Feel Better Bristol

26/08/2025

The power of touch ❤️

With Over Two Decades Of Experience, MFR UK Provides In-Person Workshops, Blended Learning Programmes And Online Courses For Professional Therapists Home MFR Qualification Blog Courses & Workshops Available courses and workshops Slovenia workshops Shop Products Online Courses Fascia Focused Rehabili...

09/08/2025

🧠 Could Your Pain Be Neuroplastic?

Many clients who come for Myofascial Release (MFR) therapy have been dealing with persistent pain or discomfort - often in multiple areas of the body - with no clear diagnosis from doctors or medical scans.

The truth? A growing number of these cases exhibit neuroplastic pain - a real and powerful form of pain caused by changes in the nervous system, not structural damage.

The medical world is slowly catching on, but as therapists, it’s our mission to help raise awareness.

✨ Neuroplastic pain often needs a different approach:

💬 Emotional awareness
🧒 Recognising the effects of past trauma
🧘 Stress reduction and nervous system regulation
…NOT necessarily more scans, pills, or surgeries

This great article was written by Dr. David Clarke in the New York Post recently - do have a read if you or someone you love is living with unexplained pain:

👉 5 Sneaky Clues Your Body Is Fighting an Invisible Illness

Zoe is a qualified Level 1 SIRPA therapist, a UK organisation dedicated to helping clients understand and overcome neuroplastic pain.

📞 Book a free call to chat to Zoe about your symptoms - you don’t have to figure it out alone.

08/08/2025

✨ Expanding Our Expertise! ✨

We’re excited to share that Becki is currently studying Somatic Experiencing (SE) as part of a 3-year training course. This transformative approach, based on Peter Levine's teachings, focuses on healing trauma by working with the body’s physical sensations. In working with trauma in this way, we can build resilience in our nervous systems, enabling us to navigate life's ups and downs with more ease.

We can’t wait for Becki to integrate these new skills into her treatments and provide even more comprehensive care to support your healing journey!

07/08/2025

The Mind Matters Cancer Support Day is designed to give you helpful tools and strategies to improve your mental and emotional health. All backed by clinical evidence and delivered by a team of cancer specialists.

Sessions include:
🍋 Good Mood Food
🚶 Movement as Medicine
💬 Cancer Language
⛅️ Nervous System Reset

Book now 👉️ https://pennybrohn.org.uk/our-approach/services/wellbeing-days/

📅 Wednesday 24 September
🕙️ 10am - 4:15pm
📍 Penny Brohn UK, Ham Green House, Chapel Pill Lane, Pill, Bristol, BS20 0HH

06/08/2025

✨ Healing and Learning — A Personal Update ✨

Earlier this month, Zoe competed in the British Open for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Unfortunately, her day on the mats came with an unexpected twist — a joint lock that resulted in significant elbow ligament damage.

While recovery isn’t easy, it’s offers an opportunity to slow down, reflect, and practice exactly what we guide our clients through every day.

Here’s what this healing journey is bringing to light:

💭 Embrace the Lesson – Every setback carries a lesson. This injury has been a reminder to listen closely to the body and honour its pace
🧘‍♀️ Resilience in Tough Moments – True strength is more than the physical. It’s about emotional mindfulness and patience (something Zoe is having to work hard on!)
🌱 Growth in Recovery – Healing isn’t just fixing something — it’s transforming, learning, and evolving
💚 Shared Experience – Whether you’re recovering from surgery, injury, or chronic pain, we’re capable of building strength and resilience from challenge and asking others for help wherever possible

At Feel Better Bristol, we’re dedicated to more than just expert hands-on therapy — we’re on the healing journey alongside you. Zoe is embracing fascia-informed rehabilitation to safely return to the sport she loves, and she’ll bring that personal experience and insight into her treatments.

Healing isn’t just recovery - it offers transformation and growth.

— Zoe (& Becki)
💙 Feel Better Bristol

12/07/2025

What Does Fascia Have To Do with Anxiety?

When you're anxious, your body tenses up.
Muscles tighten. Breathing gets shallow.
And your fascia tightens too.

Over time, this creates restrictions in your connective tissues - leading to more discomfort and stress signals sent to your brain.

🔍 The Science:
Fascia is packed with sensory nerves that help you feel calm (or not).
When fascia is tight, or dehydrated, it may heighten your sensitivity to stress and make it harder to regulate emotions, such as anxious feelings.

✨ Myofascial Release may help:

- Gently unwind chronic tension held in the body
- Improve vagus nerve tone (key for calm)
- Support deeper breathing and better body awareness
- Ease the physical symptoms of anxiety

💬 Want to feel calmer in your body?
Book a free chat to see how myofascial release can support you.

05/07/2025

Fascial Release After Surgery: Can It Really Help?

Surgery is often necessary, but recovery doesn’t always go as smoothly. Many people are left with stiffness, swelling, pain, or tightness around scars, even months after their operation. Gentle myofascial release and scar massage can help 🤲

Backed by research in breast cancer recovery, orthopaedic surgery, and specialist scar therapy, fascial work can speed up healing - safely and naturally

✅ Improve post-surgical pain and stiffness
✅ Reduce swelling by improving lymphatic drainage
✅ Help scars soften and move more freely
✅ Enhance emotional wellbeing & comfort

This approach is especially helpful after:

Breast cancer surgery (including cording and lymph node removal)
Abdominal surgery (e.g. C-section, hysterectomy)
Orthopaedic repairs (e.g. knee, shoulder, or hip surgery)

📍Scar Massage & MFR Therapy in Bristol

Book a chat to ask if it's right for your recovery.

21/06/2025

Feeling stuck in "stress" mode? Your fascia might be trying to tell you something.

Fascia, the intricate web of connective tissue that wraps your muscles, bones, and organs, rich in nerves and sensory receptors, deeply connected to your nervous system.

When fascia becomes tight, dehydrated or overworked, it can signal stress to your brain - keeping you stuck in a state of tension.

Myofascial release gently softens and rehydrates the fascial layers, helping to calm your nervous system and support your body’s shift into 'rest and digest' mode.

The result?
✨ A calmer, more grounded nervous system
✨ Reduced tension and anxious feelings
✨ A deeper sense of safety in your body
✨ Greater emotional resilience

We use this hands-on therapy to support whole-body regulation and healing - far beyond just pain relief.

Your body holds your story. Myofascial release helps you rewrite it.

08/04/2025

Beautiful place to work, when work is also your passion 🥰

21/03/2025

Last weekend, Becki joined Emma and the team at Restore Scar Therapy in London to assist on the Oncology Scar Specialist course.

It was fantastic to see such a strong turnout of professionals from both the NHS and private practice. The growing interest from medical settings highlights the increasing recognition of the importance of scar therapy in cancer recovery.

Did you know scar therapy may:
• Support faster healing
• Reduce the risk of complications
• Improve function in and around scar tissue
• Enhance scar appearance
• Help reduce symptoms of pain and numbness

If you're preparing for, or recovering from surgery and wondering how we can support you, book a free consultation call here:

👉 feelbetterbristol.co.uk/book

For therapists or medical professionals interested in learning more, Zoe will be assisting Emma on the next Oncology Scar Specialist course in Bristol this October – we’d love to see you there!

Photos: attached above - 1st pic the room set up with restore banners, then class action one, then group photo, then teaching crew photo

15/03/2025

🌬️ The Power of Slowing Down Your Breath 🌬️

Take 5-10 minutes today to practice this "4 in and 4 out" breathing technique to regulate your breath, promote relaxation, reduce stress and sharpen focus.

✨ How to do it:

Inhale slowly for a count of 4
Exhale slowly for a count of 4
Repeat!

🕊️ Try adding this simple practice into your day - morning, breaks, or bed. You can also try 6 seconds in and 6 seconds out once that feels easy!

💡 Reflect on how you feel:
Notice changes in stress, focus, or overall well-being after practise. Consistency is key to unlocking long-term calm and focus. Many of us can count our breaths, but can we make it a daily habit to help our everyday function?

📌 Try it today and share your experience in the comments!

10/03/2025

This week we were invited by the lovely to come and speak about the benefits of Oncology Scar Therapy to a cancer support group she runs in Somerset. Here at Feel Better Bristol we are passionate about the positive life changing benefits that can be achieved with scar therapy.
Sadly we all too often hear people leave post surgery without proper advice on how to care for their scar.
Scar therapy can help speed up the wound healing process, lessen the chance of complications and help bring back optimum functionality to the area.
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Do you work in a healthcare setting or for an organisation or group and would like to learn more about the benefits of scar therapy?
If so, do reach out to us Feel Better Bristol to discuss how we can help.