Healing Hands

27/06/2026

Pop the date in your diary for this year's Ibstock Summer Safari at The Palace Community Centre Ltd.

This year's event will take place over 2 days on the 9th & 10th of August.

You can collect your map from 'Safari Base' inside The Palace & there are lots of prizes available (across various age categories).

29/05/2026

Our June magazines will be dropping through your letterboxes from this Friday. Inside you'll find details of Coalville Community Fun Run raising money for Bright Hope in North West Leicestershire, how to get involved in Love Your Neighbourhood Month and a fantastic competition to win a family ticket to this year's Ashby Show

If you can't wait till the weekend, you can view a copy online now at https://www.ibstocklife.co.uk/magazines/

22/10/2022

Dear All, Here is my first book that I have written and illustrated. The Secrets and Superpowers of Father Christmas the Worlds Greatest Super Hero!' It is essential reading for all parents and grandparents. Anyone wanting this exceptional book can order it by clicking on the following link https://biblio.co.uk/search.php?author=Garside&title=&keyisbn=&order=pricedesc&dealer_id=3475 Wishing you all the best Ian

17/07/2022

‘It’s a Pain!’ But is just in the mind?
In previous articles I have described pain as the good, the bad and the ugly.
Saying that good pain is that muscle ache you get after you have been exercising. Bad pain is that pain you get from an injury, and ugly pain being pain you get from being ill.
I have been asked the question is some pain just in the mind? The answer is no. Pain registers in the brain with signals from your nerve receptors, however the mind can amplify the pain.
Many of us associate a trip to the dentists with pain, because apart from a general check-up all other dental procedures involve a degree of pain. So if we go to the dentists anticipating pain then we become tense and stressed and therefore the pain becomes more intense. Similar if we go for an injection and we anticipate the pain we tense the muscle where the injection is going to be delivered, and in doing so there is greater resistance to the pe*******on of the needle, and therefore the pain is increased.
The same applies if we injure ourselves, whether it’s a strained shoulder or a strained back the body’s natural reaction is to tense the muscles and tendons around the injury to stop us moving and causing further damage. The problem is that as we start to recover from the injury this tension becomes a learnt position, and we anticipate pain and as we start to move the injured part we tense up, and like going to the dentist this amplifies the pain which therefore fulfils the prophecy of our mind. It is this anticipation of the pain that stops us from recovering quickly and resorting to pain killers.
So how do we reverse this situation and recover speedily? Firstly we have to learn to relax the muscles prior to moving (easier said than done I know) Two of the things we can do is to use heat and gentle stretching exercises. If we apply warmth to the muscles around the injured part of our body this encourages blood flow and helps to relax the muscles. If we then combine this with gentle movement and stretching of these muscles the tension will abate and the pain will not be as intense. By doing this regularly we re-educate the muscles and as we move them they start to regain their strength.
Those of us who suffer with arthritis know that when we travel to warm sunny climes the pain of moving subsides and we become more active, this is the same principle.

Best wishes Ian
If you do feel that you need my talents to either mend or ease those aching joints and muscles just give me, call at Healing Hands, Ibstock Business Centre 57 High Street Ibstock, Tel 0750 811 5080

26/02/2022

‘Ice Ice Baby!’
You are probably wondering why I am quoting the title of a Vanilla Ice song; well it fits the theme of this article.
The other day one of my patients asked me what was the best pain killer for their painful back?, and is using anti-inflammatory Ibuprofen gels better than orally taking Ibuprofen pain killers?
To be honest I couldn’t answer their first question, because as I explained depending on what other medical conditions a person has (Cardio-vascular, Diabetes, etc) and the possible side effects / reactions, that various pain killers may have when combined with any other medication a person is taking, they must consult with their GP before experimenting with various over the counter pain killers.
Regarding the question which is better using anti-inflammatory Ibuprofen gels or orally taking Ibuprofen pain killers? Again it depends on what other medication you are taking, however from a personal point of view the less I take orally the better and rubbing in anti-inflammatory directly onto the painful muscle/joint is less invasive and more effective.
But to be honest as most of my patients know my favourite anti-inflammatory is ‘ice’ either in cube form or reusable ice packs. Provided you don’t place the ice pack directly to the skin which could cause an ice burn (Always place a thin cloth between you and the ice pack) there are no secondary side effects, and it is more effective at reducing inflammation in soft tissue injuries, and tendonitis, it is also much cheaper!
Quite often if I have a specific sore point I will take an ice cube and massage directly the inflamed area until the ice cube melts and I find that the pain eases almost instantly. I recommend that after using either an ice cube or ice pack to the injured area you apply a heat pad (not too hot) to the area as this infuses the area with blood which speeds up the repair/recovery of the damaged tissue. Remember for injuries P.R.I.C.E. Protect, Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. Although in some instances elevation is not an option.
I have used the ice massage technique extremely successfully on treating many patients with everything from frozen shoulders to foot injuries and various other injuries in-between. I have especially had great success using this technique combined with remedial massage therapy for treating lower back pain, and sciatica.
So ‘Ice Ice Baby’
Best wishes Ian
If you do feel that you need my talents to either mend or ease those aching joints and muscles just give me, call at Healing Hands, Ibstock Business Centre 57 High Street Ibstock, Tel 0750 811 5080

16/01/2022