I Have Back Pain - Where do I Start?

If you’re suffering with pain you already know how much it impacts on your life. Everything you do is measured against the impact it will have on your pain levels. You might have to give up activities you love, working can be difficult, anything that requires concentration is a struggle. You might even feel depressed as it’s not much fun when your life contracts, it can become pretty miserable, lonely and scary place to be.

For all these reasons it’s really important that you get the right help for back pain as every day you’re in pain is one too many. As well as wasting time, you can also burn through a lot of money seeking a cure, so my first piece of advice is if you have been in pain and the treatment you’re already receiving is not working seek an alternative. When I say not working I mean you are feeling only minor improvements after treatment or the improvements only last a day or two. You want to see obvious improvements after a treatment and over the course of a few treatments see significant change, otherwise you have to ask is this treatment really treating the cause of my pain?

There are many options to choose from but these three treatments are the ones I have seen be the most effective for back pain:

ACUPUNCTURE

Most people associate acupuncture with pain relief and for good reason. Clients invariably walk out feeling significant relief from just their first session and in all but the most difficult cases that improvement is sustained. The reason acupuncture is so effective in treating back pain is that it’s able to do three things exceptionally well: reduce inflammation, release muscular tension and relax your nervous system.

OSTEOPATHY

Pain doesn’t just appear out of thin air. Sometimes the pain can be traced to an injury such as a car accident or a fall, however when you think about all the injuries you’ve had in your life, 99% of the time you recover without needing any help. It’s the 1% of the time when the injury has exposed an underlying weakness in you body, an area of chronic tension or postural imbalance for example, when you get stuck. Osteopathy restores optimal movement, corrects postural imbalances and treats the underlying structural causes of why you’re in pain. It also works fast.

REMEDIAL MASSAGE

Not all massages and massage therapists are equal. A properly trained and experienced remedial massage therapist is able to treat the underlying cause of your pain not just offer a temporary feel good experience. They can also advise you about what self care strategies such as specific stretches that will complement the treatment and have you feeling better sooner. We have three senior massage therapists at Live Well who are exceptionally skilled and experience in helping people recover from injury and pain.

If you need help figuring our where to start then please send us an email or give us a call and we’ll direct you to the best possible care. We’d like nothing more than to help you resolve your pain and be able to live you life to the full again.

Thai Yoga Massage

Thai Yoga massage is a blissfully relaxing treatment that combines massage techniques and Yoga movements to leave your body and mind feeling balanced, calm and deeply relaxed.

During a Thai Yoga Massage treatment, the therapist will move you through a sequence of gentle yoga stretches whilst using their hand and body pressure along your meridians and pressure points. This unique combination of movement, stretching and massage really opens up the body and allows for a deep release of tension and stress.

Thai Yoga massage’s development began thousands of years ago in the Buddhist temples of Thailand. It is an ancient form of therapeutic healing that has roots in Indian Ayurvedic medicine. It thrived as a means for spiritual people to share the benefits of meditation and compassion in a physical form. It is a respected form of healing practiced today in hospitals and temples throughout Thailand.

The benefits of this massage are numerous and include:

Physical Benefits

• Leaves you feeling relaxed, balanced and free of tension
• Detoxes your body and boosts your immune system
• Increases your blood circulation and can lower your blood pressure
• Releases muscle tension and pain
• Increases flexibility in your muscles
• Improves breathing
• Improves posture, balance, corrects body alignments and dissolves energy blockages
• Improves athletic performance
• Helps arthritis and back pain,
• Helps tone the body, strengthen joints
• Slows the aging process
   

Mental Benefits

• Improve your outlook towards life;
• Help with concentration and creativity
• Clear and calm your mind
   

Psychological effects of Thai Massage

• Boosts your mood and your resilience
• Reduces and relieve stress and anxiety
• Builds your confidence
• Boosts your inner vitality

Thai Yoga Massage is performed on a mat on the floor, with both the practitioner and client wearing comfortable clothing that allows ease of movement and flexibility.

Here at Live Well we are lucky enough to have two of our own Thai Yoga massage experts, Ramone and Takako who both have a wealth of knowledge of the body's movement patterns from years spent practicing Yoga and martial arts as well as understanding of the body's energetics making them exceptionally aware of, and in-tune with, the human body.

Please click the link to find out more information about the kinds of massage therapies we offer at Live Well or to make a booking with Ramone or Takako.

Hot Stone Massage

As we step into the new season of Winter, hot stone massage can really bring some warmth back into our chilly bones. For those people who can never seem to get warm until spring comes again, hot stone massage can be a lovely way to come out of hibernation. Like stepping out on a cold day but into the sunlight… with the suns rays warming your body against the cold. Hot stone is the next best thing on those cold grey days we often have throughout the winter here in Canberra.

Anyone who has ever had the pleasure of receiving a hot stone massage knows the intense feeling of relaxation it provides. But do you know that there are long term, lasting benefits of hot stone massage?

The Secret is in the Stone

A hot stone massage combines thermotherapy with massage techniques to provide an effective healing therapy.  The use of natural stones in conjunction with massage uses powerful earth energies to help the patient heal. Heat from stones also has the benefit of geomagnetism from a Earth source; which has a balancing and healing effect on our systems.

Discover the Deeper Effects of the Stone

For those who haven’t had the pleasure of having a hot stone massage; it consists of both warm and hot stones placed directly on the body as well as being used as a massage tool.  The localised placement of heat on a particular area increases circulation of fluids, and can assist in alleviating organ congestion. When placed along meridian points, they can assist in removing energy blockages that lead to the development of disease, illness. Massage with the hot stones reduce swelling, pain and stimulate lymphatic drainage.

Some benefits of hot stone massage include:

• Improves circulation
• Decongestion of the liver by relaxing ducts
• Detoxifies blood with sweating much the same as a sauna
• Helps with hydrating and flushing cells
• Relaxes muscles, soothes aches
• Increases range of motion in joint movement
• Lymphatic drainage and cleansing
• Relieves stress

People who love the Hot Stones, do so because it's like a hot water bottle for the body, a gentle all over relaxing feeling, which calms the body and the soul. So book in for yourself to experience this bliss and reap the benefits. It can be a great part of your wellness program for the winter.

Click here to book a hot stone massage at Live Well Naturally now!

I Have Back Pain - Where do I Start?

If you’re suffering with pain you already know how much it impacts on your life. Everything you do is measured against the impact it will have on your pain levels. You might have to give up activities you love, working can be difficult, anything that requires concentration is a struggle. You might even feel depressed as it’s not much fun when your life contracts, it can become pretty miserable, lonely and scary place to be.

For all these reasons it’s really important that you get the right help for back pain as every day you’re in pain is one too many. As well as wasting time, you can also burn through a lot of money seeking a cure, so my first piece of advice is if you have been in pain and the treatment you’re already receiving is not working seek an alternative. When I say not working I mean you are feeling only minor improvements after treatment or the improvements only last a day or two. You want to see obvious improvements after a treatment and over the course of a few treatments see significant change, otherwise you have to ask is this treatment really treating the cause of my pain?

There are many options to choose from but these three treatments are the ones I have seen be the most effective for back pain:

Acupuncture

Most people associate acupuncture with pain relief and for good reason. Clients invariably walk out feeling significant relief from just their first session and in all but the most difficult cases that improvement is sustained. The reason acupuncture is so effective in treating back pain is that it’s able to do three things exceptionally well: reduce inflammation, release muscular tension and relax your nervous system.

Osteopathy

Pain doesn’t just appear out of thin air. Sometimes the pain can be traced to an injury such as a car accident or a fall, however when you think about all the injuries you’ve had in your life, 99% of the time you recover without needing any help. It’s the 1% of the time when the injury has exposed an underlying weakness in you body, an area of chronic tension or postural imbalance for example, when you get stuck. Osteopathy restores optimal movement, corrects postural imbalances and treats the underlying structural causes of why you’re in pain. It also works fast.

Remedial Massage

Not all massages and massage therapists are equal. A properly trained and experienced remedial massage therapist is able to treat the underlying cause of your pain not just offer a temporary feel good experience. They can also advise you about what self care strategies such as specific stretches that will complement the treatment and have you feeling better sooner. We have three senior massage therapists at Live Well who are exceptionally skilled and experience in helping people recover from injury and pain.

If you need help figuring our where to start then please send us an email or give us a call and we’ll direct you to the best possible care. We’d like nothing more than to help you resolve your pain and be able to live you life to the full again.

Learn more about Wes.

Make an appointment to see Wes.

Winter Wellness Tips

So you don't want to get sick this winter? Here’s how to stay well even when others around you are not.

Rest Up

Colds and flus are our body's way of enforcing rest. You can override your body's signals to slow down for only so long before your body pulls rank and gives you an enforced period of rest. So if you don't want to get sick - listen to your body before its too late. If you're exhausted lighten your load and make some space for rest in your day, evening or weekend.

Cleanse

Not many people know this but according to Chinese Medicine your liver has a major role to play in keeping your immune system buoyant. We know that poor diet choices like eating too many refined foods or junk food, as well as too much alcohol are not good for the liver. If you tend to overindulge then try giving your liver a break.

De-Stress

If you want to have resilient good health you need a strong immune system. One of the major causes of immune dysfunction is mental and emotional stress. If you're not happy or you're perpetually stressed don't ignore it! Seek help (counseling, acupuncture, massage) or self help (exercise, holidays, spend time with friends) but don't just soldier on.

Keep Moving

Even though it’s tempting to hibernate when the weather turns cold, if you can maintain some exercise in your weekly routine you'll fair much better. As well as improving our mood, exercise helps keep the lymph system healthy. So walk, jog, swim, do some Yoga, Tai Chi, weights or anything active that takes your fancy...and feel the difference.

So there is no real secret just common sense if you want to avoid getting sick! Rest when you're tired, eat well (or cleanse if you need to), don't ignore stress and unhappiness and include some regular exercise in your week. Make these simple habits part of your life and you'll not only avoid getting sick you'll actually be on the path to excellent health.

BOOST YOUR FERTILITY NATURALLY WITH FEMORAL MASSAGE

Femoral massage is a simple technique that can help increase the blood flow to the uterus and ovaries and therefore increase your chances of conception.  Anytime you increase blood flow to a particular organ you increase its function.

This massage can be performed twice a day up to ovulation, or the day before embryo transfer and not beyond.

PLEASE NOTE: Do not perform this massage if you are or might be pregnant, if you have high blood pressure, heart disease, circulatory problems or a history of stroke.

By applying pressure with your fingertips, compress the large artery just beneath the crease in your groin between your thigh and lower abdomen. This is the femoral artery, which comes from the iliac artery (see illustration below). The iliac artery has branches that supply blood to the uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries.  (The ovaries also have an additional blood supply, which branches off the arterial section that supplies the kidneys.

You should be able to feel with your fingertips when pulsation of the artery stops. Hold the pressure for 30 to 45 seconds.  The blood is now backing up and increasing pressure in the pelvic arteries and flooding the pelvic organs with more blood.
Release the pressure and let the blood flow normally.  When the hold is released, you should feel a sensation of warmth rushing down your leg as the blood supply returns to the lower extremity.

Repeat on the opposite side. Perform this massage sequence three times in a row, twice a day, up to ovulation.

The femoral artery (red) is the major artery to the legs, pausing its flow causes a pooling of nutrient rich blood in the pelvic region, suffusing the ovaries and uterus with nourishment and boosting their function.