London Marathon Thanks

'Sports Therapy UK says thank you to more than 90 sports massage practitioners who volunteered and massaged a total of over 800 runners at this year's London Marathon. Members of Sports Therapy UK helped form teams who linked with 10 different charities to provide post-event massage following one of the warmest days for a London Marathon in years. As always our members worked extremely hard and found their efforts gratefully received by the runners who thought the service was 'fantastic'.

'Our students found this high calibre work experience invaluable and with the support of our supervisors the whole day was considered an outstanding success.

'Thank you to the charities, runners, supervisors and sports massage practitioners for their cooperation and support. Please go to News/Sporting Events to view on http://www.sportstherapyuk.com and to see pictures of this great event.'

Rhythmical Massage

At Park Attwood Clinic in Worcestershire the therapists practice a unique form of massage therapy, known as rhythmical massage, which is being used successfully to treat a wide range of problems and illnesses, from depression to cancer. This form of massage recognises the healing power of touch, but it works at a far deeper level than a pampering aromatherapy session, and even daunting diseases like cancer and life-threatening disorders such as anorexia are being successfully addressed by this therapy.

Rhythmical massage is a medical therapy. It's not like having a facial at your local salon or a soothing back rub at the health spa. The therapists are trained to a high level of expertise, meaning they are able to treat high-risk problems such as cancer which are often not suitable for massage (there is a risk of over stimulating the lymphatic system which can 'spread' the cancer). The massage may be used individually, or alongside other complementary therapies or physiotherapy, or in conjunction with natural remedies or conventional medication. Rhythmical massage is 'prescribed' by the doctor at Park Attwood, as an integral part of the treatment which is shaped by the full medical team and guided by regular multi-disciplinary team meetings which include doctors, nurses and therapists.

Rhythmical massage therapy is a soft-tissue massage: there is little pressure or friction, and no pummelling. It was developed at a clinic in Switzerland in the 1920's by Dr Ita Wegman, a pioneering medic schooled in physiotherapy and massage. After the famous Dr Margarethe Hauschka joined the clinic, she and Dr Wegman collaborated for 12 years to develop this new approach to massage therapy. The technique is very specific and the touch light, the hands lifting the tissue in gentle movements. The flat hand is rarely used. Movements are fluid, circling, sweeping, working with the fluid systems in the body - the lymph and the blood circulation - to create a streaming process like gentle meandering streams. The result is a rhythmical, harmonising quality of touch, which penetrates deeply.

Each patient comes to Park Attwood with pre-admission notes, an outline of their medical history (how their problem is affecting them bodily or psychologically) and some biographical detail (such as the social or emotional implications) so the therapist has some sense of the scale and nature of the problem prior to the appointment. At their initial meeting, the therapist is then able to take on board each patient's physical appearance - their posture, mobility, coordination - to augment the medical notes. Nursing staff at Park Attwood can also provide valuable feedback - whether the patient has had a good night's sleep or is unsettled. Even a handshake, as the therapist greets the patient, can be quite indicative - how cold, how firm, how tentative.

The massage therapist will ask each patient whether they feel better or worse at certain times of day, better for being cool or warm? From this, and other considerations such as sleep and digestion, the therapist can form a picture of the rhythms which are affecting individual patients, and can schedule massage accordingly. Depending on the nature or purpose of the treatment, the therapist may choose to work with a patient when they are at their most relaxed, or alternatively at their most energetic. Patients make greater strides if massage therapy is timed sensitively. Mornings are often the best time for treatment that is a bit more challenging: for most people the inherent life-forces that give us energy and vitality are greater in the first half of the day. Afternoons are more about supportive therapy, as our batteries start to run down, and massage can restore energy levels. Older patients often appreciate the benefits of massage in the afternoon because their bodies welcome the support that treatment brings, as aches and pains worsen as the day wears on.

For cancer patients, massage can address a variety of common issues: tension in the back, restricted mobility (especially following surgery - mastectomy for example), pain, shock, as well as body image and confidence issues. Rhythmical massage works with the lymphatic system, with the patient's breathing, and is a warming process. At a holistic level it is reassuring, to re-engage body, mind and spirit.
Therapists may chose to work with the legs, for example, even when the problem is elsewhere in the body, because they are working holistically - warming, reviving, healing. Illness can be very disengaging - a 'shutting down' or 'shutting off' process - as are some conventional drug treatments. Massage can turn this around, helping the patient to re-engage, specifically with their bodies and more generally with their situation.

Plant oils are used for massage. These provide a colourful variety of natural therapeutic properties - pressed from fruit, flowers and seeds. Sunlight is the process that forms these parts of the plant, and it is as if these warming properties can be transferred to the body through the oil. Creating warmth - a warmth that can really penetrate - is the key. Warmth can unlock us from muscle spasm, neck pain, back ache, tightness, stiffness. Warmth also significantly influences our emotional health. Temperature is linked to our emotions - we warm in a moment of enthusiasm, blush when we are excited, go ice cold with fear, shiver with shock.

Our sleep patterns can be assisted (especially the transitions from waking to sleeping) if we are comfortably warm. Many patients find it difficult to get to sleep with cold feet and will receive a warming foot massage before bed. The rhythm of day and night, wake and sleep, has a direct impact on our health. Often when we are unwell, these rhythms become disturbed but can be restored by massage.

One oil that is rarely used elsewhere other than at Park Attwood is viscum oil, from mistletoe (the whole plant). It has no real smell or aromatherapeutic benefit. It is used to address disjointed warmth, which is often seen in illness, such as cold extremities. Another unusual oil that is a favourite at the Clinic is Solum Uliginosum Comp, which is often used to treat the incapacitating depletion that patients experience following chemotherapy or degenerative spinal diseases for example - the kind of illness which rocks us to the core of our being. Massage with this precious oil, which is made from ancient peat bogs, has an 'earthing' effect and is used to help patients who are not coping well with their diagnosis or the shock of illness (or the shock of some drug treatment and trauma of radical surgery). Our vitality can be shot through by such a crisis, and the feeling of devastation that serious illness can produce. Massage with this oil provides a protective warmth mantle under which the patient can shelter, take stock, cope with pain and discomfort, and begin to recover.

‘The hands are the most formative, the most sensitive of our living tools. They can change very much in the course of life. Soul and spirit that permeate them in training them, do not only form them but flow beyond them into the world as objective power of love, as blessing, as healing forces.’ Dr Margarethe Hauschka

Rhythmical massage therapy at the Park Attwood Clinic costs from £30 for a single out-patient appointment, but can also form part of a complete holistic healthcare programme for anyone requiring in-patient care (which may be funded by the NHS in some cases, depending on the policy of your local area health authority or PCT).

For more information, contact the Park Attwood Clinic on 01299 861444 for a brochure or the website http://www.parkattwood.org for further details.

Gut Reaction - Treating Crohn's Disease with Rhythmical Massage Therapy

Orla Liddy is a 30 year old trainee architect who has recently completed her post-graduate degree course. Whilst studying she has been living with her parents in Northern Ireland. At 15 she was diagnosed with Crohn's disease, a potentially life-threatening condition which affects the bowel, causing extreme inflammation and pain, and bringing a variety of complications.

Crohn's disease affects between 30,000 and 60,000 people in the UK, with over 3,000 new sufferers diagnosed every year. Crohn's causes inflammation of the whole of the alimentary canal from where food enters the mouth right through to where it leaves the body, top to tail. It often causes ulcers and scarring to the wall of the intestine. The most commonly affected sites are the lower part of the small intestine (the terminal ileum) and the large intestine. Common symptoms include abdominal pain, urgent diarrhoea, intestinal bleeding, fever, lethargy, fatigue and weight loss. Most people develop Crohn's before they are 30 and the peak age is 14-24. Celebrities who have spoken out about their problem include Carrie Grant from BBC's Fame Academy, and pop star Anastacia.

Treatment can include surgery to remove inflamed or scarred sections of the bowel, and in severe cases a colostomy which is sometimes reversed once the acute problem has improved. Anti-bacterial drugs and corticosteroids are sometimes prescribed, but these can cause unpleasant side effects. Sufferers usually have to avoid foods which are very high in fibre as these are harder to digest and can irritate the digestive tract. Spicy food can also aggravate symptoms, as can stressful situations and anxiety.

Orla was perhaps more affected by her final degree exams than she realised. As a youngster doing GCSEs and A Levels she had experienced similar relapses, and had resorted to hefty doses of steroids to ease the acute severity of symptoms. On-going treatment with steroids is not feasible as the drugs bring their own complications with long-term use. Orla is slightly built, only 5'4" and even at her ideal weight she is something of a sparrow at around 8 stone. When Crohn's flares up she is often closer to 7 stone. By July 2004, shortly after her final exams, she was at the point of collapse.

‘If I managed to keep my food down, which was not always the case, the stomach cramps were completely incapacitating. Most food irritated my stomach to the point where I was regularly vomiting, losing weight, and not getting the vital nutrients I needed to improve my health. My mother was caring for me and had resorted to what I can only describe as baby food - bland purées.
Although this stayed down, it caused terrific problems with peristalsis in my gut, as the colon prefers something more fibrous to grip on, resulting in excruciating cramps. I was also suffering badly from reflux from all the acid produced in an easily-irritated stomach, and this in turn caused chest pain.
Cramping pains in my abdomen were undermining my quality of sleep, even waking me up in the night. The result was complete exhaustion.’

Orla is no stranger to complementary medicine. Her own doctor in Northern Ireland practices anthroposophic medicine, and recommended that Orla travel to Park Attwood which shares this same approach. A three week stay was recommended.

Her condition was so fragile that she was unable to fly over from Ireland on her own, so her mother accompanied her. To begin with, she was too weak for rhythmical massage therapy, and so warming hydrotherapy treatment was prescribed, to help her regain her strength. In illness the body often displays uneven warmth, with cold extremities, and is unable to keep an even temperature and effective circulation. With Crohn's Disease there is often a furnace of warmth in the abdomen, due to the inflammation of the bowel, and poor peripheral circulation, for example cold feet and even chilblains. The massage therapist often opts for a treatment bath in these circumstances. This gently stimulates the circulation, and builds up the patient's strength. The vast treatment bath at the Clinic is made of aromatic cedar, the lighting is subtle, and often therapeutic oils are added to the water and dispersed as a fine mist using a clever little device called a Jungebad oil dispersion unit. This creates the perfect nurturing environment to relax and soothe the body and the senses.

‘Because of pain in my abdomen, I also get quite tense in my upper body, all hunched up, and this is compounded by sitting at a computer or working at my drawing board for hours. Sudden weight loss and weakness also has a hunching effect, and the feeling of vulnerability that illness and pain create can also change my posture - literally a caving in effect and I end up like a little old lady! Massaging my upper body irons this out, like a deep unravelling.’

‘During my post-grad exams this February my Crohn's flared up again, and I made the decision to visit Park Attwood without delay. My last exam was on the Friday, and by Tuesday I was at Park Attwood for a top-up. I went sooner, before the Crohn's had really got a grip, because I had complete confidence that they would be able to nip it in the bud at Park Attwood. Again, the massage therapist didn't directly tackle the abdomen, but started on my back where the spine and musculature is protective. The gentle warming process filters through to where it's needed. There is a fantastic warmth distribution with rhythmical massage, even when the therapist is working on your feet. Towards the end of this last visit, things were so improved that I was able to have my abdomen massaged, over the stomach and left hand side of the colon but not on the right side where the iliac fossa is situated (where the small bowel joins the colon) which is particularly sensitive.’

‘Rhythmical massage stimulates the bowel to function healthily: it is so skilful and so light, with no pressure, that it is suitable for Crohn's where other forms of massage could really aggravate symptoms. The stroking, sweeping motions go with the gut, not just soothing but actively encouraging, accelerating the healing process.’

‘There was no aromatherapy benefit with this massage, in fact the Viscum and Hypericum oil my therapist used was pretty much fragrance free. After just one session I slept like a log that night, the effect was instantaneous. My sleep patterns were completely restored and my quality of sleep hugely improved.
It's while we are asleep that our bodies heal, so this made a huge difference for me. It would take me weeks at home to restore the balance that they can achieve at the Clinic in a few days. My symptoms are significantly reduced over the past two months.’

‘One of the great advantages at Park Attwood for anyone with Crohn's is the food, which is all home-baked on the premises using local organic produce. It's tailored to your particular needs, and they are great at producing something like a little steamed fish. I also enjoy the fact that when I am at Park Attwood it takes the pressure off my parents, in particular my mum who spends so much energy trying to find the right foods for me. It is quite a relief to know that she gets a break too.’

The medical team at Park Attwood is able to offer a complete holistic package, together with natural medicines and other appropriate therapies such as counselling. In Orla's case, massage therapy was complemented with natural remedies including Cuprum per Chamomilla and Cuprum per Melissa, one morning and one evening, which combine soothing herbal ingredients (natural antispasmodics chamomile and lemon balm) with the warming properties of copper. Mistletoe therapy (injected close to the site of the inflammation) is also prescribed periodically.

Other useful contacts: National Association for Colitis and Crohn's Disease 0845 1302233 http://www.nacc.org.uk or http://www.crohns.org.uk

Beyond Hot Stones

Update your 'hot stone massage' skills to be able to offer your clients the experience of a LaStone® Treatment.

LaStone® Beyond Hot Stones 1 day intensive thermo-therapy course is designed to expand the knowledge of any therapist who has previously studied any form of stone massage, is currently using heated stones in their treatments and who require further tuition in stone therapy.

You will learn the principles of using temperature in a full body massage and how to work with recognised conditions, incorporating hot and cold stones into a treatment; that will leave your clients with a feeling of total wellbeing.

At LaStone® we know that stones are the 'tools' to administer the treatment, but it is the alternating temperatures that really do the work. You will learn how temperature dramatically enhances results of a full body massage - creating time and space for wellbeing, through the power of earth elements... the stones.

When used on problem areas such as cellulite and water retention the effects are immediately visible. Muscle tension and inflammation are reduced by the use of the cold stones and using the combined properties of hot and cold leads to an increasing flow of blood to muscles, stimulating them to flush out toxins.

Beyond Hot Stones 1 day - £125.00.
This one day course, using hot and cold stones, teaches therapists the physical principles of LaStone® Our hands-on intensive training methods give you the theory and techniques to perform a full body massage treatment using the science of thermotherapy and allow therapists with any previous hot stone experience to perform and promote themselves as an Authentic LaStone® Therapist.

Pre-requisite: stone therapist from any form of stone massage training:
* Intensive and thorough tuition
* Principals of thermotherapy science
* Care and maintenance of stones
* Treatment planning
* Energy work - the essence of a LaStone original Hot and cold massage
* Stone massage techniques and stone placement
* Contra-indications and considerations
* All training equipment will be supplied
* Illustrated training manuals are provided

To learn more about LaStone® Therapy™ please visit

Web: http://www.lastonetherapy.co.uk

Massage Popularity Increases

National consumer research released by Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals (ABMP) again shows the increasing popularity of massage among American adults, continuing a 20-year climb in massage use and acceptance.
There was a remarkable jump in the number of men reporting massage use, an increase of 5.3 million men from 2004 to 2006, or growth from 8 percent of male adults to 13 percent. The research was conducted by Boulder, Colo.-based Harstad Strategic Research in January.

A full 33.6 million American adults aged 21 or older received at least one massage in 2006, up nearly 9 million from the 2004 level. That represents growth from 12 percent in 2004 to 16 percent in 2006.

‘It's pretty impressive that fully one in six American adults sought out massage therapy during 2006,’ says Les Sweeney, nationally certified massage therapist and ABMP president. ‘It reflects a steady increase in acceptance of, and respect for, massage therapy and massage therapists over the last 20 years.’

More Midwesterners Seek Massage
Consumers in the West and Midwest are most likely to have received a massage in 2006 - 20 percent and 19 percent respectively in a recent survey, compared with 14 percent in the Northeast and 12 percent in the South. Each of these percentages is up from 2004 levels, with the six-percentage point gain in the Midwest the most dramatic.

Why Americans Seek Massage
There are three primary reasons people seek massage, each representing about a third of all massages delivered. Most seek relaxation and restoration (30 percent), need relief from pain or muscle soreness (29 percent), or have a massage because they received it as a gift (28 percent). Recommendations by medical professionals and receiving gift certificates are primary factors in consumers choosing to get a massage.

Massage as a Gift
Among women who have ever received a massage, 33 percent say the principal reason they got one was because they received a gift certificate; that's the case for only 19 percent of men. Perhaps somewhat correlated, women are more likely than men - 36 percent compared to 22 percent - to have received their most recent massage in a spa setting. Massage is a prime example of a trend toward ‘experiential’ gift-giving that other research has revealed.

In a telling finding, half of men who are married or have a significant other think their loved one would appreciate the gift of professional massage ‘a great deal’ or ‘quite a bit.’ But women were far more confident - 75 percent of those who have themselves tried massage say their close girlfriends would welcome massage as a gift. Women were somewhat less confident (38 percent) that their male spouses or significant others would appreciate massage as a gift.

High Regard for Massage and Massage Therapists
Americans report overwhelmingly positive feelings about their massage experiences. Ninety-four percent express favourable feelings toward massage therapists, with 69 percent expressing very favourable feelings. Among 2006 massage clients, fully 85 percent voiced very favourable feelings about their most recent massage, with 37 percent rating it a perfect ten-out-of-ten.

Consumers can locate qualified practitioners nationwide at http://www.massagetherapy.com or by calling 800-458-2267. Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals is a national professional membership association serving the massage therapy profession. Founded in 1987 and headquartered in Evergreen, Colo., ABMP is the largest massage membership association in the United States with more than 58,000 members.

Web: http://healthy.net

Relieve Infant Colic With Massage

Colic stems from problems with the infant's immature digestive system. Trapped gas may cause the baby's stomach to become distended, resulting in pain, bloating, the inability to pass gas, and frequent crying or screaming. Luckily, stimulation of the digestive process through careful massage may help ease the pain and urge relief from colic.

A study printed in the Journal of Developmental and Behavioural Pediatrics supported the effects of massage on colicky infants. The researchers claim that massage therapy stimulated melatonin secretion and rest-activity rhythms in full-term infants. ‘Massage therapy by mothers in the perinatal period serves as a strong time cue, enhancing coordination of the developing circadian system with environmental cues.’ In essence, massage helped relax infants and urge them to sleep, observing the natural circadian rhythms.

A Danish study further supports the claim that massage and reflexological treatments eased symptoms of colic in infants. The purpose of the study was to investigate and treat infants with colic by conventional medicine, followed by an investigation of the effect of reflexological treatment. ‘Infantile colic had a significant cure rate at pediatric consultation and the children who did not benefit from this intervention had a significantly better outcome after reflexological treatment than had the observation group.’ The addition of massage to treatments in the study proved more effective than traditional medicine alone.

Massage for colicky infants is simple and stress-free. A few minutes of your time is enough to soothe the child, relieve symptoms of colic, and help create a tighter bond between parent and child.

For more information on massage for symptoms of colic, please contact Pacific College at (800) 729-0941 or visit http://www.PacificCollege.edu

Education and Regulation Updates

'This year there has been a particular flourish of activity towards setting new benchmark standards in education for both sports massage therapy and sports therapy. The Sports Massage Association continues to establish itself as the leading body for sports massage practitioners and Sports Therapy UK is currently applying to the SMA to become an approved training organisation; we hope to report favourably on this matter in the coming months.

'Members of the SMA, our own registrar Tim Paine, and other representatives from lead bodies have been invited by Skills Active to form an advisory panel to review skill sector standards for the National Qualifications Framework. Full details concerning this process have been published in an SMA newsletter. Please click on link below and see article on pages 6 and 7: (link:http://www.sportsmassageassociation.org/SMA/common/pdfs/Updates/UpdateMay06.pdf)

The Society of Sports Therapists has put forward an application to the Health Professions Council for sports therapy to become a state registered profession and therefore gain 'protected title'. Although unsuccessful on its first presentation, a number of conditions have been set and therefore the process is continuing with wider involvement from other leading educational and membership organisations. A copy of the report from HPC will be available under Journal articles on the website very shortly.

The University of Bedfordshire hosted a sports therapy summit meeting on Saturday 18th November 2006. Lead bodies from around the world provided presentations on professions similar to sports therapy. Those attending were able to join an open forum to expand on the implications of state registration and explore ways of sports therapy becoming more closely allied to existing and well-established professions from abroad.

Web: http://www.sportstherapyuk.com

Swedish Massage Benefits Osteoarthritis Patients

Massage therapy is a safe and effective way to reduce pain and improve function in adults with osteoarthritis of the knee, researchers at the Yale Prevention Research Centre and at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) report in the first clinical trial to assess the effectiveness of this treatment.

The 16-week study conducted to identify the potential benefits of Swedish massage on osteoarthritis patients with pain, stiffness and limited range of motion was published in the December 11 Archives of Internal Medicine. Osteoarthritis is a chronic condition that affects 21 million Americans and causes more physical limitation than lung disease, heart disease and diabetes mellitus, according to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The 68 study participants, who were at least age 35 with x-rays confirming their diagnosis of osteoarthritis of the knee, were randomly assigned either to an intervention group that received massage therapy immediately, or to a wait-list control group that received massage after an initial eight-week delay. Both groups were encouraged to continue previously prescribed medications and treatments.

Participants in the massage intervention group received a standard one-hour Swedish massage twice a week for four weeks, followed by Swedish massage once a week for the next four weeks at the Siegler Centre for Integrative Medicine at the Saint Barnabus Ambulatory Care Centre in Livingston, New Jersey. After the first eight weeks of massage therapy, participants had improved flexibility, less pain and improved range of motion.

The primary study outcomes were changes in the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index pain and functional scores, as well as changes in the Visual Analog Scale assessment of pain. Measures of pain, stiffness, and functional ability were all significantly improved by the intervention as compared to the control group.

Those who only continued with their usual care without massage showed no changes in symptoms. During weeks nine through 16, they received the massage intervention and experienced benefits similar to those receiving the initial massage therapy. When reassessed eight weeks after completion of the massage intervention, the benefits of massage persisted and remained significant, although the magnitude of effect was somewhat reduced.

‘Massage is free of any known side effects and according to our results, clearly shows therapeutic promise,’ said senior investigator of the study David L. Katz, M.D., associate adjunct professor in the Department of Epidemiology & Public Health at Yale School of Medicine and director of Yale's Prevention Research Centre. ‘So-called 'alternative' treatments like massage are most important when conventional treatments are far from ideal. Currently available non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are often not well-tolerated by older adults with osteoarthritis. Cox-II inhibitors like Vioxx were developed as substitutes for traditional anti-inflammatory drugs, but pose highly-publicized toxicity problems of their own.’

Katz conducted the study with Adam Perlman, M.D., executive director of the Institute for Complementary and Alternative Medicine at the UMDNJ-School of Health Related Professions. The research was the result of a CDC grant to Katz at the Prevention Research Centre at Yale. Perlman, who directed the study at UMDNJ, said the significant improvement in symptoms after eight weeks of massage persisted even after the study was completed.

‘Our results suggest that massage therapy can be used in conjunction with conventional treatment for osteoarthritis,’ said Perlman. ‘Ultimately, massage may be shown to lessen a patient's reliance on medications and decrease health care costs.’

Perlman and Katz say that further study of the cost-effectiveness and the lasting impact of the intervention is warranted. They have begun collaborating on a follow-up study.

‘Our hope is to show that this treatment is not only safe and effective, but cost-effective,’ said Perlman. ‘That could serve to change practice standards so that massage is a more common option for the many patients with osteoarthritis of the knee.’

In addition to Katz and Perlman, other authors on the study included Alyse Sabina, Anna-leila Williams and Valentine Yanchou Njike, M.D., all of the Yale Prevention Research Centre.

Citation: Archives of Internal Medicine, Vol. 166, No. 22 (December 11, 2006)
Yale News Releases are available via the World Wide Web at http://www.yale.edu/opa

What is The Trager Approach?

The Trager Approach is the innovative approach to movement education, created and developed over a period of 65 years by Milton Trager, M.D.

There are two aspects of The Trager Approach; one in which you, the client, are passive and the other in which you are active. The passive aspect is usually referred to as the tablework, and the active aspect is called Mentastics.

Utilising gentle, non-intrusive, natural movements, The Trager Approach helps release deep-seated physical and mental patterns and facilitates deep relaxation, increased physical mobility, and mental clarity. These patterns may have developed in response to accidents, illnesses, or any kind of physical or emotional trauma, including the stress of everyday life.

A session usually lasts from 60 to 90 minutes. No oils or lotions are used and the client is dressed for their comfort, with a minimum of swimwear or briefs, and is additionally draped appropriately.

During the table work session the client is passive and lying on a comfortably padded table. The practitioner moves the client in ways they naturally move, and with a quality of touch and movement such that the recipient experiences the feeling of moving that effortlessly and freely on his/her own.

The movements are never forced so that there is no induced pain or discomfort to the client.

This quality of effortless movement is maintained and reinforced by Mentastics. These are simple, active, self induced movements which you, the client, can do on your own, during your daily activities. They have the same intent as the table work in terms of releasing deep-seated patterns.

For many people, Mentastics becomes a part of their life in taking care of themselves, and relieving themselves of stress and tension.

Because many of the effects of The Trager Approach are cumulative, clients most often appreciate and will benefit most from a series of sessions.

One of the most potent aspects of The Trager Approach is the ability to recall the feeling of deep relaxation, and how it feels to move freely and easily.

Who does it?
Certified Practitioners of The Trager Approach have successfully completed the certification program provided by Trager International, and have maintained continuing education, and other requirements of Trager International. Trager International maintains a database of Certified Practitioners worldwide. If you have any question about someone's credentials, you are advised to contact Trager International for verification.

Web: http://www.trager.com

Anna Louise Haigh has captured a specialist corner of the therapy market with Daoyin Tao, by uniting Eastern and Western healing philosophies.

Not content with a successful Complementary Therapy career as a practitioner and lecturer, Daoyin Tao Originator, Anna-Louise Haigh set about adding her mark to the growing field of therapeutic modalities by drawing on traditional Eastern healing/medical philosophies and creating a modern massage approach.

Daoyin Tao (pronounced DOW yin TOW as in TOWn) is a powerful synergy of softened and adapted Oriental and modern Western stylised massage techniques, harmoniously blended to create a widely applicable therapy.

Starting with the overwhelming need to find results for sinus and migraine sufferers, Daoyin Tao was created with this in mind. Quickly proving itself to be highly effective, this was only the start of the story. Within weeks, the potential of this simple, flowing massage started to increase the variety of results being experienced.

Demand increased as did the requests for a training course. Anna-Louise responded by drawing on her distinguished background as a lecturer and tutor and created the only Daoyin Tao Practitioner Diploma Course now available globally. Today, over 300 graduates have now started spread the benefits of this therapy worldwide.

Contact: Anna-Louise Haigh
Tel: 01423 567766
Web: http://www.daoyintao.com

Founded by renowned child/infant and baby experts Mia Elmsater and Sylvie Hetu, the Massage in Schools Programme aims to have every child attending school experience positive and nurturing touch every day . . . everywhere in the world.

This successful programme has now been running since 2002 and has over 800 qualified instructors (Teachers/Therapists and carers) in over 1000 schools in the UK offering children from the age of 4-12 a daily peer-to-peer clothed massage on the back, hands and arms. The benefits are numerous and include calmer children, improved motor skills and teaching children to respect others. Most importantly teachers also report improved concentration and a reduction in bullying and aggression both in and out of the classroom.

As a recognised member of the Anti Bullying Alliance, MISP will also be taking part in November's Anti Bullying Week (Nov 20-24th). The Massage in Schools Programme will support the ABA's poster competition and speakers from MISP will run workshops at the young people's Anti-Bullying 2 day conference on the 20-2lst November incorporating the International Anti Bullying Festival for 2006.

Following successful radio and television appearances (including most recently, Capital Radio and Richard and Judy's Channel 4 daytime show) the organisation is looking forward to bringing the benefits of the programme to thousands more UK schools in the coming years.

http://massageinschoolsassociation.com
http://www.massageinschools.com

Rolfing (originally named Structural Integration), is a comprehensive system of hands-on, connective tissue manipulation which releases both deep and superficial stress patterns in the human organism. The term 'Rolfing' is derived from its originator Dr. Ida Rolf Ph.D.

The goal of Rolfing is for the client to move and function with greater freedom, and effortlessly maintain a more upright, comfortable posture.

Rolfing results in a feeling of fitness and wholeness. People who have been Rolfed stand and move with more surety, stability and less strain, breathe more easily and more deeply, move with more ease and grace, and tend to develop a wider range of self-expression. Often even after the first or second session they report positive changes not only in the comfort in their bodies but also in their outlook in life.

Closely knit with the nervous system in every human (and mammal) body, the connective tissue network, or Fascial Net, unites the organism in a set of relationships that are characteristic of that particular individual. Rolfing practitioners work with the human structure and nervous system through this Fascial Net, in such a way that the various parts move and fit together in an improved relationship to one-another in the gravitational field which we are all subject to.

The basic sequence of Rolfing generally consists of ten sessions (levels) through which a new structural order is established and developed in the body, along with a more efficient and natural movement pattern.

The gravitational field of the earth is a force and a presence we are all subject to. Gravity is our constant companion and a primary influence and shaper of the body. From birth until death, gravity is always working on, with, or against us. It is a simple fact that most human beings are significantly out of alignment with gravity. All human bodies get pulled into unnatural positions which result in chronic patterns of tension, stress and pain; often predisposing us to negative emotional states and sometimes fostering psychological beliefs. Emotion leaves its imprint on the body and postural habits and limitations influence emotion. Patterns of mind and body become mutually sustaining and we can, in some regards, become rigid, inflexible and 'set in our ways'. Simply put, we function better when our bodies are aligned with the gravitational field of the earth.

Much like a sculptor works with clay, a Rolfer works with the body's LIVING malleable myofascial system by lengthening and re-shaping the fascia, releasing restrictions that have created life-long patterns of bracing and tension.

Over a series of ten or more sessions, both client and Rolfer work together to 'lift' head, shoulder, thorax, pelvis and legs into vertical alignment. Chronic discomforts often disappear immediately or soon after the series is completed. A sense of lightness and internal rightness, along with more energy and greater mobility are very often the result.

Treatments are offered in a series of ten sessions that are each approximately seventy to ninety minutes in length. Individual, non-series sessions are also available.

Jean-Pierre el-Rif, Certified Rolfer
London and Richmond
Email: jpelrif@hotmail.com
Tel: 0208 948 5159

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