The Fascial Effect – The Fascial Effect

Twinge and Whinge

Despite the unseasonably warm November, the weather is getting colder and wetter. That’s British weather – the days get shorter and the temperature drops.

If you suffer from arthritis – whether rheumatoid (where your joints get inflamed) or osteo (also known as ‘wear and tear’) – you probably get more painful twinges and aches when it gets colder and dampness also affects them. Cold weather is uncomfortable and many people report feeling stiffer, moving more slowly and every move causes twinges and aches in their joints.

But why?

Cold muscles don’t stretch as well as warm ones, which is why your personal trainer will strongly recommend you warm up before a workout to ensure you don’t get any injuries. This tension reduces mobility and flexibility in your joints.

There are even studies that have linked changes in the barometric pressure to changes in the way joints move.

What you can do

A good diet will help; eating seasonally fresh and nourishing foods should be your first step. But what about supplements to support your body’s functioning?

Here are a few supplements that support bone health:

Curcumin is the principal active component of Turmeric and gives the spice its bright yellow colour. In South Asia, turmeric is considered to be a warming spice; I feel warm just looking at the vibrant yellow powder! Curcumin has anti-inflammatory properties, making it a potential treatment for a number of health conditions, including reduced joint pain and increased ease of movement. Some studies have shown that the reduction in joint inflammation can act in an almost self-healing fashion, allowing regeneration of cartilage leading to true joint healing – rather than simply managing the condition so get out your recipe books and see how you can add Turmeric to your recipes.

We can’t talk about joints without mentioning the often recommended Glucosamine Sulphate, which helps to lubricate the joints and support the formation of cartilage, reducing wear and tear i.e. osteoarthritis.

Winter months are not good for sunbathing in the UK, but sunlight generates Vitamin D, which contributes to strong bones. That means that for around 6 months of the year a Vitamin D3 supplement is advisable. Vitamin D facilitates Calcium absorption in the body, which promotes bone and joint health.

It is essential to take Vitamin D3 with Vitamin K2 which will make sure that the calcium ends up in the bones and not become deposits where it shouldn’t be, like in your arteries.

Add safe doses of curcumin, glucosamine, Vitamins D3 and K2 to Black Cumin Seed Oil to reduce inflammation, Pumpkin Seed Oil – packed full of essential fatty acids, which act as lubricants for joints, and Milled Flaxseed – also high in Omega Fats, Vitamins and Minerals. If that sounds too complicated to put together every day then you might find that a sachet of BEND, daily, will give you all the concentrated, natural ingredients designed to support healthy bones and joints that you need.

This doesn’t mean that a daily sachet of BEND will replace gentle exercise to keep your joints moving. You still need to move around as much as possible – the combination of a sachet of BEND and moderate exercise is better than either option alone. Protect and preserve your bones and joints to stay mobile and independent.

For more information call Jas on 07775633798

Nutrition

Tune up your body

Most patients are a product of the lifestyle they lead – or sometimes even a lifestyle they led in the past, which comes back to haunt them!

The body is a highly sophisticated machine that depends on all the systems working together in harmony. For this to happen there needs to be balance.

Your internal systems all affect each other, your temperature, blood pressure, hormones, digestive system all have an impact. And don’t leave out your emotional wellbeing; it’s a proven fact that your state of mind can affect you physically. If you’re stressed or under pressure it can manifest physically in headaches, raised blood pressure, aches and pains, etc.

Exercise and nutrition also play a part. It’s a bit like a car – a high performance machine needs the right fuel – and an occasional ‘thrash’ to keep it top nick! That applies as much to your body as to a F1 racing car.

Balance is the key

We talk about work-life balance, about nutritional balance, about the importance of exercise and mental wellbeing. The challenge for most of us is that we live such busy lives. We’re running from home to work to the school pick up, then to the gym and when do we have time to pay close attention to everything? Just trying to manage it all will throw your mental wellbeing out of balance.

Even if you think that you eat healthily you’re almost certainly missing some essential nutrients. But who has the time to work out exactly what every carrot or piece of fruit contributes in nutritional value?

Back to basics

In the world of personal development there is a model, developed by Abraham Maslow, known as Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. This is based on the theory that we need to have our basic needs met – air, water, food – first, before we can move to the next most important needs. In other words you start at the bottom of this diagram and work upwards.

There is an ironic addition to the model in today’s world, where some of the younger generation claim that Wi-Fi and a fully-charged battery are more important than air and water!

Basically, it means that you need to tick all the boxes to arrive at the top.

So we have plenty of food, but not enough time to ensure we’re getting the right nutrition – I’m not sure Maslow was looking at that, he was more focused on the essentials to survive. But if your body isn’t getting the nutrition it needs, that can manifest as a whole range of symptoms:

Headaches
Aches and pains
Tiredness
Lethargy
Brain fog

Sound familiar?

Everything starts with a seed

Life exists from seeds. So that means that seeds contain everything you need. That’s why a seed-based supplement makes perfect sense.

I tried this myself and was surprised at the results – and the changes are subtle, for instance, I noticed I walked up the steep hill into town without puffing and blowing, my energy levels are enhanced and I just feel better.

Other benefits include:

Reduction in inflammation
Less water retention
Ridding the body of toxins
Fewer general aches and pains
Hormonal balance as a result of the Omega fats

And best of all

Slows down the ageing process

That’s because the combination of seeds fights free radical damage; renews and rejuvenates cells and energises at a cellular level.

If you’re one of those busy women who packs 26 hours into every 24, give your body a boost. Find out more here or give me a call on 07775 633798 and lets find out what your body needs.

Body

When waving ‘goodbye’ is painful …

If you get pain in your shoulder area when you raise your arm to wave goodbye to your friends and family, you may have a problem with your rotator cuff!

It may sound like some kind of garden machine, but it’s actually four muscles that work around your shoulder to allow you to move your arm up, down and forwards and backwards.

Many shoulder pain conditions are caused by injury to one or more of the rotator cuff muscles, or to the soft tissues around the shoulder joint.

So if you get pain in the neck and shoulder or find it difficult to complete movements such as:

Reaching up to get something off the top shelf
Reaching behind to hook up your bra or get your arms into a fitted coat or shirt
Pulling a cord starter on your motor boat or lawnmower
Reaching to pull your seatbelt into place
Installing ceiling tiles
Pulling a suitcase along

Or any similar movements; even sitting over a computer keyboard or driving for extended periods can cause problems. It can get particularly bad when there have been tears in the muscles fibres and the resulting scar tissue restricts movement in the shoulder further.

The solution is a course of Myofascial release (MFR) which works on the soft tissues, easing restrictions in the muscles and their encasing fascia around the shoulder joint, neck and upper chest. Trigger point therapy reduces pain and frees up the muscles range of movement. Some muscle stretching and contracting is included for improving flexibility and an increased range of motion in the shoulder.

For more information or to book an appointment call Jas on 07775633798

Ageing

Nearly as good as a facelift…. without the surgery

There are very few of us who don’t want to look the very best we can. However, it does feel like the quest for a youthful appearance has given rise to some very invasive procedures which claim to give instant results.

An increasingly popular yet worrying trend is to turn to cosmetic surgery, in particular facelifts, to achieve the desired look. According to the NHS website, a facelift can cost up to £10,000 and involves multiple incisions in your face and neck. It can take 2 – 4 weeks to recover from the surgery, and after that results can take up to 9 months to be visible.

So, what if there was another option that gave you a more youthful look without the need to go through all the above?

Before you sign up for expensive and painful cosmetic treatments, why not explore a natural option that improves the appearance of the skin and can be nearly as good as a facelift?

The Fascial Effect® face massage is an alternative facial because it targets the area of connective tissue beneath the skin called fascia. Gentle but focused fascia releasing techniques have been adapted for the anti-ageing benefits in the face.

Here’s how it works:

Blood circulation is stimulated supplying more nutrients, impurities drain away unrestricted and dead skin cells are brushed away naturally to reveal the glowing complexion beneath.
At a cellular level, fascia responds to touch and specific techniques stimulate the production of its own hyaluronic acid and collagen.
Areas of tension in the face are soothed so that muscles can relax. This allows energy channels to open, giving a feeling of complete relaxation not just in the face and head, but in the rest of the body too.

An additional benefit to this technique is that it is fully sustainable.

It can all be done without the use of skin care products, and is therefore suitable for those who are keen on environmentally sustainable treatments but who would still like to enjoy a facial which gives results.

Talking about sustainability, why not keep your carbon footprint to a minimum by enjoying the Fascial Effect® face massage from the comfort of your own home? I offer an online face massage workshop where I reach you a few simple techniques that you can apply yourself and achieve anti-ageing results whenever you would like.

Click here for full details and to book your place on the next workshop.

Body

Heavy handbag? It can weigh you down

As life gets busier we start carrying more and more around in our handbags – actually some of the bags that you see couldn’t be described as ‘handbags’ – they’re almost suitcases!

So if you’re carrying your life around with you be aware that you could develop all kinds of physical reactions. If you feel:

Pain around your neck or shoulder area
Numbness or pins and needles in your arm or hand
Persistent headaches
Tightness on one side of your neck

You need to take action.

Rest won’t necessarily fix the problem, if your soft tissues are strained or stuck, you’re going to need some expert help to release the tension and get things moving again. This might include:

Myofascial release to loosen your connective tissue
Hot stones to warm and hydrate muscles
Cupping to increase blood supply and release toxins
Trigger point therapy to release pain
Stretching to restore flexibility

Your pain may not be caused by lugging a handbag, it could be carrying a baby or toddler or lugging any heavy items around on a regular basis. Don’t compound the damage by doing nothing, get treatment to relieve the pain and restore normal movement again.

Call Jas on 07775 633798 to find out more

Body

Tension in the Jaw….don’t grin and bear it!

When you’re stressed or anxious you tighten your jaw, even when you’re asleep stress can manifest as teeth grinding.

Your head has several bones, but only one joint – where the mandible (lower jaw) connects to the main skull structure. It effectively operates to allow us to chew and to talk. It’s also a hotspot for physical stress to accumulate.

Today’s lifestyle doesn’t always make it easy for you to sit up straight while tucking your chin in for more than a few seconds at a time – so you generally adapt a head forward posture, with clenched jaw.

What to look for

Your jaw locks or clicks when you open your mouth
You suffer from a dry mouth
You get headaches focused on your forehead or temple
You suffer from pain in upper teeth and cheek (sometimes identified as sinus pain) or pain in the lower teeth and jaw
You have buzzing or ringing in the ears

Myofascial release techniques can help by reducing the effects of physical stress in your face, neck and jaw. This treatment will help to ease the restriction of your fascia (soft fibrous connective tissue) and stretch the muscles and reduce the pressure in and around your jaw, that’s causing the problem.

To enhance the effects suction cups will further relax the tissues and assist in draining away excess fluid and toxins. In severe cases, deeper pressure on your trigger points may be needed.

Not only will your jaw feel lighter, but you’ll also feel relaxed physically and de-stressed mentally.

Find out more – contact Jas on 07775 633798

Ageing

Is ‘The Change’ disrupting your life?

Menopause is often referred to as ‘The Change’, implying that your life will change to be different afterwards – but in reality it’s the actual process of menopause that is the biggest change. And it can disrupt not only the life of the woman who is experiencing it, but also those who live and work with her.

Menopause is a change in hormone balance that stops ovulation and the symptoms can include hot flushes, night sweats, brain fog, mood swings and depression to name few. In addition body fat accumulates mainly in the abdominal area as a result of oestrogen deficiency and blood pressure begins to rise adding to a greater risk of cardiovascular disorders later in life.

Some people can manage relatively mild symptoms, but the severity of the symptoms can almost be unbearable for others. Everyone is different.

A balanced diet high in plant foods alongside action taken to reduce stress and take moderate exercise can help cope with physical health and mental wellbeing during this time.

But what if you are not able to step off the treadmill of life just yet and want to keep living life to the full without the constant challenges of coping with the menopause? What if the small changes you make to your lifestyle are helping, but they are not improving the quality of your life as much as you would like? There are pharmaceutical treatments like HRT, but not everyone wants to commit to taking that for an unspecified number of years. However, there are natural alternatives.

I came across the Rain seed nutritional products at precisely this time and have never looked back. It’s all about getting back to basics – if a diet high in plant foods is good for you, the seed-based product is three times more nutritious, because it contains the fuel and genetic material to grow the plant in the first place i.e. everything is in the seed; vitamins, minerals, proteins, enzymes and plentiful Omega 3, 6 and 9.

The seeds used in these supplements cannot, as a rule, be added to your muesli! That’s why these products are brilliant, no chewing is required as the seed coat is ground and the oils are extracted in a cold press process so as not to damage any precious nutrition. This densely nutritious product is added to a solution to make it palatable and convenient to take.

SOUL is the product I started taking and most certainly the one I would recommend for symptoms caused by hormonal issues.

Menopause, peri-menopause and pre-menstrual tension are all hormonal imbalances and the symptoms are amplified by inflammation. Any anti-inflammatory agent can lessen the associated discomforts and optimize healthy endocrine function. All of the seeds in SOUL are known for their anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties.

For information on the ingredients view the PDF SOUL

If you would like to know how SOUL can help you then email me on jas@thefascialeffect.co.uk to arrange a consultation.

Ageing

Post-menopausal problem solving

Menopause is an important milestone in a woman’s life, but for many who struggle with their symptoms and identity, it doesn’t feel like something to celebrate. Falling levels of oestrogen are not the only trigger of menopausal symptoms; other lifestyle habits play a part.

A diet lacking essential nutrients, unhealthy levels of physical and mental stress and exposure to toxins eventually take their toll. The symptoms of menopause are likely to be more severe while the body is in a weaker nutritional and physiological state. Although menopause is anatural part of getting older, it may also speed up the aging process.

Throughout my career I’ve seen the impact of ageing on women, both the skin texture changes as hormones alter and also physically as their bodies are more subject to stiffness and reduced mobility due to aches and pains. While there isn’t a magic wand there are many things that you can do to reduce the post-menopausal symptoms.

Keep your skin supple

After ‘the change’ one of the visible changes is often a more noticeable lack of what is referred to as ‘volume’. This is what give your face that smooth, youthful ‘plumpness’ and as your collagen production drops off, the result is more wrinkles, lines and sagging. Not what you want when your confidence is probably not at an all-time high.

For those that can afford it, this is when they go off to an aesthetician to get Botox or fillers – but this is a radical approach and not for everyone.

As part of my research for my dissertation I developed a product-free facial massage, using myo-fascial techniques, that noticeably improved the skin tone and reduced the appearance of those ageing wrinkles.

That’s now been further developed into a 90 minute online training session so you can learn a simple massage that you can do for yourself. To book a Zoom Facial Workshop Click here

Look after your body

As you get older aches and pains seem to appear out of nowhere. The problem is not just the reduction in movement, but pain tends to reflect in your face – and that encourages more of those frown lines!

If you’ve over-stretched or strained something or are stiff or in pain when moving, get help sooner rather than later. More often than not it’s a situation that can be made better by myo-fascial release. This works with the soft tissues restoring flexibility and pliability.

Nutrition counts

In a perfect world we would all eat a perfect diet and be a perfect size with perfect fitness. But life isn’t perfect (and wouldn’t it be boring if it was?)

Of course, I’d advise eating a sensible diet with plenty of nutritional value – but who can resist the occasional takeaway or comfort food? A nutritional deficit often results in tiredness, lethargy or a general feeling of being ‘under par’. I know this because I’ve been there!

I’m always a little hesitant to recommend specific products, but when I discovered the Rain International range, I tried them and noticed a significant difference. Since then I’ve recommended them to friends and clients and the feedback has been hugely positive. They’re a natural cold pressed seed-oil based supplement and have literally transformed some people’s lives.

Whether you go the do-it-yourself route or find a supplement that gives your body what it needs – remember what you put in is the fuel that keeps your body running. Better to give it premium fuel, than low quality stuff.

To shop for healthy seed oil supplements Click here or if you have any questions on any of these issues – please drop me an email at jas@thefascialeffect.co.uk.

Body

Scarred!

Scars have the potential to create both a physiological and psychological impact. Scars are associated not only with cuts, surgery and wounds, but also by tears from injury or trauma. Pain-related conditions such as lower back pain, plantar fasciitis, shoulder pain and headaches can quite often be traced back to a scar.

Effectively a scar is an injury to the fascia, or soft tissue that wraps around all your organs, muscles, ligaments, etc. Scar tissue impedes the free gliding action of fascia inhibiting normal healing and movement processes.

Imagine a busy motorway; while traffic is free flowing there are no problems. When there is a blockage across the carriageways the flow of traffic will slow down or stop. There may be diversions to enable people to get from A to B, but it will take longer and cause disruption, stress and anxiety for the occupants of all the vehicles until the roadblock is cleared.

Now imagine a deep cut that penetrates the surface of the skin through to the deeper layers of the body. The body will immediately respond with an inflammatory response, which includes laying down collagen to reconstruct the injured fascia and close the wound.

The scar is visible on the surface, but the underlying repair job can act as a roadblock to the free flow of the essential body processes. This creates deficiencies in one area and excess in another area. For some it can mean long term pain and restricted movement.

Fortunately, there is treatment that can relieve the pain and help to remove the roadblock.

For more information or to book an appointment with Jas call 07775633798

Ageing

Beauty from within

There comes a time when the visible signs of ageing really start to show and we reach out for anti-ageing skin care products. We hope that the ingredients will slow down or even reverse the signs of ageing. However, the concentrations of these ingredients are so small that they barely skim the surface of the skin let alone penetrate deeper layers of fascial tissue where the new cells, collagen and elastin are formed.

Your creams will only do some of the work. So what else can you do, to keep your skin youthful for as long as possible? A healthy diet packed with nutritional ingredients is essential. But, if you’re anything like me, life is too busy to watch every mouthful and try to integrate all the nutrients your skin needs – even supposing you could work out exactly what foods to include, how much, how often and the exact quantities of each food you need to eat.

Seeds are a great place to start and they add an array of benefits for skin hair and overall health. The good news is that you don’t need to start a research project to benefit from them.

I always hesitate to recommend products – there are so many and many claim to do all kinds of amazing things and I wouldn’t recommend anything I don’t use myself. I’ve not only tried the Rain seed-based supplements, but noticed a significant difference. I’ve been using them a long time now and this is just to give you an introduction to one of their daily supplements.

Soul Red is a blend of pure oils from 3 types of seed of which work well together; black cumin seed, red raspberry seed and chardonnay grape seed oils. Scientifically tested and approved, Soul Red slows the ageing of our cells by almost 80%, it reduces inflammation, increases energy levels and improves the condition and function of your cells.

As you might imagine, less ageing on the inside means a more youthful appearance on the outside. Beauty does really come from within.

To shop click here or if you would like to talk to me, just call 07775 633798.