It’s no secret that I’ve been collecting chronic illnesses since I was in my late teens. I think the list currently runs at four {ME/Fibromyalgia/Osteoporosis/Endomentriosis}, I may have missed one! As Grace Quantock likes to say though, these are just the footnotes to my life and don’t define me.
That doesn’t mean I should forget about them though
I spent most of my twenties pretending chronic illness didn’t exist. Ultimately it did me no favours in the long term. Or in the short term really if I’m honest. I spent a lot of time feeling like I’d been hit by a bus, and that was without a hangover!
It took me a long time to work out the best ways of managing life and work and fun alongside looking after myself. Like yoga, it’s a practice, and I’m learning something new everyday as I run a business at the same time as trying to do the best for me.
As far as fibromyalgia is concerned, massage is my go-to
I’ve written a lot about how yoga helped me through ME/CFS, I teach yoga courses for people with ME, CFS and adrenal fatigue both in groups and one-to-one, but Fibromyalgia is a little different.
The big thing with Fibro is the pain. I found was that my muscles were in a constant state of tension and stress. They had forgotten how to relax.
I got my first massage in my late twenties. I remember feeling so much better afterwards but didn’t really connect the dots. I can be slow and stubborn when it comes to my health!
When I started teaching yoga in a health centre in Surbiton in 2006, I met Tracy, a massage therapist who helped me finally connect those dots. I realised the connections between how yoga had helped me and how massage could help me. How massage was teaching my chronically tight and painful muscles to let go. How over time, and with the accumulative effect of regular massage the pain was becoming less.
And that, readers, is why I ended up being a massage therapist too!
Physician heal thyself
Of course when you have a busy clinic to run and a full appointments book it’s easy to stop looking after yourself. My fortnightly massages became monthly, six-weekly….there was a point last year when I realised I hadn’t had a massage for nearly six months.
And I wondered why I was in pain!!
Fortnightly works best for me. To keep myself and my business going and to give my clients the best possible treatments I have to commit to fortnightly treatments for myself.
Massage for Fibromyalgia at Fusion Studio*
We start gently. Very gently. We create a safe space for you to begin to relax and let go and after the first few sessions we might start to work more deeply. We use a combination of different massage techniques and have experience in treating people with chronic pain. We talk to you. Talk back. Let us know what works for you and what doesn’t. This is your massage therapy, your healing space.
I can’t promise that massage will work for everyone. Everybody is different and each case of Fibromyalgia is unique. But by allowing your body to relax and your muscles to let go you are giving yourself a really good chance of feeling better.
Most people can notice if massage is working for them within three sessions. We won’t make you book unnecessary appointments and we have price reductions for block booking and concessions.
If you would like to try massage therapy then do call Rachel on 07985 779892 or email rachel@massage-movement.co.uk
*Massage therapy should be used as a compliment not an alternative to medical opinion. Please check with your doctor if massage would be suitable for you.
