Migraines - a game of triggers

As a former migraine sufferer my heart goes out to anyone who gets any type of regular headache. Migraines can be so debilitating - an attack can last between 4 and 72 hours and sufferers experience an average of 13 attacks each year. It's not clear what causes migraines but it has been discovered that they start in the brain with misfiring of neurotransmitters which set in place a chain reaction effecting how sensory information such as pain, light or sound is dealt with by the brain. Migraine symptoms include: throbbing pain usually on one side of the head; visual disturbances; nausea and vomiting; sensitivity to light, noise and smells.

They are many factors which can trigger an attack and for most sufferers it takes a combination of 6 or so to push you over the threshold. Triggers can precede an attack by as much as 6 to 8 hours. Examples of triggers, as identified by Migraine Action, are:

Emotional stress - anger; worry; tension; excitement; shock depression; the end of a stressful or busy time.

Physical Stress - over-exertion/tiredness; change in sleep patterns; bending or stooping; changes in routine; travelling; tension in the neck and/or shoulders.

Diet/food - lack of food or infrequent meals; dehydration; hypoglycemia; foods containing mono-sodium glutamate caffeine and tyramine;  specific foods such as chocolate, citrus fruits and cheese; alcohol.

Environmental - bright, flickering or flashing lights; loud noise; intense or penetrating smells; change of climate or weather; smoking; stuffy atmosphere.

Hormones - menstruation and pre-menstrual period; puberty; menopause; contraceptive pill; hormone replacement therapy; pregnancy (although 75% of mothers find their migraines cease in the later stages of pregnancy owing to the stability of hormone levels at this time)

Other triggers - use of sleeping tablets; high blood pressure; dental problems; eye strain; sinus problems; anything that causes pain or discomfort to the face, neck or head.

Figuring out what triggers your migraines can be so frustrating - you could have 3 or 4 triggers present all the time and then it will only take something else to come along and you may have an attack. Keeping a migraine diary is a really useful tool for working out what your triggers are.

Trigger points (knots in a muscle that refer pain to other parts of the body) in several of the different neck muscles can cause pain in the head and when palpated can reproduce the pain or sensation felt during a headache or migraine. It's well worth having an assessment by a health care professional to see if the muscles and tissue around the head, neck and shoulders may be one of your triggers (they were for me). A clinical/remedial massage therapist will be able to assess the soft tissue, treat it and provide relaxation and stress relief which could really make inroads into those migraine triggers. This is why I love massage!

The following websites provide excellent information on Migraines:
The Migraine Trust
Migraine Action
NHS Choices

Good luck in finding those triggers and zapping them!

Alice x

Posture - how's your middle?

I spend a lot of my time lecturing people about posture and how important it is. I am a total hypocrite though as I've had horrible head and neck pain today from falling asleep in a really awkward position in the armchair last night. It's no coincidence that pain often follows asking your muscles and surrounding tissue to do something they're not designed to do.

The musculo-skeletal system is basically a series of hinges, ropes and pulleys! Think of the vertebrae in your neck as building blocks and the associated muscles as guy ropes. If your neck is nice and straight and your head is not tilting upwards, downwards or to one side then the blocks are nicely aligned and there is no unnecessary tension in the guy ropes. This tension can overstretch or shorten muscles and over time the tissue surrounding them kindly holds them in their new position! This is when trigger points and tender spots are created which can cause a lot of pain. Tight muscles can also pull joints out of alignment which can increase wear and tear leading to osteoarthritis. Unhappy muscles can also press down on (trap) nerves causing a variety of symptoms. Apply this to the whole body and you can see why posture is so important.

Discussing posture and how to correct it can become extremely technical but you can't really go wrong if you imagine a hellium balloon attached to the top of your head pulling you upwards and creating more space between your pelvis and rib cage - it feels great!  Also gently slide your shoulder blades down your back.

Yoga, pilates and soft tissue therapies such as massage are great ways of re-balancing the body and helping you to correct your posture.

Here endeth the lesson!

Take a tablet for neck pain?

The world seems to have gone tablet crazy - I think I've been a bit slow joining this particular party but now I've got one I absolutely love it. I have been known to watch TV on it in the lounge because I'm too lazy to get up and switch the television on...

However, I don't know about you but mine gives me a right pain in the neck after a while. The nature of tablets means that you probably aren't sat at a desk in a nice upright position with good posture when you're using them. Even with a case that creates a wedge to tilt the screen up, if its on your lap or a table you are having to bend you head downwards which puts a strain on your neck muscles.

Here are a few things you can do after a tablet session to help look after your neck:

Its important to have good posture when stretching so stand nice and tall and imagine a helium balloon attached to the top of your head pulling you upwards

• head retractions - move your head slowly but steadily backwards until it is pulled back as far as you can manage - keep you chin tucked down and in as you do this - this will make sure that you are looking straight ahead and not tilting the head up. Repeat 10 times.
•  Retract your head 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.
• Finish with another 10 head retractions

Remember stretches shouldn't hurt so if they do reduce the stretch or stop. If you are getting persistent neck and shoulder pain or headaches its always best to be assessed by your GP.

Anyway back to YouTube - they must be some more dancing border terriers I've missed...

Happy 2013!

Well that's another year gone but I think it will probably stand out for many us. The Jubilee, Olympics and crazy weather all played their part. I had a fabulous 2012 not least because I married the lovely Gareth in April.

My massage practice has continued to go from strength to strength and celebrated its 6th birthday! Its a real joy supporting people with various conditions, aches and pains. Clients continue to come to me with a variety of conditions that can often be helped by easing restrictions in muscles and other soft tissue. Everything from carpal tunnel syndrome to Osteoarthritic hips, migraine headaches and lots of neck, shoulder and low back pain. The great thing about massage therapy is that you can combine therapeutic techniques with relaxation and stress relief. Treating in 60 minute sessions means that you can work holistically to make sure that the body can come back into balance. Often the site of the pain is not where the cause of the problem is. The more I treat people the more I learn about different conditions and how the body works - its exciting stuff!

Here's to a 2013 filled with health and happiness.

Alice x

Having a stay-cation? 

Want to shut your eyes and imagine lying on the beach with the sun on your back? 

Why not come and have a hot stone massage. I'm running a special offer from 7th to 10th August 

60 minutes for £30 - a real bargain!

  

Hot stone massage is often thought of as a treatment solely to provide relaxation and pampering. However, used as tools to heat or cool tissues and muscles, a treatment can be so much more. The stones are smooth basalt and can either be heated in water or frozen.

The benefits of heat include:

• an increase in local circulation bringing nutrition and removing waste
• an increase in lymphatic fluid movement removing damaged cellular debris
• aiding relaxation of muscles
• acting as a natural pain killer
• increasing the ability to therapeutically stretch tissue and muscle

The benefits of cold include:

• healing time is reduced owing to a slowing of cellular metabolism
• swelling and heat from new injuries is reduced
• pain is reduced as sensory signals are slowed and pain tolerance is increased
• muscle soreness and tightness is reduced

There are also many benefits to alternating the application of heat and cold to the body. The use of hot and cold in quick succession provides a flushing of the blood and tissue fluids.

So whether you want to feel some lovely heat on your body, be cooled down (it could be hot next week..) or address some aches and pains a stone massage could be the perfect solution.

Slots are limited so book now!

Hello there

I hope you've all enjoyed the sunshine today, it certainly cheered me up. I'm still feeling slightly guilty for buying a fan for the treatment room during the last spell of hot weather because from that moment the weather has been pretty rubbish - so clearly it's all my fault!

I am happy to say I have a new and improved website - have a look and please forward the link to anyone who you think may be interested. Thank you to my friend Mark who worked long and hard on it and had to put up with my nagging!

www.alicewebster.com

You'll be happy to know that they'll be no price increases this year and I've introduced some new treatment packages:

Pregnancy packages:

six 60 minute treatments £200 (£40 discount)

three 60 minute treatments £105 (£15 discount)

Sports event prep packages:

six 30 minute treatments £115 (£35 discount)

three 30 minute treatments £60 (£15 discount)

If you would like to buy a package for yourself or a friend and the above don't suit I would be happy to tailor a package for you.

I'm also offering longer 90 minute treatments for £55 which are ideal for addressing problem areas and combining pampering. Hot stones are at no extra cost - just let me know if you would like them so I don't forget to switch the heater on!

That's all for now but I will be back soon with tips on how to keep yourself in good shape.

Alice x

Pregnancy Massage – much more than ‘fluff and buff’!

Many women think about having a massage when they are pregnant in the knowledge that looking after themselves is the best way to look after their baby.  For expectant mothers who work full time or already have children having a massage may be the only time they get to really focus on themselves and their baby.

A massage therapist trained to treat pregnant clients will focus on treating particular parts of the body that can be problematic during pregnancy. With gentle massage techniques and stretches restrictions in muscles and soft tissue can be released, easing aches and pains.

The benefits of a massage during pregnancy can include:

• Relaxation and decreased insomnia
• Stress relief on weight bearing joints such as ankles, lower back and pelvis
• Neck, back, leg and sciatic pain relief
• Assistance in maintaining proper posture
• Preparing the muscles used in childbirth
• Reduced swelling in hands and feet
• Fewer calf cramps
• Headache and sinus congestion relief

Stress can be common for mums to be; many medical experts highlight the benefits of relaxation for both mother and baby and claim that it leads to a positive birth experience. The power of touch is beneficial to everyone and can be invaluable during pregnancy. Just to feel that you are being looked after and are the entire focus of someone else for the length of the treatment makes a big difference. It can allow you to completely switch off in a warm, safe and comfortable environment. Receiving nurturing touch and in a way being mothered yourself can allow a woman to connect to her maternal instincts.

Lying down in a comfortable position for an hour may seem like an impossible dream! Specialist tables with a cut out hole for the bump are around, but they can actually place more strain on the back and ligaments around the pelvis so should be avoided. Lying on your side with as many cushions and bolsters as necessary is best. How much clothing you take off is completely up to you; a treatment carried out over clothing won’t be any less beneficial or enjoyable.

The benefits of massage do not stop after your bundle of joy has arrived – having a child to look after shouldn’t mean you should stop looking after yourself. A treatment provides that all important  ‘time out’ and can promote a mother’s recovery from child birth, particularly a caesarean section. Massage can help realignment of the spine, pelvis and muscles stretched by pregnancy and address the physical strain of carrying and caring for a newborn baby. 

Massage both before and after childbirth can be so much more than a relaxation routine, as well as looking after your body it helps you prepare for and cope with becoming a mother.