Massage by Marie

05/04/2026

29/03/2026

The Cellphone Elbow: Why Your Pinky Finger keeps Falling Asleep 📱⚡️

Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night with your pinky and ring fingers completely numb, tingling, or feeling "dead"? Or maybe you feel this same burning numbness when you hold your smartphone to your ear for a long call, or when you lean on your desk while working.

Most people instantly assume they have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in their wrist. But if the numbness is strictly isolated to your pinky and ring fingers, your wrist is perfectly fine. The mechanical trap is actually located much higher up—in your elbow. Welcome to Cubital Tunnel Syndrome. Let’s look at the premium 3D anatomical render above to see exactly how you are strangling your own nerves.
The Anatomy: The Funny Bone Cable
Traveling all the way from your neck down to your hand is a massive neurological cable called the Ulnar Nerve (shown in bright yellow). Its job is to provide sensation to your pinky and ring fingers, and to power the tiny muscles in your hand.

However, this nerve has a major design flaw. To reach your hand, it has to travel directly behind the bony bump on the inside of your elbow (the medial epicondyle). This area is commonly known as your "funny bone," but there is nothing funny about hitting it, because the nerve sits right under the skin with almost no protection.

The Biomechanics of the Bend
When your arm is straight, the Ulnar Nerve is relaxed and slack. But when you bend your elbow past 90 degrees—like when you hold a phone, sleep curled up in a fetal position, or lean heavily on your armrests—the nerve is violently pulled tight.

It stretches like a rubber band over the hard bone of your elbow. If you hold this sharply bent position for hours, the continuous mechanical tension cuts off the blood supply to the nerve itself.

The Consequence: The Neurological Chokehold
Because the nerve is stretched and compressed for hours, it becomes violently inflamed (the glowing red zone in the image). Your brain interprets this localized suffocation at the elbow as a loss of signal further down the line. That tingling, numbness, and burning "pins and needles" sensation in your pinky is the literal feeling of a nerve screaming for oxygen. If ignored, the muscles in your hand will physically shrink and become permanently weak.

How to Break the Cycle

The Straight Arm Sleep: Stop sleeping curled up. Wrap a towel loosely around your elbow at night to physically prevent yourself from bending it while you sleep.

Desk Ergonomics: Never lean the inside of your elbows directly on hard desk edges or armrests. You are directly crushing the nerve.

Ulnar Nerve Glides: Don't stretch the arm aggressively. Perform gentle "nerve gliding" exercises (like making an "OK" sign and flipping it like a mask over your eye) to safely pull the nerve through the swollen tunnel.

Stop treating your wrist for an elbow problem! Save this anatomical breakdown, and tag someone who is always on their phone! 👇🧠

27/03/2026

Upper and Lower Crossed Syndromes – What Do They Really Mean?

The terms upper crossed syndrome and lower crossed syndrome are often used to describe common patterns of muscle imbalance that may contribute to pain, poor posture, and movement dysfunction.

Important note:

These are not medical diagnoses, and recent research does not fully support using them as formal diagnostic labels in clinical practice. However, they can still be helpful as communication tools when explaining posture and movement patterns to patients and healthcare professionals.

🔹 What are crossed syndromes?

These concepts were described by Dr. Vladimir Janda in 1987. He proposed that certain muscles tend to become tight and overactive, while others tend to become weak and underactive. This imbalance may lead to altered posture and abnormal movement patterns.

Janda observed two common “crossed” patterns:

✅ Upper crossed syndrome – around the neck, shoulders, and upper back
✅ Lower crossed syndrome – around the pelvis, hips, and lower back

These patterns are mainly seen in the sagittal plane (side view posture).

🔸 Upper Crossed Syndrome

Upper crossed syndrome is associated with a pattern of:

🔒 Tight / overactive muscles:

Upper trapezius

Levator scapulae

Pectoral muscles

Suboccipital muscles

Weak / underactive muscles:

Deep neck flexors

Lower trapezius

📌 This may contribute to:

Forward head posture

Rounded shoulders

Neck discomfort

Shoulder dysfunction

The idea is that tight muscles pull the body into poor alignment, while weaker muscles struggle to provide support and control.

🔸 Lower Crossed Syndrome

Lower crossed syndrome, also called pelvic crossed syndrome, describes a pattern involving the pelvis and lower spine.

🔒 Tight / overactive muscles:

Hip flexors

Lumbar extensors

Weak / underactive muscles:

Deep abdominal muscles

Gluteal muscles

📌 This may contribute to:

Anterior pelvic tilt

Increased hip flexion posture

Increased lumbar curve

Lower back discomfort

In this pattern, tight muscles at the front of the hips and lower back may overpower weaker stabilising muscles, affecting posture and movement efficiency.

Why does this matter?

Even though these terms should not be used as strict diagnoses, they can still help us:

understand common posture patterns

identify areas that may need closer assessment

guide more individualised exercise and rehabilitation plans

The key point is that every person is different. Not everyone with a certain posture has pain, and not everyone with pain fits neatly into these patterns.

Important Point

Upper and lower crossed syndromes are best understood as postural and movement patterns, not fixed diagnoses. They can be useful for understanding how muscle imbalance may influence function, but clinical assessment should always focus on the individual, not just the label.

22/03/2026

08/03/2026

🌸 Happy International Women’s Day!

Today we celebrate the strength, creativity, and achievements of women everywhere. Thank you to all the incredible women who inspire us every day — in business, in families, and in our communities.

Here’s to supporting, uplifting, and empowering each other not just today, but every day. 💜

28/02/2026

It’s a full-on day at Lilleshall National Sports Centre today as Lottie throws herself into English camp training 💪🇬🇧

Early starts, hard work, big goals — and loving every minute of the journey. So proud of her dedication and determination. Keep shining, Lottie! ⭐️

22/02/2026

Half term has been a blast!
Crocodiles of the world, mountain biking, dog walking and splashing in muddy puddles. Spending time together making memories ❤️❤️
I am back in the salon tomorrow (Monday) 💆‍♀️

16/02/2026

I was completely surprised last night when a wonderful client messaged to say she’d made fresh bread and would be dropping some by.

I’m honestly so touched. The smell was incredible, and it’s hands down some of the best bread I’ve ever tasted.

I feel so grateful for the beautiful, kind-hearted clients i have. Thank you for your thoughtfulness — you know who you are 🤍

05/02/2026

02/02/2026

❤️

02/02/2026

💗 Valentine’s Special Treatments 💗
One-to-one care • Calm, private space • Limited availability

This Valentine’s season, take time to relax, reset, and feel truly nurtured 🌹
Perfect for self-love or as a thoughtful gift for someone special.

✨ Valentine Treatment Packages ✨

💞 Deep Relax & Reset
⏰ 60 mins – £55 | 90 mins – £75
• Relaxing back, neck & shoulder massage
• Indian head massage

🤰 Bump & Balance
⏰ 60 mins – £55
• Pregnancy massage
• Reiki

🏃 Active Recovery & Unwind
⏰ 60 mins – £55 | 90 mins – £75
• Sports massage
• Relaxation-based finish

💎 Ultimate Valentine Ritual
⏰ 2 hours – £110
• Back, neck & shoulder massage
• Indian head massage
• Holistic facial including mask

🎁 Gift vouchers available
📅 Valentine appointments are limited — early booking recommended

📩 Message me to book or enquire 💕

Marie - 07951 009082