Last week was a tough week for most of us and we didn't escape it either. 

It's hard to comprehend how much life has changed in just 7 days. 7 short days that somehow feel like a lifetime...

Last weekend, after much soul searching, deliberations and anguish over "What's best to do" we decided to close the clinic to face to face appointments, from Monday the 23rd March 2020 until further notice. 

Many factors made it a difficult decision to take. 
At that time, lockdown had not yet been announced.
The General Osteopathic Council had yet to issue clear guidance to Osteopaths.
Allied health professionals (which includes Osteopaths), were being encouraged to keep trading to relieve pressure on the NHS.
We know in our heart of hearts that what we do is supportive to health in all it's manifestation: cellular health, individual, familial, societal and a great contribution to public health. 
We took early decisive actions to make visiting us as safe as can be, and most definitely safer than going to the supermarket.
At that time, no financial support was being offered to the self-employed (Thank you Rishi!)

Yet, we had to stop.

Safety has always and will always be our priority and the one thing we will never compromise on.

We could no longer be sure we were acting in YOUR best interest by staying open, despite being one of the cleanest places in the UK (I'm sure of it!), so we didn't. 
I would be lying if I said I didn't cry as I mopped the floor one last time, inhaled and coughed that last breath of broad spectrum disinfectant, and closed the door behind me one last time. 
It was heartbreaking.
I know it was the right thing to do, I know thousands of small businesses are in the same boat, but it was heartbreaking nonetheless. 

The dust is now starting to settle, bringing some much needed clarity on the horizon.
Information is starting to emerge as to what our role will be in helping people out of this crisis. 
We're starting to find our breath again.... it will be ok.

As we become more comfortable with the discomforts and uncertainties of this new world, we will rise again. We will adapt and find new ways to add value and share our knowledge.

We WILL open our physical doors again, we have contingencies to ensure this, and with your help we will be better than ever before! 

But until then, we are working on opening our Virtual Clinic to ensure we can keep supporting our community at this time of greatest need.... More on this in a later post :)

In the meantime, we want to apologize for all of you who had your appointment cancelled.

We miss seeing our lovely patients already but please bear with us a few more days... Like the Chrysalis transforms into a beautiful butterfly, we too will transform and take flight again!
Just a few more days... :)

Keep your heads up and your hearts strong 

Joelle

Well done on running the Norwich Half Marathon!

Not only for running it but also for doing so in some very challenging weather conditions when most people plainly refused to step out of the house, like my "fair-weather lurcher" Tilly!

Now that the event is over, recovery is the next step and what you do in the next few days will be crucial in helping your body recover. Naturally, your overall fitness level and your running experience will affect your recovery time.


Here's a few tips to look after your sore muscles:

1) Keep hydrated: despite the deluge and cool conditions outside, the physical effort of the race will have cause your body to dehydrate to various degree. Drink small amounts throughout the day over the next few days to help your body re-hydrate. If you still feel a chill in your bones then nice hearty soups and lots of fruit or herbal teas are the way to go!

2) Eat well: Following a race, your body will be busy rebuilding damaged muscle tissues. This is not a time for dieting! Eat a good mix of carbohydrate + protein to maintain blood sugar levels and replenish muscle glygogen.


3) Rest!  Many people make the mistake to "easy run" in the recovery phase but research shows that your body will repair quicker if you give yourself a week's rest. Gentle stretches, easy swimming, cross-trainer, walking and some yoga type of exercise will be your best bet but just enough to warm up the muscles and get some blood flowing. Overdoing it will do you no good whatsoever! 

Lying on the floor with your legs raised up against the wall for a few minutes at the time may also help provide some relief, especially in the first few days after the race. Start easy running again from week 2 and slowly build up the intensity.

4) Get a Sports Massage. Let a professional work your muscles back into shape, release those trigger points and do some good myofascial release work on your achy legs and you'll be ready to go again in no time at all!  

5) Plan the Next Goal. It doesn't have to be another running race but your preparation for the event may have taken a lot of your time & energy and it can feel like a bit of a "downer" when it's over. Do something else, join a fun choir, take up knitting or indeed, start planning the next race! :) 

To help you along with your recovery whilst keeping the finances in check on the lead up to Christmas, we've put together a special offer worth shouting about:

You'll Get: 

1) A Good Sports Massage 
by Sports Massage Therapist & Fully Qualified Osteopath Mr. Alex Sartori

2) A Free Consultation (if you're not already registered with us)


All for Only £27!   (Allow 45 minutes - Regular Price: £45)

As you know, there's always some small prints!:

- Offer valid on Mondays & Saturdays Only
- Bookings are Strictly Limited to 25 on a first come, first served basis.
- "No Shows" or Cancellation within 24 hrs will be invoiced at the Full Regular Price of £45 
- Appointment must take pace before 31/12/2014

Why Wait??? 
Give yourself a "Well Done You" tap on the shoulder and click here: 

All good things come to an end and after 2 years of trading within Thai Herbal Retreat Spa at 8 Ber Street, Norwich City Centre it was time for us to move onto pastures new...  

On the 18th October 2014 we relocated from Ber Street to the gym 24/7 Fitness on Riverside, Norwich. 

Thanks to the friendly and efficient team at Clint's Removal the move was a breeze and watching them at work, you would never have known that a couple of grown men are still having vivid nightmares about trying to maneuver a heavy hydrolic treatment plinth around the narrow stair case of a listed building! 

They made it look effortless.

It's official: Self- moves are NOT worth the effort!

From the 20th of October 2014, we will welcome you from the comfort of our new home at 24/7 Fitness, Wherry Road, Riverside, Norwich NR1 1WX! 

Rest assured, you'll get the same great treatment with a few added bonus:

1) Easier Car Access + Parking 
2) Park in Riverside Multi-Story Car Park and validate your ticket at Reception for up to 2 hours FREE PARKING!
3) NO MORE STAIRS! 
4) Quieter Treatment Room
5) Onsite Rehabilitation Facilities
6) Flexible Appointment Times - we'll shortly release an extended schedule

We've invested in technology to give you even better benefits:

6) Personalized Exercise/ Rehab program
7) Automated appointment reminders 
8) 24/7 Online Booking is Now Available!

We've invested in People:

9) Osteopath Alex Sartori has joined the team and brings with him new therapies (Shiatsu Massage & Sports Massage) and a wealth of knowledge + experience. Joelle is in the process of becoming the first Norfolk based practitioner to be accredited as a Buteyko Teacher, more on that coming soon!
And,

10) We've got a Fresh New Look and a Brand New Website (you've found it!)

In the process, we've had to make some minor adjustments to our professional fees (full details on Fee page) to bring our charges in line with our industry and to better reflect our high level of training.


A wise man once told me: 

    "If you aim at nothing you'll hit it every time and with amazing accuracy!"



We're aiming to be the best and those changes are taking us a few step closer to our goal and we would like to Thank YOU for joining us on our Journey to Excellence!
 
If you can think of anything we could improve on or do differently to deliver an even better experience, we would love to hear it!

Email us (info[at]bodyflowosteo.com) with the subject line: "I've got an idea!"

Thank you for your ongoing support,

The Body Flow Osteopathy Team

Coming soon...