Keyboard Health Warning

Recently I turned by computer keyboard upside down (another story all together) and found the following:

HEALTH WARNING
Use of a keyboard or mouse may be linked to serious injuries or disorders.
When using a computer, as with many activities (!), you may experience occasional discomfort in your hands, arms, shoulders, neck or other parts of your body. However, if you experience symptoms such as persistent or recurring discomfort, pain, throbbing, aching, tingling, numbness, burning sensation or stiffness DO NOT IGNORE THESE WARMING SIGNS. PROMPTLY SEE A QUALIFIED HEALTH PROFESSIONAL - even if symptoms occur when you are not working at your computer.

Symptoms such as these can be associated with painful and sometimes permanently disabling injuries or disorders of the nerved, muscles, tendons, or other parts of the body, These musculoskeletal disorders include carpal turnnel syndrome, tendonitis, tenosynivitis and other conditions.

The warning continues, but I'm sure you get the gist.

Now, as a massage therapist (one of the abovementioned qualified health professionals) most my patients are suffering postural stress (the balance are sports injuries), and I hear myself giving the following advice more than I would like, but for the record here are some tips:

* Limit computer-working periods to blocks of 40 minutes and definitely less than 60 minutes;

* Get up from your desk as often as you can.
You'd be surprised what a change in gravity will do. Include walking the long way to the water-cooler or bathroom; doing arm swings or shoulder rolls; NOT eating lunch at your desk (go for a walk around the block); stand up during long phone calls etc.

* Make sure you have your computer desk and chair set up correctly. If you don't have an ergonomist on hand to "fit" you check out the link on my website called "How To Sit At Your Computer".

* Get your body moving, at least 30 minutes each day, preferably at the end of your work period so you can loosen your muscles up: swing your arms when walking, do a yoga or stretch class, add a couple of laps of backstroke at the pool, shoot some hoops, try Tai Chi, whatever - just get moving!

* If you can see a deadline looming (assignments, exams, tenders, end of period reporting etc) schedule 10 minute stretch breaks into your day.

* have a remedial massage. Of course I'm going to recommend this, but if you haven't yet experienced the benefit to your muscles, it's about jolly time you did.

Truly Complementary

Ever wondered which is best for you, massage or chiropractic adjustments?
Well I'd recommend regular massage AND chiropractic is required for optimal well-being.

Whilst the body is a complex being, at the most basic level, massage works on muscles and chiropractic on the skeleton. However all muscles attach to bone, either directly or via tendons; bones support muscles and keep you upright, muscles move bones and keep you moving.

So if one area has an issue, it's more than likely its corresponding partner will also, eg. T12 (thoracic vertebrae 12) is linked to the QL (Quadratus Lumborum muscle) and tight calves/hamstrings can reduce the range of motion in the pelvis leading to lower back tension.

So when booking your next session, consider having a massage first: this will loosen up the muscles, allowing for an "easier" adjustment that will hold for longer as the muscles won't be working against the corrected joint/s.

Contemporary Cupping

A few weekends back I spent two days revolutionising my massage therapy practice!

I've been introduced to Contemporary Cupping (CC), by Bruce Bentley of Health Traditions.

Some of you might have experienced traditional cupping, as it's been around for several hundred years mainly in Asia and Eastern European cultures (Russia, Turkey etc). This style of cupping uses a vessel (cup) either heated or using a pump to create a suction against the skin an, predominantly fixed in one location. This style of cupping leave marks of different colours like you've been attacked by an alien.

CC, although it does use fixed cups, focuses on SLIDING cups and use rubber cups and a smallher hand-blown glass bell with simple air suction. It's fantastic for stimulating the circulation and can be rather gentle for warming the muscles up or extremely strong to break down scar tissue and unlock spasms.

From the recipients view it's the exact opposite to deep tissue hand massage, where your therapist uses his/her hand/arm to push into the muscle. In fact, in America, it's called Negative Pressure Massage Cupping (ho hum).

With CC the skin and near muscle fibres are sucked upwards and can be moved in 360 degrees, pulled in one direction only or, using two cups worked in opposite directions. Cupping can be as deep as needed but can also be extremely gentle and with tiny cups rejuventating facial cupping can be received (with no discolouration!).

Having had my back treated with sliding cups, I was asked what it felt like. My response? It felt like I'd drunk a bottle of red wine and was sat in front of an open fire! A truthful answer but probably not the clinical response expected.

Enjoy!

New Location!

I've said good-bye to Sydney and am settling in nicely to east Lake Macquarie and, as of this morning, have a clinic to work from! Details are:

Location Address:

Wellness Massage
Shop 10, Swansea Arcade
172 Pacific Hwy
Swansea NSW 2281

it's located behind the Amcal Chemist, opposite the Post Office and there's a carpark out the back. All very handy.

Phone: 0419447224
or book online at

Operating hours for massage and reiki:

Mon, Tue, Thur, Fri - 12noon – 7pm (earlier appointments available by request)

Saturday – 9am – 2pm

Wednesday – mobile appointments only 9am – 12 noon

Sunday – closed


Rates:

30 minutes - $40

45 minutes - $50

60 minutes - $60

90 minutes - $80

EFTPOS & Credit card (Visa, Mastercard only) available

10% pensioner discount available, please advise at time of booking and bring your pensioner ID to your appointment.

Of course my long-standing referral and loyalty fee will still operate, with only a little change. I'm now offering:

* 10% discount off your session when someone you refer to me has taken a session: this is accruable if you wish; and

* Purchase and pay for a block of five sessions to be taken within a six month period and you get 10% off the total value.

I look forward to seeing you at the clinic soon.

Online bookings available

I've just signed up with ClickBook so you can now book your session with me online!
.... of course, phone or text will continue to be accepted.

Find me at www.BALM-ENERGY.clickbook.net