We are delighted to welcome Andrew Booth, who will be running a Podiatry/Chiropody clinic on Monday afternoons. You may be asking (as I did!) what the difference is between Podiatry and Chiropody. Both are able to examine, diagnose and treat people with conditions affecting the feet, ankles and lower limbs. Podiatry is the international term for a foot specialist and is now generally used in the UK.

In addition to treating nail conditions, hard skin, corns and abnormal foot function, Andrew also offers low level laser treatment to improve the symptoms of osteoarthritis in the joints of the hip, knee and feet. This treatment is also particularly helpful for sports injuries, particularly those associated with jogging and running such as heel and shin pain. Andrew himself runs the Great North Half Marathon every year and so has a very personal interest in this form of treatment!

Please take a look at the Podiatry page on our website to learn more about conditions that Andrew can help with. To book an appointment please contact Healing Thyme on 01948 665565.

Acupuncture pops up in the news on a regular basis, and I am grateful to the celebrities for sharing their experiences through the press and encouraging others to try out this gentle and effective treatment. TV presenter Clare Nasir is an example of this.She had acupuncture as support whilst undergoing  her IVF treatment and now is mum to two year old Sienna.

In December 2011 Natural Health included acupuncture as an effective treatment in their article about Fibroids, and Prima Baby’s 5 minute Acupuncture Guide, also in December, covered issues such as infertility, stress and anxiety, morning sickness and induction.

Of course acupuncture can help with a whole range of symptoms and conditions for men and women alike. Acupuncture Awareness Week from 27^th February to 4^th March 2012 aims to introduce acupuncture to a wider public and explode some of the myths surrounding it. I hope that you will come across these positive messages about the benefits of acupuncture. You might like to look at the website www.introducingacupuncture.co.uk to find out more.

On the academic side of things, as you would expect there is ongoing research into acupuncture, because although supported by a long history of effectiveness, it is always good to discover more and produce valid scientific evidence. Funding and resources are as yet limited, compared for example to drug research or mainstream medical treatments, but the Acupuncture Research Resource Centre has been working hard in the wings to support research into traditional acupuncture.

One of the big issues is to develop research techniques which are suited to complex interventions, as acupuncture is indeed a complex intervention. Acupuncture is more than a formulaic use of a few ultra fine needles for pain relief; it involves a sophisticated diagnostic system, a therapeutic encounter, and a range of techniques, all of which combine to produce a treatment appropriate to a particular individual at a particular time. One size doesn’t suit all in Acupuncture.

Liz Castle MBAcC, Acupuncturist at Healing Thyme
Telephone: 01948 880170
Email:info@lizcastle.com
www.lizcastle.com

Therese has written about Hayfever in her second column for Yatter Yatter magazine. Here are her top tips for managing symptoms:

• Don’t hang washing outside to dry, bedclothes included – it will attract pollen (apologies to the environment)
• Keep bedroom windows closed during the day. If the pollen levels are low then open them at night
• Use Vaseline or similar (we can make you an ointment if you prefer) around your nose and upper lip – it helps to trap the pollen before it gets to your nasal passages
• Wear glasses or sunglasses whenever possible – it reduces the pollen attack on your eyes
• Drink a mug of nettle tea 2-3 times a day
• Speak to Alison or Therese, our herbalists, about a hayfever tea they can make up containing nettle, elderflower, eyebright and marigold. Start taking this regularly from February. Traditionally used to help tone the mucus membranes and get them in good shape to deal with the pollen
• If symptoms persist please speak to Alison or Therese who will be happy to advise you

Visit the Yattar Yattar website at www.yattaryattar.co.uk to read the full article.

New Herbal Medicine Column in Yattar Yattar Magazine

We’re delighted that Yattar Yattar magazine invited Therese to contribute to the health section of their magazine with a column on Herbal Medicine.

Yattar Yattar is a free magazine distributed at over 1,000 outlets across North Wales, the North West and the West Midlands. Its health section covers both mainstream and complementary medicine, with high-quality and informative articles.

Therese’s column will run for at least the next 6 issues of the magazine. Please click here to take a look at her first issue.

Alternatively, visit the Yattar Yattar website at www.yattaryattar.co.uk

I thought I’d tell you a bit about some herbal work I’ve been doing during the summer over the last 5 or 6 years.

Having never been to a festival in my life, I went to the Big Green Gathering for the first time in 2006 to join the herbal first aid team, run by a colleague who has done festival herbal first aid for many years. My Glastonbury veteran son was highly amused that his mum was going to her first festival at the grand old age of 50-plus!

This year, the Green Gathering was in Chepstow, right next to the racecourse, and for the first time we were the only medical team on site.

We had a team of around 15 herbalists with 12 student herbalists and assorted other people for background support (thanks Jim for some great food!). We had two ambulance technicians attached to our team, and worked as usual in a big tent (think M.A.S.H!) with our herbal dispensary in a small caravan.

Working 5 hour shifts during the day and 9 hours overnight, we worked in teams of 5 (supervisor, 2 other herbalists and 2 students) and we dealt with up to100 emergencies each day. The workload was extremely varied, with the usual range of cuts, bruises, sprains, burns, diarrhoea, constipation, nausea (and hangovers!), but also included a case of suspected mumps (which we had to notify to the local health authority), a champagne cork in the eye, a baby with croup (we made a steam tent inside our treatment tent!), impacted gallstones, someone with a lip stud pulled through the lip, and a broken arm. We sent 4 people to hospital and were very grateful for the able assistance of the two ambulance men, who in turn said they were extremely impressed with the range of things we could treat successfully with our herbs. A really good learning experience on both sides!

If I had to choose one herb to keep in the first aid box, it would be myrrh tincture (Commiphora molmol). Applied to wounds, it is strongly antiseptic, astringent (so helps stop bleeding) and resinous, so aids healing. In years of festival first aid (mud, more mud, smelly horrible toilets and few washing facilities), myrrh tincture has proved its worth over and over again in preventing infection and assisting quick healing. No wonder it was one of the gifts of the three wise men – it really is invaluable.

Contact Alison on 07870 839490 or at info@unicornherbs.co.uk

For more information about the Green Gathering, go to www.greengathering2011.com

We’ve been delighted with the success of our Bra Bank and are continuing to collect unwanted bras to raise money for The Haven in Hereford.

We collect bras in ANY CONDITION, and the Bra Bank is large enough to put a carrier inside and just shake your bras out. No-one sees them so please don’t feel embarrassed if you’ve finally decided to say goodbye to that old and trusted friend, the comfy bra you’ve had for years!

We are very proud to be supporting The Haven, their centre in Hereford welcomes people with and beyond breast cancer from all over the country including Shropshire. They offer a free individualised programme to help with the physical and emotional effects of breast cancer treatment including emotional support, exercise, nutrition advice and complementary therapies.

If you or someone you know is interested in their service, please just give them a ring – there is no need for a referral, and they will be delighted to take your call on 01432 361061. You can book an individual appointment or they also have regular Introduction Days – full details including how to book are on their website.

For anyone living too far from a Haven, there are films and audio podcasts you can access from home and they offer telephone consultations with a counsellor and nutritionist.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

PLEASE CONTINUE TO BRING IN YOUR OLD BRAS AND SPREAD THE WORD AMONG YOUR FRIENDS AND RELATIVES

For further information about all their services, please see: www.thehaven.org.uk

Jackie Vaughan
Practice Manager

A big THANK YOU to all our customers and friends who supported Jackie in the Race for Life in Hereford on Sunday 17th July. Jackie joined her Mum, sister Sarah and nieces Tabitha and Bethany, raising over £600 for Cancer Research UK.

Nearly 2000 girls and women of all ages ran (or walked!) 5 km around Hereford racecourse, with plenty of supporters in the stands to cheer them on. Despite early cloud and drizzle the sun came out and the course was a sea of pink. Some people ran in fancy dress and one daring young woman walked the course on stilts!

Wyvern fm were on hand to take photos throughout the event, and everyone joined in a warm-up before runners, joggers and walkers started out in separate groups. At the finish there was plenty of ‘ra-ra’ from cheerleaders lining the final few yards of the course and Wyvern fm were on hand again to interview participants and get the crowd cheering.

For more photos go to www.wyvernfm.co.uk/photos?

Healing Thyme and all of our practitioners are delighted to offer a 10% discount on treatments and retail products to NHS employees on production of their NHSOnline discount card.

To find out more about this great offer from Healing Thyme, click here.

NHSOnline.net is a healthcare community website which reaches 1.7 NHS employees including medical, admin and catering staff. Employee discount cards are offered free to employees, and up to 4 family members can also obtain a card for a small fee.

There are over 5000 businesses listed in the scheme. Cardholders are able to search the discount site by service or product, company name, location or postcode, making it very easy to identify businesses in the scheme.

Any NHS employee wishing to obtain a card should go to:www.nhsonline.net

Please help us turn your old bras into brass for charity

Have you ever wondered what you should do with your old bras? Do they end up in the bin? Healing Thyme is collecting old bras to raise money for The Haven in Hereford, which helps people from all over the country, including people from Shropshire, who are affected by breast cancer.

The Haven’s programme helps people cope with the physical and emotional side effects of breasts cancer and includes counselling, complementary therapies and support and information for people before, during and after treatment – all of which is provided completely free of charge. Specialist nurses are on hand, and experts in nutrition, exercise and emotional support provide tailor-made programmes for every visitor. It costs on average £1000 to provide a programme for one visitor.

People who are not able to travel can have a telephone consultation with a Counsellor or Nutritionist and there are films and audio podcasts of some of their therapies that people can access from home.

All bras donated are recycled, and a donation is given for every kilo collected. Every penny of that donation goes to support the work of the Haven. Please talk to your friends and relatives and ask them to bring their old bras, in any condition, to our bra bank at Healing Thyme.

For more information on the Haven please visit their website at www.thehaven.org.uk. Anyone wanting to help with fund-raising should contact Lesley Leach, Community Fundraiser, on 01432 361050 or by email: lesley.leach@thehaven.org.uk

Our fund-raising effort begins on 1^st June and will run for 2 months.

Thank you for your support.

Jackie Vaughan
Practice Manager