Listed below are some of the main conditions that Joanna can help with, together with a brief description of treatment protocols which will include Trigger Point Therapy, Hot Stone Fusion, Myofascial Release and Craniosacral techniques.
Chronic undiagnosed, generalised pain
Restrictions in the myofascia, or fascia, can cause this kind of pain which baffles many medics and therapists. See Myofascial Release page for more information. This treatment is very relaxing, though in some instances releases can occur in an emotional way as well as physically.
Back, neck or shoulder pain and/or stiffness including:
-
Lumbago (low back pain)
-
Trigger points in the lower back and buttocks are often the cause and are easy to treat in between 1 and 6 treatments.
-
-
Whiplash
-
Joanna uses all the tools in her ‘toolbox’ for this condition and can treat in the acute phase, or in a recurring or chronic phase. She treats all the muscles of the neck and shoulder. Craniosacral techniques are helpful too, particularly in releasing ‘jammed’ neck vertebrae and any linked restrictions or damage in the sacral area.
-
-
Frozen Shoulder
-
Trigger points and/or fascial restrictions in some or all of the rotator cuff muscles can cause this painful condition. The treatment involves releasing fascial restrictions and trigger points in order to rebalance all the muscles surrounding the joint. This should eventually allow ease of movement without pain and improve the range of motion.
Hip, knee, ankle or foot pain including:
-
Knee pain
-
Most pain in the knee is caused by trigger point higher in the leg in the quad muscles. Under normal conditions, these muscles allow the knee to track correctly, with little or no tension in the joint. If just one of these muscles is compromised the joint can become painful.
-
-
Plantar Fascitis and Heel Spurs
-
Releasing the fascia in the plantar surface of the foot can get clients out of pain within one treatment. Heel spurs can grow as a result of tight plantar fascia. Similar pain can result from trigger points in muscles of the lower leg.
-
-
Shin Splints
-
This extremely painful condition, often suffered by joggers, is best treated with massage to the tibialis anterior muscle which runs down just outside the shin bone (tibia). Chronic tension and trigger points in this muscle are the usual culprits and are easy to treat.
Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSI) including Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, Tennis Elbow, Golfers Elbow.
Myofascial release and trigger point therapy are used to treat problems where overuse or repetitive strain has resulted in painful fascial adhesions in the muscles and joints. For all these conditions restrictions in some of the neck, shoulder and chest muscles are often the main cause (resulting in impingement of the nerves and blood vessels leading to the arm). Surgery for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome has been successfully avoided for a number of clients, and symptoms recurring post-surgery have also been treated.
Arthritis
Joanna believes that if you can keep all the muscles that activate a joint flexible and restriction free, then the articulated surfaces of the bone should not be under any tension. If one or more muscles are tight or restricted in any way, they will pull the joint slightly out of true, or compress the surfaces of the joint together, and potentially start problems. If untreated, a misaligned or compressed joint will eventually start to become osteoarthritic as the cartilage wears down. An example of pain being caused by a muscle some distance away is a common ‘arthritic’ pain in the base of the thumb joint, often due to fascial restrictions and trigger points in the brachialis (a forearm muscle) and/or radiobrachialis (an upper arm muscle). Knee pain is often due to fascial restrictions and trigger points in one or more of the quads (thigh muscles). Joanna has some regular clients who come from between once a week to once every 6 weeks for treatment to keep their joints pain free. Preventing surgery is often an incentive for this treatment. She also treats clients whose joints have already deteriorated, and who are booked in for surgery, for a few weeks before and after the operation for replacement knees or hips for more speedy recovery.
ME/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Fibromyalgia
You might have heard David Puttnam saying on Radio 4 recently that he has ME and that massage is the therapy that helps the most. Myofascial Release is the technique Joanna uses on these clients. Very gently to start with. She keeps the room lovely and warm with soft low music (if they like) and low lighting. She treats any aches and pains that they have and most importantly, she gives them time to discuss their issues. With Fibromyalgia clients the fascia is generally very tight and there are often multiple restrictions. This seems to be what causes their pain, and the nature of fascia is what makes this pain so difficult to pin down and causes it to move from one part of the body to another in a seemingly random way. Big changes can upset clients, so we work on a little-by-little basis. They can sometimes feel worse for a few days afterwards, but then feel much better, and sometimes there is no improvement but they feel that it is doing them some good. This can give them a positive outlook in an otherwise depressing situation.
Rheumatoid Arthritis and Polymyalgia Rheumatica
Myofascial release again for this. Joanna would never treat a joint when it is in flare up mode, but gentle treatment around and to other parts of the body are soothing and helpful. Regular massage keeps Polymyalgia pain at bay and she has several clients with this condition. Cranio-sacral therapy is good for RA as it can enhance fluid flow into joints without stressing them.
Headaches and Migraines
Trigger point therapy to all the neck muscles. The pain pattern sometimes indicates trigger points in the face or skull. Joanna has REALLY good results with clients with migraines. Myofascial release and CST are also helpful.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Period Pain
Myofascial release in the abdominal area releases restrictions in the fascia surrounding the intestines and uterus. Again, really good results with both conditions.
Temporomandibular Joint pain (TMJ)
Trigger points in many muscles of the shoulder, neck and head can cause horrendous pain in the jaw. Myofascial release and CST to the areas of the head, face, mouth and neck are great for this condition and can often prevent surgery.
Sciatic Pain and Piriformis Syndrome
Trigger points in a muscle deep in the buttock (piriformis) can refer pain to buttocks, sacrum and hips. This muscle, if shortened by trigger points can also compress the sciatic nerve sending pain right down the leg into the foot as well as giving strange sensations such as numbness, tingling, burning in those areas. It can also impinge upon the pudendal nerve as well as other nerves and blood vessels coming out of the pelvis, causing impotence, pain in genital, rectal and groin areas, or a sense of swelling in buttocks, leg, calf and foot.
Obviously sciatic and other pains can be caused by intervertabral disk protrusion, but surgery may not be necessary if you rule out trigger points in the piriformis muscle first.
Scar Tissue Adhesions
Scars can have far-reaching effects on fascial tension. Superficial and deep adhesions can extend from the visible scar to deeper structures preventing soft tissue movement. Sensory nerve entrapment in the adhesions around a scar can produce local and radiating pain patterns. Scars of any age can be treated, and should be treated if pain is experienced in nearby parts of the body, however unlikely the connection may seem to be.
Sports Injury
Using a combination of massage, trigger point therapy, myofascial release and stretching techniques, most sports injuries can be treated and recovery time improved.
Poor circulation
Massage is wonderful for poor circulation, encouraging blood flow and bringing fluid and nutrients to areas where toxins may have built up. A face massage with cold and warm stones can help with skin problems, and hot stone massage is very beneficial for clients who suffer from cold extremities.
Many other muscular and soft tissue pain conditions such as neck, shoulder, back pain; ankle, knee, hip pain; hand, wrist, elbow pain.
