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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 :)

OCTOBER is BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH

General Health & Wellbeing, Therapies Posted on Thu, September 22, 2022 11:33AM

October marks the Breast Cancer awareness month- time to raise awareness of the importance of research, prevention and early diagnosis of this condition which is affecting many women and men around the World.

It’s so important to feel comfortable with and know your body so that you can pick up on any changes as and when they arise.

Cancer Research UK lists the following as symptoms which may be linked to breast cancer:

  • a new lump or thickening in your breast or armpit
  • a change in size, shape or feel of your breast
  • skin changes in the breast such as puckering, dimpling, a rash or redness of the skin
  • fluid leaking from the nipple in a woman who isn’t pregnant or breast feeding
  • changes in the position of the nipple
Ladies… get them checked!

FRI 21 OCTOBER is “Wear It Pink Day”

“BREAST CANCER NOW” FUNDRAISING with CANCER TOUCH treatments

Book any of the following Cancer support treatments with Eileen on Fri 21 October, and 20% will be donated to “Breast Cancer Now” fundraising Breast Cancer Now (registered charity 1160558)

Hand on Heart 90 minute (normally £55)  Wear It Pink – Hand on Heart

Soothe & Nurture 60 minute (normally £45)  Wear it Pink – Soothe & Nurture



National Eczema Week 13-18th September

General Health & Wellbeing, Therapies Posted on Thu, August 25, 2022 12:07PM

What  is Eczema?

Eczema is a condition affecting the outer-most layer of the skin; the epidermis[1].  Our skin is one of the largest organs of the body; it covers us from head to toe and has a number of very important jobs to do, including providing a nice flexible protective layer that helps to prevent infections.  So its important to look after it and help it do its job.

Eczema is usually diagnosed when patches of skin get red and inflamed, and are super-itchy.  Of course, because it is itchy and irritating to us, our natural tendency is to scratch scratch and scratch it.  But that only makes it worse sadly, which just makes it more infuriating.  In that case, it can even bleed and then the skin loses its protective abilities and can get infected.

Sometimes, the itching can get so bad, it can keep us awake at night.  When our sleep patterns get disturbed, then we are really getting into one of those cycles we want to avoid; night time is when  our bodies should really be resting, repairing and building up energy reserves for next days activities. Getting sleep disturbed regularly can not only leave us feeling tired out, but it can contribute towards robbing us of our sense of humour too … and heaven knows, we all need one of those these days!

The thing about Eczema is that it can also affect different areas of skin; common places are hands,  arms and elbows, but really it can and does  appear on any part of the body, to varying degrees of severity. With babies and younger children, its very common for Eczema to appear on hands, heads and faces.

One  of the characteristics of Eczema is that it is a chronic condition; meaning it doesn’t always just appear once then go away forever.  It can have flare-ups that last days, weeks, or even months at a time.  Some people may even find that it flares up at certain times of year, every year.

Personally, speaking as a therapist, I find that totally fascinating!

So, you got to your GP or pharmacist and get the diagnosis of ECZEMA.

What happens next?

Well, some more traditional approaches to tackling Eczema might suggest that there is no cure for Eczema, but that you can manage it with creams and medications.  

These might provide a lot of relief to cool down that itchiness, but if you do have a chronic condition, then its clear, this approach doesn’t actually work.  It isn’t clearing up your Eczema and removing the misery once for all time.  It’s just suppressing the symptoms so you can get on with life and not be driven crazy with trying not to scratch, especially at night when your body is all snug and warm and your skin gets hot.   

You can also think about external factors that might affect your skin;  have you changed your brand of wash power or conditioner lately? Or have you changed a soap, shampoo, or skin car product?  Could that be causing a bit a bit of an allergic reaction? 

Sometimes dietary factors can also cause skin reactions; typically, the usual culprits such as dairy or gluten. 

With the recent Covid pandemic, many people have increased the amount of hand-washing they do, or been using hand sanitizing solutions more frequently.       Perhaps this is a factor you may have attributed your hand-specific Eczema  to.

Could the real cause be  more than Skin Deep?

Did you know that many skin conditions can also be stress-related.

Our bodies are extremely complex pieces of kit!   Researchers and Health Professionals can spend a lifetime just learning about a single body organ; and the whole mind-brain-body connection – that has long been endorsed by the more alternative and holistic approach to health – is now becoming more and  more widely accepted within the realms of mainstream and orthodox medicine (well, sticking its proverbial toe in the door anyways!) 

One of my specialisms as a Health Coach is helping people explore their stress-related  symptoms so they can get a fresh perspective on their health, and start to apply some new strategies to how they deal with their health issues.

One of the techniques I use for this is EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) which is a perfect tool for addressing very specific stress triggers that can cause Eczema and other skin related symptoms (Dermatitis, Shingles, Hives, and so on).

In EFT, we tap into the mind-brain-body connection which also includes the body’s meridian energy system, where stress and emotions can become “stuck” and then affect your physical body creating physical symptoms.   Stressful emotions that we suppress (or sometimes, not even consciously aware of) are a bit like corks bobbing about in a bucket of water.  We can hold them down for long period of time, not look at them, ignore them .. but sooner or later, they will pop back up to the top! 

Troublesome Chronic Recurring Eczema

If you have chronic recurring Eczema, you might start to notice more what times of day, month, or year it gets  most itchy and annoying.

You may notice that your skin in these areas actually doesn’t stay constant. 

Pay attention to it more closely, and do you notice that at times it is very rough, dry and flaky, but then there will also be periods when it gets hypersensitive and inflamed. 

Once you notice these patterns, keep a written or mental note!

From this point forward, I can help you explore your eczema on levels that are more than just skin deep!  And that will give you new perspectives for tackling your health issue so you truly can resolve them once for all time.  




Indian Head Massage

General Health & Wellbeing, Therapies Posted on Thu, June 23, 2022 12:09PM

Indian Head Massage has been practiced in India for hundreds of years where these skills and all the benefits are passed down through the generations.  It arrived in the UK in the 1970s when Dr Narendra Metha – who had been studying here and really missed his homeland’s stress-busting therapy – developed the original techniques from India and introduced it as a highly beneficial therapy.  Now you can find it in lots of places, including at your hairdressers where you can get a basic Indian Head Massage while having your hair washed and conditioned!

For the majority of us, modern living presents us with a lifestyle where little physical labour is required and we may spend much of our days indoors, without natural light, or even fresh air, and few ways of working our muscles.  Apart from mental and emotional pressures, our physical environment also contributes to us having tense, achey muscles, fatigue, tension headaches and many other symptoms of stress.

Massage of all types helps us counteract this, and head massage is very effective.  Why?

  • A head massage can benefit the whole body because stimulation of the head results in stimulation of the brain, and this is where our Central Nervous System is found that reaches every part of our bodies.  When stimulated in the right way, it will help ease muscle aches, take away tension headaches and even counteract insomnia.
  • Indian head massage not only focuses on the face and scalp, but also the neck, shoulders, upper back .. and at Acorn we also include arms and hands too.  So it’s a wonderful upper body treatment.  These areas often hold a lot of tension that has accumulated from poor posture and repetitive movements (like being at your keyboard everyday!)  The massage helps relax taut muscles, ease stiffness, stimulate blood flow and drain away excess toxdins, so helping to relieve headaches, eye strain and improve join mobility.
  • Regular massage sessions can also help improve condition of skin and hair.  It stimulates blood and lymph circulation to ensure that living cells are well oxygenated and provided with fresh nutrients.   Increased blood flow to the brain can, of course, also help improve concentration and improve memory retention.
  • Indian Head Massage is a truly pleasurable experience; it helps release the body’s natural feel-good hormones, endorphins, that contribute to your feelings of contentment and happiness.
  • Part of Indian Head Massage includes the stimulation of certain acupressure points on the case and scalp that help to release blockages in energy pathways of the body.  You can gently massage these points yourself and will often notice that some are more tender than others, indicating an energy imbalance/disruption on that particular therapy.  At Acorn, your therapist Eileen will give you a handout sheet that shows you where these are, to take away with you after your treatment.

After your massage, it’s a good idea to rest and relax and avoid strenuous activity for atleast 12 hours.  You should drive plenty of water to speed up the elimination of toxins from your body .. better out than in !  Also, cutting back on caffeinated drinks like tea, coffee or cola will help too.  Your body will be detoxing .. so cut back on alcohol too!  And avoid a heavy meal straight after.  These are all sound aftercare tips that will help you get the most from your massage.

Remember, your body will be detoxing so be gentle with yourself and help support it’s healing processes!    Take care if you’re driving home afterward too .. deep relaxation may cause your reactions to slow down temporarily.

A regular Indian Head Massage can become an important and enjoyable part of your health and wellness regime!!

Taster sessions of 20 mins are available here at Acorn on 23 July at our BloodBikes fundraising event.  

Otherwise, our Indian Head Massage therapist Eileen is at Acorn every Friday from 1130 a.m. to 7.30 pm and you can book online.



The most common questions I get asked about hypnotherapy… and the answers.

General Health & Wellbeing, Therapies Posted on Thu, March 24, 2022 02:03PM


Q. Can everyone be hypnotised?

A. Yes, if they want to be. The hypnotic state is natural and we all drift in and out of it many times a day. When working with a hypnotherapist, we use this natural state to make the changes you want to see in your life. We all have free will and we choose how much effort we want to put into something or guidance to follow. 


Q. Does it work?

 A. Much like the answer to the above question, yes if you want it enough. I can’t make anyone do something they don’t want to, or stop them from doing something that they want to do. But hypnotherapy is very powerful for getting you to feel differently in situations where you want to see and feel change. 


Q. How will I know when I’m in a hypnotic trance? 

A. Its not what most people expect and this is in part because we are all unique and experience things differently. For some its just a feeling of being a little relaxed, some people feel like they are floating, or sinking into the comfort of the chair. Some see colours and some feel like their hands have grown in size – yes I know that sounds odd, but its not uncommon for me to see a client look at their hands when they open their eyes to check what they look like. 


Q. How many sessions will I need?

A. This depends what you are seeking hypnotherapy for. Generally, to stop smoking its a single session of 90 mins. Simple phobias, 2-3 sessions on average. For anxiety usually around 5-10 sessions. For weight loss and IBS, I run a 5 session programme.  


Q. How often will I need to come?

A. Weekly or fortnightly is best, there’s no point in coming more than once a week as your mind needs time to process what we do in the session, before the next one. More than 2 weeks and we lose momentum on what we’re working through, so 1-2 weeks between sessions is the ideal for the best outcome in the minimum amount of sessions. 

If you have any questions that aren’t covered above, do let me know, I’ll be happy to do another Q & A, or feel free to book a free of charge consultation if you’d like a chat with me. 
Sally 



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