Down to Earth Health, 39 Tower Street, Selkirk, TD7 4LR
01750 778 704 | info@downtoearthhealth.co.uk
Q: I get depression that can last for months at a time and life is really hard during those periods. I struggle to work and am often signed off and I have very little enjoyment in life. Could Kinesiology help? I often have to take medication, would you be able to see me even if I am on medication?
A: I’ll answer your last question first, YES, I would be able to see you even if you are on medication. On my questionnaire I ask you to list any medication you are taking so I can check them for any contraindications (reasons why I may not be able to recommend certain supplements as they could clash with the medication). Your medication requirements are between you and your Doctor, I will never ask you to change your medication dose or ask you to come off them.
YES, I certainly have used Kinesiology on dozens of people with depression over the years and had good results. With the Kinesiology, I look at your diet and see if you may need a supplement for a period of time to help support your body physically, mentally and emotionally. Often people with depression have trouble eating and their diet goes haywire a bit. You may find that you are eating a lot of sugary foods or struggling to eat proper meals. Either way your blood sugar could be out of balance and this could be exacerbating the symptoms of depression.
Your energy levels may also be low and that is one of the main reasons I would look at a vitamin supplement for you. If we (you and I as it will be a joint approach) can increase or stabilize your energy levels then that will be hugely helpful to you making better choices.
Emotionally, I would look at the Bach Flower Essences, there are 38 different essences each helps a specific emotion or feeling. Elm is good for overwhelm which can often be a factor in depression and there are several others which are also very helpful. These are totally safe with any medication so I generally make a bottle up with your choice of essences for you to take after your first session.
I would generally recommend several sessions for someone with depression at least 4-6 especially when it has affected you over a period of years. Don’t wait until the next bout descends, if we can get your body supported now, it may stop another depression descending. If you are already in a period of depression then do get in touch as your body will be needing extra support.
Q: I have been diagnosed with IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) but the medication doesn’t seem to be working. I have read that food intolerances can be a factor, is this true and how can I find out what foods are affecting me?
A: In my experience, food intolerances can almost always be a factor for people with IBS. Over years it is very easy for us all to fall into the habit of eating the same foods week after week, and maybe not have as much variety as we think we have.
Wheat is usually the first food I look at for IBS as it is in so many of our foods nowadays it is quite easy to have it at every meal.
Cereal or toast for breakfast,
sandwich or roll for lunch,
pasta for evening meal
with a couple of biscuits thrown in at snack times.
Therefore wheat could easily account for 65-70% of your daily intake of food. The digestive tract can get a bit exhausted if too much of the same food is constantly going through it. Because wheat is quite a stretchy food it does take a lot of effort for the intestines to keep pushing it onward especially if they are never really getting a break from it.
I use Kinesiology to check what foods you are intolerant. Using kineisiology, I can also check for overload (as in the case above with the wheat whereby you may have had too much of a food for too long a period of time. I can also check for hidden intolerances and your may eat these foods far less frequently but they can nonetheless still have a huge effect on your body. Unless you want a food intolerant session then I generally check the most likely ones so that I can also check other areas as well that may be beneficial for IBS such as emotional areas such as stress or worries.
I may also look at your ICV (Ileo-caecal valve) as this is often a factor for people with IBS (see article for more information).
The digestive system is probably the area I deal with most and I really love meeting people with IBS, speaking with them about their pattern of symptoms and then watch that pattern change and very often be eliminated over a period of weeks. It really is a joy to them as it is to me. Feel free to get in touch with me if you have a question or you want more information.
Q: I am a primary school teacher so spend a lot of time bending over to see students work and suffer with backache, would a massage be good or what treatment would you recommend?
A: I think a massage would be an excellent place to start as it would give me a good idea as to what tension is being held in your body and where it is located. Massage is really helpful for unwinding tension and releasing stuck areas in the body. Lower back pain can obviously be caused by bending over too much or maybe locking your knees when standing straight.
There could also be other reasons too such as hydration. I know with other teachers I have as clients they often find themselves at the end of the day without having had very much fluid at all. This definitely won’t be helping your backache as the muscle fibres shorten when dehydration occurs so the fibres don’t have the same length to bend. So guess what one of my recommendations is!
If muscles are almost in spasm then I might look at some mineral supplement or the Homeobotanicals that I use as a combination of those could be very helpful, for pain, stress and muscles in spasm.
Backache is definitely an area where different therapies can be used at different times or combined together. So sometimes if it seems necessary I will recommend Kinesiology but finish with a 20 minute back massage. Any recommendations need your permission though, it will always be your choice.
