Dynamic Balance Physiotherapy & Wellness

31/12/2024

自從2023年3月通關後，便開始了瘋狂進修上課的日子。由跟阿Paul 老師上osteopath 的課、Chikly Institute 的LDT 及 Brain class、重上Barrel Institute 的 Visceral manipulation，今年更跑了去Bali 上一個10天的trauma release & breathwork training - BBTRS；這一次經驗打開了我的視野，另我開始去探索更多關於創傷、情緒、壓力、身體、神經系統及感知之間的關係。上BBTRS 後引發的一些疑問，促使了我最終跑了去上Somatic Experiencing®️ 體感療癒 (簡稱 SE）的training，而這個training 正正解答了我這幾年面對不同的病人所觀察到的一些狀況。
很多人都覺得能對身心健康做成影響的創傷 Trauma，都應該是不得了的大事件，如長期家庭暴力、強姦侵犯等事件。但其實小時候的一些負面經歷、被父母責罵或忽略、學校欺凌事件、又或者現在生活及工作上種種挑戰，都對身體、情緒及神經系統構成不同的壓力。
最有趣的是，在這個高壓的社會環境下，壓力及忙碌被視為理所當然，我們的理性頭腦看似能夠應付種種困難，情緒或許頂得住不受影響，我們以為身體及神經系統也可以接受這一切，但當你病了倒下時，你便知道亦不是這樣。
其實只要了解一下神經系統的運作，便已經知道掌管器官運作及協調的自律神經系統(ANS)是不受理性思維及意志控制，但藉着身體感覺 (sensation) 我們其實可以同ANS 溝通，而SE 正正是用自身身體感覺sensation 去處理過去的創傷及壓力所造成的身心靈問題。
上training practice 了不少次，每一次都可以選一件事去處理，當你以為你選的只是小事一單時，身體的感覺及隨後的體悟卻總是令我驚訝，原來你以為的小事，身體卻hold 住了一定的創傷。
今次post 的這張相，攝於SE 嘅 INT I/II training 最後一天，圖中的小狗狗是這幾天非常support 到我的資源 resources，另一個能夠calm 到我嘅神經系統嘅就是窗外綠油油的樹木。
其實這幾月上的SE training 及自身接受的personal sessions，將我由忙碌的生活重新帶回自身感知上，去處理及去消化這幾年發生的所有事。
If you want to be a better therapist, it’s important to heal yourself, then you know how to help others.

#物理治療 #香港 #體感療癒

19/05/2024

謝謝你的信任與分享，很高興有你這位瑜伽同修🙏🙏🙏
人到中年，身體陸陸續續浮現大大小小毛病，一方面我們要關顧自己身體，減輕老化帶來的影響；但另一方面我們也要接受用了數十年的身體會有毛病也是正常的吧！
作為治療師，當然會盡力協助病患重拾健康，但如果放下治療者身份，而純粹作為一個瑜伽修行者的中年人來說，我也要學懂接受「生老病死」，用相對平常心去面對自己身體的改變。
健康的身體是重要，但安穩強大的心靈更緊要。
大家記得修身💪🏻同時要修心❤️

自五年前，因為手術，身體的大小酸痛浮現，我開始了一趟探索身心環環相扣的旅程。
當中，長期接受好友Helen的物理治療。Helen，是恩師帕薩德老師的學生，做為物理治療師，也擅長顱底骨與內臟筋膜鬆動術​​。她的經驗豐富，不單深諳身體筋膜的關聯，並且明白心理對身體的影響。例如，壓力與情緒的累積，或者過去的內心傷痛，其實都會在身體留下印記。有時候身體的不適，也有可能是內在的呼喚（強調：是可能，但不是絕對）。
因此，我把身體交給她，很放心。
這一陣子，我們倆人常開玩笑地說：「身體老了，許多問題都會冒出來，精力也不像年輕時那麼充沛了～」
對此，我很坦然，甚至很欣喜自己進入生命的下個階段。
我跟Helen説：「這也是好事，沒那多體力，便會驅使自己看清楚，做決定，到底要怎樣善用自己的時間？」
也就是說，不能什麼都想要了，要放手。
Helen開朗地回應著：「沒錯！」
恩師帕薩德老師常常提醒學生，成長路上，不要跟別人做比較，專注自己的清晰就好。
這兩年，步入更年期前期，我也慢慢體會到：體力好，就去做該做的；體力差，也是一樣專注做自己該做的。內在的良善、平靜與豐盛力量，與從事外在的活動多寡或成敗並沒有正相關，而是在於是否一步步放下不適用的一切，活出內心真實的本質。
放手，會有恐懼或焦慮，但那只是表象的聲音，內在的課題才是該去正視的。
很感恩十年前遇見恩師，讓現在的我能夠微笑面對變化。以此短文，與您分享內心的聲音，感到無比豐盛，謝謝您的相伴與交流。
願您的生命自在平安。
🧡
歡迎追蹤Helen的臉書與IG專頁(dynamic_balance_physio)。
Dynamic Balance Physiotherapy & Wellness
#更年期前期 #瑜珈 #瑜伽 #痠痛 #內在清晰 #內在力量 #療癒

20/03/2023

搬家了、搬家了、搬家了！
重要的事情是要說三次的！
新址都是在灣仔，也在修頓球場附近。
大了一點點的地方，開揚了一點點的景觀，治療室多了一點點的陽光照耀，希望這個新空間能為大家提供更好的服務🙌🏻

新地址：灣仔軒尼詩道99號彰顯大廈22樓01室

We are moved to a new location, still in Wanchai and opposite to Southorn Playground.

The new place is a little bigger, the scenery is a little more open and the treatment room is a little more sunny. I hope this new space can provide you all with better services 🙌🏻

New address: Room 01, 22/F, Bayfield Building, 99 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong

17/08/2021

Thank you for the gift! A new plant for my clinic 😍

感謝客人Priscilla 送來新盆栽 - 富貴樹🌲
希望呢棵樹樹快高長大，粗生粗養，健健康康 😃


#只有後面那一盆粗生粗養的能經歷這麼多年

21/07/2021

作為一個手法治療師，平日的工作除了用腦力心力，還真的需要雙手有點力氣。髗骶骨治療 雖然一直強調用輕柔的力去做治療，但有時候也真的需要一點力及勁去突破身體的阻塞。有不少領教過的clients 都有問我每日這樣做不會攰嗎？

是的，真的會攰架，所以自我保養真的很重要。
對我來說，瑜伽的體位法練習(Asana)、呼吸法(pranayama)及靜坐(meditation)一直都是我保持身心狀態的必須品。

而這大半年我加多了一項，就是重量訓練(weight lifting)。當初開始認真重訓，只不過想自己整個人實淨一點，也減一下疫情下肥了的重量。由最初練習前蹲front squat，才發現自己身體有些部份像斷了攬一樣，整個動作模式movement pattern 用了兩個月才開始順暢；RDL 相對容易掌握，而之後的硬舉deadlift 意外地幫我解決了一個困擾我很久的問題，就是打坐🧘‍♀️得耐hip痛的問題。這個真的不得了，一直練習瑜伽式子都有不少所謂「開hip」的動作，而且也有嘗試做不同類型的hip mobility training，但都幫唔到手。想不到練了deadlift強化了臀部肌肉後，我終於可以盤腿坐超過45分鐘而無任何不適，Thanks God🙏🏻

我由細到大都缺少運動神經，跑又跑唔郁跳又跳唔起游水都唔多識換氣。以前的我看看書📖畫吓畫🎨就一日，絕對是一個文青，夢想是成為藝術家。又有誰想到這十年我會做返晒細個無做的運動，由跳舞、瑜伽到現在舉重，只能說一句人生是有無限可能，never say never 😃

最近deadlift 終於順暢地舉到50kg，看著自己身體進步很是高興。最後都要多謝一聲教練Cyrus Cyrus movewell
As a manual therapist, we really need strength both mentally and physically in our daily work. Craniosacral Therapy has always emphasized the use of gentle force for treatment, but sometimes it really needs some stronger pressure to break through the blockage in client’s body. Some clients have asked me about how I could keep my energy level, as it looked like my works were quite energy consuming.

Yes, it really does, so self-care and maintenance is really important.

For me, yoga asana, pranayama, and meditation practice have always been necessary for me to maintain my physical and mental state.

Starting from last October, I have added one more item in my maintenance list, which is weight lifting. At the beginning, I just thought of being a little stronger and reducing some weight gained during the COVID pandemic. Starting from front squat, I realised my whole body couldn’t coordinate well and it took me two months for the entire movement pattern to run smoothly; RDL was relatively easier to master, but practising Deadlift unexpectedly helped me solving a problem that troubled me for a long time. When I sat with cross legged during meditation, I would start to have right hip pain after 20minutes. I have been practicing so-called “hip-opening” asana poses and different types of hip mobility training, but they all couldn’t solve it. Unexpectedly, after practicing deadlift to strengthen my hip muscles, I can finally sit cross-legged for more than 45 minutes without any discomfort. Thanks God🙏🏻

Starting from a child, I was already not an active person. In the past, I just loved to read book 📖 and could sit for a few hours for painting 🎨. Who would have thought that in these ten years, I would do more and more exercises, from dancing, yoga to now weightlifting. I can only say that there are infinite possibilities in life, never say never 😃

Recently, I can finally deadlift 50kg smoothly. I am very happy to see my body getting physically stronger. My last word here is to say thank you to my coach Cyrus movewCyrus movewelltailed guidance.

#治療師日常
#強身健體真的很重要
#有好的身體才有強壯的心靈


#物理治療 #瑜伽 #髗骶骨治療

24/05/2021

感恩 In gratitude

今晚瑜伽班臨近尾10分鐘，樓上開始揼釘鑽牆，吵得不堪。我當時還以為大休息 savasana 要泡湯了，還跟同學仔講只以簡單蓆上伸展作結，不想大家在鑽牆聲中勉強放鬆。
神奇的是嘈吵聲在大休息時完全消失，寧靜得有點嚇人。大家也總算能好好靜下來，休息一下。

Ten minutes before the end of the yoga class tonight, the upstairs suddenly drilled and nailed the wall and it was very noisy. At that time, I thought that savasana may be needed to skip and just ended up with some simple stretch on the mat, as I didn’t want everyone to pretend relaxing in the noisy sound.
However, it’s really magical that the noise suddenly disappeared during savasana, and everyone could finally calm down and take rest.

#雖然是小事一則但感恩上天眷顧
#人生活動有時休息有時
#大休息就如按一下暫停掣
#停一停才能看見

07/04/2021

治療細語 - 心理及精神健康 / Therapy Talk - Mental Health

近日遇到一位年輕求診者，她因為面形問題👩🏻而來接受 #髗骶骨治療 ( )。和她傾談時，已發覺她認為的問題，跟本不是要治療的重點。面形的輕微不對稱，觸發了她內在的恐懼及不安，令她腦袋不斷思前想後，像停不了機一樣。而接受治療時，她也停不下來，不斷去訴說不同的想法，精神狀態看來有點不穩定。

人和動物的最大分別在於人有思考分析能力。人會思考問題，從而作出改變及行動，以求活得更好。但當面對人生困境，很多時都引發了負面情緒，如果當事人只停留在情緒狀態中，反覆想著困境，不斷擔憂，但未能作出相應的行動去解決問題以走出困境，便會容易落入「自怨自艾」的思維模式；而且有時問題亦不是憑一人之力能解決，所以腦袋更加感到不安，而會停不了東想西想，走進死胡同中。

在治療中，我盡量去幫助她放鬆緊張的腦袋，但效果如何我無法控制。治療後的兩三天，她WhatsApp 我，說她知道自己當日精神狀態好像有點問題，和我吐了一大堆苦水，所以說聲抱歉。而之後她來了多一次接受治療，當日我知道她走出來了，由那個有點異常的精神狀況走出來了。而她也很清晰的知道自己之前出了問題，上一次治療後，她慢慢能由那個狀態抽身出來，覺察自己的異常而停止鑽進死胡同，現在腦袋也平靜下來。

在我過去的治療經驗中，也試過有一位年輕朋友，因為生活中一些壓力事件，突然誘發「幻聽」，聽到有一把聲音叫他去殺死關係良好的父母；而當他接受了兩三次髗骶骨治療後，這症狀消失了，再沒有任何幻聽情況；現在的他也生活得很好。

人生在世，我們都會面對大大小小的壓力與挑戰。如何正面面對生活中的困難與逆境，學校及書本沒有教我們，但卻是我們每一人都要學習的課題。

Recently, I met a young patient who came to receive ( ) because of her facial imbalance. When I talked to her, I realised that her actual problem was not the facial problem, the slight facial asymmetry had triggered her fear and anxiety, causing her to non-stop thinking about the problem and some other issues in life, which in turn making her mental state not so stable. Her mind was so occupied by thoughts that she kept talking and talking while receiving treatment.

The biggest difference between humans and animals is that, human has the ability to think and analyse. Man contemplate about their life problems, make changes and take actions in order to have a better life. Normally when we encounter difficulties in life, it triggers our negative emotions. If we stay in this negative mood, just worry and think about the predicament repeatedly, but fail to take corresponding actions to solve the problem, it will be easy for us to fall into a "self-pity" thinking mode. If the life difficulties can’t be controlled and solved by our own self, the feeling of “powerlessness” will further irritate our mind and emotion, making us non-stop thinking and worrying.

During the treatment, I tried my best to help her relax her anxious mind, but the result was not in my hand. A few days after the treatment, she WhatsApp and told me she realised her mental state was not so stable on that day, and she apologised as she complained a lot. She came for another treatment a week after. I was happy to see her change. Her mind was more calm now, and she understood clearly her mental state was unstable before. After the last treatment, she could gradually withdraw herself from that unstable state, noticed her abnormality and stopped drilling into a dead end.

In my past treatment experience, there was a teenager guy who suddenly induced “auditory hallucinations" due to some stressful events in life. He heard a voice asking him to kill his close parents. After he received a few CST treatments, his symptom totally disappeared, and now he is living all well.

There is a lot of pressures and challenges, no matter big or small, in our life. How to encounter the difficulties and adversities in life and cope with them accordingly, is a big topic that we all have to contemplate and learn.

#保持冷靜 #專注呼吸
#停止過度思考
#精神健康 #焦慮 #抑鬱 #恐懼
#物理治療 #瑜伽

29/03/2021

寫字樓一族多是對著電腦工作，而平日又會低頭玩手機📱，慢慢地形成寒背的姿勢。除咗用被動的伸展運動(stretching)去打開緊繃的肩膊及胸口外，大家也可以做一些活動性運動(mobility)去喚醒返背部肌肉，以改善姿勢。
今次這組運動你是需要用一條瑜伽帶(Yoga strip)去幫手，或者也可以用長毛巾去代替。但記得做時雙手要伸直手踭及手握的位置要比膊頭闊，而且也要穩定核心肌群。
動作包括：
1. Arm Raise 雙手上舉
2. Hip hinge 髖關節鉸鏈
3. Arm raise in hip hinge position
4. Hold in Chair pose 椅式

Nowadays most people sit for long time in front of computers and habitually look down at the smartphones during rest, all these contributes to the slumped back posture commonly found in the sedentary people.
Traditionally, we would do stretching exercise to open the tight shoulders and chest. In addition, we could also do some mobility exercise to activate the back muscles so as to improve the posture. For the exercises demonstrated here, a yoga strip or a long towel is needed. While doing it, remember to straighten your elbow and hold your hands wider than the shoulders. Last but not least, engage your core muscles too.
Actions include:
1. Arm Raise
2. Hip hinge
3. Arm raise in hip hinge position
4. Hold in Chair pose


#腰背痛 #頸肩痛 #瑜伽 #物理治療 #腰背運動

15/03/2021

平時上yoga class，多數和同學仔去練習warriors 或者 high / low lunges。
今日來點不一樣，試試多角度去做lunges，測試一下雙腳🦵是否有力及控制自如。

Instead of doing traditional warrior poses or high/ low lunges, we practised lunges at different angles in tonight’s yoga class and saw how well we could control our legs 🦵.

#星期一瑜伽班已重開啦
#不過唔知能夠開幾耐
#多謝同學仔們無懼疫情戴住口罩來做瑜伽

12/02/2021

又到農曆新年了🐃
祝願大家在新一年
如石縫中小花 🌼 般堅毅
不懼風雨
活得平安、喜樂、悠然自得

Happy Lunar New Year 🧧
May Peace & Fortune be always with you!

#牛年平安快樂
#大家加油

26/01/2021

治療細語 - 慢性痛症 / Therapy Talk - Chronic Pain

近日遇到一位慢性痛症病人，她十多年前因為跌倒而開始有腰痛問題，而腰痛問題也慢慢引致脊柱結構的改變。這十多年間她都一直有找人去醫治，而情況一直反反覆覆。最近因為結構狀況轉差，而找了整骨師父去治理，結果骨骼結構上是有一些改善，但卻因為激烈的手法而誘發了更大、更強烈的疼痛，而痛感並未因停止治療而減少。當我用髗骶骨治療 (CST) 的方式去聆聽她的身體時，只感到中樞神經系統(central nervous system)極度緊張，和她傾談後，也看出她情緒上及生活上也面對不同的挑戰及壓力；我能做的只是去幫助她身體先冷靜下來，而疼痛及結構問題跟本難以在短時間內處理。

基本上，很多人對於疼痛的了解還停留在身體層面的階段，覺得身體受傷或組織受損就會引發疼痛，受傷程度越嚴重，痛感就越大，而大家也相信只要受傷的組織復原了，疼痛也會自然消失。因此，很多人相信找到一個合適的治療師搞掂身體問題，或配合做一點運動就可以無痛了。

這種情況多數適用於一般意外受傷、拉傷扭傷的急性痛症(acute pain)病人。但對於經歷長年累月的慢性痛症(chronic pain)病人，故事很多時亦不是這麼簡單。當初的身體問題已經不是疼痛的唯一原因，而治療時大多不能單單”搞掂身體/ fix the body”就能解決痛症；過往經驗、情緒、生活壓力、個人性格、心理狀況等都直接影響個人疼痛感受。

作為一位物理治療師，處理痛症時多側重以身體結構(physical structure)去看待問題。我們相信腰痛是因為姿勢欠佳、肌力失衝、椎骨移位、神經線受壓、甚至內臟問題影響等；找出身體問題，改正了便自然康復。

但慢慢當你遇上更多病人，你會發現有些人的痛症亦不這麼簡單。而除了身體痛症，這些病人可能同時面對生活壓力大、心理情緒等問題。有人可能覺得久痛不治當然會引致情緒低落；但心理情緒問題其實也可誘發疼痛或使痛症惡化及難以痊癒。而近代痛症的科學研究也從純身體層面，慢慢步向心理、情緒及身體結合，將人作為一個身心靈的整體去看待；近代著名心理學家及疼痛研究先驅 Dr. Ronald Melzack 所提出的“神經基質理論 / Neuromatrix theory of pain”便是以身心全人的角度去面對痛症。

如果你有久醫不癒的痛症，除了找合適的醫生及治療師去診斷及治療身體問題外，其實也需要檢視一下自己人生其他層面，如心理情緒、生活壓力等面向，是否需要有所調整。身、心、靈其實是互相影響的，身體的疼痛只是一個信號，提醒你停一停想一想，自己有那方面出了狀況，需要面對及處理。

#有時身體問題真的不是只是身體問題
#身心靈是一個整體的
#有時需要治療的可能只是你的心

Recently, I encountered a patient with chronic pain problem. She started to suffer from low back pain ten years ago after a fall incident. The back pain gradually caused changes in her spinal alignment. She has consulted different therapists throughout all these years; sometimes she felt the pain improved, sometimes it got worse, and this pain had became a chronic issue. Due to the deterioration of the structural problem, she consulted a Chinese bone-setter lately and tried to get her problem fixed. Although there was some improvement in the structural problem, the vigorous manipulation induced greater and more intense pain on her body and the pain was not reduced even after stopping further treatments for a month. When I listened to her body using Craniosacral Therapy (CST), I only felt extreme restlessness in her central nervous system (CNS). In our conversation during sessions, I noticed that she had emotional issues and facing challenges in her daily life. In her treatment sessions, all I can do were to help her calm down first, and the pain and structural problems were difficult to solve in a short time.

Basically, many people's understanding of pain is still at the physical level. They feel that physical injury or tissue damage will cause pain. The more severe the injury, the greater the pain. Everyone believes that as long as the injured tissue recovers, the body pain will disappear naturally. Therefore, many people solely believe finding a good physiotherapist, doing some treatments and exercises can be painless.

This situation is applicable to most patients, especially those with acute injuries and pain. But for chronic pain patients who have experienced many years of pain, the story is often not so simple. The physical problem at the time is not the only cause of pain, and most of the pain cannot be solved by "fix the body" alone during treatment. Past experience and trauma, unresolved emotions, daily life pressure, personality, psychological status, etc. all directly affect the individual perception of pain.

As a physiotherapist, we mostly focus on the physical issues when dealing with body pain. For example, we believe that low back pain is caused by poor posture, loss of muscle strength, vertebral degeneration, compression of nerves, and even internal organ problems, etc. If physical dysfunction are treated accordingly, the body will recover and pain-free again.

But slowly as you meet more pain cases, you will find that some people's pain is not so simple. In addition to body pain issues, these patients may also face stress and challenges in life, having certain degrees of psychological and emotional problems. Some people may think that chronic pain will certainly lead to depression; but psychological and emotional problems can actually induce body pain or make the pain worse and difficult to heal. The modern scientific research on pain has gradually moved from the purely physical level, to a more holistic way, treating people as a whole - a combination of body, mind and emotions. Dr. Ronald Melzack, a famous psychologist and pioneer on pain research, was a great supporter in this view and his “Neuromatrix Theory of pain”(1990)”has proposed that pain perception was not solely related to degrees of tissue trauma, but included psychological factors that influence how we feel pain, such as emotion and cognition.

If you have chronic pain issues, in addition to finding a good doctor or therapist to diagnose and treat physical problems, it is good that you also examine other aspects of your life, such as daily life challenges, psychological and emotional well-beings, etc. Body, mind, and emotions actually affect each other. Body pain is just a signal to remind you to stop and examine anything has gone wrong in your life. Truthful self reflection and examination may help you find a new way to see and solve your chronic problem.

#疼痛 #慢性痛症 #情緒 #痛症處理 #物理治療 #髗胝骨治療


Credits: Photo by Julia Kuzenkov from Pexels