Member Article

Barbara’s good health is proof of the pudding

Barbara Ellis’ health was so surprisingly transformed seven years ago by a short training course that she gave up her job within days of returning to work so that she could devote herself full time to changing the lives of others in the same way.

She then spent four years studying for full practitioner qualifications, gained two further years of clinical experience and has now opened Optimum Health in Ponteland.

It all started in 2007 when Barbara was happily working as a speech therapist in a Northumberland College for young adults with learning difficulties.

Speech therapy is often complemented with sensory integration techniques – touching, tasting, smelling, looking and hearing - to facilitate increased language and communication.

In order to help students via touch therapy, Barbara spent three weeks in Cheltenham on a Chinese Tui Na course – a form of therapeutic massage through clothing that has been used in China for more than 2000 years. She also studied Chinese acupuncture. Because both courses were very “hands-on” and practical, it meant that Barbara was receiving daily Tui Na and Chinese acupuncture sessions.

Although she was relatively healthy and working full time, like many over 40s Barbara had a few aches and pains. In Barbara’s case they had been caused by an ongoing back problem which doctors had dismissed as “all in the mind” so naturally she had chosen to ignore it. However within days of her first tutorial in Cheltenham Barbara started to feel like a new woman.

She says: “I was simply on a course for work and wasn’t expecting anything like this to happen so I couldn’t believe it. I hadn’t realised that I had been in such pain and so tense until the Tui Na massage and Chinese Acupuncture simply removed it. When I arrived back home to Northumberland everyone asked me where I’d been and what I’d had done as I looked so much younger and relaxed! Seven years of study, and now running a business, I don’t look quite so young, but I’m delighted to now be fully qualified in these amazing techniques so I can help other people with similar problems.”

Barbara is a Registered Tui Na Therapist and Master Practitioner in Tui Na, Sports Massage and Acupuncture (all with Distinction). She and her son Alun, also a qualified Practitioner in Tui Na and Sports Massage, recently qualified in the Emmett Technique and have launched Optimum Health in Ponteland. “It’s taken a long time but the seven years of study and experience have all been worth it as I’m absolutely passionate about the fantastic benefits of these amazing techniques that have brought health and wellbeing back into to my life and that of others.” says Barbara.

In an initial consultation, before any treatments, Barbara uses recognised diagnosis techniques including the Posture Pro – a computerised posture analysis and visual imaging tool that can diagnose the sources of pain - and also the Acugraph, which presents a visual representation of energy pathways used in acupuncture and specifies the optimum type and location of treatments to be used.

Both Barbara and Alun also advocate posture training for anyone with undiagnosed pain. Says Alun: “It’s alarming to see how bad posture can have a serious knock-on effect on your overall health. The idea of people walking around with books on their heads is outmoded but in fact it offered a serious health message! We’re keen to demonstrate exactly how bad posture in men, women and children affects their health and how this can be improved. The earlier a posture problem is identified, the more we can do to help but it’s never too late whatever age you are! Your health is amongst your most valued possessions”.

For more information, please go to Optimum Health or call Barbara or Alun on 01661 823333

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Kate Slater .