Santah Upneck-Nel

Practice Manager / Massage and Spinal Flow Therapist

Santah has been an enthusiastic Chiropractic patient for over 15 years and is continually learning more about the benefits of being well adjusted.

Originally from South Africa, Santah has a background in coaching children’s sport and her friendly and fun manner keeps everyone around her smiling. Santah has excellent problem solving skills which are put to good use managing the day to day running of the practice.

Santah has been a qualified Remedial Massage Therapist since 2019, allowing us to offer an additional beneficial service to our patients.

She is passionate about spending time with her family, exploring the outdoors and trying new things.

Highly skilled Remedial Massage Therapist Santah Offering:

Craniosacral Therapy – Upledger Institute Certified

Craniosacral Therapy (CST) as a gentle, noninvasive light-touch therapy developed by Dr. John Upledger, which releases restrictions in the craniosacral system (brain, spinal cord, membranes, cerebrospinal fluid) to improve the functioning of the central nervous system, relieving pain, dysfunction, and promoting the body’s self-healing, by enhancing the flow of cerebrospinal fluid and normalizing body structures through subtle touch, often involving less than 5 grams of pressure.

Key Aspects of Upledger CST:

Gentle Touch: Uses a very light touch (under 5 grams) to feel subtle rhythms and restrictions in the body.
Craniosacral System Focus: Works with the membranes and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) surrounding the brain and spinal cord.
Enhances Self-Healing: Aims to support the body’s inherent ability to heal and restore balance.
Releases Restrictions: Addresses tensions and restrictions in the fascia (connective tissue) that affect the central nervous system.
Noninvasive: A hands-on therapy performed with the client fully clothed.

What it Addresses (According to the Institute):

Migraines, headaches, chronic pain.
Central nervous system disorders, traumatic brain injuries, concussions.
Orthopedic problems, sports injuries, PTSD, depression, anxiety.

How it Works (The Philosophy):

Practitioners listen with their hands to detect restrictions and subtle movements.
They facilitate release by following the body’s tissues, allowing it to find its own path to balance.

Myofascial Release

Myofascial massage, or Myofascial Release (MFR), is a hands-on therapy that applies gentle, sustained pressure to release restrictions in the body’s fascia—the connective tissue surrounding muscles—to relieve pain, improve movement, and restore function, targeting tight spots (trigger points) caused by injury, stress, or poor posture. It works by stretching and loosening the fascia, which becomes stiff and restricted, allowing muscles and joints to move more freely and reducing chronic tightness.

What it is:

A form of soft tissue therapy focusing on the myofascial system (muscle + fascia).

Uses light, sustained pressure to release knots, adhesions, and scar tissue in the fascia.

How it works:

Normal fascia is elastic and wavy, allowing smooth movement.
Restrictions (from injury, stress, inflammation) make fascia tight, creating pain and limiting motion.
MFR applies gentle, prolonged stretch to these stiff areas, allowing the fascia to relax and regain its pliability.

Benefits:

Reduces muscle tension and pain.
Increases range of motion and flexibility.
Improves circulation and lymphatic drainage.
Relieves chronic conditions like tension headaches, back pain, and fibromyalgia symptoms.

What to expect:

A therapist will feel for stiff or tight areas in your connective tissue.
They’ll apply gentle, sustained pressure or stretching until they feel the tissue soften and release.
It can be intense but generally aims to restore comfort and movement.

Dry Needling

Dry needling is a therapeutic technique used by trained healthcare providers to treat musculoskeletal pain and movement impairments. It involves inserting thin, solid, stainless steel needles—the same type used in acupuncture—into “trigger points” within muscles, fascia, or connective tissue.

The term “dry” signifies that no medication or fluid is injected through the needle, distinguishing it from trigger point injections or wet needling.

Key Aspects of Dry Needling

Purpose: The primary goal is to relax tight, knotted muscles (trigger points), improve blood flow, and reduce both local and referred pain.
Mechanism: The needle creates a tiny lesion (microtrauma) in the muscle, which prompts the body to send healing cells to the area. It often elicits a “local twitch response” (a quick, involuntary muscle spasm), which indicates that the muscle is responding to the treatment.

Techniques:

Deep Dry Needling: The needle is inserted deeper into the muscle to penetrate the trigger point.
Superficial Dry Needling: The needle is inserted only 5 to 10 millimeters into the subcutaneous tissue above the trigger point.
Pistoning: A technique where the needle is quickly moved up and down through the tissue.
Applications: It is used to treat conditions such as neck/back pain, tension headaches, tennis elbow, sciatica, and muscle strains.
Common Sensations: Patients may feel a muscle twitch, a dull ache, or a cramping sensation during the procedure.

Spinal Flow – Somatic healing

Spinal Flow is a gentle, touch-based therapy based on chiropractic science that aims to release blockages in the nervous system caused by physical, chemical, and emotional stress, allowing the body’s innate intelligence to heal itself. It works by connecting to specific points (Access Points) along the spine to release stored tension, restore the natural flow of spinal fluid, and shift the body from a “fight-or-flight” (sympathetic) state to a “rest-and-digest” (parasympathetic) state, addressing pain, anxiety, and other health issues.

These services are available Monday to Thursday at 2 different practice locations
(Nelson Bay: Tuesday and Wednesday Arvo) Metford Monday Thursday- full day Tuesday Wednesday- mornings only