69 Dianne Ave Craigieburn 3064

Tel: 9308-4762 Fax: 9333-0170

sophia@thehealthexchange.com.au www.thehealthexchange.com.au

MY HEALTH FIRST
Autumn & Winter 2012

The Latest News

In Brief:

The latest news!

An up to date list of our Staff;

Article on Sciatica;

A Winter recipe for Pumpkin Risotto;

Firstly an apology for missing the deadline (by 3 months) for our last Quarter Newsletter - the Autumn one (due out April). The fact was, we had nothing to say! My father used to tell me to think before you speak. So, I spent 3-6 months thinking what to say ... And nothing came out! So here is the Winter Newsletter! We have had some staff changes again. That is not new, just a usual change of pace. I once read that a person spends an average of 18 months in a job before moving on. I have found my Health Professionals average about 3 years, so thats not bad by comparison. For those of you new to The Health Exchange, we are an incubator for small businesses.

Fathers Day is coming - we have a special offer on gift vouchers;

Opening Hours For Winter

MondayWednesday

3pm8:30pm 9am8:30pm 9am-5pm 10am4pm

Saturdays Friday Thursday

While we operate (mostly) under the name The Health Exchange, we are all individual businesses sharing resources to provide a service to our community. In fact, I have launched about 12 health professionals out into the ether after a good start with us, who are now operating successfully on their own. The majority of my team come as fresh graduates, enthusiastic to apply their skills but not so trained in the business management side. That is probably why 3 years is our average just enough time to get a feel for how to generate and maintain clients. Having said all that, the most recent staff moving on have been Dr Jennifer McKeown, our Acupuncturist &

Remedial Massage Therapist and Dr Ariana Anderson, our Osteopath. Both ladies have moved their practice closer to home, for Jen up the road to Wandong and for Ariana a few more hours away to Newcastle! So for now we are sitting with 9 Health Professionals. I will most likely take on new staff later in the year once the weather warms up. If you have any suggestions for services Craigieburn needs please let me know even better, do you know anyone who is graduating and wants a good start to their new career? A few people have been asking for a Speech Pathologist - do you know one?

MY HEALTH FIRST
Are you hibernating?

Page 2

A warm fire place, a quiet place to relax, the gentle scent of lavender (or your favourite) essential oil and a cosy warm wheat bag over your aches and pains! Is this your idea of a Saturday afternoon? How about topping it off with a deep tissue/therapeutic / relaxation massage that loosens your back, relaxes your neck, includes your over-worked arms & legs and finishes off with a foot massage, or better yet, a scalp and face massage? For just $70, you can

have all of this with Sophia (including the smell of your favourite essential oil) in a one hour relaxation massage. A winter massage is highly beneficial since the cold weather does take its toll on our bodies. Anyone who suffers with arthritis or has broken a bone can confirm the truth of that. Massage not only loosens the muscles but also improves circulation, assists your body to drain the lymphatic system of your garbage and can iron away the aches and pains of daily life.

It is a great opportunity to take time out to relax and unwind without the interruption of family or friends (or others) for just a short time. So if you are hibernating for the winter why not spend an hour of it with us - the warm fireplace is free of charge! Sophia is available Saturdays 10am to 4pm and other times by private arrangement.

If Saturdays dont work for you, we have Evelyn Lomas and Moyez Hashim available on Tuesdays and Thursdays!

Our Team At The Health Exchange Out to Serve You

Annie Rowe - Receptionist, Thursday mornings; Brogan Trevaskis - Podiatrist, Thursdays & Fridays 9-5pm; Evelyn Lomas - Natural Medicine Practitioner, Tuesday days & nights and Thursday nights; Jana Gazarek - Podiatrist, Monday nights; Julia Cull - Psychologist, Wednesday & Thursday afternoon to evenings; Kevin Williams - Osteopath, Tuesday afternoon to evenings; Moyez Hashim - Acupuncturist & Remedial Massage Therapist, Tuesday & Thursday nights; Nicki Ford - Receptionist, Thursday afternoon to evenings; Nicole Hardidge - Podiatrist, Wednesday nights; Ros Watson - Bowen Therapist, Thursday mornings; Sarah Fergus - Receptionist, Saturday mornings; Sophia Cull - Massage Therapist Saturdays & Practice Manager all week long!

MY HEALTH FIRST
Sciatica - What A Pain In The Butt!

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Sciatica (/satk/; sciatic neuritis) is a set of symptoms including pain that may be caused by general compression or irritation of one of five spinal nerve roots that give rise to each sciatic nerve, or by compression or irritation of the left or right or both sciatic nerves. The pain is felt in the lower back, buttock, or various parts of the leg and foot. In addition to pain, which is sometimes severe, there may be numbness, muscular weakness, pins and needles or tingling and difficulty in moving or controlling the leg. Typically, the symptoms are only felt on one side of the body. Pain can be severe in prolonged exposure to cold weather.

blocked energy (your Chi). By placing the acupuncture pins in the correct energy points, pain will be relieved and your Chi can flow again. The advantage of MASSAGE THERAPY having Acupuncture If you do not have a here at The Health history of recent disc Exchange is that Moyez herniation or structural is also a Remedial misalignments, a Massage Therapist. massage may be just This means you can what you need. In combine the two about 15% of the treatments in the one population, the sciatic session for double the nerve runs through the benefit! Piriformis muscle instead of under it. OSTEOPATHY Basically, the Piriformis If you are not sure muscle runs across your which way to go, then I butt from base of spine would start with to outer hip. When the Osteopathy. Kevin will sciatic nerve gets assess your structure pinched in this muscle, and combine that with you will get the any history you have radiating pain down had related to this area Although sciatica is a your leg. A massage to of pain. Then, relatively common form your butt muscles can depending on his of low back pain and leg relieve the pressure and assessment of the cause pain, the true meaning so reduce the pain. But of your sciatic pain, he of the term is often massaging your butt is may use a variety of misunderstood. Sciatica techniques, many of is a set of symptoms rather not the only benefit. than a diagnosis for what For greatest benefit we which may include is irritating the root of the will massage all your massage & stretching nerve, causing the pain. back, neck and techniques, Articulation This point is important, shoulders and, if you techniques, muscle because treatment for stay long enough, also energy techniques, sciatica or sciatic your legs. You will find counter-strain symptoms often differs, that walking with a techniques, functional depending upon the pain in your butt will techniques and/or underlying cause of the upset all your other manipulation (if safe to symptoms and pain muscles as you try to do so). Kevin is very levels. From Wikipedia, protect the screaming skilled in using other the free encyclopaedia muscle/nerve pain. techniques which can address tight muscles t The Health & fascia tissue. This can ACUPUNCTURE Exchange we In Chinese Medicine, make all the difference have been pain is caused by to your recovery in cases of sciatica.

treating sciatica pain for many years. Since the cause of the pain can vary, we have a number of treatment options.

...in the particular case of sciatica and the Piriformis muscle, this condition is known as Piriformis syndrome. It has colloquially been referred to as "wallet sciatica" since a wallet carried in a rear hip pocket will compress the muscles of the buttocks and sciatic nerve when the bearer sits down. Piriformis syndrome may be a cause of sciatica when the nerve root is normal.

Sciatica pain can be treated, so dont put up with the pain in your butt - bring him/her in for treatment!

Opening Hours For Winter

MondayWednesday

MY HEALTH FIRST

Page 4

Recipe Corner - Pumpkin Risotto. Contribution by Evelyn Lomas - Medical Herbalist

3pm8:30pm 9am8:30pm 9am-5pm 10am4pm

Saturdays Friday Thursday

Perfect comfort food for a cold winters night INGREDIENTS: 2 Cups diced pumpkin 2 Cups brown rice soaked overnight 1 Diced brown onion Tofutti Broth: 2Lt Water 1Tsp Turmeric 1/2 Tsp Cumin 1 Tsp Garlic granules 1-2 Massell veggie stock cubes Optional: Baby spinach leaves Basil leaves

METHOD: 1. Rinse rice and soak in water overnight. Drain. Cover with 6 cups of fresh boiling water in a large pot. Cook until bitable (approx 30 mins). 2. In a separate saucepan, combine stock/broth ingredients and bring to the boil. 3. In a large deep frying pan, add oil and diced onion. Add rice and broth, 1 ladle at a time. 4. Add pumpkin cubes and cook until all the

broth is absorbed. (Stir regularly to avoid food burning and sticking to the bottom of the saucepan). 5. Tear up some extra leaves and stir into the risotto. 6. Remove from heat and stir in tofutti. Allow to sit with the lid on. 7. Serve garnished with extra leaves.

Services we offer:
Acupuncture Bowen Therapy Counseling Cupping Detoxification Ear Candling Herbal Medicine Hypnosis Neurofeedback Osteopathy Pregnancy Massage Relaxation Massage Remedial Massage Podiatry Psychology Smoking Cessation Program Sports Medicine Stress Relief

Hear About Our Special Offers First!

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If you would like to subscribe to our email newsletter please send an email to sophia@thehealthexchange.com.au with a subject heading Newsletter. We will then add you to our email database and you will receive quarterly newsletters keeping you updated on our services and special offers. I promise not to bombard you with emailsfour per year will be all I can handle!

Fathers Day Special Offer

What does your father need this year? How is his health going? If he needs a grease and oil change I suggest a Massage; if his spark plugs are needing a change, how about Acupuncture? Are his tyres running flat and he needs new orthotics - try our Podiatrist; Is a panel beater more his thing - our Osteopath can straighten him out. If he is having computer problems try Neurofeedback with out Psychologist. If his muffler snuffs it, our Natural Medicine Practitioner will sort him out!

69 Dianne Ave Craigieburn. 3064

Tel: 9308-4762 Fax: 9333-0170

Each gift voucher purchase $70 or over gets you a free hot/cold pack!