Useful Contacts and Links :
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Snowline: Chocolate box ski chalets at sensible prices with BA flights, hot tubs, saunas, log fires, ski hosting & private nannies, creative menus and staff who care. |
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RTM Snowboarding: British Snowboarding Instructors based in Courchevel and the 3 Valleys in France. |
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VIP: Designer ski chalets in Zermatt, Val d'Isere and Meribel. BA flights, hot tubs, masseurs, imaginative menus and fine wine. Childcare and outstanding personal service. |
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Circaroma: Product company supplying our massage oils and facial and body products. |
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Fish and Pips: Catered & self catered chalets, only 50m from the piste in Meribel. Small, flexible and personal company with high end service and delicious food! |
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Just Soh: Stay in meribel's finest boutique accomodation. |
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Val d'Isere Location: Fresh and innovative approach to luxury self catering apartments and chalets. We believe in delivering high levels of quality service to our clients. |
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Alpine Escape Ski: Independant luxury catered chalet company in La Tania, The Three Valleys |
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Highlife: Regarded as Ireland’s foremost ski chalet specialist, the company offers a superior chalet holiday experience in Méribel, Morzine and Val d’Isère. |
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Alpine Infusion: Reassuringly exclusive ski holidays at some of the most sought after ski chalets in Meribel at the heart of the 3 Valleys. |
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Independent Luxury: We offer the ultimate flexibility within chalet holidays, the height of luxury whilst in the privacy of your home from home. |
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The Oxford Ski Company: We have been offering the ultimate in luxury tailor made skiing holidays since 1998 across the Alps. |
Useful Information about Treatments:
Massage is derived from the Greek word meaning "to work with the hands, as in kneading dough". Massage is the practice of manipulation of the soft tissues of the body in order to fulfill any of several physical, functional/mechanical, and/or emotional goals. This may be achieved via structured, unstructured, stationary, and/or moving pressure, tension, motion, or vibration — manually or with mechanical aids. The target tissues may include muscles, tendons, ligaments, skin, joints, or other connective tissue, as well as, lymphatic vessels, and/or organs of the gastrointestinal system. Massage can be applied with the hands, fingers, elbows, forearm, and feet and there are over 80 different types of massage. In 1997 there was an estimated 114 million visits to massage therapists. Massage is the most used CAM therapy at 78% in hospitals in the United States and the most cited reseasons for introduction was patient demand and clincal effectiveness. Theories behind what massage might due include, blocking pain signals to the brain (gate control theory), activating the parasympathetic nervous system, stimulating the release of endorphins and serotonin, preventing fibrosis or scar tissue, increasing the flow of lymph, and improving sleep. Possible benifits include flexibility, treating fatigue and tension headaches, temporomandibular joint dysfunction, muscle tension, strain, spasticity and/or contractures, and freeing restrictions between layers of myofascia. Massage can be performed by a professional Massage Therapist, or by other health care professionals, such as Chiropractors, Osteopaths, Athletic trainers, and/or Physical Therapists. Massage therapists work in hospitals, nursing homes, sports and fitness facilities, spas, private offices, and travel to private residences or businesses. Contraindications to massage include, deep vein thrombosis, bleeding disorders or taking blood thiners such as Warfarin, damaged blood vessels, weakended bones from cancer, osteoperosis, or fractures, and fever.
In professional settings, massage involves the client being treated while lying on a massage table, sitting upright in a massage chair, or lying on a pad on the floor. Except for modalities such as Acupressure, Shiatsu, Tui Na, Thai Massage, or Barefoot Deep Tissue, the massage subject is generally unclothed or partially unclothed, also referred to as disrobed, and their body would be "draped" with towels or sheets. The practice of covering the parts of the body that are not being massaged is referred to as draping and its practice varies from one part of the world to another. The client and therapist should discuss the type of treatment expected which includes the intention of the massage (relaxation,invigoration, etc.), preferred techniques, areas to be massaged and to be avoided, and the amount of pressure that is comfortable. Professional massage therapists often gather the patients medical history, informed consent, and data on their current physical condition. There were 15,500 spas in the United States in 2007 with about third of the visitors being men. The number of visits rose from 91 million in 1999 to 136 million in 2003, generating a revenue that equals $11 billion.
The reasons people cite that they use massage are to relieve pain from musculoskeletal injuries and other causes of pain, reduce stress therefore inhancing relaxation, rehabilitate sports injuries, decrease feelings of anxiety and depression, and increase general well being.
Many types of practices are associated with massage they include Bodywork (alternative medicine), manual therapy, and Energy Therapy. Other names for massage and related practices include hands-on work, body/somatic therapy, body-mind integration, and somatic movement education. Body-mind integration techniques stress self-awareness and movement over physical manipulations by a practitioner. Therapies related to movement awareness/education are closer to Dance and movement therapies. Energy therapies such as Therapeutic touch utilize little touch and often work with energy fields around the body. Massage can also have connections with the New Age movement and alternative medicine as well as being used by mainstream medical practitioners.
Osteopathy is an approach to healthcare that emphasizes the role of the musculoskeletal system in health and disease. In most countries osteopathy is a form of complementary medicine, emphasizing a holistic approach and the skilled use of a range of manual and physical treatment interventions (Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine, or OMM in the United States) in the prevention and treatment of disease. In practice, this most commonly relates to musculoskeletal problems such as back and neck pain. Many osteopaths see their role as facilitating the body's own recuperative powers by treating musculoskeletal or somatic dysfunction. According to the American Osteopathic Association, the difference between an osteopath and an osteopathic physician is often confused.[1] In the United States, Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.s) are fully licensed medical physicians and surgeons, practicing in all clinical specialties along with their M.D. colleagues.
Just like M.D.s, D.O.s practice the full scope of medicine, but with an emphasis on the role of the neuromusculoskeletal system. D.O.s practicing in primary care, pediatrics, family, or internal medicine, are trained to have a more empathetic approach to patient care which has awarded them some level of distinction from M.D.s Outside the United States. The practice rights of U.S.-trained Doctors of Osteopathic medicine varies.
Physical therapy (or physiotherapy) is the provision of services to people and populations to develop, maintain and restore maximum movement and functional ability throughout the lifespan. It includes the provision of services in circumstances where movement and function are threatened by the process of aging or that of injury or disease. The method of physical therapy sees full and functional movement as at the heart of what it means to be healthy.
Physical therapy is concerned with identifying and maximizing movement potential, within the spheres of promotion, prevention, treatment and rehabilitation. It involves the interaction between physical clients, families and care givers, in a process of assessing movement potential and in establishing agreed upon goals and objectives using knowledge and skills unique to physical therapists.
The physical therapists’ distinctive view of the body and its movement needs and potential is central to determining a diagnosis and an intervention strategy and is consistent whatever the setting in which practice is undertaken. These settings will vary in relation to whether physical therapy is concerned with health promotion, prevention, treatment or rehabilitation.
Physical therapy interventions may include:
Spinal and extremity manipulation; therapeutic exercise;electrotherapeutic and mechanical agents; functional training; provision of aids and appliances; patient education and counseling; documentation and coordination, and communication. Intervention may also be aimed at prevention of impairments, functional limitations, disability and injury including the promotion and maintenance of health, quality of life, and fitness in all ages and populations.
Some of the conditions that physical therapists manage include:
Back and neck pain
Spinal and joint conditions, such as arthritis
Biomechanical problems and muscular control
Cerebral palsy and spina bifida
Heart and lung conditions, such as chronic obstructive Pulmonary disease and atelectasis
Sport-related injuries
Headaches (cervicogenic and tension-type headache)
Stress incontinence
Neurological conditions, such as stroke and multiple sclerosis |
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