Christmas is coming!

Is it me or is Christmas coming earlier each year? Christmas doos are creeping into November, Easter eggs will probably go on sale on Boxing Day - the world has gone mad. Mind you I can be a bit bah humbug. However, I have found some Christmas spirit and have come up with some special offers which should help if you are devoid of present ideas and watching the pennies.

 

Special Offers (until 31st December 2011)

Gift voucher for a 60 minute massage - £30

Gift voucher for a course of five 60 minute treatments - £150

 

I am constantly updating my training and have just completed a certificate in advanced clinical massage. Conditions that respond well to advanced massage therapy include:

RSI, Tennis Elbow, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Low back, Sciatic, hip and leg pain

Plantar Fasciitis

Neck and shoulder pain, frozen shoulder

Fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome

 

Pampering is also available!

Hot stone massages are a lovely treat for someone special. Smooth basalt stones are heated in water and used to massage and place on the body resulting in a nurturing and relaxing treatment. Heat increases blood supply to muscles and tissue helping them to relax and repair.

 

Chinese facial massage is a deeply relaxing treatment working acupressure points on the face, head, neck and shoulders.

 

I am also trained to treat pregnant clients - massage during pregnancy can be really beneficial - not only providing relaxation and stress relief but targeting problem areas such as the lower back and hips.

 

If you would like to purchase a gift voucher please call me on: 07894630450 or email energize@alicewebster.com

 

Happy Christmas!

Alice

Advanced and Remedial Massage Therapy – how it can help MS sufferers

Massage is often perceived as being all about relaxation and pleasure – everyone knows how great a neck massage or foot rub can feel. But by using the right techniques you can go far to promoting health and general well being too.

Remedial massage or bodywork consists of a variety of techniques to release restrictions in muscle and soft tissue. Tight tissue can pull joints out of alignment, affect posture and refer pain to different parts of the body as well as at the point of the problem.

When working with a client I can address their particular problems and tailor the treatment accordingly, using techniques such as trigger point therapy, myofascial release and hot and cold stones.

Conditions that respond really well to massage therapy are:

v  Repetitive strain, carpal tunnel syndrome, tennis elbow

v  Temporomandibularjoint disorder (TMJ)

v  Neck and shoulder pain, frozen shoulder

v  Low back pain, hip pain, sciatic pain

v  Knee and foot pain, plantar fasciitis

v  Headaches/migraines, stress

I have experience of working with MS sufferers and the main thing that I’ve learnt is that every sufferer has a different story to tell. There is definitely no set treatment plan to follow. Every session involves working to identify and alleviate problem areas. Effective treatment is a case of seeing what works and what doesn’t – ranging from deep tissue work, energy work, using hot or cold, mobilisation and stretching. Treatments need to be tailored to how the client is feeling that day and what is going on around them.

As much as targeting specific problem areas, relaxation and stress relief is just as important and can indeed be the sole purpose of the treatment – just having some ‘time out’ and nurturing touch can be so beneficial and help you to re-connect with your body.

From my experience, treating MS sufferers is a real challenge, but extremely rewarding to be able to help and hopefully make a real difference.

Alice

www.alicewebster.com

07894 630450

Post pregnancy aches and pains

Hi there,

Here's an article I wrote for the last edition of the the Baby Book. Unfortunately, pain experienced during pregnancy doesn't always go away after the baby has arrived. It can also be replaced by other pain patterns as a whole new set of demands are placed on your body!

Ok baby’s here – but why does my body still hurt?

Expectant mums are often told to grin and bear it when experiencing aches and pain during pregnancy. Focus is put on coping with muscular problems, as it’s often difficult to eradicate them whilst pregnant.  So it must be even more frustrating when the pain hangs around after baby arrives, and maybe new aches and pains appear as well.

The body goes through many changes during pregnancy. Posture alters, owing to weight gain primarily on the front of the body, placing extra strain on abdominal and pelvic floor muscles. The body produces hormones which soften ligaments and joints, particularly the pelvis, to enable the baby to pass through the birth canal. These factors all add together to cause back and hip pain for many pregnant women.

So the body has really been put through its paces - and then a whole new set of challenges confront it! Carrying an ever-growing baby in different positions, feeding, bending over and pushing a buggy all take their toll, exacerbated by a lack of sleep and time to focus on yourself. But, with a new arrival to look after, it is all the more important to look after yourself. Being aware of your posture, movement and lifting and taking a few minutes each day to stretch will make a big difference.

Top tips:

Posture – focus on standing tall, imagine a helium filled balloon attached to the crown of your head.

Sitting - make sure you have good lumbar support when sitting, especially when feeding, try not to cross your legs as this puts extra strain on hip and back muscles.

Lifting – bend your knees when lifting keeping your back straight. If bending to pick something up step forward with one leg bending that knee.

Movement – try to avoid repetitive bending and twisting. If you find you are always twisting in one direction try to vary it so you are working the other side of your body as well. Make sure working surfaces are at waist or hip height and alternate sitting and standing jobs.

Top stretches:

Lie on your back on the floor with your knees bent and your feet on the floor. Cross one leg over the other leg and use it to gently push the lower leg to the side and towards the floor - hold for as long as is comfortable 

- up to 60 seconds. Repeat for the other side.

Lie on your back on the floor bend one knee and bring it towards your chest hold for 30 seconds and then guide it over towards the opposite shoulder - hold for another 30 seconds. Repeat for the other side.

Place the heel of one leg on a step, ledge or chair and lean forward slowly keeping the thigh and hips square. Hold for as long as is comfortable up to 60 seconds. Repeat on other leg.

Retract your head keeping your chin tucked down and in and gently bend your neck to one side - ear to shoulder - and keep it there for 30 seconds or as long as is comfortable. Repeat to the
other side.

Gently drop chin to chest (clasp hands behind head and use weight of arms if
you can without it hurting) hold for 30 seconds.

Stand in a doorway with arms at shoulder height and hands on the doorframe.
Step forward with one leg and lean forward so that you can feel a gentle
stretch across the chest - hold for as long as you can. Move hands so that
they are level with your chin and repeat and move hands up so that your arms
are not bent and repeat.

Alice Webster FHT VCTC, remedial massage therapist, specialising in pregnancy, myofascial release and hot stone treatments.

07894 630450

www.alicewebster.com 

Think I need to get out more..

Where has the summer gone? I was sat with a hot water bottle yesterday trying to read up about tilting pelvises  (don't ask..) and had to resort to my blanket whilst watching The Apprentice (what planet is Susan on?). I knew we were doomed when it was so hot at Easter. Somebody has moved the seasons about and not told us - probably Rupert Murdoch. I'm sure we'll have snow on the August bank holiday.

So yesterday was a funny day for me. The dog was gently driving me crazy, his first victim was the TV remote control (unforgivable), then repeated trips into forbidden territory upstairs and appearing with one of my shoes. A trip to the park will sort you out and calm you down I thought. Roscoe decided to intervene in the football coaching because he had some new techniques to try out and then cocked his leg over someones tracksuit top - swift exit park gate left.

So a bit of on-line retail therapy will cheer me up I thought - nice new top, shoes, cd - oh nooo I got a moist heating pad to use in my treatments and I'm so excited!! I've been trying to get one for years but you have to import them from the states for mega bucks. It then hit me that I need to get a life!! Anyway my clients will love me forever xx

Tight Arse..

Ok so my good intentions of blogging every couple of days have already been hindered by Wimbledon, the good weather, reading my new book and my only legitimate excuse - a visit from my Mum.

I had planned a nice long blog when I got back from the sports stretching course I went on in Brighton but as I say have had a bit of a dip in self discipline! Regular stretching is one of the best things you can do to keep yourself in good shape, its great for injury prevention and recovery from chronic pain. Problem is it takes a lot of self discipline to do it regularly and its hard to motivate yourself. When you're not in pain it doesn't always cross your mind to do anything preventative.

I've always used stretches in my treatments but probably not as much as I could so it was great to review the different techniques. Muscle tissue is elastic so in theory will return to its optimum length after being shortened or lengthened. However, this doesn't always happen - the more a muscle and its surrounding soft tissue is held in one position the more likely it is to stay in an overstretched or shortened state. A classic example of this rounded shoulders - working at a key board or driving all day with your arms out in front of you shortens the tissue on the front of the chest and lengthens the tissue on the upper back. This effects the position of the shoulder blades and can cause various pain patterns. So stretching helps to retune everything and remind it where it should be.

Having every muscle group stretched over 3 days was great - you don't always realise how stiff you are until someone grabs hold of a bit of you! Particularly the muscles in my buttocks!! I will keep posting stretches on facebook and will post some stretching routines here on the blog - so stay tuned.

So blog number 2 is complete and I can relax and go back to my book and look forward to Take That on Friday.

Roast chicken for dinner - yum

Alice x

Oh blog it..

OK so I'm a bit late to the blogging party but better late than never. I'm told that Social Media is the way to go so I've upped my game and am trying to share what I know about keeping your muscles and other soft tissues in good shape. I'm tweeting and posting left right and centre and now the blog!

This is where I'm going to share with you the articles I've written for various newsletters, stretching and self massage routines and general musings of a nerdy, massage therapy bore. Oh and probably a lot about my dog Roscoe - my other obsession! So stay tuned!