Home Self Care – Back pain tips

Back pain tips

I put together 6 simple tips for how to take care of back pain, in particular when its an annoying niggle and you are trying to work out what it is, where it came from and what to do to take care and improve the pain, have a read below.

1 Morning slowness movement

1. How do you take care of any back twinges? The first tip is movement. You have probably heard the advice, don’t sit still, yet are worried about moving as you are not sure which sort of movement could irritate it? Its true sitting still for long periods will make any twinges/tightness/aches worse. Move in a way that feels supportive, such as walking, a simple Pilates routine, or a gentle morning yoga video on Utube, I would suggest yoga where you are checking in with your body and feeling out your posture in a way that is good for you.

Stretches are beneficial, but overstretching isn’t! Just start with a few gentle moves, here is an example, I start every morning with gradually rolling back and letting my back align on the floor (it usually crunches for me) relax your shoulders, feel your spine fully on the floor, move your neck slowly from side to side. Start to curl up your lower back, so pelvis tilted upwards to move around the lower back/sacral area. Bring your knees in and hug them, rock gently from side to side, backwards and forwards along the spine, do a figure of 8. Circle your hips, then use your abs and momentum to sit yourself up. Yeay for moving our backs in a supportive way. 

2. Epsom salts or arnica in your bath

Epsom salts or a 30c arnica capsule in your bath. There is a reason why athletes and dancers use Epsom salts, they work! An Epsom salt bath can soothe aching muscles, relax you and provide yummy magnesium to soothe the body. Take extra care as they can make things slippy, also no longer than 20 minutes in the bath.

Arnica is perfect for relaxing tired, overworked muscles, especially good for bruising. If you don’t have a bath, you can take an arnica capsule internally or rub some arnica cream onto the affected area.

 

3. Schedule in relaxation time

Schedule in time to totally relax. Relaxation is the best medicine and that can look different for each person, for me it’s literally scheduling in some time to do nothing and asking your body what does it need to feel better. That could look like going out for a walk in nature, listening to the birds, going to the sauna (in our lockdown dreams), meditation, have a bath and an early night.

Whatever it is you need to do to make your back smile again, be gentle on yourself and know that you are a soft animal body that needs relaxing care right now.

PS Ted’s fav way to relax is to literally sit in bed and look at the clouds passing and the occasional bird flying over (we have a skylight)

Relax with ted caring for you treatments

4. Adjusting your schedule

That’s something we have all had to experiment with during the pandemic! ✨Sometimes unexpected things crop up (that’s life peeps) the same with an injury, it can stop us doing what we love, for example gardening or training, you may need to slow down and that can be tricky for some, but also there are benefits to relaxing back into your body and re-considering your schedule, that includes a training schedule.

✨Ask yourself, what actually is an essential task that can’t wait?
✨Clearing time to take care of your injury is numero uno priority, it’s also a perfect excuse to stop rushing around.

✨Don’t forget cherubs to keep your fluids topped up with plenty of water. Water will help aid your body to be hydrated and fascia loves to be hydrated, (fascia is a connective web that envelopes muscles, ligaments and joints). Water can also flush out any toxins and support the body to do its job best. If your body is inflamed, which it often is with an injury, water will support your lymphatic system to flush out any debris that is not wanted and reduce the swelling.

✨I would also recommend joint capsules such as these, they are natural and made by a company that is carbon neutral as well as housed in sustainable packaging. They have yummy things in to benefit the entire musculoskeletal system such as Turmeric, Frankincense and Calcium from an algae.

Back care tips Bristol

6 Reflect and protect 

Take note of what happened prior to the pain/niggle, so symptoms you feel and taking stock of what has been happening over the last few months. This could be mental/physical/emotional stress to potentially weaken things or contribute to the niggle or pain.

When are your symptoms worse or better? Use your own natural intelligence to work out what you see you need to do to support yourself. A maximum 10-minute ice pack can help if there is swelling. Keeping an area warm for example using a hot water bottle around your lower back/kidney area can soothe too.

To conclude

So there you have it, my 6 easeful tips to take of a niggly back and if your still getting trouble from your back, then reach out here for an alignment treatment and I will support you. We will work through steps to work out possible causes, reduce and eliminate your pain and send you off more relaxed and hopefully a bit clearer about taking care of your body.

The pros and cons of Bowen Technique

The pros and cons of Bowen Technique

I plan to share some of the many bowen therapy pros and cons. This is based on my experience of receiving Bowen over the past 20 years and practicing it for 5 years. In a nutshell, Bowen therapy is a relaxing alignment technique, providing pain relief and increase in mobility. 

❤ It is sooooooooooooooooooo relaxing – literally it calms down your ANS, er what is this? Part of the nervous system (system of nerves) that takes us out of fight or flight, (too much adrenaline/fight = adrenal fatigue) therefore it supports your digestion, sleep, blood flow and sexual response, oh so now your interested eh?

❤ It can help reduce pain & inflammation – I love working with peeps that are ready to commit to being pain free, you deserve to be.

❤ It can increase your movement in your joints and muscles – yipsters

❤ It provides freedom to do what you love to do, but pain free!

❤ It can support healing of trauma from old & new acute injuries

❤ It can relieve back pain, sciatica and spinal problems, see some of my case studies here.

❤ It can ease joint pain and restrictions

❤ It can ease respiratory conditions

❤ It can help pre and post recovery of an operation

❤ It can ease sports injuries, such as a pulled hamstring, athletes such as Michael Owen, Jonny Wilkinson and Bear Grylls have all received Bowen treatments.

❤ You become more aware of your weaker areas after receiving a treatment and what your body is supported by to prevent injury from happening again.

❤ It improves posture – over time and from repeated moves, fascia becomes sticky and restricted. Fascia is a web like substance which surrounds all the muscles, ligaments and joints. With Bowen Technique, we work to free up fascia, this supports to unwind, restrictions and free up compensation patterns, providing a straighter, freer, lighter you.

❤Its a nice relaxing way to receive alignment as opposed to through strong alignment manipulation – some manipulation therapies require forcing bones back to alignment but often this is stressful and dosent hold, with bowen, your body receives the moves and processes where to make the changes,  realigning itself in a relaxing way.

❤ It encourages the bodies own self-healing mechanism, so your body does its own healing – Bodies are so clever and many of us don’t really understand how they work or how connected they are, in bowen when we make a move all the stretch receptors in the skin tissue and the brain are communicating.

Bowen cons

❤ It is a lighter touch and it’s not hands on all the time, so those used to hands on all the time massage, might feel a bit like they want more squidging. Would you ask your dentist or osteopath for a massage? No, the same with Bowen its a technique to support those that need help and there is no need to fluff it up, however it is still relaxing, I often do some lovely moves around the face and feet for extra relaxation.

❤ Some can find it hard to understand how it works, if its not painful or hands on all the time. A lot of us are used to the idea that you need to feel pain to see an improvement, whilst its perfect to choose what you see best supports you, this is a myth that you need to feel pain to see improvement. Like many of our beliefs and systems in society, they can be a bit out dated. So, I also am very patience to educate and introduce those that are already and wiling to re-education in how we take care of ourselves. 

So, to conclude I hope I explained some of the many benefits of Bowen, its a relatively unheard of treatment, but the effects are so incredible.

Book a bowen treatment here

Loss of Libido in Menopause

Menopause and Hormone Balancing

I share an introduction to hormone balancing, including offering support with loss of libido in menopause.

During menopause there is an imbalance of estrogen and progesterone, both of these need to be balanced in equal amounts in the body, as they support each other (although have very different roles).

When menses stops, the GnRH (gonadotropin-releasing hormone) located in the brain’s hypothalamus can become overactive, producing symptoms, as the ovaries are not doing their usual job of producing estrogen and progesterone, as part of menses. Therefore symptoms occur and yes you can feel irritable, miserable, depressed, strange, cranky, grief, loss of libido in menopause and many more stories spiral out in the mind and body.

It’s important to know you are not alone, you never need to collapse in to any stories, your body is in need of some support, so reach out.

HRT (hormone replacement therapy) the most conventional method of treatment, doesn’t always work for everyone and can have side effects. 

Hormone balancing or hormone release technique works naturally without synthetic hormones through relaxation, nudging the body gently into harmony.

Alignment takes place over the coccyx and TMJ, which support the pituitary gland & hypothalamus to soften & regulate. The ovaries & uterus are also worked over to provide a balanced happy body (these points are accessed over the abdomen in a non-invasive way) 

Bowen works directly over fascia, a web like substance that surrounds all tissues, cells, muscles & joints.

I would advise asking your doctor for a salivary hormone test, to detect which hormone you are deficient in. Very few western women are deficient in estrogen, at menopause estrogen levels reduce from 40 to 60% but progesterone falls to zero! Both of these are needed to be addressed. Symptoms are also a great way to detect hormone balance:-

Estrogen Deficiency Symptoms

Vaginal dryness

Hot flushes

UTI

Small doses of estrogen may help

Estrogen Excess Symptoms

Weight gain

Water retention 

Breast swelling

Headaches 

Hypertension 

Insomnia 

Mood swings

Anxiety 

Symptoms supported with Bowen Technique are hot flashes, vaginal dryness, loss of libido, mood swings, tender breasts, insomnia, anxiety, migraines, bladder weakness and incontinence.

Typically treatments are 1 week apart, with a reduction of symptoms this then is 2-4 weeks apart.

Contact me to schedule a free consultation to see if this is the right programme for you.

 

I just want to be taken care of

How do I care for you?

Yep, you’ve guessed it, I love caring and I would love to break down all the ways I care for you during a treatment with me.

Aroma diffuser – I always hand pick an essential oil to create a relaxing, amazing smelling therapy space for you.

The music I play is super relaxing as it is created by a pianist for relaxing treatments, but the pianist is meditating whilst playing, so that carries a soothing relaxing power, yeah.

I have an extra wide comfy high grade couch for you to recline on or zzzzzz on.  Often people say, “I could just fall asleep already”

The therapy room has a chilled ambience carefully created to be super cosy and relaxing.

Eco friendly treatment space

I ask direct and clear questions in the consultation to look together whats needed to fully support you.

I have an understanding of many therapies, which means I can bring all different skills to the table.

I have a natural healing gift – (received from my nan)

I aim to reply to you within 24 hours

From the moment you walk through the door, throughout the treatment and after you leave, I am totally present and focused on supporting your health with all of my skills. (kind and caring are my big strengths)

I practice an ancient mind relaxation technique from a guru, so I hold a stable mind and presence and can see things clearly and that helps others to relax too.

Happy being with guru

I take time to care for myself to be the best therapist – (reading up, evaluating, upgrading, spas, pilates, fresh air, dancing, sleeping, good food, hydrated, receiving treatments myself)

I only offer bespoke treatments just for you.

I love caring and treating people.

I do all that I can to support someone, yet I encourage self care empowerment. 

I am very in tune with people’s bodies (feedback from clients)

I’m happy to share that I treat in an eco-friendly home, see my green policy here.

I have amazing listening skills, and I truly love to meet you where you are at, understand and support you.

Caring for you listening

I have a BSc Health Sciences degree in Complementary Therapies (hons) now I’m just showing off, but this is more for you to understand, how much I value my work and would love to support you. 

I love working with clients who are:

  • tired, stressed out, in need of some pampering and relaxation.
  • have back, neck or shoulder pain/injury/restriction and need some realignment.
  • struggling with menopausal symptoms and would like some hormonal balancing.

Contact me here for more information or to book a treatment.

Bowen Technique Bristol – What is Bowen Technique

What is Bowen Technique?

Bowen Technique is a soft tissue technique where the therapist makes a rolling move over precise points of the body, working over muscles, fascia, ligaments and nerves. This sends neurological impulses to the brain, creating a vibrational pattern that re-aligns the muscular-skeletal system, improving muscle flexibility, movement and posture.

Bowen can relax and relieve stress, as it works mainly via the autonomic nervous system, therefore producing good results by penetrating to a deep cellular level. It is also balancing to all the systems of the body.

rolling move over precise point

What to expect from a Bowen treatment?

A Bowen treatment can give immediate relief and you will experience benefits over a very short course of treatments, as little as 1 to 3 sessions.

Practitioners will treat you over thin clothes or underwear and you will be covered using towel techniques similar to traditional massage at all times. There is NO forceful manipulation. 

Pauses are inserted between sets of rolling moves to give the brain time to integrate and process the treatment. This is when Bowen ‘asks’ the body to recognise and make the changes it requires. Each pause allows the body to hold the adjustments for longer, ‘the body prefers a whisper to a shout’ and in the week after your treatment, the body continues to respond and re-adjust safely according to its needs.

During the pauses, your therapist may stay or choose to leave the room to reduce interference with the healing process. It is a relaxing experience and unique for each person. You may encounter a number of sensations and reactions during your treatment such as changes in pain, movement of pain, feeling a change in symptoms or change in temperature

Relaxing treatment for health care

How does it work?

Bowen influences the body through the connective tissue known as fascia. Fascia plays a major role in muscle coordination, postural alignment, and overall structural and functional integrity.

A Bowen treatment aims to help the body as a whole – helping bring the body back into balance, while also addressing the injury/pain site.

Posture and compensatory patterns are also assessed, to ensure the problem has a higher chance of staying resolved.

An example below of side effects when the pelvis is out of alignment.

Pelvis misalignment bowen


What can it help?

This treatment is perfect for those that have musculoskeletal discomfort, misalignments, exercise/sports injury, a previous injury that never fully resolved, tension, want some support with your posture and in need of some relaxation too! 

  • Back pain & Sciatica

  • Neck & Shoulder Restrictions, including Frozen Shoulder

  • Migraines & Headaches

  • Pelvic Tilt/misalignment, uneven Foot Length

  • Knee, Ankle & Foot complaints

  • Hormonal Imbalances/Fertility complaints

  • Pre & Postoperative Recovery

  • RSI, Carpal Tunnel & Tennis Elbow

  • Sports injuries & Accident Injuries (can support realignment after accidents and falls)

  • Stress Reducing & Emotional Release from tissues & cells

  • TMJ & Jaw complaints

  • General wellness maintenance (Like for your car, you can do the same for your health and wellbeing)

Booking details found here.

See also my back pain case studies blog too.