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

Friends and Family

It really does pay to take care of your health. We love seeing results with all of our patients and we feel that you should be rewarded for helping us to help your friends and family. So, for a limited time we are offering a £10 new client referral programme. 
It's so simple, when you attend our practice, simply ask at reception for a'Patient Referral Card' we will complete this card with your details.

You then need to give this to a friend or family member who hasn't previously attended the practice. Upon presentation of the 'Patient Referral Card' at their next appointment they will receive a £10 discount from their consultation fee, and you, as the referrer, will also receive a £10 credit to your account. T&C’s apply

The credits can be used for any service that we provide.

Osteopathy – Massage – Reflexology – Podiatry  Homeopathy - Hypnotherapy – Counselling Acupuncture –Reiki

For more details give us a call 01270 629933 or ask at reception. We'll be happy to help.

Dig this technique

Do you find gardening whilst enjoyable, is quite often literally a pain in the neck and back? Gardening is a relaxing and enjoyable form of exercise, but it can pose health risks if you're not careful. 

There's good news for gardeners who suffer from aches in the lower back, neck, shoulders and knees – better digging techniques should help reduce the pain. 

Researchers from the RHS and Coventry University used Lords of The Rings- style 3D motion capture to pinpoint good and bad techniques. 

This biomechanical modelling found that bad digging posture doubles the load on some joints and puts many of Britain’s 27 million gardeners at risk. 

Analysis of the 3D film of volunteers digging found that minimal back bend combined with maximum knee bends and regular repetitive digging was the best technique. 

Bending forward a long way and stretching limbs to dig can double the load on joints and cause muscle problems, which can lead to chronic injuries. 

Researchers found bad techniques increased strain in the lower back by half as much again and doubled loads on the shoulders, increasing the risk of osteoarthritis. 

Raking, which also uses upper body muscles, required a similar technique to digging, while the same care is also needed in transplanting seedlings and weeding, even though they are lower intensity jobs.

LEFT: Wrong way to dig BELOW: Bend the knees when digging

Things to remember

• Ignoring safety precautions and using the wrong tool for the job are common causes of gardening injuries.
• Rotate your gardening tasks to avoid repetitive movements. For example, after 15 minutes of raking, swap to pruning for a while. 
• Always wear gardening gloves to protect your hands against cuts, soil, potting mix, insect bites and skin irritants.

You don't need to be referred by your GP to see an Osteopath and, at WeaverHouse we also offer Reflexology and Massage Services to ease those gardening aches and pains. 

If you’re new to the practice give us a call to book your free 15 minute Osteopathic back and health assessment check. 01270 629933 or email info@weaverhouse.com   

Our Spring Newsletter is now available!

Containing news and valuable information from our practitioners for the upcoming Spring season.

If you have any suggestions for topics you would like covered in the newsletter or to ensure you receive the latest copy emailed to you 'fresh off the press' please do let us know, either by email at:info@weaverhouse.com or call us on 01270 629933 or even come and talk to our friendly Reception team in person!

Have a read of our Spring 2018 newsletter here Spring Newsletter 2018

What to expect at your first appointment

Thank you for booking an appointment with WeaverHouse

When visiting an Osteopath for the first time, it is natural to feel a little unsure of what to expect. 

The following information has been developed to explain what happens and answer any questions you may have.

Your Consultation

Osteopaths are healthcare professionals who are specifically trained in diagnosing health issues. At the start of your first appointment, your osteopath will ask you questions about your medical history and lifestyle, as well as any symptoms you may be experiencing. This is very important as it will help them to make an accurate diagnosis and suggest appropriate treatment.

They will write down what you tell them in your records. These will be treated as confidential in accordance with standards of practice set out by the General Osteopathic Council and the Data Protection Act 1998. If you wish, you may request a copy of your notes, but you may be charged an administration fee for this.

Your osteopath will need to examine the area(s) of your body causing discomfort. Sometimes the cause of the problem may be in a different area to the pain, (For example, pain in your lower arm may be linked to the nerves in your neck) so they may need to examine your whole body. They will need to feel for any tightness in the muscles and stiffness in the joints and may need to touch these areas to identify problems. They will explain what they are doing as they go along.

If you are uncomfortable with any part of this, you have the right to ask them to stop at any stage, without prejudicing your future treatment.

What to Wear

As with any healthcare appointment, it may be necessary for your osteopath to ask you to remove some clothing. This is so they can see and touch the areas of the body causing you concern. Your osteopath will want you to feel at ease, therefore if you feel uncomfortable undressing to your underwear, your osteopath may be able to suggest wearing clothing, such as shorts and a t-shirt, or close-fitting garments, that will enable them to work effectively, so please do discuss this with them.

You may wish to seek treatment from an osteopath of the same sex as yourself. You are also welcome to ask a friend or relative to accompany you and be present throughout your appointment.

Your Treatment

Your osteopath will make a diagnosis and discuss a course of treatment with you. This may involve further visits for manual therapy – a range of gentle hands on techniques that focus on releasing tension, stretching muscles and mobilizing joints. Together with exercises that you can do at home and helpful advice designed to help you relieve or manage your pain, keep active and maintain the best of health. They will discuss the likely cost of this and ask for your consent to begin treatment.

Most osteopaths will begin your treatment at your first appointment, but sometimes they may require further tests first i.e. blood tests or scans. Occasionally they may diagnose an illness that they are unable to treat and may refer you to your GP or another appropriate health professional.

Is Treatment Painful?

Osteopathic treatment is usually a very gentle process and osteopaths work very hard to make treatment as painless as possible, but you may experience some discomfort during and after treatment. Your osteopath will warn you if they think that the technique that they are about to use is likely to be uncomfortable and will stop if you tell them that you are feeling too much pain.

Following treatment, you may experience some mild soreness in the area of their body that was treated, this will normally will go away within 48 hours. If you experience serious or unusual symptoms after treatment you should contact your osteopath straight away for advice.

Training and Regulation

You can be confident that your osteopath has the highest level of training and expertise and will provide a safe and effective diagnosis and treatment for you. In the UK, the osteopathic profession is regulated by the General Osteopathic Council and osteopaths are trained to degree level, taking a minimum of four years, including over 1000 hours of contact time with patients at undergraduate level.

Osteopaths are also recognized by the NHS as Allied Health Professionals and play a critical role in the diagnosis, treatment and care of people of all ages.

We hope that you have found this information useful, if you require further information or have any questions please telephone us on 01270 629933