try to maintain your ideal body weight.  Too much upper body weight can strain your lower back.
  6. Sleep on your side to reduce any curve in your spine, and always sleep on a firm surface.
  7. Lift with your legs.
  8. If you smoke, quit.  Smoking reduces blood flow to the lower spine and causes the spinal discs to degenerate.
  9.  Wear flat shoes with cushioned soles as they can help reduce the pressure on your back.
  10. Regular exercise, such as walking and swimming, is an excellent way of preventing back pain.  In addition Yoga & Pilates can strengthen your core muscles reducing the strain on your back and improving the flexibility of your spine.
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07712 529652
joanne@vitalitytherapy.co.uk

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