The Haven
Healing Centre
The Orchard
Draycott Rd, Cheddar
Somerset
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Spinal Touch for Back Pain & Posture AlignmentTreatment for Back, Shoulders, Lumbar, Pelvis and Neck PainBack and posture treatments (using Spinal Touch Therapy) at The Haven Healing CentreA session or two of Spinal Touch will transform the way you stand, and alter the way you move around, or perform your duties, whether at work or at home. Ask anybody who's tried it! 
Sometimes, our posture deteriorates subtly over time to the point where we find ourselves in considerable pain. There may be no set pattern, but we often put it down to a bad sitting position, an old mattress, heavy work or bags of groceries, or the favourite reason of all; gardening. What we tend not to realize is that, had our posture been correct prior to lifting the heavy weight, we would probably have been able to cope with it and not injured ourselves.The fact is, our posture was probably already partially distorted for some time, which meant our muscles were straining to correct the posture, or hold us in a position that the brains sees as resembling 'normal'. This takes us some way into our 'elastic limit', and means that the muscles don't have as much room to manoeuvre, as they are already partially contracted. A good example is an elastic band. Left loose on a desk it has a long way to stretch before it moves into its terminal zone and breaks. If you then stretch the band to 50% of it's possible length and apply the same force, it very quickly becomes stretched beyond it's limit and breaks easily. Why is this like the human musculoskeletal system? Well, if you stretch the band by only 10% or 20%, and apply the same force, the band may or may not break when at full stretch. If the band does survive it maybe at a reduced capacity for stretch. 
The band may survive but become 'over-stretched' to the point where it can't fully recover to it's former shape. It remains larger than its previous resting state and can no longer shrink back. In a similar way, your muscles can be harmed by over exertion, and tears or a good wrenching can do considerable harm. Muscles or tendons can break by tearing, or over-stretching (which is called strain), or you may suffer a ligament injury (called a sprain).Any injury of this sort is going to cause pain and take a considerable time to heal. What do we do when we are in pain? Yes, we move. We move in order to find a more comfortable position. Once the pain is reduced in this new position, we tend to 'hold it' right there. This holding in tension, is accomplished by contracting our muscles permanently or semi-permanently. This new position may also be accompanied by skeletal tensions that now pose the threat of nerve entrapment and inflammation, which results in another type of pain. Spinal Touch holds the key to coaxing the body back into a state of balance, through gentle manipulation of the fascia and muscular systems. Why is that important? Because it is those things that cause the body to move out of alignment in the first place. Please click on the articles link to find out more about using Spinal Touch for ankylosing spondylitis, scoliosis, sciatica, backpain in pregnancy, SPD (Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction) & PGP (Pelvic Girdle Pain), and much more. Please contact me if you want to find out about appointments and prices. I look forward to hearing from you. Phil. So what is the Spinal Touch Technique? Spinal Touch is a powerful, unique and very effective light touch technique, for assessing and treating postural distortion at the body's centre of gravity. Are you curious as to where this centre of gravity might be? Well, you know that dull, or sometimes not so dull, ache you get in the base of your spine when you've carried heavy groceries or been out tending the garden for the day? Yes, that's right, you've found it!! 
The sacrum/pelvis position and its relationship to the vertebral column are critical in enabling the body to function correctly in Earth's environment of constant gravity. Sudden or gradual stress and strain on the normal functioning of this relationship sets up an imbalance that distorts the body's posture through muscle contraction, as we mentioned in the previous paragraph. Left uncorrected, this places a strain on the skeletal system, which in turn causes the body to lose its shape. Though often subtle, organ positions are also disturbed or subject to extra strain. This may cause breathing difficulties, digestive disorders and constriction of other organs like the pancreas or liver and kidneys.The way to reverse this trend of increasing strain and distortion is to encourage the muscles to relax and to return to its resting state. A relaxed muscle allows the body to return to its normal posture and a rested muscle allows all of the toxins that accumulated during the contraction phase to be released into the system for disposal. Sounds ideal, but: THIS, I find, is the bit that many people find confusing. How can such gentle touches and movements cause the body to look so different afterwards; More upright, more centered, taller, and more relaxed? The answer lies in the FASCIA. Fascia is the soft tissue component of the connective tissue system that permeates the human body. It interpenetrates and surrounds muscles, bones, organs, nerves, blood vessels and other structures. Fascia is an uninterrupted, three-dimensional web of tissue that extends from head to toe, from front to back, from interior to exterior. It is responsible for maintaining structural integrity; for providing support and protection; and acts as a shock absorber. 
When your body is in a state of imbalance, the fascia changes to hold you in that position. Relaxing the fascia, which responds best to gentle touch, allows the body to find alignment again, and the reasons for the pain no longer exist. Inflammation can migrate away, adhesions can release, swollen tissue and inflammed, irritated nerves can return to normal. Long-term aches and pains can correct, chronic headaches subside, neck and back pain are usually alleviated, energy levels improve, and sometimes emotional and physical traumas shift, to produce psychological benefits that were previously thought to be unconnected to the body's imbalance.Who can benefit from Spinal Touch Treatments? When we speak of the organs of the body, we are including all functions of the skeletal system, the muscular sytem, the nervous system, the circulatory system, the respiratory system, the digestive system, the sensory system, the urinary system and the reproductive system. Each system is dependent on every other system in the body organism to perform its function. When one part breaks down, it has an effect on the rest of the body systems, causing disruption to a greater or lesser extent. 
Conditions which have been helped by Spinal Touch, include: ankylosing spondylitis, anxiety, arthritis, asthma, back pain, balance problems, digestive problems, fatigue, frozen shoulder, headache, insomnia, jaw problems, joint pain, kyphosis, lordosis, low energy and fatigue, menstrual problems, migraine, multiple sclerosis, neck pain, pins and needles, problems that occur as a result of pregnancy, recurrent infections, repetitive strain injury, scoliosis, sciatica, sinus problems, sports injuries, tennis elbow, tension, visual disturbances, whiplash injury and more. I recently had the priviledge of working with a gentleman who had Parkinson's Disease. Unfortunately, he is no longer with us, but he showed a marked improvement in the quality of his life, by being able to do many things for himself that previously only his carer could do.I realize this is a huge list, and some people will think my recommendation here to be rather optimistic. But what you have to remember, is the entire list is related to tension, stress, system disruption, overload and moving the body beyond its 'elastic limit' of endurance. These are the very things that Spinal Touch is crafted to relieve. So rather than being optimistic, it is my view that Spinal Touch does quickly what a few other therapies take their time over. Many people are in the unfortunate position of having several of these conditions going on at the same time. That's not surprising, though, is it? When you look at these problems and then compare their relationship and location to each other, to their neighbouring organs and the systems to which they belong, you begin to see how, like the "domino effect", postural distortion or pain can cause us to develop other symptoms, like neck pain. This gives rise to headaches and insomnia. Then we introduce fatigue and anxiety, which sparks off back pain or asthma. Breathing difficulties cause muscles to strain around vital organs, and blood flow is impeded, this has an effect on the circulatory system and oxygenated blood is slow to reach and nourish other organs, or the digestive system. The inability to digest our food properly soon has an effect on the body's cell structure and our senses begin to suffer. We end up with visual disturbances, sinus problems and infections or disease. The secret is to break the cycle somewhere along the chain. This is where Spinal Touch comes in. By correcting the distortions of the body that are caused by stress and strain, we allow the body to rest. Actually, we cause the muscles to rest, which is what triggers all this off in the first place. Once the body is allowed to relax sufficiently, it will start to heal itself. Spinal Touch for Back Pain and Postural Distortion. I hope you have found this information useful and feel encouraged to look for a solution. Please contact me if you want to find out about appointments and prices. I look forward to hearing from you. Phil. Did You Know? Spinal Touch is also really helpful for canine backpain, pelvic distortion or spinal disorders. Does your dog suffer with backpain? Why not give Spinal Touch a try? Your best friend will thank you for it! To make an appointment please visit the Spinal Touch Therapy for Your Dog page. Please share this page with your friends. Thank you.
Testimonial: This is an answer phone message from a patient who'd had 8 weeks of physio at the local hospital for back ache, which resulted in zero relief, and had also finished 2 months of prescriptions for anti-inflammatories.
Note: DISCLAIMER: This information is not presented by a medical practitioner and is for educational and informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read. It's a small investment in yourself, but could be a life-changing experience you will cherish forever. |
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"Hi Phil, this is Dave C... here, from Bristol. I'm just ringing to say thanks for sorting me back out; everything's fine now. Our J... said I should come and see you; glad I did now. That physio I told you about was a bl@@dy waste of time. 10 weeks that was. Waste of my time and petrol, and waste of NHS money. That's what they should do. Send 'em to you instead. I'll tell the doctor that next time I see him. Anyway Phil, gotta go. I'll know where to come if it comes back. See you. Thanks. (Click)