Tag: Stress

TuiNa – Chinese Medical Massage

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What is TuiNa?

TuiNa (pronounced ‘tweenah’) is a therapeutic, Chinese medical massage that is an integral part of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) which comprises of acupuncture, herbs, TuiNa and Qi Gong. There are few practitioners in the UK but it’s reputation and availability is growing.

 

TuiNa is a strong and dynamic form of remedial bodywork, which can have a significant therapeutic effect. Many clients say they feel energized by it and feel significant improvements within a relatively short period of time. It is more akin to osteopathy or physiotherapy in it’s purpose, although it’s referred to as a massage.

In China, it is seen as a primary therapy, comparable in effectiveness as acupuncture and herbal medicine in treating a range of health issues. When I was training at a Chinese hospital, there was a entire department dedicated to TuiNa including a gentler form for paediatric care. Unlike many hands on massage techniques, which support relaxation and help with deep tissue strain, TuiNa practitioners aim to treat more than musculo-skeletal conditions, and also look at other health issues they can resolve.

Clinical trials in China have shown that Tuina is effective for a wide range of problems of a musculo-skeletal and neurological origin, such as tension headaches, stiff neck, frozen shoulder, back pain, sciatica, RSI and arthritis. It is also helps with hypertension, asthma and many abdominal problems such as IBS, especially where tension and stress are causative factors.

Tuina medical Chinese massage

TuiNa Techniques

TuiNa practitioners use a number of different techniques: deep tissue work to release fascia, and enhance the flow of blood and lymph, pressing on specific acupuncture points and additionally joint mobilization and stretching. TuiNa does not require you to disrobe as you are treated through clothes or with a sheet over you. You may also be treated when you are seated as well as on the treatment couch depending what the issue is.

In my practice I also combine acupuncture with TuiNa because they complement each other so well. I may also use cupping (the use of glass cups to provide suction) a technique that looks awful but feels great as many of my clients (and many celebs) will attest – it isn’t at all painful!

 

The great thing about TCM is that it offers a variety of therapeutic tools to support wellbeing, each of them complementing each other. As a practitioner, that means I can help my client feel better, sooner.

As a client of mine said to me ‘once you’ve had TuiNa, its hard to go back to any other kind of massage’.

All in your head… Coming down to earth with acupuncture

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I see a lot of clients who just can’t switch off their brains. It’s a modern malaise. Our lives are so full of ‘stuff’: work, relationships, children, friends, world peace… It’s hard to recognise that our feet haven’t touched the ground in a while.

It’s telling that mindfulness is becoming increasingly popular among city dwellers. We all need to stop and experience the moment. And you can’t do that if your mind is not connected to the rest of you.

For some, being in their heads all the time is an escape, others over-think everything or worry obsessively, or find they’re still stressing about work long after they’ve left the office. A busy mind can be pretty exhausting and it may also cause a series of other seemingly unrelated health issues, both physical and psychological. And it’s often these symptoms that bring them to see an acupuncturist.

Another reason to be in your head is when your body is in pain. It’s understandable that people living with chronic conditions shut down from the pain signals their body is experiencing. Clients have described their bodies as feeling numb, or not feeling connected to their bodies at all. When they are in extreme pain, their mind takes over and their bodies simply shut down. They feel stuck. This dissociation can be very damaging, bleeding through into other areas of their lives and into their personal relationships.

So how can Chinese medicine (TCM) help?
Clients can benefit from a range of therapeutic support. Acupuncture is renowned for its ability to reduce chronic pain, but it’s is also wonderful for clearing the head and relaxing the mind. Pain, according to TCM is the result of ‘stagnation’ in the body, and acupuncture is able to get things moving again. TuiNa massage works therapeutically to reduce tension in the muscles and joints and further support healing. A series of treatments allows the client space and time to heal, and a way to reconnect with themselves. Feet firmly on the ground.

 

Read Dan’s story here

Stressed out… Linda’s Story

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Like many people, Linda is a busy person juggling home and work life. Stress was definitely affecting her wellbeing but in addition, she’d had a shoulder injury that was preventing her from sleeping. Even after this had been resolved, her sleep was still disrupted which further compounded her stress.

Here’s her experience of the process:

I attended Rita’s stress buster group as I was having difficulties sleeping and dealing with the stress of everyday life. Within a couple of sessions I found I was more relaxed and more able to cope, shortly followed by my sleep pattern returning to normal.

I have also found I now have more energy….I would fully recommend attending this course and Rita is welcoming and friendly!

Linda Paterson, Crouch End

Stress free – six weeks to calm

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I hold my hands up. I don’t manage stress very well at all. I changed career from being a pretty high level corporate film producer, a well paid job I had done and loved for over 20 years to being an acupuncturist in an area where there’s as many therapists as there are cafes.

Although I enjoyed my work, it would often mean working in a relentlessly pressurised environment. My sleep, appetite and anxiety levels were all affected and I would often wake up in the night thinking I’d forgotten a prop or not printed out enough scripts for the following day’s shoot. Hardly earth shattering events – but that’s what stress is all about – not coping with even minor problems.

So, we all live with stress, but not all of us manage it well. There’s a reason for this. When we are stressed it triggers a ‘fight or flight’ response. Fine if an elephant is charging towards us, but not if we’re worrying about whether our boss thinks we took 5 minutes longer at lunch. Stress releases physiological and hormonal responses that are often inappropriate for the actual event we are stressed about, leading to increased anxiety, disturbed sleep, fatigue and depression and other distressing symptoms.

No-one needs to live with that kind of stress, and yet many of us do, for extended periods of time.

Of course, there are many things that help with stress levels such as meditation, exercise, cbt, and yoga. But if you are gripped in a cycle of stress and anxiety, it can be really hard to motivate yourself so reaching for a couple of glasses of wine after work is often the way people self-medicate.

In my clinic, I treat people for stress virtually every day. I also run six, weekly auricular acupuncture groups of no more than six people specifically for stress relief, which is particularly useful in helping clients to manage their lives in a calmer way. The process takes around 40 minutes in all, with just five very fine needles placed in each ear while you sit and relax. No need to lie down or disrobe. It really couldn’t be easier and clients have been known to snore for the 30 mins the needles are left in! I measure how they have been feeling the previous week and throughout the six weeks in order to evaluate the results.

In my most recent group, there was over a 50% reduction in stress, anxiety and sleep issues, with significant changes in weeks 3 and 4 and these positive results maintained over the full 6 weeks. Clients felt they were coping better, responded less negatively to events that would normally stress them, and were generally happier. Plus they enjoyed coming once a week as it offered them some ‘me’ time where they could properly relax.

The protocol* I use is well documented, incredibly powerful and used all over the world in health clinics, at natural disaster sites and by the American military. It works for conditions such as addiction, stress and post traumatic stress disorder. So if you’re considering giving up smoking, drinking or drugs, this protocol will support you.

If you’re interested in signing up for six, weekly group sessions, then drop me a line. Cost is £90 for the full course of six sessions.

Begin the new year with a new perspective.

Ask when a new course is starting.

*NADA protocol

Read about Linda’s experience here:

Giving up Smoking – Jenny and Norris’s stories

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Nicotine is highly addictive, both physically and psychologically, and acupuncture helps with the symptoms that make it so hard to stop. In particular reducing cravings and stress. Tiny needles are placed at specific points around the ear that help reduce cravings, support the detox process, keep your stress levels down, your immune system healthy and assist you in ‘letting go’. After the treatment which takes a relaxing half hour, small seeds or magnets are placed on certain points so the treatment is continued throughout the following week.

Hear from two clients who successfully gave up…..

I’ve been trying to quit smoking on and off for a few years. I’ve tried hypnotherapy, cold turkey, patches and vapours but each time the cravings got too much especially after a drink with friends who smoke.

Acupuncture has really made a big difference. I haven’t smoked since the first treatment, and this is because I haven’t had strong cravings. Hence not smoking has never been so easy.

I highly recommend it to anyone trying to give up. I’m now going regularly to Rita as I find its helping with other health issues such as hay fever.”

Jenny Rose, Crouch End

 

“I’ve have been a smoker since I was 13 and am now in my 50s.  I have lost count of the numerous failed attempts to quit.

I was persuaded to give acupuncture a try and contacted Rita. Within 3 treatments I felt absolutely no desire to smoke, I have more energy and people have commented on the changes within me. It’s been the most amazing transformation.”

Norris Cyrus, Finsbury Park