Seitai/Shiatsu Treatment - Holistic Health Centre Woking 01483 724300

Seitai and Shiatsu are related Japanese manual therapies. In Seitai, treatments tend to be focussed on acupressure points located close to the joints of the BACK, NECK and SHOULDERS. In Shiatsu, treatment tends to focus on the meridians and soft tissues of the arms, legs and trunk.

In seitai and shiatsu therapies, a practitioner’s fingers, thumbs, palms and elbows are used to stimulate points and meridians. In Seitai, the speed and rhythm with which techniques are applied tends to be quicker than the slower-paced Shiatsu technique. Each approach has its benefits and they complement each other well during hands-on treatment.

The decision to use seitai, shiatsu or a combination of both is based on assessment undertaken in initial sessions. This assessment draws firstly, on structural understandings of how joints, muscles and nerves function in stress-free and stressed states; and secondly from Traditional Chinese Medical understandings of how imbalances in internal organ functioning give rise to problems in the more superficial musculoskeletal layers of the body.

At the Holistic Health Centre in Woking, Huw Adams PhD practices seitai and shiatsu. Huw is also a member of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapists.

Treatment takes place fully-clothed on a treatment bench. Clothes should preferably be loose fitting and made of cotton. Please bring these with you.

On your first visit, please arrive 15 minutes early to complete a pre-treatment health screening-questionnaire.

In the first session in order to facilitate accurate observation of postural alignment you might be asked to remove layers of clothing, please bring shorts/vest top/appropriate underwear for this.

Please ensure that you arrive for your treatment having eaten; it is best however, not to have had a large meal immediately prior to the session.

Initial sessions: 50 minutes (+ 15 mins prior to first session to complete health questionnaire)
Follow-up sessions: approximately 40 minutes.

Benefits
Receiving regular seitai/shiatsu can help to relax the body and mind, ease tension and stiffness, improve breathing, posture and circulation, and enhance one’s sense of well being. It can also contribute to any health maintenance practices/strategies already used.

Conditions which have been helped by seitai / shiatsu:

Back, neck and shoulder tension and pain

Peripheral joint pain and reduced mobility

Headaches

Stress related issues: both physical and psychological e.g. anxiety

Chronic conditions: e.g. IBS

(For some chronic conditions needing ongoing treatment seitai / shiatsu can be effectively combined with acupuncture: see www.surreyphoenixproject.co.uk)

For those wishing an introduction to seitai / shiatsu, single general treatment sessions are available. For those with chronic presentations needing an individualized approach, structural and Traditional Chinese Medicine assessments are recommended. This requires 3 sessions. After completing an initial course of 3 sessions, a progress review can be scheduled and if needed further treatment planned. At this stage onward referral to other health practitioners can also discussed if necessary

A limited number of treatment slots are allocated each week for Surrey Phoenix Project patients referred by Susan Adams (Lic. Ac. BSc Hons). Please see www.surreyphoenixproject.co.uk for details.