I can’t believe it's July and we are halfway through this year already!

Since our last newsletter much has changed as some of the lockdown restrictions were released and we were able to welcome our massage therapists and front desk teams back into the clinics which was great!

As we await further news relating to easing lockdown measures, I want to assure you that the welfare of our patients and staff is our priority and we will continue to do everything with protection in mind, until guided otherwise.

In the meantime, we continue to do what we do best, which is to provide our local communities with supportive and professional treatment plans from our high quality staff.  This has led to an increase in demand for our service and so we have been recently recruiting new massage therapists.  We are pleased to announce there will be a new addition to our team, with Rosie Warrington joining us shortly.

With the happy news there is also sad. Fiona Carruthers has been a mainstay in the business for many years and instrumental in the growth of the Fleet clinic. It will be sad to see her leave, but I feel proud that Durham House was part of her professional journey and I want to thank her for all of the support she has given me and wish her well for her new ventures.
  


We continue to grow, so if you're a therapist or know of someone who might be interested in working in our clinic, please send your details to operations@durhamhousechiropractic.co.uk.

Each member of staff brings so much in terms of knowledge and the clinic benefits from the diversity of skills and experience within the teams. We continue to broaden our skills with personal development and opportunities to attend training courses.

On a personal note, I was delighted to have been offered the position of Clinic Tutor at the University College of Chiropractic in Bournemouth. The role involves teaching, supervision, examining and related professional development. This is something I have been interested in pursuing for many years and now, because of the strength in my team and the support within the clinic, I am able to dedicate some of my own time to this opportunity. 

This is a very exciting time for me and an honour for the clinic that I was offered this opportunity to guide and mentor aspiring chiropractors.

As always none of this would be possible without the loyalty and support of our patients.

So thank you and best wishes. 
 
Galin

The Clinics
Chiropractic and massage therapy treatments continue in both clinics and do so with COVID safety and wellbeing in mind.  As the work that we do is close contact, we will continue, until further notice, with the safety measures that we currently have in place with regards to masks, PPE and distancing, in accordance with our professional association’s guidelines.

Massage Therapy
Our therapists returned to work on 12^th April and have been working within the guidelines laid down, which means socially distanced separate waiting rooms and restrictions on some treatments.   
 
As previously mentioned, our team has expanded and we are pleased to announce Rosie Warrington will be joining both clinics shortly.  Having graduated with a degree in Sports Science, Rosie is qualified in sports massage and more recently in Swedish massage and will also be offering deep tissue oscillation treatments.  She will be working in both Fleet and Farnham clinics and we look forward to you meeting her in due course.  In the meantime you can read her fun interview in the link below.

 

Deep Tissue Oscillation uses a pulsed electrostatic field to attract and release connective tissue creating a rhythmic motion that pumps out metabolic waste, toxins and stagnant oedema, like a body’s natural muscle contractions.  DTO has several applications and is mainly known to reduce pain, suppress inflammation, reduce oedema, help the body to reabsorb bruising and tackle fibrosis increasing mobility.

Our online booking system is open and you are able to book directly with the therapists. However, if you would prefer to speak to someone on the front desk, please call either of the clinic numbers and someone will assist you. 

The Studio
Our Studio is fully open and we continue to offer Flexicore, Pilates, Yoga and Barre classes with COVID secure measures and in line with government recommendations. As well as our own classes, we encourage the use of our space in collaboration with other small wellbeing businesses such as:

Silver Swans Ballet - a Royal Academy of Dance initiative, this over 50's class is a graceful hour of ballet steps improving core strength and stretching. Offering a beginners’ class and, for those who have danced previously, an intermediate class which adapts to all levels.
www.thedanceproject.co.uk
 
Underwood Baby Academy  - expert led antenatal courses, pregnancy classes, hypnobirthing, baby massage, pregnancy yoga, mama and baby yoga and support groups.
www.ubacademy.co.uk
 
Sue Woodd  - co founder of Seasonal Yoga – offering Seasonal Yoga teacher training and Seasonal Yin Teacher Training.
www.suewoodd.com
 
 As a reminder of the types of classes we offer, please click on the link below.  Please note that if you had passes that expired, we can refresh those but reserve the right to only continue to do this through to the end of the year.  Please email our Studio Coordinator Sarah at thestudio@durhamhousechiropractic.co.uk if you have queries about your account.
 
General Team News
We have started another new Conqueror challenge and set ourselves the target of the Pacific Crest. 2,485 miles (4,000 km) through the long distance hiking trail closely aligned with the highest portion of the Cascade and Sierra Nevada mountain ranges. We have given ourselves the target of 26 weeks to complete this distance based exercise activity.
 
Check out our social media for updates as we run, walk, cycle and swim our way from San Diego along the Pacific Crest to Manning Park in British Columbia, Canada.  It's a fantastic way to support each other as a team and encourage each other to keep moving.

Can you find a group of like minded people to keep you motivated?  

Celebrating 15 Years - Part 2 of 3
2021 commemorates the 15th year that Durham House has been in business.

In this series of 3 articles, I'm taking some time to reflect on where it started, the journey to where we are right now and where we are heading to next.

The Expansion Years
The next chapter was all about expansion. I had always loved Farnham and felt there was a good opportunity to open another clinic there. So, during one lunch break in September 2008, with my colleague Sheridon Bower, we went to look for potential clinic premises. We discovered a run down and newly closed solicitor’s office on East street that was for sale. Within the hour I had placed an offer on the space and, before we knew it, I was the new owner of my second clinic!!

The excitement of opening the second premises in 2009 was soon curtailed as the UK experienced one of the most hard hitting recessions and my first year was tough. If it had not been for the overwhelmingly positive response from the community of the Fleet clinic, I doubt we would have survived!

    

It was my solid and industrious party of five, Sheridon Bower, Practice Manager, Felicity James, Chiropractor, Margarita Smith, Sports Massage Therapist, Ian Stones, Acupuncturist and Jane Swales, Podiatrist, who spurred me on to continue through the challenges that so many local businesses were facing at such a difficult time. Their professionalism and focus on delivering and achieving a quality and expert service for those in Farnham never faltered.

By 2013 and year five, we began to see real growth in the business. We saw an increasing number of referrals from within the community and consequently attracted a number of local practitioners to join our team. At this point we now had 10 staff members.

Years 6 - 10  - The Studio Journey
During our sixth year, we recognised the demand for us to expand laterally. Our experience had shown the benefit of complementing clinical treatment with more holistic activities and we had previously referred many patients to local instructors who provided yoga and pilates classes in the area.

Many of our patients fed back their experience and voiced their desires for classes during the summer months, evenings and weekends.  There was also the need for more support with ongoing injuries and rehabilitation knowledge in relation to previous operations or disabilities.

We discussed these issues as a team and the idea to build and develop our own studio in response to the needs of our patients was born. We decided to train our own professionals and take our chiropractic and physio practice one step further. We would offer our patients exercise classes ourselves, which could be used as a form of rehabilitation following a course of our treatment.

    

The year of the build required extensive planning and consultation and we saw our idea grow into bricks and mortar with great speed. Our patients shared our excitement but also shared our woes - including a flood and a collapsed ceiling!

The reception we had to the opening of the Studio was incredible.

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In the years that followed, the Studio grew and we added other instructors and practitioners who were knowledgeable in working with students that that were possibly injured or in recovery.

The Studio is constantly evolving and we are proud that we can also offer space to other small businesses to support them in bringing their wellbeing ideas to fruition, from Teen Yoga to Silver Swans dance classes and hosting teacher training workshops. The Studio has had to be reactive to changes in the community and unforeseen circumstances such as Covid 19, but we are thankful that we have been able to celebrate its opening every year for the last 6 years.

As the clinics matured over these years, we began to offer more diverse services and encouraged clients to use more than one practitioner as part of their treatment plan. We grew from a team of 10 individuals to 25 members working together. This teamwork made us a truly unique establishment and more of a family that served our community. I felt this was the beginning of my unique brand development. 

In personal terms, I have learned and progressed so much in such a short amount of time.

Our loyal and accommodating clients have been key to achieving the success we have seen. Their open and honest feedback was and is always a blessing, always valued and greatly appreciated.

In our final part we look at the last 5 years of the business, including our branding and recent changes.

With Summer on the horizon we get to enjoy some of our outdoor favourites, such as golf and tennis. However, after doing too little for too long over the colder months, we then start to do too much too quickly and this puts us at risk of injury.

Two common injuries we see at Durham House are golfer's and tennis elbow.
 
The elbow is a joint made up of 3 bones; the humerus, radius and ulnar.  It is a complex joint that allows us the range of motion to do things such as throwing, climbing and swinging. It also has tendons, nerves and blood vessels that start or pass through the joint.

Golfer's and tennis elbow affect the tendons which attach either side of the elbow joint, which then go on to form the muscles of our forearm and hands.

Details on how these injuries are caused and what you can do to treat or prevent them can be found in the attached article.

It’s pretty easy to go your whole life without ever thinking about your elbows! Until one day you can barely bend your arm! Then suddenly your training (or whatever activities you’re into) gets excruciating.

Elbow pain is actually more common than you might think, especially if you’re a pretty active person.

When you think about it, pretty much every upper body movement you do has to be translated through these two little hinges in your arms. 
The more power and repetition you’re using, the more risk your elbows are at for overuse injuries.

Whether you’re currently experiencing pain in your elbows or you want to protect them from future discomfort, these top tips will help you stretch and strengthen your elbows and prepare them for unusual movements.

Sun Salutations 

Everyone who has practiced yoga has done some form of a Sun Salutation or Surya Namaskar. Sun Salutation is known as a salute to the sun and is typically practiced at the start of your day or beginning of your practice.  This sequence consists of a series of postures that warms, strengthens and aligns the whole body as we flow through them, linking breath with movement.  It is a yoga tool that moves the body and creates space and helps to prepare the muscles for deeper and more engaged postures.

On days when you do not have time for a long practice, this powerful sequence of poses can quiet your mind while boosting your energy and give you just the amount of stretch and activation you need to have a calm, productive day. It’s a great morning yoga sequence or try it later in the day when you need an energy boost.

When starting with your Sun Salutations, you may want to modify the first few rounds as you wake the body up.

There are classic sequences and more modern variations, including a seated one and versions for children. You can alter this Sun Salutation sequence to suit your own body and mood and you can also play with its pace. If you move through the sequence rapidly (by transitioning into the next pose each time you inhale or exhale), you will warm up quickly.

Start with 3 to 5 repetitions and gradually build to more or set a timer starting with 3 minutes and gradually increase to 10 or more.
Or try moving slowly and deliberately and you will feel how the sequence becomes a sort of moving meditation. As you practice this way, centre your awareness at some point in your body and challenge yourself to keep focusing there for the duration of the practice, being mindful and staying with the movements as opposed to letting your mind wander off and away.

Moving quickly is more stimulating, while moving slowly is more calming.

Whichever way you do it, the sequence can serve as either a self contained mini practice on days when your practice time is short or a warm up for a longer session.

Click on the link below to see a version of the Sun Salutation or Google for many different variations on a theme that you could adapt and play with.
 

Did you know we have a specific massage therapy web page? You can find information on the different therapies we offer.  

http://www.durham-house-massage-therapy.co.uk/ or you can click on the link below to go straight to the site.

If you would like to treat yourself to a treatment or buy as a gift, vouchers are available to purchase in both clinics.
  
For more information call:
Farnham: 01252 725 669
Fleet: 01252 622 050

 or email
farnham@durhamhousechiropractic.co.uk
fleet@durhamhousechiropractic.co.uk
 

 
Offers for July 

One is a treatment launch and the other is a free gift with purchase offer. Both Elemis.

For bookings please contact Sue directly on 07876 353 423.



Sue Masters MFHT
 Certified Reflexologist and 
Holistic Therapist

www.suemasters.co.uk
 
Instagram:
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Facebook:
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