#wellness – The Fascial Effect

Don’t Just Sit There!

Sitting is something we all do without thinking about it, we sit relaxing on the sofa, we sit at our desks, we sit in cafes and restaurants, we sit on public transport or in our cars, but sitting can be bad for our bodies if we don’t sit in the right position.

Hunched over a keyboard, slumped on the sofa, bent over a mobile phone or e-reader, driving on a long journey, even watching TV, we twist and bend into positions our bodies weren’t designed to maintain for any length of time. These activities involve:

Holding your neck in an awkward position for long periods of time
Hunching your shoulders forward
Leaning more into one side of your body

When your head is positioned in a forward posture for hours at a time it puts extra pressure on the discs in the neck and spine, which causes increased compression and can lead to chronic neck and shoulder pain and severe headaches. So, stress headaches may not be about too much going on in your head, but how you’re holding it.

The average human head weighs around 10 to 12lbs and all that is balanced on just 7 vertebrae in your neck and supported by around 20 muscles that are responsible for moving your head around and keeping that weight in place.

The relationship between the head, neck and torso affects the whole body. When the head sits properly on the neck and both are properly aligned with the back, the whole body follows with natural posture. However getting our heavy head to sit in correct alignment after the back, neck and spine is a difficult task.

The partial solution to this is getting the neck and shoulders as right as possible at first and the head alignment will follow. Also, these pains can usually be treated with a course of gentle myofascial release therapy, which identifies the points or triggers where things have tightened up and got stuck, loosens the muscles of neck, releases trapped nerves and increases your range of movement.

That will work to release some of the tension, but if you just go back to your old habits, all that good work can be reversed. However, you can practise good self-care after treatment and prevent this happening again.

My Neck and Shoulder Fascia Release workshop is designed to get you started with basic movement therapy to do that – and it’s online, so it doesn’t matter where you are you can participate. The results are often life-changing and patients find they not only have more mobility, less (or no) pain, but also sleep better and feel generally better in themselves.

To book a Neck and Shoulder Fascia Release Workshop click here

If your current symptoms are very uncomfortable an initial assessment is advisable. It may be necessary to have a manual treatment to release some of the tension first to get the most out of the workshop.

Body

Release your tension and destress your back

It’s that time of year when we seem to have so much to do and so little time to do it in. Our busy lives generate stress – and stress creates tension. This often means tight shoulders, stiff neck and pain in either your upper or lower back. Most of us just soldier on – and, surprise, surprise, it doesn’t just go away!

A treatment with heated stones is an excellent way to de-stress, relax tight muscles and release tension around the shoulders and lower back. The result for most people is ‘Ahhhhhh – that’s better!’

But that’s not all hot stones can do for you.

It’s also a great way to boost your immune system – naturally. The moist heat alongside the Fascial Effect™ massage techniques can reach deep into soft tissue creating the kind of warmth you can only get from a holiday in the sun.

What else does a hot stone massage do?

Feeling warm to the core can make you mentally and physically stronger to fight against infections this time of year.

Focused movements with hot stones around the neck, chest and ribcage can also release congestion lingering from a cold and so speed up recovery.

People often think the only way to detox is following a strict detox diet and drinking lots and lots of water. However, a treatment with heated stones warms the body to the core and boosts the circulation, encouraging the release of toxins via the lymphatic system and gentle perspiration. This can be energising if you are feeling tired and lethargic.

If stress and overwhelm are affecting the quality of your sleep then hot stone therapy will almost guarantee you a good night’s rest.

There are many good reasons to book yourself in for hot stones therapy regularly, just tell your therapist which one you’re suffering from and know that your body will thank you.

To book an appointment call Jas on 07775 633 798.