At St Helena, we aim to improve people’s wellbeing by focusing on their physical, emotional and spiritual needs, bringing comfort and relief to all those who need it.
Please note, due to the coronavirus pandemic our Day Therapies groups and appointments are currently suspended until further notice.
Our chaplain Vickie, and occupational therapist Denise have created a series of mindfulness videos that you can do at home. Mindfulness and meditation have been proven to be a helpful tool for stress reduction and increased mental focus; both of which are challenging for us all in these current circumstances.
You can watch these meditation videos on our YouTube playlist by clicking here.
Our chaplaincy team are also working in collaboration with St Elizabeth Hospice to produce a weekly Sunday service and a new video is available each week on a YouTube playlist here.
Our rehab team have put together some chair based exercises you can do at home.
Participation is at ones' own risk. If you have any pain or feel unwell stop exercising and immediately and seek medical advice.
Please refer to our anxiety management leaflet for advice regarding preparing to relax. Before doing a relaxation exercise it is important to prepare and you may want to consider the following:
At a time when you may be unable to go to a massage therapist, or your days are too busy to fit it in, self-massage could offer some relief and a time convenient to you.
You could try these techniques at home, or in the office, either on your own or with the aid of someone you live with (if you're not isolating from them).
Most of these techniques can be performed with your hands. Others may require items such as a tennis ball, foam roller or a trigger point massager.
St Helena's complementary therapist, Jenni Homewood, recommends the below techniques, as advised by Dr Oliver at Back Intelligence.
Head Self Massage
Nothing can ruin a perfect day like a throbbing headache. Try this simple self-massage technique to relieve your head pan.
What you’ll need: Your Hands
How to do it:
Neck Self Massage
Sitting at a computer all day can make your neck stiff and sore, doing this simple self-massage technique will help to relieve tension and ease your pain.
What you’ll need: Your Hands
How to do it:
Shoulder Self Massage
Poor posture and hunching at a desk all day can lead to rounded shoulders and shoulder pain. Doing this simple self-massage technique can help to alleviate your pain.
What you’ll need: Your Hands
How to do it:
Lower Back Self Massage
Massage Lower back pain is a very common complaint and can be disabling in some cases. Unfortunately, everyday activities such as cleaning and gardening can make your lower back pain even worse. You can alleviate your lower back pain by doing this quick technique.
What you’ll need: A massage ball/tennis ball
How to do it:
Chest/Pecs Self Massage
If you have rounded shoulders from sitting at a computer all day or from poor posture, you likely have trigger points in your pectoralis muscles. The below will teach you how use a trigger massager to relieve pin and correct shoulder positioning.
What you’ll need: A trigger point manual massager like a Theracane
How to do it:
Leg and IT band Self Massage
If you tend to move around a lot, you probably have a lot of tightness in your ilio-tibial (IT) band (along the outer thigh area), which is the band of tissue that runs from your hip to just past your knee. Try this simple exercise for leg pain relief.
What you’ll need: Foam roller
How to do it:
Foot Self Massage
Running, jogging and prolonged walking can be torturous for your feet. By the end of the day, your feet may be aching so badly that you want to scream. The good news is that your foot pain can be relieved with this simple exercise.
What you’ll need: A massage ball/tennis ball
How to do it:
Buttocks/Hip Self Massage
Trigger points in your gluteal muscles can be uncomfortable, try this simple technique for pain relief.
What you’ll need: A massage ball/tennis ball
How to do it:
Hand Self Massage
Whether you sit at a computer typing all day or do a job that involves using your hands repetitively, your hands may be aching at the end of the day. Learning how to self-massage your hands can help to relieve tension.
What you’ll need: Your hands
How to do it: