|
Healthspace 21 offer a range of treatments for relaxation and de-stress through to remedial sports massage.
Click on one of the treatments below to find out more information and find the right one for you
Indian Head Massage
Hydrotherm Massage
Sports and Remedial Massage
Hot Stone Massage
Reiki Healing
Hopi Ear Candles
What is Indian Head Massage?
An Indian Head Massage dispels stress, relieves tension in the neck, head and shoulders and promotes healthy hair.
It is a safe and simple, yet extremely effective form of massage that can assist hair growth and also provide relief from aches and pains.
History of Indian Head Massage
Massage has always played an important part in Indian life. When it is used in conjunction with herbs, spices and oils it has an important medical function and not only strengthens muscles and firms the skin but also encourages the body's own healing processes. It was originally developed by women as part of their daily grooming routine, different oils were used according to the varying seasons and the massage kept their hair strong and healthy.
Barbers in India also practiced the skills and offered a vigorous scalp massage as an addition to cutting hair.
How does it work?
The head, neck and shoulders are the most important energy centres within your body. Think for a moment, when you are stressed or angry where does the tension seem to accumulate? Yes, in the neck, shoulders or in the form of a headache. In extreme cases it can manifest itself as hair loss! Indian Head Massage involves working with a firm and gentle rhythm to help unknot blockages and so relieve this uncomfortable tension. The effect however, is not only physical; it works on your emotions too, calming the spirit and aiding relaxation.
The head and hair are very sensitive as the are full of nerve endings. This makes them very receptive to touch, massaging the head and hair is deeply soothing and relaxing.
Physical Benefits
- · Improves blood circulation to the head and neck area before speeding up the interchange of oxygen, nutrients, carbon dioxide and waste.
- · Improves lymphatic drainage from the head and neck so aiding the removal of waste and toxins.
- · Relieves tension in muscle tissue.
- · Helps improve mobility in the neck and shoulder area.
- · Relieves mental and physical strain improving concentration.
- · Relieves eyestrain, headaches, sinusitis, congestion and insomnia.
- · Helps to clear the mind and is revitalising so improves alertness and concentration levels.
- · An antidote to stress, anxiety and mental tension.
- · Balances the Chakras (energy centres) by releasing stagnant energy to help the body work in a more harmonious manner.
What is Hydrotherm?
Hydrotherm is a truly unique, three-dimensional massage technique, which allows the therapist to slide their hands under, over and around the client's body in an uninterrupted motion.
Through water displacement rather than through physically lifting the client, Hydrotherm permits the therapist to work with the client's body weight as the source of pressure, facilitating a deeper, more holistic massage technique.
The relaxing warmth of the Hydrotherm system promotes an immediate sensation of well being, enhancing the therapeutic effect of the massage. The gentle heat of the water helps to soothe painful areas allowing the therapist to work more deeply with less discomfort for the client.
The advantages of Hydrotherm massage are numerous. Quite apart from achieving new heights of relaxation during a comfortable, undisturbed treatment, consider the benefits to those clients who cannot physically lie face down – heavily pregnant clients, the elderly and clients with impaired mobility, asthma etc., can receive a Hydrotherm massage without the discomfort associated with a conventional massage.
Hydrotherm is also an extremely beneficial medium when used in physiotherapy, remedial massage, osteopathy and in chiropractic clinics, as a more relaxed client is easier to manipulate.
The Hydrotherm system incorporates added benefits for the massage therapists too. Because a Hydrotherm massage uses the client's own body weight as the source of pressure, the therapist therefore exerts less pressure, significantly reducing the strain, which is usually placed on the wrists of the therapists. Thus Hydrotherm techniques alleviate the potential occurrence of 'carpal compression' – a cramp like condition commonly suffered by massage therapists.
Additionally Hydrotherm therapists work with upright backs, rather than bending from the waist as with conventional massage techniques, thereby placing less strain on the therapist's own body.
[Back to top]
What is Massage Therapy?
The word massage is most likely to have emerged from the Greek word "Massein", meaning "to knead" or the Arabic word "mas'h" meaning "to press softly". Massage is the oldest form of physical medicine known to man and can be traced back to the early Chinese medical manuscripts around 400BC. Massage was advocated by Hippocrates who was born in the fifth century and was known as "the father of medicine". It was widely used and written of in Roman times with history recording how Julius Caesar received massage to relieve neuralgia!
Very little was recorded about massage in Europe between the Roman times and the early Middle Ages, but by the sixteenth century medicine slowly started to relearn what had been lost. Between 1776 and 1839, a Swedish professor, Peter Ling, created a scientific system of therapeutic massage known as Swedish massage and established a teaching institute in Stockholm.
Today, massage therapy is one of the fastest growing forces in the field of health care.
How does it work?
Massage is simply the manipulation of the soft tissues of the body - the muscles, tendons and ligaments. A massage therapist's hands are his most important tool through which he not only treats the patient but also detects physical and emotional problems. The massage therapist palpates the patient's body to determine the condition of the tissues and the likely source of any pain, and thus the correct form of remedial treatment.
Massage works through the various body systems in one of two ways, a mechanical action and a reflex action. A mechanical action is created by moving the muscles and soft tissues of the body using pressure and stretching movement, thereby cleansing them of acids and deposits. This mechanical action breaks up fibrous tissue and loosens stiff joints.
A reflex is created when treatment of one part of the body affects another part of the body, much like pressing a light switch on a wall to turn on a light in the centre of the room. Just like this electric connection, so too are different parts of the body connected to each other not just by flesh and bone but by nerve pathways, or flows of energy known as 'meridians'. So, by using reflex action, some therapists will treat a patient's stomach complaint by massaging the arms, and will alleviate pain in the legs by massaging the lower back.
What does treatment involve?
Each massage session will last 60-90 minutes, and will take place in a quiet room on a massage table. The patient will lie down undressed and the therapist will cover the parts of the body not being worked on with towels. Therapy will often start with the feet or with light stroking on the back to introduce you to the touch and for relaxation. The therapist will use either oils or talc and will work methodically around the whole body. The number of appointments required will depend upon the seriousness of the health problem.
The massage therapist will treat the patient through four stages of healing - relief, correction, strengthening and maintenance. For relief, the therapist will aim to alleviate any pain by sedating the sensory nerves, stimulating blood flow and reducing muscle tension, possibly by using hot and cold compresses. Secondly, for correction, the therapist will need to alleviate the underlying cause by rebalancing the muscles, clearing away lymph congestion and unknotting any fibres through various techniques of massage.
For strengthening, the weak joints and tissues should undergo continuing treatment to avoid repeated or additional injury. Finally, the massage therapist will recommend a monthly or bimonthly maintenance programme to help keep the tissues and ligaments healthy as ligaments never regain their original strength once they have been damaged.
What can Massage Therapy help?
Massage can improve circulation and aid digestion and has been known to help insomniacs and migraine sufferers.
Relaxation massage has been shown to help reduce blood pressure by as much as 20 points. One nurse who measured a patient's blood pressure before and after a half hour massage, confirmed that blood pressure nearly always falls. In some cases the reduction was quite dramatic, for example, from 180 over 130 to 140 over 110 nmHg.
Massage improves the blood circulation in several ways without putting additional strain on the heart. It helps the flow of blood through the veins and also stimulates the nerves which control the blood vessels. It has the added benefit of relaxing tense muscles and tight connective tissues which may have been constricting blood vessels and thus enable blood to flow more freely. It is for this reason that soothing massage helps reduce emotional tension, it enduces relaxation and calms stress-related cardiovascular conditions.
[Back to top]
What is Hot Stone Massage?
Stone massage involves the application of water-heated basalt stones of varying sizes to key points on the body, giving a deep massage and creating sensations of comfort and warmth. The direct heat relaxes muscles, allowing manipulation of a greater intensity than with regular massage.
In cases of muscular injury and inflammation, frozen, cooling marble stones are used. This creates a type of thermotherapeutic 'vascular gymnastics' in the circulatory system to help the body detoxify and heal. The warmer stones expand the blood vessels, pushing blood and unwanted waste materials through the body. This has a sedative effect on the nervous system. The cold stones cause the blood vessels to constrict, stimulating the nervous system and drawing blood and waste products along the body.
This ensures that every cell in the body receives more oxygen and nutrients while at the same time waste material is removed more effectively through the corresponding increase in lymph flow. Not unlike changing the old oil and filter in your car for a newer filter with clean oil—a service for the body.
It is quite an experience to feel the deeply relaxing, penetrating heat from the basalt stones alternating with the toning and refreshing coolness of the marble stones. The use of extremes of temperature has long been scientifically and medically proven to be of benefit to the body. Those who wish to relax and tone their muscles with a minimum of effort see this in the use of ice packs for muscle trauma and the use of saunas.
Stone massage makes you feel deeply relaxed, allowing you to let go of all the stress that is held within your body.
Those experiencing a hot stone massage will notice a healing improvement of the following symptoms:
- · Muscular aches, pains, sprains, and strains
- · Poor circulation
- · Rheumatic and arthritic conditions
- · Fibromyalgia
- · MS
- · Back pain
- · Stress, anxiety and tension
- · Insomnia
- · Depression
What is Reiki?
Reiki is a system of healing originating in Japan. The word 'reiki' means 'universal life energy', the vital energy around and within all living things.
How does it work?
Japanese Reiki is a form of touch therapy in which the therapist uses a both the laying on of hands and distant healing techniques. The therapists treats those parts of the body he or she senses are emitting weak energy, by laying his or her hands close to the site of the problem, this enables energy to start to flow through the therapist’s hands to the patient.
History of Reiki
Reiki first started at the turn of the century by Dr. Mikao Usui, a Japanese doctor. Dr Usui developed his healing system from Buddhist teachings and as a result of extensive travels, research and meditation. This system of healing is also based on Sanskrit teachings.
Reiki principles
- · Just for today. Do not worry
- · Just for today Do not anger
- · Honour your parents, teachers and elders
- · Earn your living honestly
- · Show gratitude to every living thing
- What does a Reiki treatment entail?
During a Reiki treatment, patients lie on a massage table to facilitate their relaxation. The practitioner's hands rest lightly in a sequence of positions on their fully clothed body, the aim being to provide a gentle warming vital energy. A treatment lasts around 60 to 90 minutes and clients can expect to pay around £25.
Training as a practitioner in Reiki
There are three levels of Reiki. At first degree, the pupils learn to practice on themselves and others; at second degree, a powerful form of distant healing and a technique which addresses the cause of problems is learned. The third degree is the level of Master and is only for those who want to make a lifetime commitment to a spiritual path with Reiki - living and teaching it.
What kind of ailments can Reiki treat?
Reiki can be used to treat acute problems, such as accidental injuries as well as chronic problems, such as asthma, eczema and headaches.
[Back to top]
What is Hopi Ear Candling?
The modern form of Hopi Ear Candles may be used in a gentle treatment that may have the effects of extracting inner-ear wax (if present), relaxing the client, and alleviating any conditions due to inner-ear wax and/or pressure and/or stress.
History
Hopi Ear Candles have been used by Native Americans (especially Hopi Indians) to achieve a wide range of effects, some of which are therapeutic in a conventional Western (as opposed to a purely spiritual) way.
However, the traditional Native American Ear Candles differ from those used in modern Western Hopi Ear Candle Treatments. This is because the actual 'candles' used in modern therapeutic treatments (see the upper illustrations to the right of this text) are cylindrical rather than conical. This is a safety feature as it ensures that no sharp points can be inserted into clients ears.
Another difference is that the Native Americans used these candles for a variety of purposes - mental, spiritual and physical - hence they used a wide range of different herbs in the different types of Ear Candles. By contrast, the modern Ear Candles (top illustration, right) always include the same ingredients.
What does treatment involve?
Hopi Ear Candle Treatment usually begins with a consultation during which the practitioner asks the client a series of questions about how she is feeling, her medical history and why she has requested this treatment.
This is an opportunity for the therapist to ensure that there are no reasons why it would not be advisable for the client to have a Hopi Ear Candle Treatment that day. This is also an opportunity for the client to ask any questions he/she may have about the treatment, make any requests, and understand exactly what - and what NOT - to expect of the treatment.
Assuming all is well, the therapist will usually then invites the client to make him/herself comfortable on a therapeutic couch. The client will be asked to lie on his/her side (adjustments being made for anyone who is unable to assume the usual position for this treatment, e.g. due to disabilities). This position is so that the first ear is uppermost and easily accessible to the therapist.
The client may also be covered with a blanket, if required, for warmth and comfort.
Each ear will be treated in turn. (If one ear is thought to be more blocked than the other then the 'good' ear is usually treated first.)
After each ear has been treated the therapist will usually invite the client to lie on his/his back on the couch while the therapist does give him/her a 20 minute face-massage, to help stimulate the absorption of the herbs from the candles into the tissues of the sinuses and face.
Following the treatment itself, the therapist may invite the client to get up slowly when he/she feels ready to do so. It is good practice for the therapist to ensure that the client is sufficiently alert to drive home or move onto their next task.
The therapist might also invite feedback about the treatment, show and discuss with the client the type and extent of earwax extracted by the candles, and answers any questions.
Most therapists also usually encourage their clients to drink a glass of water immediately after the treatment.
|
