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Menopause & Massage?!

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Are you suffering from the symptoms of menopause?

If so, you are not alone!  In fact, 80% of perimenopausal and menopausal women experience at least one clinical symptom and 40% seek medical advice.

Did you know that massage therapy has been found to be very effective in treating many of the most common complaints?  Some of these include insomnia, hot flashes, night sweats, nervousness, anxiety, irritability, and depression. 

A recent study showed that massage therapy has a positive influence on sleep for menopausal women.  Participants fell asleep more quickly, showed improvement in their quality of sleep, and awoke feeling better with regular massage treatments.  Similarly, many studies have shown that massage therapy leads to more time spent in deep sleep.

Psychology Today reported that sleeplessness and menopausal symptoms are closely connected, and that decreased sleep makes a person more sensitive to pain, increased stress and mood swings. Thankfully, massage therapy calms the nervous system, helping with stress and anxiety, as well as better sleep.

According to the Institute for Integrated Healthcare, regular massage therapy treatments have also been found to help with menopausal symptoms by balancing hormones, decreasing headaches, helping to regulate fluid balance, and increasing endorphins.  In fact, another study has shown that regular massage therapy leads to a significant improvement in hot flashes and night sweats.

The research is clear:

  1. Increased stress causes menopausal symptoms to be more severe.
  2. Regular massage therapy can significantly decrease menopausal symptoms.
  3. Relaxation is an important aspect of maintaining one’s health.
  4. Proper breathing techniques can also have a positive effect on menopausal symptoms.

Regardless of your stage of life, taking steps to decrease stress will help you to live a happier, more well balanced, and healthier life. Choose to live better, choose Better Health!

Pregnancy & Osteopathy

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Pregnancy is one of the most beautiful moments in a woman’s life. Each woman dreams of the perfect pregnancy with no pain, no vomiting, etc…. It is possible if the future mum’s body has effective adaptive capacities against weight gain, modification of her center of gravity and baby’s development.

When a pain or discomfort develops, that means that the threshold of adaptation has been exceeded, it’s a warning signal from the body.

The osteopath is going to identify the dysfunctional areas to give the mum the means to adapt as well as cope with the inevitable body changes and relieve discomforts.

Even without pain, regular visits with an osteopath are advised throughout the pregnancy process. Verifying the freedom of the pelvis, lumbar and diaphragm is essential to improving the delivery conditions.

The osteopath can also provide childbirth preparation additional to the midwife’s preparation.

When?

  • 1 time per trimester for the comfort, postural adaptation,
  • prevention and monitoring + according to discomforts/ complaints of the patient
  • 6 weeks prior to delivery- it is suggested to do session childbirth preparation

Why?

  • Back pain (neck pain, thoracic pain, lower back pain, sciatica, cruralgia, coccyx pain…)
  • Nausea, vomiting, bloating, constipation, reflux
  • Shortness of breath, heavy legs, oedema of lower limbs, pelvic heaviness, headache, sleep disorders
  • Baby in breech : to giving mobility to ribs, pelvis, diaphragm, “the space saving” will help the baby’s rollover
  • Childbirth preparation ( ensure good mobility of pelvis and pelvic floor)
  • Pregnancy care (ideally 1 time per trimester)
  • Consultation 6 weeks after the pregnancy

What is Contemporary Medical Acupuncture?

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acupunctureContemporary Medical Acupuncture is evidence based, precise peripheral nerve stimulation, in which fine solid needles are inserted into various locations in the body, with or without electrical stimuli. The end result is the balancing of abnormal activity in the nervous systems. Needling certain points in the body stimulates the nervous system to release chemicals in the brain, spinal cord and muscles. These chemicals will change the experience of pain, or they will trigger the release of other chemicals and hormones. The improved biochemical balance produced by acupuncture improves the body’s natural healing abilities, and promotes physical and emotional well-being.

So how Does Contemporary Medical Acupuncture Work?

Acupuncture produces many of its effects by stimulating nerve receptors in skin and muscle. Various substances are released that cause an increase of local blood flow that encourages tissue healing. Acupuncture helps to reduce pain locally where the needles are inserted and throughout the body. Acupuncture has a calming effect and produces well-being. It works by inactivating myofascial trigger points. It has been found to have positive effects on the brain. The effects of acupuncture accumulate when repeated.

Healing help for scars

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My father used to tell me that scars were “just tattoos with better stories”. In my experience they make for interesting conversation.

Scars are formed naturally when the body is trying to lay down new tissue (collagen fibers) after a trauma. The issue is the new collagen fibers that are laid down can be thicker than the normal healthy tissue. The fibers are also laid down in a way that can affect the elasticity of the tissue and the fascia.

Fascia is connective tissue that is like a one piece body suit that connects every part of your body. When the fascia is restricted it can result in postural problems. A c-section scar can cause the pelvis to tilt forward for example. It may  affect the mobility or function of other parts of the body. An appendectomy scar,  for instance, can cause right hip problems by pulling the hip towards the scar and affecting mobility.

Scar tissue can be caused from cuts, burns, and traumas. Surgeries always leave behind some scar tissue, even cosmetic and laproscopic surgeries (done through tiny hole).  The problem with laproscopic surgeries is that they leave lots of scaring or adhesions internally.  Adhesions may result in two organs sticking together, being pulled out of place, or limiting their function. Any disease that causes inflammation has the potential to leave behind adhesions such as inflammatory bowel disease, pneumonia, or endometriosis.

Other complications from scars can be neurological issues; there may be local numbness or the entire autonomic nervous system could be involved, affecting the body’s ability to regulate and heal itself. Some people may be hypersensitive to their scars and others describe a “dead” zone where there is a lack of sensation. Scars may also disrupt circulation, lymphatic flow, and energetic flow. They can also be a source of chronic pain due to their widespread affect on the body.

As many scars are related to trauma they may often be laced with deeper emotional issues the person may or may not even be conscious of. These issues can be released on a cellular level through body work. Having the support of a psychotherapist or even guidance from a hypnotherapist can help in resolving and moving forward from old traumas.

Proper treatment at the time of trauma  can vastly improve the outcome of scaring such as minimizing infection, vitamin E and aloe, avoiding sun exposure, and allowing the body the time to properly rest and recover with minimal stress. Introducing rehabilitation may also be critical, depending on the nature of it. Proper nutrition is also essential for tissue repair and when you use food as medicine (with guidance from a nutritionist) you can minimize inflammation.

However, even old scars that effect the entire being of a person can still be treated years later. Manual Therapists can help help to break apart scar tissue. The techniques are simple enough that we can even show you how to do it on yourself. Massaging the area or local stretching of the scar tissue can improve the quality of the tissue. Manual Therapists are experts in releasing the deeper layers of scars and working with the fascia.

So bring in your scars and tell us your story. There’s a good chance we can help you feel better.