the interface between beauty and health treatments...

Following the break of my clavicle in May last year, I had this feeling of wanting a compress on the area to feel better.  This led me to ask a few herbalists for help – the ones that replied made me think they were likely to offer me a tincture to drink, or pills / supplements to take, which wasn’t quite what I was after.

Rather by chance I had my first Dr Haushka facial today, and to my surprise they gave me a foot and hand massage, as well as some work on my shoulders, along with the expected facial treatment.  I must admit I wasn’t quite sure what to expect; don’t remember ever having had a ‘facial’ before, because I’m not so sure of the benefit of creams on the face. 

However, it was a really good experience; one thing that stood out was the hot towels placed on my shoulders.  (I was lying down on a massage couch at this point – I hadn’t realised a facial happened lying down – a lot to learn it would seem in this area!).  Following the treatment, my injured clavicle area felt better, and my shoulders felt more relaxed in a way that feels nourishing for this injury.

I mentioned this to the staff, who were interested and sympathetic.  But when I said if I were to have rung up with a broken clavicle, they immediately said they would have sent me to my GP.  It seems to me there is a lack of awareness somewhere here, in that I would imagine this kind of treatment would have been great at a much earlier stage of my injury.  I can imagine weekly treatments being beneficial.

Similarly, I mentioned my wish for massage-type bodywork to a local colleague, and she immediately said she wouldn’t work with me until the injury was completely healed, which seemed to somehow be defeating the object of my enquiry.

So, my point is, how can we bring all appropriate nourishing treatments to everyone’s awareness, whether patient/ service user, and practitioners and health/social care managers of all types.

Do post comments below if you have any thoughts to build on these observations.

regards,

Catherine.