If you were to examine all of your joints within your body you would discover that at both ends are linked by muscles. Any time you make a movement with your body these important joints have the ability to work together with the muscles to ensure the movements are performed smoothly. It is almost like riding a skateboard. When you place one foot on the board your balance is fine but, if both your feet are on the board you can keep your balance even better.

I had never really thought much about my breath until one sunny morning fifteen years ago when I decided to turn over a new health leaf, again.

Waking up before my alarm I dug out a beginners yoga video I had been given. My thoughts raced excitedly to my future healthy slimmer body.

Many of us have tight muscles and often they don’t cause us pain. Touching our toes, making a circle with our arm or limbo dancing may not be something we need to do. If we aren’t using those muscles and they aren’t hurting why should we be concerned if they are shorter and harder?

Nicholas Brown is now deep into a training programme to climb Mount Aspiring in New Zealand this December. He came to The Massage Centre some months back to get the stiffness resulting from intense training eased out of him. He’s now a regular client and seems to have adopted our Australian masseurs, having spent time as a client of Sam’s, he’s now with Loren.

Would you like £15 off your next massage?

It’s simple!!

My name is Claire Boxer and I am a holistic, remedial and sports massage therapist, I enjoy excellent health and have much joy and happiness in my life. But about five years ago I would have described my health and happiness as being boringly average.

Besides stress management, nutrition and fitness (clearly extremely important to anybody’s health), body work in the form of massage, acupuncture, osteopathy, chiropractic, even kinesiology or other natural treatments should be considered as an essential part of maintaining or recovering optimal health and bodily function.

1. Have the person sit down in front of you on a stool or a chair that allows access to the back. Feel his/her neck and shoulders to see where the tension needs to be relieved the most. These areas should be given special attention.

2. With one hand on each shoulder muscle (up next to the neck) start gently squeezing and rub the muscle. Extend your thumbs down towards the back a bit while doing this. Check with the person to make sure you are not applying too much pressure. Remember, you want him/her relaxed not in pain from your actions.

Defining the Problem of Muscle Spasms and Cramps

Whenever a muscle or even small fibres of the muscle contract without you consciously making it happen, it is known as a muscle spasm. When the muscle or fibres that have contracted sustain this contraction, the spasm becomes a fully-fledged cramp. Muscle spasms and cramps vary in intensity from person to person and from situation to situation.