There has been a change recently at our clinic - we now have a new massage therapist, Joel Delaney. Joel does a deep therapeutic massage based on Tuina which is an Oriental Bodywork Therapy. This style uses the traditional Chinese medical theory of the flow of Qi through the meridians as its basic therapeutic approach.

We are pleased to say we still have Sue Fittell who has worked as a massage therapist at this clinic for over six years. Many clients have experienced her wonderful massage. Sue's style is based more on the Western techniques of sports massage, deep tissue and Swedish massage. Sue is also qualified in the use of the Frequent Specific Microcurrant, yoga teaching and Reiki.

It is important for survival that our bodies produce the stress response known as the Fight-or-Flight reaction. When we are stressed our bodies produce adrenalin which is the hormone that makes us experience most of the physical and emotional feelings when we are distressed. If we didn't produce adrenalin we would not feel stressed but we would not respond to dangers or the tasks of life either. Without adrenalin we wouldn't survive in the jungle/modern city.

The first stage of Fight-or-Flight is when energy is mobilised in the body by giving speed, power and energy to run away from predators. The second stage is when the stress hormones are used up in vigorous exercise during fighting or fleeing. This exercise neutralises the stress response and brings the body systems back into balance.

Nowadays the need to fight or flee rarely occurs so the effects of stress build up and develop into the third stage of the stress reaction - the potentially harmful stage - in which energy is drained from the body. As exercise is designed to accompany and neutralise the Fight-or-Flight reaction it is one of the best stress-busting tactics when you feel the pressure building.

If stress continues for any length of time the adrenal glands also increase a steroid hormone called cortisol. In the short term this increased cortisol is potentially life-saving but if stress continues, and cortisol levels remain high, disruption to body systems can occur. While the fight-flight response ushers in the stress response, the Vagus nerve, or "Vagal Brake", allows a smooth calming influence by slowing down the heart allowing an appropriate response and recovery from a stressful situation. A person without a vagal brake lives in an unending state of emergency. Hostility; depression and anxiety; foot-tapping; irritability; lack of concentration; and feelings of being trapped or of impending doom are all associated with a malfunctioning vagal brake.

Professional or social status is not important in the way people respond to stress. Practice awareness... focus on the outward breath and be aware of the emotion behind the stress without judgement. In other words feel it.... but try not to analyse it. It takes 5 minutes to dissipate. However, if stress persists talk to your practitioner about how our range of therapies, such as herbal medicine, acupuncture and massage can assist you.

A good example would be a case of cystitis. One of the key herbs used to treat cystitis is Cranberry which has a soothing and anti-inflammatory action on the urinary tract. However, there a range of other issues that could underly cystitis, including but not limited to, zinc deficiency, candida infection, kidney problems and immune dysregulation. The dose of any herb prescribed by a health practitioner will take into account the individual needs of the client - and these will often vary considerably from the standard dose specified on over-the-counter products.

A further issue is that of product quality. At Paddington Clinic we only use the highest quality products. The herbs that we use are tested batch-by-batch to ensure that they contain high levels of active ingredients and are free from contaminants. The products we sell containing vitamins and minerals are extremely well researched and formulated.

With any health problem it is important to see a qualified health practitioner so that the cause of symptoms can be properly identified and effectively treated.

Recent treatments by a Sydney practitioner on Multiple Sclerosis (MS) have been very exciting. It seems that the combined use of FSM and high dose EFA's (essential fatty acids) have not only stopped the progression of the condition but have been shown to reverse the plaquing that occurs. This is an extremely encouraging result with the potential for use in many other debilitating conditions. Further information can be found at: www.frequencyspecific.com