Back Pain Tips – 10 Ways to Take Care of your Back

 

Back care support caring for you treatments

1 Backpack

Two straps are better than one, can you imagine if everyday you wear a bag on one shoulder, slowly the muscles will adapt to balance out wearing the bag. They may rise up on the bag wearing side and to counter act this, the mid back may tilt for balance, the neck will tilt to counteract the change and then the pelvis will tilt up. It only takes 30 days for the muscles to adapt a new posture.  See direct example below.

So in a nutshell both straps for a happy back.

2. Footwear

Yeay for taking care of our feet. They carry us around, they put up with wearing all sorts of shoe shapes & heel heights, they provide stability, posture support, they carry natural waste (uric acid & calcium deposits) products in the form of crystals, there are loads of nerve endings here, they need care, put them in shoes that support all aspects of your foot. Pumps are death to feet. If you wear flip flops a lot, consider how much harder your muscles in the feet are gripping hold. I love Ecco & Hotter shoes, which are both UK companies & sandals that have straps so my feet are happy, secure & supported.

3 Posture awareness

How often do you bring the focus back internally, to how you are sat, are you relaxed? You can try this be isolating an area, tensing it then relaxing it, hunch your shoulders to your ears, then relax them down and back, tighten up your face muscles then relax them, especially the eye area. If you repeat this naturally when you remember, you will have greater awareness of your posture & can sense when you are sat in a way that doesn’t support you. Here is a simple beginners guide to this exercise.

4 Alignment treatments

Do you feel a bit wonky? Do you notice some areas have a restricted range of motion? Alignment treatments can prevent injury, soothe pain/injury, increase range of movement, improve posture & relaxation.

Bowen is what I love & practice, so it is my go-to, when I have an injury. Yes it can be used immediately on an injury, think of me as an emergency musculoskeletal support. Bowen is the perfect treatment to calm the nervous system immediately after an accident/injury and it removes the shock/trauma from the body, instantly relaxing you & prepping the body for restoration. Bowen supports to align fascia, surrounding all muscles, joints and nerves, therefore benefits are pain reduction, more range of movement and quicker recover time. The sooner the better, benefits felt from 1 treatment,  but typically 3 are recommended, 1 week apart. In my own experience and my clients, recovery is quicker with Bowen & you can get back on with your life again.

5 Sitting position

Getting clear on how we sit at work, when watching the TV or driving. then imagine how many hours a week, a month, a year do we spend doing the same actions repeatedly? A lot! So check how you are sitting & reflect if it matches where you might have back pain, Below is a suggested desk height posture for at work, I use a portable adjustable laptop stand, but there are fixed stands available too. You can also get an iPad stand & a phone stand to save holding the item, its way more relaxing just try it! An ergonomic mouse really supports my wrists & a good chair is a great help too, here are some supportive chair options.

Self care correct posture working at desk

 

6 Engaging your core with exercise

I always love Pilates for strengthening & posture support, but its important to find some exercise you enjoy, if you are not sure, try it! Backs typically prefer movement to being still.

7 Relaxation

Relaxation is our natural state, as seen more obviously in nature, for example the trees aren’t sweating that they don’t know what the future look likes, nor the flowers quivering due to fearing lack of money, or the bees worrying about their bumbly round body image, they are just doing their thing in complete relaxation.

Relaxation supports all of our body systems & mind to work at their best. A regular form of relaxation is a great way to provide self care & it can be whatever works & provides support to you. I love to take short moments of mind & body relaxation, also called strong mind, which can be carried out anytime, anywhere, with nothing else needed, it is so easeful & the results are very quick & profound. It supports stability of mind no matter the worries, fears of uncertainty, we never know what is around the corner, so to simply focus on each moment is very refreshing. This doesn’t mean that we can’t plan or prepare for the future, but for me, it has meant I can live a happier life where I feel contented, no matter the thoughts or emotions I have.

It is an ancient Tibetan practice that has been developed for the modern day. This practice has ultimately supported me to see the best way to take care of the self, how to make decisions & have clarity on how I would like to live my life. See here for more info https://www.bright.how/ also books can be found here.

8 Good mattress and pillow

We spend a vast amount of time in bed over our lifetime, please invest in a good quality pillow & mattress that will support to keep your spine aligned. Also how do you wind down for bed? A few stretches? A bath? what pillow do you use? Is it supportive? Is it providing benefit to your neck & spine? It is so important to upgrade your mattress & pillow to support preventing injuries & providing care for you. When you book in a treatment not only do I provide freedom from pain & injury but also look at your

posture at work & play so you can continue on injury free 💜

9 Lifting 

What the toddler did, we can learn a lot from small beings on the natural way to lift items.

10 Emotional care

Can you see when you are getting overwhelmed and stressed? We all know a bit of short term stress has benefits, as in getting our shit done, but if we are sitting around for a long time overwhelmed by a state of emotion, then it’s time to reach out for support. Emotions can sometimes manifest into physical ailments, so often backs I see need some relaxation from an emotional stress, rather than a physical injury. Fresh air & relaxation is always my first go to, also connecting with those important people in our lives, that truly wish for us to flourish and be well. We all and I mean ALL experience a continued variety of emotional thoughts and on some level it is just particles and energy, like fireworks in space.

Shifting our focus from a singular being of suffering, is a concept, yes, but actually there is part of us that is connected to many other beings, feeling the same thought or emotion at the same time. Whether it is your church, community, family, guru, pet, professional help, whatever it is that works for you, please always be brave and reach out, as just that alone can be a great relief.

Happy backs to you all 🙂 unhappy backs can make contact here.

How I plan to re-open with Care

How I am continuing to work during the pandemic with Care

Hi, I’m Emily and I am a lower back pain therapist. I love to help you relax, be free from pain and get on with your life in the quickest time possible. I treat using the Bowen Technique.

I share with you here my Covid19 safety measures:-

CAM (complementary therapies) is an unregulated profession, so there are a lot of opinions out there, but I went with guidance from the APNG (Association of Physical and Natural Therapists) and my insurance.

Updated on 10th August 2021.

💜 Clients where possible are encouraged to bring their own water bottle or empty bottle and I can provide water.

💜Upon entry to my home clinic, a hand sanitising/hand washing station will be set up.

💜 I will leave 15-30 minutes in between clients to ventilate the room with fresh air. I will disinfect any areas that the client before may have touched, i.e. door handles/chair (I have created a daily cleaning schedule for this yeay!)

💜 Although it is no longer mandatory to wear a mask, I am still wearing one, due to the close nature of my work. If you are happy to wear one that would be awesome, particularly when lying on your back during a treatment. 

💜 There will be screening questions asked to each client around Covid19 and follow up contact to check no one is showing any symptoms. 

💜 I will follow the suggested protocol if myself, a member of my household or a client I have been in contact with within 7 days develops symptoms. I will ensure everyone I have been in contact with are notified in case isolation is needed as a precaution to maintain the possible spread.

💜 If you are unsure about anything or have questions, then please don’t hesitate to be in touch.

Bridport Facial Treatment

Bridport, Dorset Facial Treatment

Come and be totally cared for with a Bridport facial treatment, here are my top benefits and how I care for you when treating you to a luxury facial.

If you are like me, you will hear the word facial & go soft & squidgy inside but equally alert as if a dog hears the word walkies.

Happy lady holding Love Gua Sha Crystals Luxury Facial 

(Thats me happy & excited to use my Gua Sha crystals, read below for the benefits they deliver)

I love delivering treatments around the face, shoulders, neck & scalp, as these areas often hold a lot of tension. Also our lush faces might not get the right sort of care in our daily life, internal criticism of what isn’t perfect about our appearance, a quick cleanse & slap on some moisturiser, but at Caring For You, I love to totally consider supporting you fully & bringing a nurturing treatment to those with self care at heart.

Relaxation

As with all my treatments my main passion & focus is to support with complete relaxation to all aspects of you. This supports you to recharge fully so you can leave looking & feeling relaxed & refreshed.

Bright Shiny Face

Massage helps to boost circulation, creating fresh blood supply with oxygen & other nutrients that are carried in the blood, so the face so it brightens up, literally.

Gua Sha

Gua Sha jade stone massage benefits include improves microcirculation by up to 400 per cent, tones & smoothes the skin, boosts collagen, combats pigmentation, dark circles & puffy eyes, defines jawlines & even decongests the sinuses.

Chocolate & Rose Face Mask

Chocolate and rose face mask – it contains cacao, rose powder, rose clay & rose geranium on your face to leave you feeling totally spoilt, the smell is sooooo good too.

Massage

Massage to your choice of shoulders, scalp or feet, it is so nourishing to have extra time to care for you fully.

Eco-Friendly

No nonsense eco-friendly products with zero waste, made using sustainable packaging & products made in the UK.

Deeper Cleanse

A deeper cleanse than perhaps what we make time for at home – a cleansing facial will help your skin get rid of oil buildup, toxins & dirt from your everyday environment. 

Facial Oil

A balancing facial oil working its way into your skin as the muscles in your face relax & soften, ingredients include Jojoba Oil, Hazelnut geranium & cypress oils.

Exfoliate

To be gone with you dead skin cells! This will also make your skin look & feel softer & smoother, making your makeup blend easier too.

Overall Caring For You

I offer time out for you and a health check to see how you are doing with all aspects of life. I love to focus on wellness support generally as sometimes we get so busy we forget about a little self care.

The Luxury Facial was just that. What a beautiful treatment! My skin looks amazing and I still smell delicious!

Happy Luxury Facial Customer 🙂

For more info on what a luxury facial includes see here.

To book a luxury facial contact me here.