Holistic Approach

The cure of the part should not be attempted without treatment of the whole … therefore if the head and body are to be well you must begin by curing the mind:
This is the great error of our day in the treatment of the huma...n body, that physicians separate the soul from the body.
Plato, Chronicles 156 e

Plato wrote these words over two thousand years ago, yet he could very well have been describing the situation we have today. Some of us are only just beginning to open our eyes to re-discover the wisdom in these age-old words. We have coined the word ‘holistic’ (which has its roots in the Greek word ‘holos’ which means ‘whole’) to summarise this concept. In holistic healing, the whole person — mind, body and spirit — is taken into account. In all schools of natural healing the most important underlying principle is that the body will heal itself if given the chance. The therapist’s aim is to create the most effective treatment taking into account all aspects of the client’s ‘integral biology’, or environmental stress factors.

It is important to encourage sound nutrition, adequate exercise, sunshine, fresh air and above all deep relaxation therapy or perhaps meditation to buffer the adverse effects of life’s inevitable stresses and to counteract the potentially harmful effects of negative emotions. Body and mind are interrelated; whatever affects one will also affect the other. So a positive mental attitude is vital for the whole, health is transient without it.

History of Massage

There has been documentation of massage and the use of herbs, spices and aromatic oils in Ayurvedic medical texts dating back 4000 years. The aim is to treat the whole body in order to maintain harmony between the physical, mental and spir...itual being.

Massage remains an important part of the rich tradition of inter-generational massage in Indian family life. Families use massage daily for both relaxation and healing, maintaining contact and enjoying the stress reducing benefits of touch. From an early age children are introduced to head massage and learn how to perform, enabling each family member to give and receive.

Women use head massage as part of their hair grooming routine, incorporating different oils according to the season and specific conditions they may have. Oils like coconut, almond, olive, sesame or herbal infused oils like butter milk, keeping the hair strong and in a beautiful condition.
Barbers practice similar skills. It is quite common to receive a scalp massage from a barber when they visit your home offering a ‘champi’ (head massage) as part of the service.

Echoes of this Indian tradition reached the West long before the practise itself, in the form of the word ‘shampoo’, coming from the Hindi word ‘Champi’. Being ‘champied’ literally means having your head massaged.

Indian Head Massage was introduced to England by Narendra Metha, a blind man who grew up in an Indian community where Champi was an important part of life. He was the first person to develop and formalise Indian head massage into an actual therapy. Having come to England in 1978 & trained as a physiotherapist, in 1978 he returned to India where he studied the benefits and practice of Champi. Metha soon included the neck, shoulders and face in the massage and employed modern knowledge of shiatsu and acupressure to relax tense areas, rebalance the energy and clear any areas of concentrated negativity. In 1981 he started running introductory courses which developed into diploma level, leading to a professional qualification to practice Indian Head Massage.

How to Choose a Massage School

What a headache! Deciding on a training course is quite confusing isn’t it! So many choices: different exam boards, course content, course length, locations and price - where on earth do you start?!

These factors should help you decide:

The... helpfulness of the staff on the end of the phone and at the end of the e-mail
If they were helpful, friendly, courteous, knowledgeable and informative in the office and via their website, the chances are they are also that way in the classroom.

The availability of the staff on the end of the phone
Did you get through to a real live person or was there only an answer phone? Some schools of therapy are very small and do not have an office or office staff. If they are doing it all themselves, the chances are they are rushed off their feet and may not be able to respond to queries and any issues you might have quickly throughout your course.

If you did have to leave a message, how quickly did they come back to you? An hour, a day, a week?

The qualification and experience of the teachers
I would suggest that you don’t want to be taught by someone who has only just qualified themselves, or be taught by someone who only has the qualification you are about to study. Ideally you want to be taught by an expert. Someone who has great knowledge they are willing to share both of the subject you are learning, and of what the job market is like once you’re qualified. And don’t just think of your massage teachers... what about the business studies teacher? And the A&P teachers? I would also recommend that you choose to be taught by someone who has trained as a teacher. It is one thing to know a subject, teaching it in an inspiring, creative and fun way is an entirely different matter!

The location
Is the venue, clean, light, bright, airy, modern, spacious and conducive to learning? Are refreshments and water available for you, on tap?

The track record of the company
Choose to be taught by a company that is hugely experi...enced, has a proven track record over several years and a great reputation within the industry as being a quality training provider.

The qualification offered
It is important that the qualification offered is recognised here in the UK. There are some overseas companies now operating in the UK whose qualifications are not recognised here, so be careful. If you want to work abroad, make sure the qualification will travel across.

The course content
Whilst it is important to get value for money, question whether a short massage course is going to short change you and make you feel you are missing out on content. The last thing you want to be doing is wondering for the rest of your life- what would I have learnt if I’d done a longer massage course? How much more confident would I feel? What knowledge have I not gained? In some circumstances, cheap is expensive if it means having to do the course all over again. And is it all taught in class, or is there some online learning you can do?

The timing of the course
Do you want a course that is weekend or fast-track, maybe part-time vs full-time? Do you have to attend everything or is there the flexibility to catch up or study online for part of the course?

The number of students on the course
When I study, I actually learn from others in my class as well as the teachers and I enjoy the social aspect and possibility of new friendships, so I felt happy to be in a group of 20- 30 people. I also like having lots of different people to practice on to build my confidence and experience. I know as a teacher that small groups of 5-8 people just don’t have the same energy and are not as enjoyable. If one or two people don’t get on, it can really spoil a course. In a larger group they can avoid each other!

Recommendations and testimonials
Ask for the e-mail of a past customer of the school and/or check for testimonials. A good school will have video testimonials on their website.

Meet the school before you commit
Go along to an open day, visit a class in action, do an introductory workshop or give them a call and talk it through with someone. Any good school will have put their staff through some of the courses at least so they really know what they’re talking about. Ask all your questions, get a feel for them and put your mind at ease.

What are the graduates of the school doing?
Find out how successful the school’s graduates are in their therapy careers and whether the school assists in informing their graduates of vacancies and supports them in their careers once the course has ended.

Is there a money back guarantee?
Any school that has complete confidence in the quality of what they offer, will be happy to provide you with a money back guarantee. If they are uncomfortable or not able to give one, question the quality of what they do.

What support does the school provide after the training?
Your relationship once you have finished your training with the school should not end there. There should be ongoing business support for you to become a successful therapist – what else do they offer?

The price
Now if all of the above is satisfied you’ve got it! You don’t want to be spending the time until your course starts worrying about whether you have done the right thing. You want to be excited and certain. Choose quality and value over price for the peace of mind you get from choosing a course with a highly professional and successful school.

Gill Tree, Managing Director of Essentials for Health
www.essentialsforhealth.co.uk

DISEASES AND DISORDERS....

... OF THE SKELETAL SYSTEM

 

1. Arthritis......Pain and stiffness in the joints. A general term.

2. Rheumatoid Arthritis...Body attacks its own tissue in a joint - the cartilage and synovial membrane
...
3. Osteoarthritis....Irritation of joints caused by wear and tear, usually due to ageing. Cartilage
degenerates and spurs of new bone tissue are deposited. Bones can fuse,
reducing movement

4. Bursistis....Inflammation of Bursa

5. Avulsion Fracture......Displacement of bone caused by tearing of ligaments or tendons

6. Strain....... Forcible wrenching or twisting of joint with partial rupture of attachments

7. Osteoporosis......Decreased bone mass as a result of decreased levels of oestrogen. Common in post-menopausal women

8. Fracture......Partial or complete break of bone

9. Ricketts……Soft bones due to bone not calcifying because of lack of vitamin D

10. Kyphosis - Exaggerated outward curvature of the spine in the thoracic region

11. Lordosis.... Inward exaggeration of the spine in the lumbar region

12. Scoliosis- Lateral curvature of spine in any region

13. Gout... A condition in which a defect in uric acid metabolism causes an excess of the acid and its salts (urates) to accumulate in the bloodstream and the joints respectively

14. RSI ......... Pain with associated loss of function in a limb resulting from its repeated
movement or sustained static loading

15. Stress….. Any factor that acts on an individual so as to threaten his or her wellbeing, which may produce a physiological and psychological response. Mechanical stress
(or the lack of it) also affects the skeletal system

16. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.. Swelling in the carpal tunnel (in the wrist) causing compression of the medial nerve

17. Herniated Disc.... Protrusion of the pulpy inner material of an intervertebral disc through the fibrous outer coat, causing pressure on adjoining nerve roots, ligaments, etc.

18. Bunion....(Hallux Vulgas)A swelling of the joint between the great toe and the first metatarsal bone. A bursa often develops over the site.

19. Whiplash…. Damage to the ligaments, vertebrae, or spinal cord, caused by sudden jerking back of the head and neck, often in occupants of a car hit from behind