Tuesday 15 May 2018

Changes during pregnancy

During pregnancy, a woman’s body undergoes huge changes to accommodate the growing foetus. 
Apart from the obvious physical changes like expansion of the abdominal region, hormonal releases can affect the function of your body's internal systems. 
As your pregnancy progresses, the extra weight creates a shift in your body's centre of gravity. Your supporting ligaments also soften. These factors along with how you use your body day to day may add stress to your body, causing problems like back pain, sciatica, shortness of breath, swelling, high blood pressure and fatigue. 
One of the most rewarding aspects of being an Osteopath is the opportunity to help a pregnant lady in discomfort, and to assist her throughout the pregnancy.
We can help to alleviate some of the discomfort caused by weight gain and postural adaptations, using gentle and safe techniques to support Mum and baby. 
We can also offer advice about managing these symptoms and demonstrate self-help techniques which you and your birthing partner can use during pregnancy and labour.
Give us a call today 01270 629933 to make an appointment or email us info@weaverhouse.com 

Monday 7 May 2018

Fibromyalgia and M.E./Chronic Fatigue

Fibromyalgia and M.E/Chronic Fatigue can be a very difficult illness to manage and treat. Accompanied by numerous symptoms, ranging from fatigue to debilitating muscle pain, sufferers often have to look for a number of different treatments before they experience any relief.

Not all of these symptoms will apply to everyone. 
Common signs and symptoms include:

Widespread Pain
Morning Stiffness
Fatigue

Nausea
Sleep Disorders
Urinary and Pelvic Problems
Dizziness
Chronic Headaches
Cold Symptoms
Temporomandibular Joint
Dysfunction Syndrome
Multiple Chemical
Sensitivity Syndromes
"Fibro fog": Cognitive
or Memory Impairment
Skin Complaints
Chest Symptoms
Anxiety
Depression
Dysmenorrhea
Aggravating Factors
Myofascial Pain
Syndrome
Muscle Twitches
and Weakness
Memory Loss
Weight Gain
Vision problems
Poor body temperature control 


Could Osteopathy help?                                                                                            

Osteopathy can help to ease many symptoms, particularly fatigue, muscle pain, and chronic headaches. It can also help to:

·      increase flexibility
·      improve range of motion
·      relieve joint pain


Osteopaths can be very helpful when it comes to diagnosing fibromyalgia syndrome/M.E/Chronic Fatigue 
Because of the hands-on treatment techniques, we can easily identify tender points around the body, as well as other signs.

For further information please give us a call 01270 629933 or email info@weaverhouse.comWe can also offer you a FREE 15-minute Osteopathic back and health assessment check. 



Meet Molly the Mole

Nice to meet you! 
Skin cancer can come at any time so it's important to remember to check your moles regularly. 
I don't mean moles like Molly, but the ones on your body. 
Most skin cancers can be cured if they are detected early, so here are my top tips for checking your skin:
1. Check your skin regularly for changes to moles or a patch of skin.

2. Ask a friend or family member to check areas you can't see easily such as ears, scalp and back.

3. Look out for moles or patches of skin that are growing, changing shape, developing new colours, inflamed, bleeding, crusting, red around the edges, itchy or behaving unusally.

4. If in doubt get it checked by your GP or dermatologist. 

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the UK, and rates continue to rise.

At least 100,000 new cases are now diagnosed each year, and the disease kills over 2,500 people each year in the UK - that's seven people every day.
Whilst we are getting better at understanding how skin cancer works, we still have a long way to go. On average, someone who dies from skin cancer typically loses 20 years of their life, and rates of malignant melanoma are rising faster than any other type of common cancer.
UV exposure is the main preventable cause of skin cancer, so here are a few tips on how to stay safe when out in the sun:
Clothing 
Clothing should always be your first line of defence against damage from the sun, with sunscreen being used in addition to clothes, including a hat, t-shirt and UV protective sunglasses.

Find the right sunscreen
Use a sunscreen of SPF30 (SPF stands for ‘Sun Protection Factor’) and refers to the level of protection against UVB radiation, linked to skin cancer. Look for a four or ideally five-star UVA rating on the bottle which will help protect from UVA radiation, associated with skin ageing. You may also find that the UVA rating is represented by the letters ‘UVA’ inside a circle. Keep babies and toddlers should be kept out of direct sunlight.

Get your timing right
Skin needs time to absorb sunscreen, so apply generously about 20 to 30 minutes before going out. Re-apply frequently at least every two hours, as it can come off when sweating or through rubbing.

Seek shelter!
The sun tends to be strongest in the middle of the day, so find some shade typically between 11am and 3pm, especially if you are very fair skinned. Just 10 minutes of strong sunshine is all it takes to burn pale skin.
Slide on your shades - Make sure you wear UV protective sunglasses
*Information supplied from www.britishskinfoundation.org.uk