Health

A therapy used by patients and therapists in West Dorset can help with a huge range of human conditions – and is even used on horses and dogs. Deep Oscillation is a medical device used by therapists and patients for many conditions, including Achilles problems, arthritis, dead legs, plantar fasciitis, strains, sprains and breast-feeding problems, through to chronic back and shoulder problems. One of the first therapists to use it in the UK was Christine Talbot from Wareham, who has changed the lives of the lymphoedema patients with manual lymphatic drainage combined with Deep Oscillation.

The machine uses a gentle, electrostatic intermittent pulse where the layers of tissue are attracted and released up to 250 times a second, reaching up to 8cm beneath the skin to drain excess fluid. Therapists apply to patients via vinyl gloved hands and patients apply to themselves via applicators. Patients love the fact they can take the unit as hand luggage and manage any post flight swelling with their personal unit. It does not electrically stimulate the tissue like Tens, or heat the tissue like ultrasound and so it can be used immediately post op and injury. it can also be used over implanted pins/plates, prosthesis and breast implants. Deep Oscillation, a patented therapy, was brought to the UK from Germany by sports and holistic massage therapist Julie Soroczyn of Physiopod UK. She said: “I’ve treated a variety of conditions with it and it is just amazing.” Julie teamed up with her sister Mary Fickling to establish PhysioPod UK Limited, which distributes the machine exclusively in the UK and Ireland. One of the main conditions it is used for is lymphoedema; a chronic condition that causes swelling in the body’s tissues, this can be primary or secondary. Primary is caused by a developmental abnormality of the lymphatic system. Secondary can develop after cancer treatment which involves lymph node removal/ radiotherapy. When the lymphatic system isn’t doing its job of fighting infection and draining lymph fluid this can cause swelling in the area affected with increased risk of cellulitis developing. Lymphoedema is thought to affect more than 200,000 people in the UK, and affects around 20 per cent of people who have undergone breast cancer treatment. Other causes of lymphoedema include obesity, immobility, venous disease, inflammation, trauma, infection, insect bites and cellulitis. Julie’s mother-in-law had suffered terribly with lymphoedema after breast cancer treatment and Julie wanted to ensure cancer patients could access the therapy easily which is why they focussed their business on getting it into NHS hospitals. In 2019, Christine teamed up with Dorset Cancer Care Foundation to host a special patient gathering in honour of Mary and Julie to celebrate Deep Oscillation being in the UK and Ireland with Silver Island TV recording seven interviews with local patients who had successfully received treatment. Another very similar sounding condition – lipoedema – can also be treated. Unlike lymphoedema, which is fluid-filled swelling, lipoedema is an abnormal fat swelling, where the hips, buttocks, legs and sometimes upper arms, are out of proportion with the rest of the body. Unlike normal weight gain caused by overeating or lack of exercise, lipoedema fat can can be painful or feel heavy and hurt when banged or scraped, even gently. It also can bruise easily. Deep Oscillation reduces pain, oedema (if present) and inflammation. Deep Oscillation is currently used in top level sport and in the NHS lymphoedema services as well as by private therapists. Physiotherapists, sports, complementary and equine and canine therapists have also added this gentle, effective, therapy to their skills. Here are some local therapists using the machine: Sheera King: Abundant Wellbeing, 66 St Michaels Lane, Bridport DT6 3LB 07900 643 096 Mulu Thomson: Southover Mill, Southover, Frampton DT2 9NQ. 01300 320586/ 07771 714 945 Julia Williams: The Garden Studios, 38 North Allerton, Bridport DT6 5DY. 01308 538112/ 07734 511287 Christine Talbot: Stoborough Meadow, Wareham BH20 5HR. 01929 556560/07881 598 937 A full therapist map is at physiopod.co.uk/therapistmap.shtml n physiopod.co.uk 0115 916 7685 n enquiries@physiopod.co.uk

I’m picking up good vibrations

66 The West Dorset Magazine, March 25, 2022 Health Walking West Dorset

with retired Dorset rights of way officer Chris Slade

FROME VALLEY

This is a short walk of about four miles. You won’t need wellies as it doesn’t go close to the Frome but there’s one rather muddy spot near Chantmarle. The walk links up with the previous one but this time were going ‘upstream’. Park at the roadside at Sandhills, the hamlet to the north of Cattistock. There used to be a pub there, The Three Horse Shoes. Walk down past the old pub and over the railway bridge, then turn right up Holway Lane. After about half a mile of walking uphill, where the road swings to the left, you carry straight on through a gate at Holway Farm. The path, which is quite well signed, takes you round the rear of the farm buildings then heads north across three fields with wide views. You will now be close to North Holway Farm where the path veers to the right, then left after a short distance, taking you uphill across another field. This part of the route isn’t as well signed and you might wish you had a map and compass with you! When you reach a hedge line you turn right and follow a track down towards Chantmarle, entering some woodland. Exiting the woodland you enter what appears to be a building site. Soon you find a track to your left which has recently been surfaced. It swings round to the left and enters a field. Now you meet the section of the Frome Valley Trail you followed on the previous walk (if you’re doing the walks, not just reading about them!). Take the unpaved, unclassified, unsigned, County road westward up the hill for half a mile until you meet Holway Lane. Then turn left and it’s nearly all downhill back to your car.

Cognitive dissonance: Friend or foe?

Hilary Charman is a hypnotherapist based at Partners in Wellbeing, Poundbury.

In psychological terms cognitive dissonance describes the discomfort felt when your beliefs are inconsistent with one another or with your actions. Personally I’ve learnt to welcome cognitive dissonance because I know that’s what creates change. And my job is all about change. All about growing, evolving, moving forward and letting go of old stuff that has caused us to get stuck in certain behaviour and beliefs. Cognitive dissonance is all about conflict and if we use it as a strength it will propel us forward and show us the way to become more true to our authentic selves and our true values. However if we try to ignore it, or if we feel powerless to follow that compulsion within us it can cause us to sink into a deep depression. So what can we do about it? These days there is so much information available to you whatever it is you want to do. There are YouTube videos on everything, there’s the worldwide web, there’s endless online courses you can take on any subject and of course there’s still books which are more accessible than ever with kindle and audible etc. Then there’s therapy. If you can’t afford a therapist there’s so much you can learn to do for yourself. Self-hypnosis, EFT, Havening are all wonderful therapies that you can use on yourself. Self hypnosis completely changed my life. And if you’re stuck in a situation and can’t see a way forward just find something small that you can do for yourself starting today. It could be watching a video, getting a book from the library, starting a free course, joining some Facebook groups for like minded people or starting your own group. Just find something for you. Once you start to take action, no matter how small, to bring you closer to living the way you feel you should be, that ‘trapped’ feeling will ease? You’ll no longer be in conflict with yourself as you’ll know that you’re growing, you are moving forward and you are no longer just staying ‘stuck.’ Change can be scary but it’s so rewarding and exciting once we take the leap. So why don’t you take that first small step today

n info@ Hilarys Hypnotherapy.com n 07900 652755