Your health and wellbeing is in safe hands
We can help you with all sorts of health problems. Our therapists offer a range of treatments including foot care, acupuncture, reflexology and meditation.
For more information, click on an option from the menu of problems below...
Do you need a Podiatry Clinic in Bentham?
Toe Pain
See Marie, Alan or Yarrow
The Pain
You’ve always enjoyed walking in the hills and along the lanes. Then you notice a niggle in your big toe joint that gets worse until every step hurts. It feels like if you could make the joint crack it would feel so much better.
The Impact
You change your footwear but it doesn’t help. You change the way you walk and start limping – it still hurts. You walk less – and it still hurts. You visit your GP and are told that it’s arthritis, to take pain killers and learn to live with it.
Continued Problems
You sit around at home more and think your walking days are over. You miss the joy of being out in nature and find yourself feeling more and more fed up and lethargic.
The Treatment
If the joint is very inflamed, strapping can help to minimise movement, effectively resting the joint and giving it time to recover.
If there are arthritic changes in the joint, MET (muscle energy technique) can help to reduce pain and increase the available movement in the joint (see video). This isn’t a cure but by reducing the pain you can walk more comfortably.
A Positive Story
MC has this done as part of his general care appointment every two months and is able to walk further and play bowls again. He is happy – and his wife is delighted!
Foot Pain
See Marie, Alan or Yarrow
The Pain
It starts off as a sharp pain under your heel first thing in the morning. You walk on the ball of your foot to avoid the pain of putting your heel on the floor. It isn’t quite as bad when you put your shoes on and it gradually eases as the day goes on only to flare up again after sitting down.
The Impact
It affects your routine of daily living as you are continually trying to find ways of avoiding the pain and you stop doing the activities you liked to do in your leisure time because it’s no fun anymore.
Continued Problems
The sharp pain becomes a nagging ache that is there all the time. Changing the way you walk because of the pain can result in problems elsewhere in the foot and in your ankles, knees, hips and back.
The Treatment
Sole To Soul is a podiatry clinic that offers stretches and exercises, footwear modification, massage, mobilisation, over-the-counter inserts, or prescription inserts.
A Positive Story
PC attended for treatment in April 2021 complaining that his foot had been sore for at least 6 months. It was so painful in the mornings that he came down the stairs on his bottom. At the first visit the causes were assessed and the initial treatment was massage, mobilisation and strapping with further treatment options discussed. This treatment helped but didn’t resolve the problem. It didn’t help that he had been working on a roof with his feet at an unnatural angle!
He decided to have some customised inserts made and these were fitted in early June. Since then the pain has diminished but not completely gone away. We are continuing working together with massage and mobilisation to further reduce the pain and improve his quality of life.
Bunions, Corns & Calluses
See Marie, Alan or Yarrow
The Pain
Your feet look awful and feel awful.
You are ashamed of them and can’t imagine anyone would even touch them, let alone be able to help.
The Impact
You struggle to find shoes that fit and when you do they are soon out of shape. You are embarrassed to let anyone see your feet and think they are the worst in the world.
And they hurt so much because of joint pain and corns and calluses that you can’t do the things you love. It gets to the point that you can’t manage to help yourself and in desperation you seek help.
Continued Problems
Your feet become more out of shape. Toes start to overlap each other and stick up and out so that shoes become even more of a problem. The corns and calluses are always there no matter what you try. Your nails start to thicken up as they become more damaged because everything is out of shape. You search the internet and try every remedy you can find but nothing works. You become more and more ashamed and try to hide your feet away and may even stop going out.
The Treatment
Solutions we offer include custom made orthoses, footwear guidance, and careful padding and strapping. Surgery is an option in some cases. We can refer to a Podiatric surgeon who specialises in foot problems. Current procedures are much more functionally and cosmetically pleasing than old techniques.
A Positive Story
AR came for treatment and advice when her feet were very out of shape, especially the left one – and they were just like her mum’s. She is a retired teacher and a keen walker and was looking forward to spending time walking in the hills and dales.
In spite of good footwear her feet were always painful and although she continued to go out walking, the pain marred her enjoyment. She had seen an orthopaedic surgeon who said her feet were inoperable.
At the first visit the heavy calluses under her feet and the corns between her toes were reduced. Her feet were then carefully padded to provide cushioning and comfort. The causes of the problems were explored and we discussed possible treatment plans.
After looking at the options, she asked for a referral to a podiatric surgeon for a second opinion. He said he could operate but couldn’t guarantee that she would be able to walk as much as she was currently doing.
The next decision was to have some custom-made orthoses and these were made by Pegasus in Northern Ireland from casts that were made of her feet. The orthoses made a difference to comfort and AR has continued with the general care appointments to keep herself as mobile as possible.
So although the problem can't be cured, it can be managed. AR attends appointments every couple of months, leaves feeling like she is walking on air, and gets on with her life.
Your very own wellbeing centre in Bentham
Difficulty Sleeping
See Marie, Genevieve or Rebecca
The Pain
You manage to get to sleep alright but wake at early o’clock. With your mind buzzing you can’t get back to sleep. You eventually drop off again just before the alarm goes off. You can’t quite put your finger on what the problem is. You feel guilty for worrying – you really haven’t got anything to worry about but your heart feels like it is pounding and there is this feeling of tightness inside that seems to be magnified when you are lying awake in the early hours.
The Impact
You wake up groggy and short tempered and don’t want to get out of bed but there are things you need to do. You can manage this when it’s just a one off occurrence but the more you worry about it the more elusive sleep becomes. You try going to bed later to see if getting really tired helps. It doesn’t. You try having an alcoholic drink in the evening to see if that helps. It doesn’t and you end up with a hangover. You try reading a book when you wake but the light disturbs others – and it doesn’t help. You try getting up and making a hot drink and sitting watching TV. That doesn’t help either. And taking sleeping tablets make you even more groggy.
Continued Problems
You worry more and more and feel guilty for worrying. You are permanently weary which impacts on every aspect of your life. You may find yourself unable to do the things you used to do so that you can’t look after yourself, your family, your home. If you go out to work, your performance suffers and you may even lose your job. Life feels really bleak and no one understands.
The Treatment
If you see your GP you are likely to be offered sleeping tablets or antidepressants. These can help with the lack of sleep but can leave you feeling very groggy. Counselling is also an option that can help you to discover the root of the problem. Healing is something that Marie offers to help with this. The sessions usually involve a little bit of talking to start with, followed by the healing and then a bit more talking, often with suggestions of techniques that you can use to help yourself. Acupuncture with Genevieve is another option as is enrolling on one of Rebecca's courses.
A Positive Story
MH came for a healing session when the lack of sleep was so bad it was triggering panic attacks and she was worried that she was destroying her marriage. During the first session Marie described some breathing techniques and talked MH through how to use them. She left much calmer than when she arrived and had her first full night sleep for months. She used the breathing techniques when she first got into bed and again if she woke during the night. She had a further 3 sessions over the next two months and then a further 3 sessions over the next six months. She is back to her old self, still married and much happier with life. There were no specific problems uncovered. She comes for a one-off session anytime she feels she needs to and has kept well even through the trials of the Covid pandemic.
Digestive Problems
See Marie or Genevieve
The Pain
Your stomach feels bloated and uncomfortable after eating.
The Impact
You try avoiding certain foods suggested by Dr Google to resolve the problem. It helps a little but not much. You find you are watching what you eat all the time, avoid eating away from home as much as possible and you wear clothes that allow for expansion round your middle.
Continued Problems
Diet watching can become an obsession. The discomfort of bloating can become a pain and you may get cramps. Bowel movements can fluctuate between constipation and diarrhoea. You are embarrassed by smelly wind.
The Treatment
Diet changes and Pharmacy medicines can be beneficial. At Sole to Soul we offer complementary therapies which can help you relax and rebalance. Reflexology, Acupuncture, and Healing are all tools that can help with digestive problems.
A Positive Story
RH had struggled with loose stools and smelly wind for years. He had tried elimination diets and Hypnotherapy without resolving the problems. Six monthly sessions of reflexology resolved the problem and it hasn’t returned.
Tired Legs
See Marie
The Pain
General tiredness with painful and weak legs. You have a feeling of having no strength in your leg muscles.
The Impact
Where once you could walk easily without thinking about it, you now have to plan your activities to take into account the possibility of your legs giving out on you. You visit the GP, have lots of tests but nothing medical is identified.
Continued Problems
You limit your activities and your world gets narrower. You think you are getting old and that this will be your life pattern from now on.
The Treatment
Pharmacy medicines to reduce the pain aren’t effective. Your GP suggests antidepressants but these make you even more tired and don’t resolve the pain. Soft tissue massage in the form of Myofascial release can help to ease the pain and limitation of movement in muscles, reduce chronic inflammation and increase the range of movement in your body.
A Positive Story
LB had always been a keen horse rider but after recovering from the bumps and bruises of a road traffic accident she found she didn’t have the strength in her legs or the stamina in her body to ride. She had been attending for Podiatry treatments and from her history it would appear that she had been struggling with Chronic Fatigue syndrome for many years.
We discussed her trying MFR massage and she decided to give it a go. We combined it with self help techniques that suggested themselves during the sessions. It was a long slow process but eventually L was able to ride again and has been on several week long trekking/riding holidays.
Contact us today to begin your healing journey
Sciatica
See Genevieve
The Pain
It’s like having tooth ache in your back and leg.
The Impact
It affects every part of your life. You may be completely immobilised because of the pain. You can't do the things you used to. You don’t sleep properly and your life feels like it’s on hold.
Continued Problems
Sciatica is disabling and if left untreated can cause long term problems that may require major surgery.
Many people find it limits their life, they become less active, and they see their family and friends less and less.
The Treatment
If caught quickly and treated whilst acute, patients can often return to their usual lives within 6-12 weeks. Acupuncture is very effective in treating nerve pain and with acupuncture, you can treat the nerve pain whilst stimulating the area around the joint affected to encourage the herniated disc to recover.
A Positive Story
"Not all heroes wear capes, I have a degenerative prolapsed disk that resulted in constant pain and sciatica and no quality of life. Thanks to Genevieve I have been able to control my pain levels and gain greater movement, improving my mental health and quality of life massively. Honestly can’t thank her enough."
IDP
Chronic Fatigue
See Genevieve
The Pain
This is a long term illness which causes extreme tiredness. But it isn’t just tiredness. It feels like the plug has been pulled on your energy and nothing you do can build it up – it’s like trying to fill a sink with water without putting the plug in. The pain can be everywhere – muscles, joints, skin, digestive system, brain – anywhere.
The Impact
A lot of patients are bed or housebound and unable to work. The condition is debilitating and restricts people's lives enormously.
Continued Problems
It can go on for years with patients becoming permanently disabled. It can also mask other health problems, with symptoms being attributed to the chronic fatigue.
The Treatment
Acupuncture can be part of a multi-disciplinary approach to managing the illness.
Acupuncture enables patients to maintain their energy levels better and can lead to long term stabilisation of symptoms.
A Positive Story
"Genevieve brings not only extensive knowledge and accuracy to her practice as an acupuncturist but also keen intuition and sensitivity. In addition, she is extremely attuned to the demands of personal needs and circumstances and makes huge efforts to accommodate these in helpful and positive ways in her work."
From JC, ME patient
Conception & IVF Support
See Genevieve
The Pain
The longing to have a baby is physically and emotionally exhausting. You can fall asleep thinking about it, dream about it and wake up thinking about it. It infiltrates every area of your life.
The Impact
It can lead to depression and anxiety, feelings of sadness and guilt and can impact your relationship.
Continued Problems
Sometimes a baby can be conceived once you have accepted that it won’t happen but often people become resigned to the fact that they will remain childless.
The Treatment
One of the options is IVF. Assisted fertility is extremely stressful and Genevieve has over ten years experience treating in this field. There is some research which suggests acupuncture can help with success rates in IVF by decreasing stress and anxiety. Her patients find the support and knowledge she is able to offer during treatment extremely beneficial
A Positive Story
"I have been a patient of Gen's during various cycles of IVF. Throughout the whole process she has remained professional, knowledgeable, caring, and a calming influence during a very stressful time. I cannot thank her enough as we are now blessed with a nearly two year old with our second on the way."
Get back to doing what you love
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Chronic Pain
See Rebecca
The Pain
Chronic pain is pain anywhere in your body. It's just there all the time and you feel like you can't escape from it.
The Impact
It gets in the way of living, limits your mobility, makes sleeping difficult, and disturbs and affects your concentration.
People with chronic pain also often suffer from emotional issues feeling anxious, frustrated, angry, or depressed.
Continued Problems
It takes over your life to the extent that you can’t stop thinking about it and every decision you make is determined by the level of pain it will bring.
The Treatment
Sole to Soul supports your mental health by teaching mindfulness and meditation techniques combined with gentle movement. This may not make the pain go away, but it hurts less.
Using the techniques on a regular basis can bring about feelings of peace and deep relaxation, a better quality of sleep, and can help to focus on creating your day.
A Positive Story
It’s helped me understand myself better and taught me how to be aware of everything around me. The meditation is wonderful, it’s really helped with all the aches and pain I suffer from daily and it’s taught me how to relax when I go to bed, falling asleep more easily and waking up more refreshed. I’m looking forward to coming back for more sessions."
EE
Stress
See Rebecca
The Pain
You worry about everything and so many things just overwhelm you. You might also be suffering from physical symptoms such as palpitations, dizziness, or high blood pressure.
However it is affecting you, stress is not a good thing and needs attention.
The Impact
Everything in your life feels huge. Every decision you need to make seems overwhelming and you want to run away from life and hide.
Continued Problems
You withdraw more and more, communicate with others less and less and your world shrinks. Your health starts to suffer, you don't recognise your life and you start to feel like life is just too overwhelming.
The Treatment
Our highly experienced meditation instructor can teach mindfulness and meditation techniques that help to train your mind to live in the “now” rather than worrying about what might or might not happen in the future. It’s as simple as finding somewhere quiet to sit and can help bring peace, calm, and relaxation. These techniques when practiced regularly can train you how to listen to your own thoughts and observe your feelings so that you can discover how and why you react to situations and help you choose to respond differently. They can help you to notice the beauty of your environment and build a deeper appreciation for the people around you.
A Positive Story
"This is my story. I am who I am now through daily practice of meditation, focussing on the breath and following where it leads me."
Rebecca
Face & Jaw Pain
See Sarah
The Pain
You might be experiencing persistent pain in your jaw and face radiating up into your temples. Or perhaps nagging pain in your jaw, cheek, or head, pain and restricted jaw opening, facial tingling, twitching of facial muscles, difficulty eating, chewing some hard foods and sometimes swallowing.
The Impact
It's interfering with your life. You cannot concentrate. You feel tense and tired. It causes you problems eating or opening your mouth wide. You might grind your teeth at night which upsets your partner's sleep.
The pain just won't go away and there is a chance you are feeling emotional and finding it very disruptive.
Continued Problems
As time goes on people often experience worsening headaches, needing more medication, more intervention from health professionals, and possibly surgery. Stress builds and this affects your emotional and mental wellbeing and impacts on all areas of your life, work, family, and relationships.
The Treatment
Sarah can help you with specific gentle massage techniques, working on the muscles involved within the jaw, mouth, face, head and neck and upper back.
So simple but very effective.
A Positive Story
A woman came to see Sarah with frequent headaches, neck and jaw pain. She was having difficulty opening her mouth to eat an apple and other hard foods. Her problem started after a fall on the pavement when she suffered a head injury. She wasn’t sleeping well, was grinding her teeth and was getting stressed and emotional. Sarah treated her using the TMJ Protocol which is a gentle treatment working both inside and outside the mouth, the upper back, neck, and head on specific muscles to ease pain and improve the range of movement. Education is also built into the treatment sessions, so she now knows what triggers the pain and exacerbates the condition, so she can make lifestyle adjustments accordingly.
Her condition is now much improved after a series of weekly sessions and she can open her mouth more fully, rarely has headaches and her sleeping has improved. She now only comes periodically when she feels stressed and tension building.
Shoulder Pain
See Sarah
The Pain
Shoulder pain often presents as aching in your shoulder blade area, tightness over scarring, or a limited range of movement in the shoulder/arm. The area can often feel numb and separate from the rest of your body.
The Impact
Shoulder pain can impact people's lives in many ways. It can disrupt your sleeping, stopping you from getting comfortable. It stops you doing simple things like reaching up to cupboards or brushing your hair with the affected arm. Some people also suffer from swelling in their arm and hand causing sleeves and rings to be tight.
Continued Problems
As time goes on shoulder mobility can become more reduced. You may require more pain medication, struggle with more muscle issues or lymphoedema.
For many patients, it affects their emotions and mental state, relationships, quality of life, ability to do hobbies, garden, exercise comfortably, or maintain independence, etc.
The Treatment
Sarah uses three techniques, light touch massage, gentle Scar work massage and RLD (Reflexology Lymphatic Drainage) for the lymphoedema, adapted from breast cancer and lymph node removal surgery, which can be really beneficial.
A Positive Story
A woman in her 80's came to see Sarah. She was a keen gardener living alone and very independent but struggling with pain in her shoulder and back following a mastectomy.
Using a combination of gentle scar work, light touch massage and RLD during fortnightly and then monthly sessions, over a period of 6 months she has seen significant improvement in the range of movement in her shoulder and reduced lymphoedema in her arm and hand. She is now much more comfortable with the site of the mastectomy and the feeling of disassociation has lessened. She knows what makes matters worse and is able to avoid the triggers leaving her to enjoy her garden and live independantly.
More Positive Stories
"I have been a patient of Marie’s for many years, initially because of bunion induced problems which a specialist said was inoperable. Marie referred me for a second opinion but the answer was the same. She had orthotics made for me and has looked after my feet since that time, enabling me to continue with fell walking and keeping me pain-free. She is very knowledgeable, totally professional, and approachable. I have absolute faith in her and have no hesitation in recommending her to others. I would hate to be without her help."
AR
"I have been going to Sole to Soul for the last 5 years. At first, I thought it was a bit of a luxury, but I soon realised how much better my feet were after a visit with Marie.
I have a particularly arthritic big toe, which Marie manipulates in such a way that for a while afterwards I have a lot more use in it and nowhere near as much pain.
The experience of having my feet looked after at Sole to Soul and the professionalism of her and her staff members is first class."
MC
"Genevieve brings not only extensive knowledge and accuracy to her practice as an acupuncturist but also keen intuition and sensitivity. In addition, she is extremely attuned to the demands of personal needs and circumstances and makes huge efforts to accommodate these in helpful and positive ways in her work."
JC, ME patient
"I have been having chiropody treatment from Marie once a month for five years now. After my first session, I realised what a difference this made to the feel and look of my feet and intended never again to be without it again!
What I once might have looked upon as an indulgence now had become a necessity in my regime of health and well being. I feel that Marie is a highly professional, highly skilled practitioner and I have always trusted her treatment and advice totally.
Two years ago I also began having foot mobilisation sessions regularly. Through these my feet have become more supple, my toes have relaxed and straightened, and any potential problems have been nipped in the bud.
I have no hesitation in recommending Marie as a Chiropodist/Podiatrist."
JB
FAQs on how we can help you
At Sole to Soul we look at you as a whole person, not as just a sore shoulder for example. We are looking for the underlying cause, physical or emotional. Every experience we have leaves an imprint somewhere in us. So a symptom is just a signal of an imbalance. We look to restore the balance, so the symptoms reduce or resolve. This can involve a physical therapy, such as a massage or acupuncture, but also emotional or energetic support. Our body's energetic pathways are poorly understood in the West but this principle is the basis of many therapies originating in the East.
Fascia is basically tissue linking and connecting every part of your body. It is around muscles, nerves, organs, and bones, forms tendons and runs through our muscles. It’s everywhere! When it’s working well, the fibres slide and glide over each other. Following a trauma or inflammation, the fibres “stick” to themselves and the surrounding tissues. Tearing these adhesions causes pain. The condition can become long lasting if this cycle isn’t broken. Massage works to reduce the adhesions and enables the tissues to slide and glide again. Sometimes massage alone is enough, but things like recurring plantar fasciitis sometimes require additional therapy.
Needling into acupuncture points creates microscopic injuries which stimulate your body's healing response. This response increases blood flow. Immune cells go to the area being treated to increase the speed of healing. Simultaneously your nervous system stimulates your brain to release Dopamine, Oxytocin and Serotonin which are your own body’s natural pain killers.
A doppler shows us how well the blood is flowing to your feet. It can also help us to identify an irregular heart beat or fast pulse rate so that we can refer you to your GP for further investigations if necessary. Many conditions have an impact on your feet which is why we need to have an overall picture of the health of your body so that we can offer you the best care.
'Balloon flying over sheep' image courtesy of Jon Brook - Bentham Imaging