LOOK - PROMOTION FOR MARCH and APRIL!!

Attention all new and existing customers!

During March and April I am offering a £10 discount on 3 Shiatsu or Thai Massage treatments, bookable in advance, or on a pay-now-book later basis.

I am also offering a free 1-hour treatment to anyone who introduces a new Shiatsu or Thai Massage client during this period.

Take advantage of this great offer while you can!!

Now also a Thai Massage practitioner!!

I just spent a wonderful month in January touring Thailand and did an intensive course in Thai massage while I was there. I had an excellent training with Yan Praphas Sangkhawat, who is qualified by the Watpo Medical School in Bangkok, and Im now very enthusiastic about this form of massage, which complements Shiatsu very well, and ready to start treatments right away!

Comments from a client with Multiple Sclerosis

Hi. My name is John and I suffer with Multiple Sclerosis.

I first met Karen at my MS Centre when the Centre Manager asked if I would be interested in having Shiatsu (I didn't know what it was but anything was worth a try), as a student would be coming up once a week. I had been thinking of starting a therapy of some sort, as the Centre has a wide range to offer, so I said why not.

Karen came to the Centre a couple of weeks later for an informal chat and straight away I relaxed in her company. I quickly found that she was a very genuine woman. She also admitted that she was not up to speed with MS but by talking to her I could tell that she really wanted to make a difference to the quality of my life.

I had my first session the following week. We sat down and Karen asked me questions about my health, exercises and what medication I was on at that moment.

Karen comes to the Centre every week and I look forward to my sessions. Before I started having Shiatsu I thought my body was falling apart but through talking to a genuine person, who wants to alleviate some of the problems that you are suffering with, Karen worked her magic on me and over the weeks some of my problems were greatly reduced with the help of Shiatsu.

With my condition, to use the toilet is getting harder due to the nerves in my body not controlling my large intestine. With the help of Shiatsu, Karen has helped me to reduce that problem.

Also I had problems with my blood circulation, and Karen helped with this as well. The blood was not going to the lower part of my leg and making it very cold. With some Shiatsu, Karen reduced the problem. It is not back to normal but it is so much better than it was.

My hip joint was hurting to a point of very severe pain, due to the muscle wastage caused by MS and it affected my walking. Again, Karen helped with this as well.

Every week Karen comes to the Centre. There is always a smile from her and she makes the time to ask how you are and how your week has been before asking what ailments you would like worked on.

When Karen first came to the Centre I was her only patient. Now, because people to the Centre can see and hear how good Karen is with Shiatsu, she is in demand all day.

John Morris

ACUPRESSURE SUPERIOR TO PHYSICAL THERAPY FOR LOW BACK PAIN

Low back pain is an extremely common condition. By some estimates, 80% of the adult population will experience low back pain at some point in their lives. While acupuncture has been shown to be an effective form of back pain relief, less is known about the effectiveness of acupressure (Shiatsu) in treating the condition. A new study has shown that acupressure provides significant relief to people who suffer from low back pain and that the benefits can last several months after treatment has been discontinued.

In the study, 129 people with chronic low back pain were assigned to two treatment groups. 64 people received 6 sessions of acupressure in a one-month period, with all treatments performed by one senior therapist to help eliminate any differences in the type of care provided. The remaining patients received one month of standard physical therapy at an orthopaedic specialty clinic. At baseline, immediately after the last treatment and at a 6-month follow up, all of the patients were asked to fill out disability questionnaires to measure the effectiveness of care.

Compared to patients in the physical therapy group, patients treated with acupressure reported an 89% reduction in significant disability. This improvement was seen throughout the duration of the study. Patients who received acupressure also scored better on measures of pain and missed less time away from work or school, than physical therapy patients.

The authors of the study cautioned that the effectiveness of therapies such as acupressure depends on the experience and technique of the therapist providing care. Nevertheless, they suggested that acupressure is an effective form of relief for people with low back apin and that further studies be conducted to determine its effectiveness on other types of pain.

Reference: Hsieh L L-C, Kup D-H, Lee LH, et al. Treatment of low back pain by acupressure and physical therapy: randomised controlled trial. British Medical Journal, published 17 February 2006, doi: 10.1136/bmj.38744.672616.AE.

SHIATSU AND ALZHEIMERS

I thought this article, taken from the recent Shiatsu Society Newsletter, would be of interest to carers and suffers of Alzheimers and has certainly made me think about approaching my local branch of the Alzheimer's Society and Alzheimer's Research group to see if I can offer my services:

'I have been treating someone with Alzheimers since July last year. His doctors cannot understand why he is improving as this condition never improves. He has regular Shiatsu and I also recommended pure Norwegian Salmon Oil. When I first met him, he could not speak to me, his wife answered all questions for him. He could not move his limbs, especially lower limbs, which descended in painfully slow, jerky movements. He was depressed, withdrawn, and his eyes looked 'dead'. Ten months on and he now speaks to me direct. He speaks to total strangers, has started laughing and cracking jokes, his eyes look alive and a week ago he and his wife went on their first holiday in 5 years. She would like me to pass this information on to the Shiatsu Societ and to ask if anyone else has had a similar story with an Alzheimer suffer.'
Yvette Sinclair-France, sinclairfrance@tiscali.co.uk

Welcome to Cambridge Shiatsu

Shiatsu is a traditional hands-on Japanese healing art. The word Shiatsu means "finger-pressure" - a treatment incorporating gentle manipulations, stretches and pressure exerted using fingers, thumbs and palms to various points on the body. It is based on the same underlying philosophy and principles as acupuncture.

Shiatsu is a deeply relaxing experience and can help in a wide range of conditions - from specific injuries to more general symptoms of poor health. Regular Shiatsu sessions help to prevent the build up of stress in our daily lives and therefore, the potential for disease to manifest.

Common conditions which can be helped include:

• back and joint pain and stiffness
• headaches, migraines
• menstrual problems
• digestive problems
• asthma
• sports injuries
• depression, anxiety and stress

It can also be very beneficial during pregnancy and childbirth and provides many general health benefits such as providing a positive, uplifting feeling, easing tension, relaxing the mind and improving circulation and posture.