In order to maintain our qualification, all natural therapists must complete a number of hours of continuing professional education each year. Recently Nadia and Kristen attended a seminar on Pain and Inflammation which we really enjoyed. We heard from three speakers across different modalities. Jane Gregory (remedial massage therapist) spoke about her experience using massage in a palliative care setting in her presentation ‘Pain, Palliation and Complementary Therapies’. It was fascinating to hear her stories and it affirmed our belief that massage is a powerful tool when it comes to treating pain and assisting someone through physically challenging symptoms. And sometimes even very gentle touch can be the most effective.
David Legge (Acupuncturist and Osteopath) then discussed the use of acupuncture in the treatment of pain and inflammation. Although this content was familiar to Nadia, Kristen found it interesting to hear in more detail the TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) theories behind the cause of pain in the body, as well as the approach to treatment. Acupuncture is such a great way to treat pain and inflammation of the musculoskeletal system. Especially in circumstances where massage is not appropriate, acupuncture can gently and effectively target problem areas through the back and neck, hips, shoulders and smaller joints.
Finally, Vanessa Hitch (Naturopath) gave a fascinating and engaging presentation on ‘Navigating pH Balance, Protein-Rich Diets and Pain Signalling’. The parts of her presentation that we found particularly relevant to our clinical practice included her discussion on pH regulation and bone loss, how the intensity of pain sensation increases as internal pH increases, and the issues that arise from high protein/animal fat diets such as the Paleo diet. It certainly left us feeling inspired to learn more about the topic, and with a huge list of questions to ask Trent!
