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AcupunctureAromatherapyBaby MassageCuppingGua ShaIndian Head MassageMassageMoxibustionQi Gong and Tai ChiReflexologyTui Na
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At Bridgeways clinic we provide a range of treatments that help individuals to develop over time their potential with the optimum balance of their mind, body and spirit. The following sections provide an insight into the features and benefits of each of our available treatments. Acupuncture is the use of fine needles at specific points on the body surface to restore and maintain your health. It is an ancient medical system that originated in China and records of its use can be traced back 2000 years. Traditional acupuncture is based on the principle that our health is dependent on the balance of our body's motivating energy called Qi (pronounced chee). Qi flows throughout the body but is concentrated in channels beneath the skin, known as meridians. Along these channels lie the points by which the acupuncturist regulates the energy flow and bodily health. Aromatherapy is the art and science of using essential oils of natural plants to treat many conditions. Every oil has unique properties and the specific blend of different oils is tailored to suit the person. The oils are not only effective on physical symptoms: they also work at the mental, emotional and spiritual levels. Oils are most typically applied using a massage technique but other methods are also effective including ointments, inhalations and baths. Individuals find that essential oils offer a subtle and sensitive approach for treating their specific symptoms. You spend a huge amount of time close to and touching your baby but the ability to massage your baby takes that contact to a new level. Learning to massage your baby is one of the best gifts you can ever give yourself and your child. Massage helps both you and your child to relax and be focused on each other strengthening the bond between the two of you. Touch is the first of all the senses and starts within the womb; baby massage continues that intimate interaction. Cuppingis an ancient Chinese treatment method where a partial vacuum is created in cups placed on the skin be means of heat or suction. The therapy is used to relieve what is called "stagnation" in Traditional Chinese Medicine terms, and is used in the treatment of respiratory diseases such as the common cold, pneumonia, and bronchitis. Cupping is also used to treat back, neck, shoulder, and other musculoskeletal pain.Depending on the specific treatment, skin marking is common after the cups are removed. This may be a simple red ring that disappears quickly, but more aggressive treatments can result in deeper bruising. In general, the longer a cup is left on, the more of a circular mark is created. The treatments are generally not painful, and would usually be discontinued if there is more than a very minor discomfort. Gua Sha is another ancient Chinese medical treatment that involves repeated pressured strokes over lubricated skin with a smooth edge of a specialist tool. The strokes cause extravasation of blood from the peripheral capillaries and may result in sub-cutaneous blemishing, which usually takes 2-4 days to fade. Sha rash does not represent capillary rupture as in bruising, as is evidenced by the immediate fading of petechiae to echymosis, and the rapid resolution of sha as compared to bruising. The color of sha varies according to the severity of the patient's blood staagnation -- which may correlate with the nature, severity and type of their disorder --appearing from a dark blue-black to a light pink, but is most often a shade of red. Although the marks on the skin look painful, they are not. Patients typically feel immediate sense of relief and change. Indian Head Massage has been practised in India for over 1,000 years. It soothes and eases tension in the head, neck and shoulder areas by deep massage. The person receiving this therapy can remain clothed and seated throughout the massage and, although only the upper body is treated, the whole body will benefit from this relaxing, de-stressing Indian massage. Massage is a wide variety of techniques and styles, which include Holistic and Swedish massages. This range of options enables the therapist to tailor the massage to each person’s individual needs. A whole body massage incorporates the face and scalp, and is deeply relaxing and enjoyable. We specialise in combining Pregnancy Massage and Aromatherapy, to increase feelings of well-being, help to highlight areas of tension in the body, help prepare the body for childbirth, promote sleep and eases some of the common pregnancy ailments. We blend oils that are safe for each stage of pregnancy. Moxibustion is a Traditional Chinese Medicine therapy using moxa, or mugwort, herb. The herb is either used as a fluff or made into cigar-like sticks to warm areas of the body or specific acupuncture points. The heat can stimulate the flow of blood to an area or it can mitigate against the effects of dampness and cold. Moxa can also be used to apply heat to a point when it is used on an acupuncture needle. Qi Gong is meditation techniques and relaxed exercises based on the principles and concepts of this ancient Chinese art, some aspects of which go back over 3000 years, for developing internal energy or Qi, for healing and health. Tai Chi is the best known of the Chinese internal arts and is a form of Qi Gong. It comprises a series of movements designed to enhance the individual’s physical, mental and emotional control and flexibility. Together, Qi Gong and Tai Chi teach people how to control the flow and development of the inherent life force - Qi - within their own bodies utilising the mind, breathing and specific physical movements. Reflexology has developed in the Western world during the past 50 years but its origins date back to ancient China and Egypt. It is based upon the principle that energy flows through the body in channels (zones) from the head to the hands and feet where all the body’s structures are apparent in reflex points. Illness, stress or tension can create an imbalance in the body’s systems or structure. The reflexologist will apply a specialised massage technique to the reflex points. This stimulates the body’s own balancing and healing systems and encourages malfunctioning areas to function normally again. It can be particularly helpful for headaches, back pain, digestive and sinus problems and many other conditions. Tui Na is a form of manipulative Chinese medicine therapy and can be used in conjunction with other treatments. The practitioner may brush, knead, roll/press and rub the areas between each of the joints (known as the eight gates) to open the body's defensive (wei) chi and get the energy moving in both the meridians and the muscles. The practitioner can then use a range of motion, traction, massage, with the stimulation of acupressure points, to treat both acute and chronic musculoskeletal conditions, as well as many non-musculoskeletal conditions.
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