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Acorn Health Blog

What we love is great health...

...and we like to write about how we can all achieve better health, naturally. Sometimes tips on how you can DIY to better health and sometimes on the therapies that can make a difference to you, your health and wellbeing.
Thank you for reading, We hope you enjoy :)

Reflexology and Reynaud’s Disease

General Health & Wellbeing Posted on Thu, March 16, 2017 11:23AM

By Anne Marie Allen Reflexologist & Massage Therapist

Reflexology is based on the principle that the hands and feet have reflex points on them which mirror and link the whole body including the organs inside us.

An example of this is the Brain reflex sitting at the very tip of the big toe and the shoulder reflex just below the little toe!! Applying pressure to the reflex areas can help heal and balance the whole body.


So how can Reflexology help with Raynaud’s Disease?

As the whole body is mapped out on the feet and hands there are many ways in which reflexology can help:

1. Improves circulation

2. Balances and strengthens the heart and cardiovascular system

3. Reduces stress

4. Balances the endocrine, nervous and respiratory system

5. Promotes the body’s natural healing process

6. Can help to address, support and heal any underlying conditions that may be contributing or causing the Raynaud’s disease

7. Helps to relieve pain

8. Helps to rid the body of toxins

If you’d like to book an appointment or find out more please call me, Anne Marie on 01773 687349. Natural Touch Therapies is based at Acorn Natural Health Centre, 17a Market Place, Heanor, Derby DE75 7AA.



What is a Knotted Muscle?

General Health & Wellbeing Posted on Sat, March 11, 2017 03:35PM

What is a Knotted Muscle…?

By Anne Marie Allen

We’ve all had knotted muscles but do you know what they really are and are they actually knotted?

Well….

A muscle is made up of lots of tiny fibres when these fibres become compressed and stick to each they become tight and go into spasm, the spasm can be a series of small contractions or a prolonged contraction, however due to the compressed nature of the fibres they are unable to release themselves.

Blood flow to the knotted area is restricted new nutrients can’t get in and metabolic waste builds up causing soreness and pain.

In a bid to stop the pain the muscle is given a signal by the brain to rest, with underuse the muscle starts to shorten and tighten up.

Are you tied up in knots?

So what causes knots?

There are many things which can cause a person to develop a knot but the most common reasons for developing a knot are:

• accident or injury

• over use – exercise, weight lifting etc

• stress on the body – due to posture, repetitive movement, long time in the same position

• sedentary lifestyle

Knot prevention

There are a few things you to do to help prevent knots such as:

• stretching and relaxation – the gentle stretching in a yoga class would be good

• maintain a good posture

• exercise – trying to remember to stretch before and afterwards

• B vitamins potassium and calcium – our Nutritionist Helen Duffy can help you to find out if you are low on any vitamins or mineral and advise you what foods to eat to up your intake

• stop smoking

• keep moving don’t stay in the same position for too long

• eat a healthy diet

• stay hydrated

• plenty of regular sleep

• avoid holding your phone with your shoulder use your hand or an ear piece

• lighten your bag

Already Knotty? How can you get rid of your knots?

• Stretching – helps to reduce and avoid knots

• Massage – a massage brings new blood to the affected area the new blood brings with it a fresh supply of oxygen and nutrients and also takes away the build up of toxins that has accumulated. The massage will also help the muscle fibres to relax and loosen so that they move again

• Yoga – gentle stretching during yoga can be good at helping to reduce and avoid knots

• Rest

Where else can they cause pain?

A knot doesn’t just cause a pain where it’s developed knots, whats known as Myofascial Trigger Points can cause pain in other places known as referred pain for example:

• headaches

• neck and jaw pain

• lower back pain

• symptoms of carpal tunnel

• joint pain

• tendinitis

• tendinosis

• bursitis

• ligament injury

• due to the pain they cause knots can also contribute to depression

• and can cause reduced mobility

You can book a treatment with Anne Marie at Acorn Natural Health Centre Heanor, Derbyshire on 01773 687 349 or book online here: Check availability



What is Raynaud’s Disease

General Health & Wellbeing Posted on Thu, February 23, 2017 01:29PM

By Anne Marie Allen Reflexologist and Massage Therapist.

If you’re not sure what Raynaud’s Disease is, or if you’re suffering with the symptoms this blog will assist your understanding of it and give you 10 top self-help tips to manage the condition.

So what is Raynaud’s Disease?

Raynaud’s disease is a condition in which the arteries that supply certain parts of the body go into sudden, temporary spasm causing an intermittent narrowing of the arteries. This results in blood flow being restricted to the affected part of the body. Often this is the fingers or toes but the nose, ears and nipples can also be affected.

What does it feel like? Will I see a physical change?

The narrowing of the arteries can cause the fingers or the affected body part to change colour from white to blue and then red when the blood is able to return this can cause:

– numbness

– pain, this can either be mild pain or excruciating throbbing

– pins and needles

– burning sensation

– tingling

An attack can last anywhere from a few minutes to several hours, although it’s not a life threatening condition it can be very painful and make using the affected body part difficult.

So what causes it?

In most cases of Raynaud’s, there is no known cause and this is known as primary Raynaud’s. It can however be caused by:

– another condition such as an auto immune disease like rheumatoid arthritis or lupus

– an infection

– side effect of a medicine that’s being taken

– cancer

– illegal drugs

– injury

– overuse

– smoking

– vibration white finger

– emotional stress

So what can I do?

If your Raynaud’s is caused by something, it’s known as secondary Raynaud’s and treating the underlying condition or changing your medication may help, your GP will be able to advise you on this.

The good news is there are several things you can do to help yourself!

1. Keep warm, layer up and wear gloves and warm foot wear.

2. Stop smoking – Sally Race Acorns hypnotherapist can help you with this contact Sally for a free consultation!

3. Add Turmeric into your diet, turmeric helps to keep your arteries from being blocked.

4. Regular exercise helps to improve circulation.

5. Reflexology, massage and aromatherapy can all help with Raynauds contact me, Anne Marie to book an appointment!

6. Diet – our nutritional therapist Helen can advise you on dietary changes you can make which could help you manage your Raynaud’s contact Helen for a free consultation.

7. Reduce caffeine intake.

8. Green tea is rich in anti oxidants and help to relax the arteries and improves circulation.

9. Avoid direct contact with cold objects.

10. Try to avoid stressful situations as stress can trigger attacks. Taking up meditation or yoga can help you to manage and lower your stress levels – there are regular Yoga classes as well as Mark Clutton’s Mindfulness courses taking place in Acorn’s studio to find out more contact the Acorn Natural Health Centre.

You can contact the Anne Marie, Sally or Helen at Acorn Natural Health Centre on 01773 687 349 and you can find us at 17a Market Place, Heanor, Derby DE75 7AA.



Are you keeping hydrated?

General Health & Wellbeing Posted on Thu, October 13, 2016 01:54PM

By Helen Duffy Naturopathic Nutritional Therapist


We all know that we should drink more water, but just why is it so important?
The last few weeks have seen us experiencing the hottest September temperatures for nearly 90 years, and we all know how important it is to drink when it’s hot outside. But keeping hydrated is something that we need to be conscious of each and EVERY day to keep our bodies and our brains working at their best.

How much do I need to drink?

Well it all depends on how big you are and what you’re drinking! A rule of thumb for the average adult is 1.5-2 litres per day, but this also depends on your activity levels. More activity = more fluid loss.

I often recommend to people to drink 8 medium sized glasses/cups a day, or 1.5 litres. A good idea is to measure the volume of your favourite glass and mug and then work out how many of these you need to drink during the day to make your 1.5 litres. It might surprise you how few it is.

How do I know if I’m drinking enough?

Once your body has lost only 1-2% of its water content it will signal to you that it needs some fluids and you feel thirsty. So drinking when you are thirsty would seem to be an obvious thing to do, but unfortunately many of us ignore this signal and studies show that 2/3 of us are dehydrated and need to drink more.

Importantly there are other signs to look out for:

*fatigue or mood swings

*infrequent urination; dark urine; constipation

*hunger even though you’ve only just eaten

*dull, dry skin, often with pronounced wrinkles (no expensive wrinkle creams, just drink more water!)

*achy joints

A good rule of thumb is to look at the colour of your urine. It should be a light yellow colour. If your urine is dark it indicates that your kidneys are holding on to fluids and as your urine contains toxins that your body is trying to get rid of, this isn’t such a good thing. Not having gone to the loo for several hours is also an indicator that you need to drink more. Many people, especially the elderly, put off drinking exactly for this reason as maybe going to the loo is inconvenient or difficult. A healthy person should be urinating 7-8 times a day. If you are going more frequently than this, feeling the urge and not producing much when you go or experiencing any kind of pain when urinating these are also important signs that need to be followed up with your GP.

Symptoms of dehydration are thirst, dark coloured urine, dry skin and fatigue. But research has also shown that common symptoms such as heartburn, constipation, urinary tract infections and high cholesterol are also signs of chronic dehydration. By simply increasing your water intake you could be making such a huge impact on your health!

If you are carrying a few extra pounds, you might find that increasing your fluid intake actually helps you to lose weight. Many people mistake the sign of dehydration for hunger as your body is desperately trying to get fluid from any source, and some foods can supply this However, if you’ve only just eaten your body doesn’t need the extra calories it will get along with the fluids so these unfortunately will be stored just where we don’t need them. Next time you’re hungry and it’s not long since you last ate a meal, try having a herbal tea instead (peppermint and licorice is great if you need a boost mid afternoon) and wait 20 mins – it should take you that long to make it and drink it! If you’re still hungry then it probably is genuine, if not, it was your body telling you it was thirsty.

But I don’t like drinking water?

This is something many people say to me, so what kinds of drinks should we be drinking in order to be hydrated? Well, unfortunately normal tea, coffee and fizzy drinks don’t count as hydrating as they contain caffeine, fructose or sweeteners which either have the opposite effect on our bodies, that is dehydrates them, or has other negative health effects. So if you do want your daily cup of tea or coffee, have it with a large glass of water along side it.

Herbal and fruit teas are hydrating, so tea like chamomile, peppermint, fennel, etc are a great alternative and often have many therapeutic benefits. Pukka have an excellent range of organic blended teas. Experiment with these as iced teas – they can be really refreshing and are great for children’s drinks!

What about squash? Well, the reasons not to drink squashes with ‘No-added sugar’ needs to be another whole blog article on its own! Personally I don’t choose these and if I need to have the occasional squash I go for the organic brands like Rocks which is made of fruit and sugar, then make sure it is diluted really well and only have it with meals.

An even healthier alternative to squash is to use an infuser bottle. These are water bottles with a small container inside them that you fill with frozen fruit, mint, ginger, lemon, anything that takes your fancy! These flavours then infuse into your water, so not only do you have refreshing delicious tasting water, but you get some added vitamins as well. You can find infuser bottles in supermarkets and online. Try to choose one that is BPA free to avoid adding unnecessary chemicals.

There’s no doubt that drinking enough will have a positive impact on your health, the amount however, is something that is personal to you so look out for the signs and symptoms, not only on the scorching hot days of late, but EVERY day.

We are currently offering a FREE 15 minute chat to find out how Nutritional Therapy could help you, contact Acorn or email helen.duffy@northstarnutrition.co.uk. Or you could go straight to our booking system to book yourself in!

You can email us at hello@acornnaturalhealth.co.uk.

www.acornnaturalhealth.co.uk



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