Blog – Page 3 – Suzanne McTier-Browne

April 21, 2023April 21, 2023

The Benefits of Reflexology

The Benefits of Reflexology

I became a Reflexologist in 2004 and absolutely love this modality!

Reflexology is a science that deals with the principle that there are reflex areas in the feet and hands which correspond to all of the glands, organs and parts of the body. Reflexology is a unique method of using the thumb and fingers on these reflex areas. The Reflexologist’s thumbs and fingers apply pressure on client’s reflexes in the feet and hands, stimulating the body’s own healing responses.

It is a really useful therapy that has a long history (around 5,000 years) in Chinese, Egyptian and Indian medicine. In 1582, two European doctors published a book on zone therapy and British neurologist, Sir Henry Head in the 1890s, identified skin or head zones that corresponded to internal organs.

Modern reflexology then developed in the west, largely based upon the work of American Dr William Fitzgerald, known as the founder of zone therapy, and Eunice Ingham, the Mother of Modern Reflexology. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, many doctors used reflexology or zone techniques for pain relief. However, like most bodywork, it can be time consuming so as doctors needed to help larger numbers of people and drugs became popular, those body skills were mostly let go.

Reflexology primarily addresses the foundation of the body, the feet (although it also has wonderful applications with the hands, ears and face). Like a house or building, if the foundations are not sound or are structurally unbalanced it can have a detrimental influence on the integrity of the rest of the structure. Like Bowen Therapy, it also deals with the body’s fascia, circulation, lymphatic and central nervous systems.

Because areas of the body have associated reflexes in the feet (and the hands, ears and face), it enables a therapist to help someone who is uncomfortable with physical touch to the body or allows support for an injured area that cannot be worked on directly.

Nature & Health magazine reports that in a double-blind trial, migraine patients given reflexology found it as effective as Flunarizine drug therapy. And children suffering from chronic constipation given reflexology had significant reductions in their pain scores.

If pain means that it is difficult for you to be touched or get up and then down off a massage table, reflexology can provide further treatment options as it can be done in a chair or on a bed. Hands, ears or face can be worked if feet are not an option.

Reflexology can:

Help relieve stress & tension – approx. 80% of today’s diseases can be attributed to stress and tension
Improve blood supply and promote the unblocking of nerve impulses
Improve the body’s immune system and energy flow
Boost lymphatic function
Help your body achieve homeostasis – underactive or overactive organs and glands can be helped to return to normal functioning levels

Reflexology is non-invasive (only the feet, hands or face are worked) and it works well with other therapies including conventional or orthodox medicine.

If you would like to try a session of reflexology and reap the benefits for yourself, get in touch for a session!

April 21, 2023April 21, 2023

How To Do Body Testing

Learn how to tap into your body’s innate wisdom.

You can body test with these easy techniques and find answers to your questions.

Is this food good for me? Is this decision the right one? Anything you want to know!

Start practicing and let me know how you go!

If you would like further assistance with body testing, book in for a session and we can go through it together (online or in person).

March 24, 2023April 21, 2023

Some Real Talk About Chronic Pain and Illness

Some Real Talk About Chronic Pain and Illness

So… here’s some real talk about chronic pain and illness (from someone who’s been there).

Sometimes severe or chronic pain is the wake-up call you need to kick yourself into immediate action. We can get complacent with our health and think we can just take a pill and fix everything. That is not always the case, sometimes you have to step up and take urgent action to fix the situation.

If you get a bad diagnosis, you’ll probably go through grief stages such as shock, denial, sadness and anger. You can use an emotive feeling such as anger to energise and fuel your fight back. Those strong feelings can focus and prod you into becoming your own health warrior and fighting – for yourself and your loved ones!

You always have a choice. Whatever your pain condition, you can choose to get a second (or a third) opinion. The medical profession is so specialised that people can be experts in their own field but have little knowledge of alternatives outside their expertise. Medical professionals are also often overworked and are looking after numerous patients who are all unique. Sometimes they don’t have all the information needed to make the best decision (so do your part and always keep them fully informed) and occasionally test results are misinterpreted. There is a reason the term ‘medical opinion’ is widely used.

You already know personally what pain is and how it can make you feel. It can keep grinding you down until you find it hard to remember a time when you weren’t in great pain. You despair of ever feeling good again and anxiety or depression can start to raise its ugly head.

You also probably know how at first people sympathised with you but as the days dragged on into weeks and months, they began to get tired of you and your pain because while it exhausts you, it also exhausts those around you. Then people start to avoid you and slowly you become isolated and lonely in your pain.

But you can fight back and you don’t have to continue to accept your current situation. You can get angry about it and totally annoyed with the unfairness of it all but then decide to use that anger. After all anger is just an emotion or ‘energy in motion’. So you can choose to use that energy in positive ways to your advantage, to motivate and become determined to conquer your pain. You have to dig deep but your power is there, just patiently waiting for you to step up and use it!

Finally sometimes you, and everyone around you, can do everything right and you still get a bad outcome or no improvement in your pain. Sometimes bad things happen to good people but that’s life and beyond our control. It is still important to never give up because you only fail when you stop trying!

On a personal note, when I was diagnosed with MS, pain medications did not work for me and a big motivation at that time was finding relief. If my pain meds had worked, I may have sat back passively, accepted my diagnosis and would probably have rapidly deteriorated and passed away just as my neurologist predicted. Now when I look back, my pain was actually my saviour!

And so this is the power of pain. Once you become determined to fight and overcome it, you have a mission and a different focus, a distraction from your pain and then it becomes your powerful motivation. Because frankly the vast majority of us will do anything to avoid pain.

Then once you overcome it, you will become so empowered and strong. You will come to know that it is not a permanent condition and that you can beat it – you just have to engage the fighter, awaken the warrior in you.

“Pain does not have to mean suffering, it can actually be the birth of a stronger and more powerful you.”

Read more in my book, Drug Free Pain Relief.

March 20, 2023April 21, 2023

How to sit correctly when you have pain

Do you have pain in your back, neck or shoulders?

I encourage you to watch my short video and learn the correct technique for sitting when you have pain.

It can help you avoid aggravating the pain and making it worse.

Correct posture is such an important factor to consider when you have structural pain.

Give it a try and let me know how you go!

If you need more help with your pain, please book in for a session.

March 15, 2023April 21, 2023

How can Bowen Therapy help you?

How can Bowen Therapy help you?

As an Advanced Bowen Therapist with over 23 years experience working with clients, I can honestly tell you that Bowen Therapy is an amazing therapy that can help so many people in so many different ways!

An Australian physical therapy, the Bowen Technique, was developed by the late Tom Bowen (1916–1982). I had already qualified as a massage therapist prior to studying Bowen Therapy and found it to be such an intelligent, unique and beautifully gentle way of correcting structure and posture while working with the body to achieve healthy balance and function.

Since I already had a working knowledge of anatomy and physiology and had developed a ‘tissue sense’, I could see and feel the changes in the client as we did the Bowen moves. Tissue sense is an ability that a therapist can develop from experience and working on people – just by placing hands on a person or through gentle palpation, extra information can be gained about circulation, contraction in muscle fibres, hydration, etc.

It was amazing to see and feel the muscles release on the table after the Bowen moves, and that was just the first day! Because I was so aware of its potential in helping relieve the suffering of others, I accelerated my training. Finally I’d found a therapy that could give similar results to what I had experienced all those years ago. A bonus was that it was so gentle while still being profoundly effective.

Bowen Therapy has given me the tools to assist thousands of clients, and to be able to help someone gently without adding trauma is wonderful. While more forceful body therapies are also valuable, with the gentleness of Bowen, I’ve found that the body does not go into defence or protection mode, so muscles do not tighten up and the body is not further stressed.

People who are in pain or have been traumatised, are already in sympathetic stress or in ‘fight or flight’ which can increase pain and hamper recovery. Bowen has the unique ability to switch off that stress switch and place the body into parasympathetic mode, instantly calming the body and letting the focus be on pain relief and healing.

Bowen is an intelligent way of de-stressing the body, taking the pressure and contraction out of muscles and joints so that the body can relax and repair. And while many people come to Bowen for assistance with musculoskeletal issues, from my personal and clinic experience, it has potential to help with so many other conditions including being useful before surgery. It enables the body to be in the best physical and structural condition before going into surgery and then helps with healing and recovery afterwards.

The added beauty of Bowen is that it is complementary and can work well with existing conventional medical treatment. It is a gentle and safe therapy that can help with muscular, structural problems and the pain associated with:

Sport injuries
Accident recovery
Back pain & sciatica
Leg, knee & foot problems
Sinus & Asthma
Stress & tension
Neck & shoulder problems
Migraines & headaches
Circulation problems
Abnormal posture
Constipation
Hormonal problems
Body detoxification
and so much more!

There are huge benefits of Bowen Therapy for athletes. Bowen is a particularly effective treatment for long-term sports injury prevention. Athletes being treated with Bowen report remarkable responses in terms of fewer injuries, as well as faster recovery after minor injuries.

My athlete clients come from a variety of sports such as athletics, swimming, basketball, football, tennis, martial arts, gymnastics, trampolining, gym, dancing, yoga and crossfit. Because they have great muscle tone, they usually respond quickly.

Bowen is also wonderful for strengthening, maintenance and prevention programs. I personally have regular Bowen sessions to keep me going through the busy times and operating at the top of my game. I also have many hard-working business professionals as clients who have regular Bowen to relieve their pain, reduce stress and the possibility of downtime from injury or illness.

Have you had Bowen Therapy before? What has been your experience?

Find out more about my Advanced Bowen Therapy sessions here.

Read some testimonials about how Bowen Therapy has helped clients here.

February 16, 2023April 21, 2023

Train Your Brain For Pain Relief

Train Your Brain For Pain Relief

Did you know that pain is processed in the brain?

I’m not being dismissive or saying that it is imaginary but from an anatomical and physiological point of view, pain is evaluated and processed in the brain (via the spinal cord). As chronic pain continues and progresses, negative changes can occur in the central nervous system and pain signals can be reinforced and continue to remain active even when not necessarily triggered and a hypersensitivity can develop.

The human brain is very clever at conserving energy and conscious attention by continually learning, strengthening and reinforcing nerve pathways and learned behaviours, so repetitive actions, thoughts and emotions can easily become habitual and require no conscious effort. While great for learning a sport or new skill, this ability can be massively detrimental in long-term pain conditions.

Anything that you practice or repeat frequently whether it is a thought, emotion, action or reaction can become an ingrained and habitual response. This can also happen with pain signals to the brain. With chronic pain, because of repeated stimulation and reinforcement, nerve pathways transmitting pain messages to the brain can become entrenched and easily triggered.

Neuroplasticity or brain plasticity is a fast developing field of research that has implications for pain management. Contrary to previous medical belief, the brain has now been found to be able to form new neural connections and reorganise itself even into adulthood. So the brain can form and grow new nerve connections to compensate for disease or trauma.

In the book The Brain That Changes Itself, Dr Norman Doidge lists numerous studies which prove the wonderful pliability and plasticity of the human brain and how repeated thoughts and actions can actually rewire nerve pathways. This is why people with brain injury can restore body function by using different parts of the brain and establishing and developing new neural pathways.

It then follows that it is possible to train or use the brain to process pain signals differently and therefore relieve pain. We just have to learn how to stop using those ingrained neural pathways.

And while I am not saying it is easy, it certainly is possible.

Would you like some support and assistance with retraining your brain? Get in touch and book your free 15 minute discovery call to chat about how I can help you.

February 3, 2023February 3, 2023

How I beat MS (Multiple Sclerosis)

I was only 22 when I was given a death sentence. Spoiler alert, I am still here and this is how I beat MS (multiple sclerosis).

My neurologist had just got back the results from my brain scans, eyesight and hearing tests. He said… “You have MS, multiple sclerosis. You are in the typical age-group and your symptoms are also typical. Your MS is progressing very rapidly, I estimate that you have less than a year. So go home and get your affairs in order, I seriously doubt you will reach your 23rd birthday.

I know that next time I see you, you will be in a wheelchair and once that happens, things will speed up and then it will just be a matter of months … well that’s it. I’m sorry but there is no treatment for multiple sclerosis.”

How could there be no way of treating this? I was young, previously healthy and fit and even though I was in excruciating pain I didn’t feel like I was going to die. I remember looking at my neurologist and thinking – really, is that it? Why are you giving up on me? Surely there is something we can do?

I understood what my neurologist was saying about my condition but whether I was going to accept it, was another thing, I was determined to get better.

The following weeks passed in a haze of disbelief as I researched everything I could about MS and natural ways to heal the body.

The exact cause of MS is unknown (most likely there are multiple causes) but it is a degenerative disease of the central nervous system. To this day there is no definitive cure.

My recovery from MS evolved firstly with the discovery of the importance of body structural correction and postural realignment in promoting effective body functioning and repair. While my body had been so contracted and contorted physically, its own healing and correction mechanisms were hampered and severely restricted. By bringing my body back into structural alignment and balance, body systems were able to recommence doing what they needed to do to restore proper health and function.

So around the same time my MS symptoms had started to decrease as my body was brought back into proper alignment and balance, I started taking mega-doses of vitamin C powder with bioflavonoids (including hesperidin and rutin) because it was indicated in Lady Cilento’s books as being useful in fighting viral, bacterial and arthritic type conditions. The bioflavonoids were important to assist in the fast assimilation by the body.

With advice from various books on nutrition, I also cut out caffeine and diet soft drinks.

Once movement became easier, I wanted to continue to improve and keep moving. I began gentle exercise and yoga at home. I practiced meditation most days and made a conscious effort to keep thinking and speaking positively.

I went to see my neurologist for a scheduled follow-up visit. I bounced into his office and told him how two of my major MS symptoms had disappeared with corrective bodywork and my use of superior nutrition and vitamin C. My neurologist was literally struck dumb.

Within four months of bodywork, eating fresh food, no white sugar, soft drink or artificial sweeteners, taking vitamin C plus gradually getting back into exercise, yoga and meditation, every MS symptom disappeared and I was able to return to full-time work.

Years have passed and my good health continues to this day. I still use those strategies to maintain my health. Now I am a health warrior committed to helping others find natural solutions for their pain and suffering.

If you would like to read the whole story, I go into more details about how I beat MS (multiple sclerosis) in my book, Drug Free Pain Relief.

November 30, 2022November 30, 2022

Become a Body Detective

Are you aware of your body and what’s happening with it? This simple awareness can help you bring about positive change to any pain or discomfort. Become a body detective and get in touch!

Become aware of how you move. Tune into your body regularly throughout the day and night – how does your body feel? Are there certain activities during the day that trigger or aggravate your pain? Once you are pain free you want to be aware of and avoid anything that can cause re-injury.

Here are some questions you can ask yourself to start becoming your own Body Detective!

Body Detective Questions:

Where exactly is your pain?

Does it change position or is it always in the same place?

Do you have it when you first get up in the morning? If so, what is your rating?
No pain | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Most intense pain

Do you have it in the evening or later in the day? If so, what is your rating?
No pain | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Most intense pain

When is it worse – in the morning or in the evening?

How frequent is your pain? Is it constant? Is it daily? Is it weekly? Is it monthly? Other?

Does it affect your sleep?
Do you wake up in pain?

Is there an activity or position that makes it worse?

Be really aware of the activities you do today.
Before you do each activity, rate your pain levels. Write it down.
After the activity, how are your pain levels? Did they change?
Did this activity increase, decrease or made no difference to your pain?
If it increased your pain, can you change the activity so it doesn’t cause you pain?
Or do you really have to do that activity?
If it is necessary, can someone else help you or can they do it?

This is a great exercise to see what is actually impacting on your pain levels and with that awareness you can then bring change. If you are in intense pain just doing this for one day will bring some knowledge and insight. Even better if you can manage this for a week to really get an idea of the impact of the things you are doing daily. Respect and love yourself enough to do this little bit of homework.

It will be invaluable in helping you and your health professional identify what is happening in your life that triggers or aggravates your pain. Being a body detective, monitoring my posture and supporting my body as much as possible has helped me stay pain free for more than 30 years.

November 12, 2022April 21, 2023

Why you should massage your feet regularly!

There are reflexes in the feet that relate to the rest of the body. Many people get pain relief from releasing the feet. If you can’t get a professional reflexology treatment, you can help yourself by working your own feet.

Sit comfortably and roll a massage ball under the foot, to allow the muscles and tendons to flex and stretch. You can also concentrate on certain areas of the foot for different parts of the body:

Head and neck – the toes

Chest – the ball of the foot

Spine and back – along the inside or arch of the foot from heel to big toe

Stomach and bowel – middle of foot, in the arch

The human foot was designed to walk on natural surfaces such as grass, sand and soil with undulations and natural cushioning. Our feet were not meant to stand all day and walk on hard surfaces such as concrete, tiles and bitumen.

Wearing shoes all the time, also stops the foot from flexing, stretching and adapting to the environment so muscles become stiff and underutilised. Rolling a massage or tennis ball under the arch of the foot helps release and flex those muscles and improve circulation. Wriggle those toes, stretch and flex the feet, rotate the ankles in both directions.

Look after and maintain your feet. See a Reflexologist or Bowen Therapist for professional help if you have issues.

Regularly have a pedicure or do your own to exfoliate the layers of dead skin, trim nails and attend to calluses and corns. Some deformities in the feet come from neglect and can change the way you walk, causing further problems with ankles, knees, hips and back.

Looking after your feet helps keep you pain free!

October 21, 2022October 21, 2022

How to Make Golden Turmeric Milk

Golden Milk is an ancient Ayurvedic drink that is great for helping inflammation. There are numerous golden milk recipes around using variations of turmeric, black pepper, coconut oil, ginger, cinnamon, honey etc.

You can make up your own golden paste which you keep in the fridge and then just use a little each time to make your golden milk.

You can also use raw turmeric and ginger (some think it’s more effective). Of course you should do your own research and find the best recipe for you but for your information, here’s a simple recipe I use:

Golden Milk

1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon of Golden Paste

1 cup milk (can be coconut, almond or cow, preferably not homogenised)

Ginger, vanilla and/or cinnamon to taste (optional)

Honey (or natural sweetener) to taste (optional)

Preferably in a stainless steel pot, gently mix and heat to steaming (but do not boil) 1 cup of milk with up to 1/2 teaspoon of golden paste. Remove from heat and add optional vanilla, ginger, cinnamon and/or honey to taste.

Golden Paste

1/4 cup organic turmeric powder

1/2 cup of filtered water

1 teaspoon black pepper

3 tablespoons virgin coconut oil (cold pressed)

Preferably in a small stainless steel pot, cook the turmeric, water and black pepper until it forms a smooth paste on medium heat, stirring so it doesn’t burn. Remove from heat, cool slightly and thoroughly mix in the coconut oil. Store the golden paste in a small glass jar in the refrigerator for up to two weeks (if it develops a metallic taste, it’s been stored too long so throw it out).

Have you tried Golden Milk before?