About six weeks ago I presented a webinar on the use of Mobiderm Autofit garments, pre and post lipoedema surgery, to other lymphoedema therapists. I talk about how I use Mobiderm in the clinic and how my clients use their Autofit garments as part of their treatment protocol. Have a look at it and let me know if you have any questions.
Well that didn’t take too long did it? Massage therapy clinics have received clearance to reopen by the NSW government.
This information was released a week and a half ago but I have been waiting to see if there were further changes before reopening. I have now received numerous communications from both of my Associations confirming this news.
I will formally reopen my doors on Monday 4th May 2020. I will, however, reduce the number of available appointments so that I can maintain distancing requirements and have enough time between clients to sanitise appropriately. I will be wearing a mask during treatment and will be continuing my strict hand-washing techniques and have hand sanitiser in the reception area for clients to use on arrival. As always, if you have been away in the last two weeks or have been unwell, please do not come in.
I am offering online appointments for those who are continuing self-isolation until the Government lifts restrictions.
If you do not see a time that suits you please let me know as I will have the flexibility to move things around. Or you can contact me directly to make a booking.
If you already have an appointment booked in for the coming weeks and would like to cancel or reschedule for a later date then I’m more than happy to do that. It is important that everyone feels comfortable.
I look forward to reconnecting with you.
P.S.
The clinic has had a bit of a make-over while I’ve been on hiatus – I’m excited to share it with you!
Online bookings: http://lisahiggins.cliniko.com/bookings
Website: http://lisahiggins.ntpages.com.au
In this swiftly changing time we are all having to adapt to doing what we used to do face-to-face online instead. This can be confronting to begin with but it can be done. Even for a manual therapy like lymphatic drainage.
Lisa is offering an online package for new clients. The sessions will cover a range of therapies to work with the physical, emotional and mental body. This integrated approach is even more necessary now in this time of isolation.
The package will include five appointments – once a week for four weeks, with a fifth appointment two weeks later for any follow-up questions/requirements.
What you can expect:
At the end of six weeks you will:
This results in an overall reduction in the amount of inflammation in the body. Less inflammation means less pain, fewer symptoms, more energy and the ability to achieve more. You will feel empowered to live your fullest possible life.
Investment: $550 if paid upfront or a weekly payment of $100 over six weeks.
http://lisahiggins.ntpages.com.au
I’ve been really busy this week, taking delivery of a painting and some new, recycled, furniture.
I’ve also cleaned from top to bottom using low-tox cleaning products. Once I finished the physical cleaning I cleared the whole clinic energetically using sage, sound and diffusing Thieve’s Oil and intention.
It’s all feeling pretty amazing now. What do you think?
I’m getting all my admin and cleaning done so I can focus on growing the next stage of my work – online consulting. Here’s what I’m offering:
Be safe everyone and I hope to see you in the flesh soon.
These are such strange times and we’re all trying to navigate our way in a completely changed world.
I’m not in the habit of sending newsletters and I promise I’m not about to send them regularly now. I do feel, however, it is important to tell you what’s happening here at The Oasis during this time of isolation.
On Wednesday I made the decision to shut The Oasis for face-to-face appointments. This was an incredibly difficult decision to make.
Technically I can still practice, but according to my massage association I would need to scan my clients (goodness knows how) and myself to make sure we are healthy. Then I can treat, as long as I am gowned, gloved and masked. I don’t know about you but that’s not appealing to me. Besides that, I can’t get hold of the necessary equipment – I’m still waiting for my order of antibacterial and gloves that I ordered from a medical supply company two weeks ago!
I will send another email once isolation is over and I can treat in person again.
In the meanwhile, I have a few options on offer that may work for you during this time. If you know anyone who may benefit from these consultations, then please feel free to pass this email along.
I will be active on my Facebook page and Instagram (both are “lisahigginsmassage”) if you’d like to keep up with what’s going on at The Oasis.
And as always I am available via phone (0410 363 720) or email (lisahigginsmassage@gmail.com). You can make online bookings at http://lisahiggins.cliniko.com/bookings.
Keep well and I’d love to hear how you’re doing. Hopefully I’ll see you before too long.
Yours in health
Lisa
I was at a Lipoedema group lunch last week and got chatting with the ladies and the discussion came around to how difficult it is sometimes for Stage 1 Lippy Ladies to see themselves in the photos and literature online. There really is very little out there for the early stages. So I interviewed Aimee, one of the women who was there, about what’s it’s like for her being a Stage 1. Thank you for sharing your story Aimee.
Watch the interview here
For more info go to https://lisahiggins.com.au
In about February of this year, in the middle of Sydney summer, my hands started to swell. And I mean, seriously swell. Both of them. To the point where you couldn’t see the ligaments or veins, just puffiness. In fact, I had gained 2kg almost overnight (I know, that doesn’t sound like much but for me it is).
Initially they weren’t painful, just uncomfortable. Then the pain set in and I was finding it hard to make it through the day at work. I tried some self-lymphatic drainage and lymph taping without making much of a change to the swelling or pain.
So I looked to diet and went on a three-week reset protocol to reduce inflammation – no gluten, dairy, caffeine or sugar. Been there, done that, got on with it. Within about three days my levels of pain started to come down a bit but not significantly. (I dropped those 2 kilos within a month.)
Checked in with my osteopath who felt perhaps it was an auto-immune condition as it was affecting both hands and came on suddenly, though my right hand was worse. Went to my GP who ran a battery of tests and five pages of results showed everything was within normal range. Yay! I’m so very healthy (especially after my reset protocol). So what’s the problem? My GP couldn’t say.
Weeks went by without much change other that the burning pain which had started in my hands at night, keeping me awake at night. In frustration, one Sunday afternoon, I went to my local medical centre and the GP there instantly suggested Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. By that stage it seemed the only logical explanation to me and I was hoping to get a referral to have it confirmed. Let me tell you, a nerve conduction test is not for the faint-hearted, but it confirmed that I had moderate Carpal Tunnel in my right hand and mild in the left. The neurologist’s recommendation? Try splints at night for a few months, if it doesn’t settle come back and he can do an injection and if that doesn’t work then he’d look at surgery.
As a massage therapist you can understand how surgery just wasn’t an option. So I went to the chemist and got myself a couple of off-the-shelf splints and started wearing those at night. By that stage I had already passed the few Remedial Massage clients I had left on to another therapist as I just didn’t have the flexibility or strength to do it any more. But I was still ok with doing lymphatic drainage thank goodness.
Months have passed and I have thrown everything at these hands of mine and I can say that I am at about 80% capability now. My pain is negligible.
Here are some of the things I can do now that I couldn’t do without pain (or at all) four months ago …
Still to improve …
Here are my favourite tools to help me with those things at home …
Here’s a list of the things I’ve done to bring about my healing …
My home therapy kit
My work therapy kit
If you’ve made to this point, thank you for reading on. The point of the blog is to show that sometimes healing takes a lot of work and we have to be willing to try lots of different things and different types of therapists. And very often, we have to do a lot of the work ourselves, looking at the uncomfortable thought or emotional patterns behind the condition.
True healing comes with a marriage of mainstream medicine and complementary therapies.
For more information go to https://lisahiggins.com.au
Chat with my friend Annie, a two-time breast cancer survivor. Here is an important message “chemo brain” sifted out of the conversation but which Annie would really like people to hear:
“Most importantly, CONTINUE TO CHECK YOUR BREASTS LADIES (AND MEN), both personally and professionally – have your mammogram and ultrasound annually, because without it, this would be a very different story. She’s being treated as an early breast cancer survivor, not metastatic”
Annie didn’t mention as well that before her surgery she purchased two new compressions sleeves, one for each arm so that she could get compression on straight away to minimise lymphoedema developing in the second arm. She also wears night-time compression on her right arm because of her original lymphoedema.
Interview with a two-time cancer survivor
For more information go to https://lisahiggins.com.au
I’ve updated the video I give to my clients for homework, hopefully making it a little bit clearer. Use this video for general health and wellbeing, Lipoedema or when detoxing. Do not use if you have had lymph nodes removed or radiated.
Here’s the diagram I’m holding up in the video.
http://lisahiggins.ntpages.com.au
Lisa Higgins - massage across the table 