What Does It Mean In My Treatment Room?

“The whole is greater than the sum of its parts” Aristotle

Christmas and all its trimmings..

I watched a film last night with my daughter, it was called This Is Christmas (2022).

Basically a rom-com set at Christmas time, in a nutshell the storyline is based on a carriage-full of commuters who get the same train to London every day but, of course, never speak to one another or know anything about each other.

When the train briefly stops for signal problems one morning, one of the passengers, who’s having a deep and thoughtful moment, gets up and addresses the carriage, inviting them to a Christmas party together.

Of course, as you can imagine, being terribly British, they all shuffle awkwardly in their seats and try to avoid his gaze, coughing nervously..

But as the film progresses we get some back stories and they gradually start to engage with one another and, to cut a long story short, they have the party and it’s all very lovely and heartwarming.

I loved the film, mainly because it was about one of my favourite subjects, people..

All of the characters featured had a story, we all do.  Some were sad stories, one lady had lost someone dear, some of them were lonely, contemplating Christmas on their own.  Unlikely friendships were forged, hidden talents emerged and generosity of spirit, time and products were offered.

The point of all this is not about inviting a carriage full of people to a party or even having a full on conversation with everyone we meet, we’d never get anything done after all, it’s just about everyday kindness and interaction, but unfortunately modern life seems to have made us all so insular and impatient.

The other day in Sainsbury’s I was negotiating pushing my trolley round an elderly lady browsing plants, she unwittingly then stepped into my path, I stopped dead and the lady behind me ran into me with her trolley for which she apologied profusely.  I said “oh don’t worry, someone’s pulled out without indicating” and laughed, the security guard laughed, we all laughed, in fact I was still smiling when I got to my car.  But how differently that scenario could have gone, I could have tutted and snapped and huffed off, and how horrible I would have felt afterwards, we all would have, the elderly lady would have felt a nuisance, the trolley lady would have felt bad for running into me and we wouldn’t have given the security man a laugh..

A little kindness goes a long way, it can make or break someone’s day.  We all have bad days, days when we don’t feel like interacting, and that’s fine and only human, but just a smile and a kind word can make all the difference, to you and the person receiving it.  And a smile can lead to a conversation, if you’re at the bus stop, in a supermarket queue or indeed on a train you’re not going anywhere after all, so why not find out a bit more about the stranger next to you.  If you don’t get a smile back or the other person doesn’t want to engage then that’s fine too, you’ve done your bit and you’ve probably brightened their day even if they haven’t shown it..

Christmas is the season of goodwill to all but let’s spread the love all year round, talk to a stranger, make their day and yours!

“A stranger is a friend you haven’t met yet”

William Butler Yeats

Isn’t it all a bit woo-woo..?

Complementary therapies and their place in palliative care

I have a lovely job, when I’m not in The Rose Room I work for the NHS. My day is spent, on the whole, laughing, chatting and reminiscing with some wonderful people..but wait, don’t you work in palliative care?

I do, and the patients I care for have life-limiting conditions and some are nearing the end of their life, despite the challenges and sadness this brings, people never cease to amaze me with their resilience, sense of humour and kind words to others, despite the situation they find themselves in.

I thought I would share with you here why I feel so privileged to do this fulfilling work and the ways in which complementary therapy can help those who need it most.

So what does palliative care mean exactly?

Palliative care is defined by the World Health Organisation as “an approach that improves the quality of life of patients (adults and children) and their families who are facing problems associated with life-limiting illness, usually progressive. It prevents and relieves suffering through the early identification, correct assessment and treatment of pain and other problems whether physical, psychosocial or spiritual”

How does complementary therapy work within a healthcare setting?

The key here is in the word ‘complementary’ itself. The dictionary defines complementary, when used in this context, as being ‘treatments and therapies based on a holistic view of the patient, used in conjunction with, and not as alternatives to, conventional medicine”

The therapies we offer are reflexology, CaLMS hand and arm therapeutic touch massage, reiki and aromatherapy, all are light touch and each treatment last 15-20 minutes. We also provide aromatherapy sticks that we blend ourselves, Calm, De-stress, Grief, Nausea and Uplift, and can make up bespoke blends from our selection of oils if required.

We can show patients some simple hand reflexology to help with relaxation, stress. anxiety and general wellbeing. This can be done by patients themselves or by a relative or carer.

What does complementary therapy help with?

Myself and my two colleagues work closely with a team of healthcare professionals and adhere to strict guidelines and codes of practice to ensure we are always working safely and appropriately. Before we treat any patient we require a referral, this can come from any healthcare professional who checks the patients medical information to allow us to make a safe assessment regarding their treatment.

Complementary therapies are a therapeutic support for the recipient and can help in the following ways:

~Aid insomnia and promote a restful nights sleep

~Promote relaxation and provide emotional support

~Help to ease side effects of medication, such as fatigue and nausea

~Help to alleviate anxiety and stress

~Help to alleviate some symptoms caused by illness such as pain, constipation and sinus congestion.

From the wonderful feedback we receive from our patients we know one of the most important things they get from the treatments is being able to have time to just close their eyes and step away from everything for a short while. They get their aromastick, if appropriate, before we start so that they can take a few moments to inhale the blend and take themselves to a nice place.

To paraphrase one of my patients, when you are unwell and are in hospital or have hospital visits, there is a lot of touch but, for the most part, it is invasive, can be painful or uncomfortable and something you wouldn't choose, it’s just a necessity. She went on to say how lovely it was to be touched with gentle touch as the intention, given with nothing but good energy and love, and I think this sums it up perfectly..

Working as a complementary therapist in healthcare is something I have always wanted to do since I started my training in holistic therapies and I feel honoured to have been given this opportunity, a rare one in an acute hospital. More usual in a hospice setting and quite often provided by volunteers, which is wonderful that people give up their time to care for others, our service is innovative and hopefully trail-blazing.

As qualified therapists of many years standing I am proud that we are recognised as part of a professional healthcare team and employed by the NHS. We also provide our service to relatives and carers of patients and to staff, and are involved in training volunteers and staff in the CaLMS therapeutic touch hand massage, a treatment developed by our Team Co-ordinator, Sally Chapman.

I went into a career as a therapist because I am a naturally caring person and wanted to help others, this role provides this and so much more..

My time with a patient is a safe space and it’s their time, some just want to relax and be quiet, some want to chat. I’m continually inspired by hearing about peoples lives, the things they’ve done, the jobs they’ve had, their future plans, however limited they may be. I’ve seen some wonderful talents, great artists, fabulous needlework and elaborate knitting and crochet projects, and, as I mentioned at the beginning of this blog, I’ve laughed, of course there’s sadness too, but it’s a privilege to have made a positive difference to someone’s day and to leave them in a better place, whether that’s laughing, asleep or just feeling a bit more at peace.

On a selfish note my role has helped me to put life into perspective because there, but for the grace of God, go any of us.

What is the future for complementary therapies in healthcare?

We have to audit every part of our service, from the amount of treatments we carry out to the feedback we receive and have huge support from the teams we work alongside. As a team we are continually learning, keeping abreast with the latest research and belong to professional bodies and groups that support us in our roles to ensure that we are constantly improving and expanding the service.

My hopes for the future are that the above, together with further research into the benefits of complementary therapy, ensure that this service is recognised as a professional and essential role in other hospitals.

“Touch comes before sight, before speech.  It is the first language, and the last, and it always tells the truth”

Margaret Atwood

Oh, that takes me back..

Why smells ring bells..

We’ve all experienced it, that wave of emotion that can stop us in our tracks when we get a waft of a certain scent.  A strong trigger to a distant memory, someone we’ve lost, our schooldays…

Among my personal memory triggers are Rive Gauche perfume, bought duty free on my first holiday abroad, Nag Champa incense sticks, my childhood home and my mum, and plastic flowers.. a strange one I know, but I had a craft set of these as child.

This sudden and vivid memory triggered by a scent is know as ‘The Proust Effect’, named after the French writer Marcel Proust who coined the term ‘involuntary memory’, the curious phenomenon of a memory triggered by a smell, a taste, or even a sound.

It has been confirmed that scent-triggered memories are often more intense and emotional than those evoked by other senses and this powerful link between memory and smell is not just a random experience but a phenomenon deeply rooted in science.

What happens when we smell something?

When you inhale, airborne molecules bind to receptors in the nose’s olfactory epithelium (nose lining).  These receptors send signals directly to the brain’s olfactory bulbs, which are a pair of nerve cell masses in the brain that process information about smells from the nose.  The olfactory bulbs are part of limbic system - the area responsible for emotions, behaviour and memory.

Unlike other senses, which take a more indirect route to the brain, smell is processed directly in areas like the amygdala, which is linked to emotion, and the hippocampus, which is central to memory.  Since the hippocampus is responsible for long-term memory, smells are frequently stored alongside key life events.  Compared to visual or auditory memories, olfactory memories are less likely to fade over time, this is why smells can trigger vivid emotional responses and bring back detailed memories with such clarity.

Aromatherapy and our wellbeing

Humans are believed to have the ability to distinguish between more than 10,000 different aromas, our ability to perceive odours is so connected to our wellbeing that those who have lost their sense of smell can be more prone to problems such as depression and anxiety.

The entire concept of aromatherapy is rooted in how aromas directly interact with our brains and body chemistry, studies show that inhaling a scent has an immediate effect on the brain’s activity.  Scent's breach the blood-brain barrier, accessing centres in the brain linked to conscious thought, and also reaching the limbic system, the brain’s emotional switchboard, where memory and emotions reside, and impulses such as ‘fight or flight’, nurturing, hunger and arousal are controlled.  The limbic system is also links to hormones.

The quickest way to absorb essential oils is by inhaling their aroma, oils can also by absorbed via the skin during a massage, in a bath or in a cream, both routes allow oils to enter to bloodstream, where their healing properties take effect.  When you combine essential oils with a massage the affects are two-fold, massage in itself can induce a state of deep relaxation, combine this with inhaling and absorbing carefully chosen essential oils, the therapeutic effects of the oils act on the body systems and promote healing.

This connection of smell with our memories and emotions underlines the importance of a full consultation when a client comes for an aromatherapy massage, you won’t be very relaxed if the entire duration of the massage you can smell an aroma you hate or one which has unpleasant memories connected with it!

As aromatherapists we choose our oils for their healing properties appropriate to the client’s concerns as well as blending them for their compatible aromas, our client’s like and dislikes are also taken in consideration, in fact it’s often the case that clients are drawn to an essential oil that suits their needs both physically and emotionally.

Smell, memory and ageing

As people age, they may experience a diminished sense of smell, which can have cognitive and emotional implications.  Studies show that a reduced sense of smell may be linked to conditions such as dementia, in these cases familiar scents can sometimes help people reconnect with their memories and help to enhance their quality of life.  By using scents that evoke positive memories, patients can experience comfort in challenging situations.

The use of scent is an invaluable tool for the caregiver, as part of my work in healthcare we offer patients aromasticks ~ little inhaler sticks with cotton wicks ~the cotton wicks absorb carefully blended essential oils.  As well as blends for de-stress, calming, uplifting, grief and nausea we can make bespoke blends if a patient has specific wants or needs.

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Our brains have crafted this unique connection and, just like the old photographs, tickets and greetings cards in the memory box, allow us the indulgence of nostalgia, make us feel close to loved ones when they are far away or no longer with us and bring us comfort in times of need.

“Perfume is that last and best reserve of the the past, the one which, when all our tears have run dry, can make us cry again”

Marcel Proust