This is the “normal” massage that is universally offered, comprising all of the classic massage strokes. I can either do a deeply relaxing massage with no deep work on troublesome areas; or we can spend more time working on the aches and pains and easing them out with deep tissue work – you choose what you want for your massage.

CANCER-SUPPORT MASSAGE:

This session is more specialised. There is much anecdotal evidence that gentle massage can help to ease the symptoms of your cancer and the treatments you are undergoing; clients have told their therapists that it helps with pain from the cancer or the treatment; it helps reduce anxiety, and the stress of waiting for tests or the results of tests; it aids better sleep and just helps with feeling better overall. Massage is supported by the MacMillan Cancer charity as a supportive therapy. 

SCARWORK, AND SPECIALISED SCARWORK AFTER BREAST CANCER:

Do you feel that your scar is lumpy, bumpy, stuck somewhere inside of you, red or does it cause you incontinence or painful intercourse? Sharon Wheeler has been developing her techniques, and teaching them worldwide, for the last 40 years. Scars from surgery, injury and burns can all be worked – hip/knee replacements; Caesarean section scars; hysterectomy scars; key-hole surgery and breast reconstruction scars, both at the mastectomy site and the tissue-donor site. There is no age limit for the scar – there has been improvement in scars that are 20 years old.

STROKE AND PARKINSON’S DISEASE – HELP FOR

I have had a client who had had a stroke about 5 years ago and was struggling with his right leg – his heel couldn’t touch the ground so he was walking on his tip-toes with his right foot, he had reduced feeling in the lower leg, especially the foot and worsening range of movement in both of his ankles but especially the affected side. Both ankles were were also swollen with oedema. I worked with general massage on his legs and feet, every week, for about 13 weeks and the last few sessions saw him with his heel almost on the ground, he had more feeling in his foot and he was starting to weight bear, a little, on that affected leg. The massage helps to release muscles that are tightening up due to under-use, helps with the oedema and gets the blood flowing better, feeding and oxygenating all the muscles and nerves.

I have two clients with Parkinson’s Disease. My gentleman is 81-years old and his shoulders and neck muscles tighten up and he gets “spiky” pain in his right forearm. Both are being improved by weekly massages. My lady client is 77-years old and she finds the regular massage eases her legs and helps with her oedema.

You don’t have to live with an unsightly scar or a scar that causes you discomfort and difficulty. Scars can be tight, red or puckered, raised or wide. They can feel like they’re attached to you somewhere deep inside and if only you could get it loose, you would feel so much better and be able to move more easily. http://www.debbiegaddscartherapy.co.uk

ScarWork is AMAZING and a very exciting therapy to use! Every scar can be worked on except for acne scars and stretch marks – your mastectomy scar, the scar from breast reconstruction after mastectomy, knee or hip replacement scars, surgery scars, burns, keyhole surgery and drain sites etc. Many people with scars have some level of dysfunction but believe that “it’s just my scar and that’s how it is; nothing can be done about it”, or, “The doctor/surgeon said there is nothing that can be done about it and I have to live with it”, and so they live with a lot of inconvenience or make changes to their lives to accommodate, or avoid, those inconveniences. Why would you do that if ScarWork™ Therapy can help? Scars can adhere to the surrounding tissues while they are healing and it is possible to feel where these adhesions are; it’s possible to see the effects as well by looking for puckering or dips and dents in the scar.  There is much anecdotal evidence, from people who have had ScarWork™ Therapy who say that they have better range of motion, their scar isn’t so red and lumpy, noticeable, sunk in, tight, lopsided etc. Scars can be worked on from 10 weeks after surgery to 20 or 30 years afterwards – people report improvement even after that length of time. 

I have taken this following information from the book “Traumatic Scar Tissue Management” by Nancy Keeney Smith and Catherine Ryan:-

“Although the ‘replacement tissue’ that forms the scar differs from the original tissue, normal or healthy scarring is intended to restore or preserve tissue integrity and function. On the other hand, if any aspect of the process is faulty or mismanaged, pain and dysfunction can occur at debilitating levels….Many factors influence and can interfere with one of more stages of this process.”

I trained with Emma Holly of Restore Therapy, who uses techniques developed by Sharon Wheeler over 30 years of working with scars, so am able to work all types of scars and I have done advanced training to work on scars after Breast Cancer; this means specialised work on mastectomy scars, breast reconstruction and the scars from lymph node removal. http://www.debbiegaddscartherapy.co.uk.

These are testimonials from some of Emma’s clients, on the work she has done on their scars, here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7Tfwj6gIwk   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGc6cvewFeA   or  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUVrYwW7MSw 

If you have problems with your scar(s) or have to live with some of those inconveniences, please contact me so that I can do an assessment and we can take if from there.

My client, H. W-C. had a mastectomy, and reconstruction using the DIEP method (using tissue from the abdomen to build a new breast). She asked me to work on the abdominal scar which runs from hip-bone to hip-bone. Results achieved after one session: “I think my scar is looking and feeling better – the ends are more white than pink now, and the middle bit feels less clunky. (2 weeks later)….By the way I forgot to tell you that the minor incontinence issue totally disappeared after the scar tissue work you did, what a result!!!”

These comments are from the people who came in to our training so that we could practise on real scars: 

“Definitely feeling some benefits from the treatment thank-you. I’m amazed at the difference after one session! Thanks. Zoe” DIEP scar (Breast reconstruction after mastectomy)

“Hi …. I’m blown away with the results from this weekend’s session.” Dawn – Breast Cancer scars 

“Hi, ….. The breast area since having Scarworks is alot (sic)  softer, pliable, flexiable (sic) with the implant area a little more moveable (sic). The breast area has changed shape and is warmer giving overall comfort. The armpit area has moveability (sic) without pain and range. I also feel more relaxed and positive, and my sleep is better. Overall my session has given me increased well being…..Many thanks” Denise – Capsulated breast reconstruction

“Hi …., I was really pleased with the results of the treatment.  My wound looked and felt so much better.  I really didn’t think that 1 session would make a big difference but it has.  The wound does feel a little freer too….  Lisa”

“Hi …., Well, it’s now a week on since the treatment I kindly received. The first few days after the treatment I was sore and the leg was stiff, however, during the later part of the week the leg was feeling much better. Not so much muscle pain and the scar starting to blend in much more with my natural skin colouring. I am getting a better night’s sleep now with less wakeful nights. A big thank you to all that have helped me to improve my recovery and an overall better result for my scar healing process. Regards, Clive”

Please note: I cannot work on any woman who is pregnant; ScarWork does not work on stretch marks or acne scars.

The massage that is done for someone whose body is working to heal from cancer, and the damage that is done by chemotherapy and radiation, is different in some ways from Swedish massage – the strokes may be the same but the way they are applied is different and, depending on the treatment being given, means that some strokes and the depth of the massage will be different. A trained cancer-support massage therapist will know these things.

…Massage cannot spread the cancer to other sites and it cannot make the cancer grow faster.

…Massage cannot cure cancer or make it go into remission –

…A massage may only help with the side effects of the cancer, or the treatments you are undergoing. Research has shown that it helps to increase blood flow, so taking healing oxygen and nutrients to cells that are working hard to keep going and to get better; it can help to ease pain and it gives you some quiet time away from the constant focus on the cancer; it can improve the flow of lymph through the lymphatic system which is part of the immune system which helps to filter out harmful substances, germs and disease and research is constantly showing that massage has supportive benefits to the patient, and many people have recorded that the massage has helped to ease their anxiety, depression and fatigue. Many of the people who have massages when undergoing treatment have said they have their massage to relax before, or to help them sleep the night before, going to receive test results, or before they go to have an operation or procedure.

We all know that chemotherapy and radiation are aimed at killing cancer cells and that they also kill healthy cells. This means that deep-tissue massage is not to be done to prevent extra trauma to those ‘healthy’ cells that are struggling to survive. So the massage is gentle. You may think that this would not be a relaxing massage as the muscles aren’t being worked deeply, but you will find that it is; and sometimes the only thing that someone who is so poorly, while undergoing treatment, can withstand. Sometimes, even that is too much and so I would use Integrated Touch Therapy instead.

As a cancer-support massage therapist there are many things to be aware of when doing the massage and knowing all of these things will help with the planning of the massage, on the understanding that, depending on how you feel at that moment, the plan may have to change or I may just have to go home – sometimes you just aren’t feeling up to having a massage. Another thing, you need to have previously discussed with your clinician, that you want to have a massage to help manage the symptoms of the cancer and the side effects of the treatment you are undergoing (please advise him that I am properly trained to help ease any worries he may have); I may also need a letter from him saying that he feels there is nothing medical to advise against you having a massage.

When you call me to arrange a massage we’ll set a time to get together so that I can learn as much about what you are dealing with and then I’ll go home and plan the massage so that you get the best from your session. Please contact me if you just want to find out more – I’m always happy to talk it through with you and answer any questions, to the best of my ability. I am not a doctor, or a cancer specialist – just a massage therapist who wants to help you deal with the effects of your cancer and the side effects of your treatment, and give you some TLC – a break, for an hour or so, from your hard work.

Massage is recommended, as a support therapy, by Macmillan Cancer Support.

Massage therapy will not treat and/or remedy (cure) the cancer itself and should not be used as a substitute for the treatment recommended for you by your treating medical practitioner(s). I do not claim to treat or cure cancer.

Massage therapy is designed to be used in conjunction with conventional treatments and is used to seek to relieve the symptoms of cancer, or the side effects of conventional treatments but is not a treatment, in any way, for cancer. I make no recommendations, in any way, for you to stop your conventional treatment.

This is an interesting TED talk about bras – “You’ll never look at bras the same way again by Laura Tempesta who holds a masters degree in lingerie design – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrxJ-9_qXeM

SWALLOW THIS: Serving Up the Food Industry’s Darkest Secrets – Joanna Blythman

After reading this book you will Never want to eat anything that you haven’t prepared from scratch! In fact, you will be Horrified! Why does pitta bread stay ‘fresh’ for six months? Is that supermarket salad really fresh? What is done to those less overtly “industrial” foods classed as “fresh”, “healthy” – washed salads and prepared vegetables, smoothies, yoghurts, bread, fruit juice? The food industry doesn’t want you to know what they’re doing to the food – the truth is obscured by technical speak, unintelligible ingredients and clever labelling practices. While every step in the production of these is legal, we need to question how healthy it is to eat, what is the effect on our bodies and whether their practices should be legal?

SPOON-FED – Tim Spector

Tim Spector is a professor of genetic epidemiology at King’s College London and honorary consultant physician at Guy’s and St Tomas’ Hospital. Through his pioneering scientific research, he has been shocked to discover how little good evidence there is for many of our most deep-rooted ideas about food – he looks at the the myths of calorie counting for losing weight, saturated “bad” fat causes heart disease, too much salt will give you high blood pressure, useless supplements and how much water should we be drinking. He explores the scandalous lack of good science behind many medical and government food recommendations and how the food industry holds sway over these policies and our choices.

BREATH – James Nestor

Modern research is showing us that making even slight adjustments to the way we inhale and exhale can jump-start athletic performance, rejuvenate internal organs, halt snoring, allergies, asthma and autoimmune disease, and even straighten scoliotic spines. We need to breathe through our noses! Nasal breathing is something we should all be doing, we should be breathing less, we should be ensuring that our children nasal-breathe so that they don’t have health issues and need orthodontic work later in life. This book is a serious eye-opener as to the power of our breath and I cannot recommend it highly enough, especially for people with children.

WHY WE SLEEP: Matthew Walker

Matthew Walker is a British scientist and professor of neuroscience and psychology at the University of California, Berkeley. His research focuses on the impact of sleep on human health and disease. Scientists now know why we sleep and what happens to our brains and bodies when we are asleep. Sleep is AMAZING! The vast majority of us need a minimum of 8 hours of sleep per night – those who think they don’t need that amount of sleep, per night, need to read this book! Children need loads of sleep to help their brains develop. A lack of sleep causes immense physical and mental damage but by having plenty of it you can improve your memory, your mood, reduce anxiety, clean your brain out so that the chances of developing Alzheimer’s is reduced and consolidate memories for your studies.

THE OXYGEN ADVANTAGE: Patrick McKeown

Patrick has been teaching the Buteyko method of breathing that has helped thousands of asthma sufferers to reduce their medication. This book deals with the importance of proper breathing, a good balance of carbon dioxide that is so important for the efficient uptake of oxygen especially during exercise. If you want to improve your exercise and training then you need to read this book.

Linda Stephens yoga, Farnham – This woman is Amazing! If you want to get your pelvic floor strenghtened and get rid of your Tena pads (for those untimely little leaks!), then you need to work with her. Originally from New Zealand, Linda is a Coach and Master Yoga Teacher with over 5000+ hours experience. She founded YogaMums www.yogamums.net in 2013 and has recently launched an online and ongoing Women’s Yoga & Wellbeing Festival site www.WomensWellbeing.me specifically to educate and provide tailored yoga and health practices for peri- and post-menopausal women.  She knows her stuff, hormones and all!