Manual Lymphatic Drainage

We are delighted that we now offer Manual Lymphatic Drainage with therapist Nicola O'Hare on Mondays, Thursdays and Wednesday evenings.

You may have heard of Manual Lymphatic Drainage but be a bit un-clear as to what it involves and its benefits. So here's a bit of background about this wonderful complementary therapy.

Manual Lymphatic Drainage was developed in the 1930's by Drs Vodder for the treatment of sinusitis & other immune problems. It is now a widely accepted form of massage; a relaxing treatment to help improve immunity, healing, detoxification & to increase energy. And we could all do a bit of that!!

The lymphatic system consists of the lymph which is a clear fluid that travels through out the body's tissues to cleanse the cells of waste & toxins. The lymph travels to the lymph nodes where it is filtered to remove unwanted substances such as bacteria & viruses which are then safely eliminated from the body.

The lymphatic system doesn't have its own pump. The lymph fluid is moved through the body by the action of breathing & body movement. So a lack of activity reduces lymphatic circulation. This leads to a build up of fluids, waste & toxins resulting in a sluggish feeling & reduced immunity.

Here's a handy tip -
Deep breathing exercises & any form of exercise
or movement can help encourage lymph
to move around the body.

Lymphatic drainage massage helps to encourage lymph flow & fluid drainage. This is a very gentle treatment using very light pressure & gentle pumping of the main lymph nodes. A treatment will cover the full body working on the stomach, groin, & breast areas to stimulate the lymph to flow freely. To maximise the effectiveness of a treatment it is best to allow plenty of time afterwards to relax & allow the body to heal itself.

What is Lymphatic Drainage Massage good for?
* Stimulation of immune system
* Fluid retention
* Cellulite
* Stress relief
* Digestion
* Constipation
* After cosmetic surgery
* Tissue regeneration
* General tiredness
* Poor energy flow
* Arthritis
* Sinusitis
* Swelling in pregnancy
* Painful breasts
* Detoxification
* Lymphoedema (with GP’s consent)

Lymphatic Drainage Massage takes an hour and costs £35.

If you would like to make an appointment please call 0141 339 6446.
Your body will thank you for it!

5 ways to clear sinuses

Many people suffer from sinusitis at some time in their life. Antibiotics can help but often the sinus problems return as soon as the course is over because the root cause is still there.

Here are some suggestions to help reduce the chance of getting sinusitis and to treat it naturally if you do.

1. Drink plenty of water
Keeping your body well hydrated is a good idea for many reasons but especially if you are prone to sinus problems. A headache across the eyes and forehead can indicate slight dehydration or too much salt in the diet.

"I know this remedy's not pleasant
but neither is sinusitis"

2. Look at your diet
Reduce mucus forming foods. The main culprit here is dairy so that means milk, cheese and cream. Yoghurt and butter are usually fine. Also, to help your immune system, reduce sugar, coffee and alcohol. All of which will affect your body's hydration and may have triggered the sinusitis in the first place. Increase fresh vegetables and fruits to help reduce acidity and remove toxins via the bowels. Keep any salt in your diet to a minimum.

3. Aromatherapy for the sinuses
At Willow Trading we offer a Sinus Soother treatment which uses essential oils and pressure point massage to release congestion and fight infection. It's a very popular treatment which can bring a lot of relief. If you're not in our area don't worry; any experienced aromatherapist will be able to do this type of treatment. You can also use essential oils at home. Pine, eucalyptus and thyme are good oils to choose for an inhalation steam bath. Just add a couple of drops of each to a basin of boiling water, pop a towel over your head to trap the steam and inhale deeply. Be vary careful not to tip the basin over or your sinuses will be the least of your worries!

4. Give your nostrils a salt bath
Although salt in our diets should be kept to a minimum salt can be used to fight infection. Dissolve a teaspoon of salt in a cup of warm water and allow to cool to body temperature. Lean over a sink. Rest your nose over the brim of the cup. Slowly tip your head back until the saline solution runs in to your nostrils. Sniff hard!! (I know this remedy's not pleasant but then neither is sinusitis). Then all you do is spit out any that is in your mouth.

5. Garlic and parsley
Garlic is great for all sorts of infections and the beauty of it is that it's often readily to hand. However it needs to be taken raw. If you cut a clove of garlic in to tiny pieces you can swallow it with water. Just like taking a pill. Take at least one clove. And the parsley? Well that's to take a way the smell of the garlic. Chew a couple of sprigs and you'll be kissable again in no time!

10 natural remedies for spots and acne

1 Don’t eat rubbish!
The skin is an organ of elimination so if your diet is high in mucus producing things like salt, sugar, alcohol, poor quality fats (good oils we need), additives, dairy products caffeine, etc. your skin will need to work overtime to clear all your internal mucus.

2 Drink lots of water
This can be hot, warm or cold. Making sure that you are well hydrated helps the kidneys and the bowel eliminate toxicity so your skin doesn’t need to work so hard. It also stops your skin from becoming dehydrated and flaky.

3 Eat lots of fibre
Eating foods such as whole grains and vegetables that are high in fibre encourages the bowel to work well. If the bowel is working efficiently then toxicity is able to leave the body. However if your diet is lacking in fibre the bowel will be sluggish and other routes of elimination, such as the skin, will become over worked.

4 Eat less bread
For some people cutting out or reducing bread can make a huge difference to their bowel and therefore to their skin. Bread is high in gluten which tends to clog the bowel and make us feel sluggish and bloated. Spots across the forehead can indicate that the bowel is congested.

5 Get your lymphatic system working well
Gets your lymph moving to clear toxicity and improve your skin. The lymph doesn’t have its own pump so it depends upon the movement of our muscles and circulation. Anything that causes the skin to flush will help.

Try working up a little bit of a sweat every day or body brushing with a dry brush before showering. This not only encourages the movement of the lymph it also removes dead skin cells and keeps the skin clear. Or try turning the water from warm to cool a few times at the end of your daily shower.

6 Keep your hands away from your face
Picking and squeezing spots only makes them worse and can cause scarring but touching your face at any time is generally not a good idea. Dirt from your hands can easily be transferred to your skin and cause spots. If you get patches of spots in particular areas it may be because you are touching your face more than you realise.

Sitting at a desk you might rest your head in your hands or touch your chin when you’re thinking. This is often the case with students and school children or anyone who works at a keyboard. Cleansing your face after work, school or college can help as well as making a conscious effort not to touch your face unless you need to.

7 Use natural skin care
Good quality natural skin care is made with plant oils which have molecules that are small enough to be absorbed into the skin. Other products are made with petrochemicals that sit on the surface of the skin and block the pores which can lead to spots and blackheads.

However other unnecessary chemicals may be absorbed in to your body so stick to products that are free from toxic ingredients like parabens, SLS, triclosan and synthetic fragrance.

8 Protect your skin’s acid mantle
Our skin has a fine protective covering which is known as the acid mantle. If you use cleansers that leave your skin feeling tight and uncomfortable then the acid mantle has been damaged. The skin will either over produce sebum, which can lead to spots and blemishes, or will become too dry.

Many manufacturers will claim that their product is pH balanced to work in harmony with the acid mantle but let your skin decide. If after using it, your skin feels taut and dry then it’s damaging the acid mantle and is best avoided.

9 If your skin’s oily - give it some oil!
This seems like a very strange concept but it works. If we use harsh cleansers that strip our skin of its natural oils (see no 8) it will simply produce more. By using a treatment oil as a moisturiser your skin will feel comfortable and will start to produce only the oil that it needs.

10 Use naturally antibacterial skin care
There are certain natural plant oils that are known to fight the bacteria that cause spots and there is one oil in particular which we have found to be quite extraordinary. Manuka essential oil is a little known oil from New Zealand.

Its properties are similar to Tea Tree but it is clinically proven to be much more effective against bacteria and less drying to the skin. It often comes combined with Manuka Honey which helps skin to heal without becoming dry and therefore greatly reduces the chances of a scar forming.

natural remedies for tense muscles

My 12 year old son is a very keen footballer. He trains with a local sports club twice a week and usually has a match on Sunday.

After the game this week he was hobbling around complaining about pains in his feet. His muscles were so tight that he couldn't flex his feet and the tension continued right up through his calves and thighs.

He's usually on the winning side but they had been hammered 9 - 1 by a team of boys who were much bigger and rougher. So the stress of the match probably contributed to the muscular tension.

I made him a warm foot bath with magnesium sulphate which is otherwise known as Epsom salts. This is the kind of salt that's used in vast quantities in a flotation tank to give bouyancy but for a foot bath you just need a few tablespoons.

Our bodies need magnesium to balance with calcium. Magnesium relaxes and calcium contracts. Having an imbalance can lead to both nervous and muscular tension: irritability, headaches, period cramps, cramping in feet and calves, eye twitching, jumpy legs and so on.

The soles of our feet are naturally very absorbent and warm water helps open the pores. I let my son soak his feet for about 5 minutes. He dried his feet and I massaged in some Living Nature Relief Body Balm working it deeply in to the muscles across the soles of his feet and up the backs of his legs.

Relief Body Balm is a 100% natural remedy for aches and pains, packed with warming and stimulating oils which really get to work on aching muscles and joints. It's made with arnica which works miracles on bruises. It also contains peppermint which is wonderfully cooling and rosemary which helps stimulate the release of toxins from the muscles. The base is a healing blend of beeswax with calendula and almond oils.

After the massage, which sent him in to a fit of giggles, he put on some cotton socks. (As much as I love my son I do love my carpet too!) I gave him a wooden foot roller to play with and let him watch Top Gear. So he sat quite happily rolling his feet backwards and forwards and smelling divine.

I happened to have a foot roller but a tennis ball works well too. Pressing down on to it helps open up the muscles in the soles of the feet and once they are opened you can really feel a difference all the way up the backs of the legs.

After a quick supper he was off to bed. As he walked up the stairs with his usual lolloping gait he couldn't believe how much better he felt. And by morning his feet and legs were back to normal and ready for another session of football training.