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.

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 Bridport – 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.