Archive for the category: Polly news

We have exciting news!!!!! From June 2015 we will be offering Sports Massage therapy treatments.

Eve King has joined the Bath Massage team and is working on a Wednesday from The Bath Practice venue.

Eve has been a massage therapist for over 12 years and specialises in Sports Massage therapy. Read more about it here.

Jess, our specialist Sports massage therapist looks at how the changes in some of our working life’s are having an effect on our physical wellbeing – and offers some tips on how to look after ourselves, especially our back area.

“As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the need to work from home, the vast majority of clients are experiencing back related problems, whether that be neck and shoulders or lower back.

In some ways this isn’t surprising, you’d be impressed to find out just how many risk assessments are carried out and how much money is invested in the workplace to prevent such problems.

The same, however, can’t be said for inside our homes. Some lucky people may have been provided with a fancy desk chair by their employer, however the vast majority of people have been forced to make do with the furniture they already own. In most cases, this usually means spending hours on end sat in a poorly made dining room chair, at some sort of make-shift desk.

With life already stressful enough, which in itself can cause an unwanted build-up of tension, we could all benefit from being comfortable when working from home. Here are 5 useful tips that may help to relieve pain or prevent the onset of back problems. Give them a go if your work-from-home setup is far from ideal.

Tip number 1

Whenever you find yourself with a free minute or two, try to stand up and move around. This can be as simple as walking from one end of your house to the other. Sitting in one position all day can cause both your joints and muscles to tense up.

Tip number 2

Exercise! This tip is time permitting; however, research suggests that 60 minutes of moderate exercise a day begins to counteract the negative health effects of prolonged sitting. This could involve simply going for a walk or even doing some yoga (there are loads of great YouTube videos out there to follow along to!)

Tip number 3

Be aware of your posture. This is definitely easier said than done as we often find positions of poor posture to be more comfortable. After all, who wants to engage their core all day right? Joking aside, here are some key checkpoints you can go through to assess your posture –

• Sit with legs uncrossed, with both feet flat on the floor (use a footrest if your chair is too high)
• Sit right into the chair with your back fully against the back rest (if your chair doesn’t have sufficient back rest you can fold up a towel and place it behind your lower back)
• Sit upright – lift your chest up with your shoulders relaxed
• Maintain a neutral head position
• Focus on an engaged feeling in your core – this doesn’t mean heavily tensing all day, but if you feel yourself start to slouch, actively engaging your core slightly is a good way to correct your posture

Tip number 4 

Stretching your back and the joints around it whenever you get the chance will help to decrease tension and improve circulation in the area. Again, there are some great YouTube videos out there that take you through quick and effective stretching routines. Main areas to focus on are…

• Glutes and hamstrings
• Hip flexors
• Lumbar spine mobility stretches

Tip number 5

Use a hot water bottle or microwavable wheat bag across the shoulders or lower back. This is a super easy tip that can be really great for pain relief and reducing stiffness. When sitting or lying down, place a warm wheat bag or hot water bottle over the shoulders or lower back. This functions to dilate blood vessels and promote blood flow to the area which can help sore or tight muscles to relax, whilst also promoting a sense of calm.

Whilst these tips are not guaranteed to solve or prevent back problems, if consistently performed, they can certainly go a long way to making work-from-home life more comfortable for a lot of people. That, and coming to see us for a massage”

Back pain affects a large percentage of the population and can be a debilitating condition that is a symptom of our lifestyles as much as anything else. Chronic pain from sciatica, for example, can have a huge impact on mood and mental health. It is also something that isn’t always visible either and can be difficult for those who don’t suffer to understand its impact.

Here, at The Bath Massage Company, we see many people who suffer from back pain in various forms, and recently we interviewed Helen, one of our clients to find out a little more about how we have helped her.

When did you first visit The Bath Massage Company?

My first appointment was with Polly about 9 years ago before she moved into her current venue at Season’s on George Street. At the time I was a student and was suffering from bad neck and back pain and I needed some relief from muscle spasms that were really painful.

How did your therapist help you with your back pain?

Polly was amazing. In my initial consultation, she took the time to figure out what the root cause of my pain and tensions might be, and then explained what she was going to do to best provide the pain relief I needed. After my massage treatment, she showed me some exercises to do at home and also some self-massage tips as well. I left feeling amazing and in significantly less pain.

How often do you see your therapist?

I’ve been seeing Polly since my student days and now try to get a massage every month or so. When Polly went on maternity leave, I started to see the other therapists in the company and they were all wonderful – it’s so great to know you’re in good hands and with people who are really passionate about what they do.

What treatments have helped you the most with your back pain?

Getting a massage really helps, it gives me immediate pain relief from my sciatica if that’s been particularly bad and also really lifts my mood. Recently, I’ve been combining my massages with reflexology and that has helped too. I also try to work on core exercises and practice yoga when I can to help keep my back strong and my body flexible.

What advice would you give to other people suffering from back pain?

When my back is really bad I try to keep moving with more gentle exercises and will definitely book a massage straight away. Getting regular treatments have really helped me a lot but I’ve also learnt from Polly & her team that self-care can play a big part – recently I have been using a massage ball on reflexology points in my feet which gives instant relief, but I think nothing beats a proper massage!

At The Bath Massage Company, we provide massage treatments and reflexology to help manage and provide pain relief for acute and chronic back pain, you can book an appointment through our online booking system or call to discuss what treatment might be best for your needs.

If you are pregnant and have been thinking about potentially doing a Hypnobirthing course but are unsure if it’s for you, or how it works, read on to hear a first hand account from a very happy client who recently did the course with Polly and had a beautiful, positive birth using all the learnt techniques. 

“Without hypnobirthing, I would not have been prepared for giving birth at all. This was my first baby, and I was going through my pregnancy focusing on what life would be like as a mother, blocking out thoughts about the actual birth. This until I met my sister’s friend, who made me realise I was suppressing thoughts of the birth out of fear, and that I should absolutely prepare myself through hypnobirthing: she regretted not doing so with her first, and had a much better experience with her second thanks to the relaxation techniques she’d learnt.

Luckily, upon moving to Bath, I found Polly, who was the perfect guide along the hypnobirthing journey. She is a kind and gentle person whose methods really put my partner and I at ease around the other people who attended the course.

Thanks to hypnobirthing, I was able to cope with a) the discomfort and b) the unexpected elements of my birth in a much calmer way than I otherwise would have. (These being a strong urge to push at 7cm dilated that completely took over due to my waters not breaking fully and an amniotic sac fooling my body into thinking it was the baby’s head! This meaning the baby was in the birth canal for longer than would have been ideal, and his heart rate had to be monitored on the way out.)

In spite of this, I was able to give in to the situation and take control at the same time – give in to what my body was doing but also push things (literally) along with my strong willpower and determination, narrowly avoiding a ventouse and episiotomy! There was no fear or panic, I just gave in to what my body was doing with some help from gas and air, and I know that I would have panicked without the preparation I received thanks to Polly’s help.

The classes consisted of a great mix of audio (mp3s and Polly reading passages to send you off into a relaxing trance), visual (birth videos), and kinaesthetic content (practical breathing exercises, practising birthing positions, showing partners where to massage the lower back, etc), as well as group conversations and lecture-style slides. We found this mixture of teaching techniques very stimulating.

Hypnobirthing is not an airy fairy technique, it includes pragmatic scientific knowledge about birthing as well as the promotion of mindfulness during this all-important phase of a woman’s life!

Finally, I benefitted from the very nice and relaxing venue, its perfect location in the centre of Bath, and appreciated the lovely home-made snacks you made. Thank you Polly for contributing positively to my birthing experience”.

Patricia, Bath

In August, both myself and Jo spent the day with Bristol College of Massage learning Acupressure Facial Massage, and we are both now certified to offer this.

Facial Acupressure therapy treats the unique structure of the face to support emotional and stress relief. It also incorporates working with the Chinese  Acupressure facial map to benefit the whole body.

Treatments involve preparing the skin and having an extremely relaxing treatment in which you will feel pampered and become deeply relaxed. You will feel and look revitalised and it is a very safe treatment and good for those with chronic conditions.

For further details read here.

We are absolutely delighted to announce that we have a new Brand Ambassador – MIA HAWKINS

Mia is a Triathlete and is currently studying the University of Bath.

We asked Mia a few questions about herself….

Tell us a little bit about yourself Mia
I am a Triathlete racing for Team GB where I race on a national and International level. I am also a final year student here at the University of Bath.

How did you get into Triathlons?
I have always enjoyed being outdoors and taking part in sport. I took up triathlon when I came to University 3 years ago as I thought it sounded fun, and it is, I’ve never looked back!

What has been your hardest event?
Racing at the World Championships this year in Lausanne was a very hard race, the course was very hilly and it was a hot day too, but it was great fun and I ended up being placed 8th, so I was extremely happy.

What do you do when you’re not competing?
As a student I have a lot of studying to do, but I enjoy travelling, reading and baking, and am loving watching Bake Off!

Tell us your favourite place to hang out in Bath?
I love going to Alexandria Park, its quiet and has amazing views over the city.

We will be working with Mia supporting her with massage and treatment to keep her event ready and injury free. Mia will also be giving us some great advice and tips for runners, and other sports, so keep an eye on our social media feed and to stay up to date with her news.

We are really excited to be part of a brilliant new event that’s taking place on Sunday 27th September 2015 at The Hilton Hotel in Bath – Bath Beauty Event 2015.

Tickets cost £25 for entry and once inside you will get everything for free! It really is an amazing ticket price; we will be offering  massages, Neal’s Yard will be there doing facials, The Brow Place will be busy shaping/threading your brows, plus there are loads more beauty treatments to have.  The Tipsy Botanists will be making cocktails/mocktails to have as you walk around, and everyone who attends will receive a goody bag with loads of freebies inside!

We’ll be running a competition too to win a free 60 minute massage so make sure you come and see us.

To buy tickets you can book online at Eventbrite – http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/brow-place-presents-the-bath-beauty-event-tickets-18050672046?aff=erelexpcat or you can go into The Brow Place in Bath to purchase there.

What a turn out!! Over 45,000 people showed up today to watch the 15,000 plus runners in the yearly Bath Half run. I volunteered for Bath based charity, Mentoring Plus, and gave their running team post event massages, there were some very sore legs! Here are a few pictures of the day…