Sore hips, sore knees!

The knees and hips are two common areas of discomfort in people who sit down for long periods (e.g. at the desk or in front of the TV) and people who participate in physical activity (e.g. cycling or running). There is nothing wrong with sitting down or doing physical activity – both are necessities for our well being – one is rest and one is movement. It’s how you are doing it and what you need to do to make sure you avoid any discomfort from simply resting or moving.

The common symptom one may feel with pain or discomfort in these two areas is an aching, burning or shooting pain down the outside of your thigh and across your knee. Some people also report a feeling of something pulling on the kneecap. This may occur anytime during the day and can also persist throughout your activity. If you have been sitting down during a movie or in front of the TV for a long time, you may find discomfort in your knee or the outside of your thigh as you begin to rise out of your seat.

These symptoms can suggest a tight Iliotibial band (ITB). The ITB is a part of the Myofascial system in our body. This system is the web that holds everything in our body together so we can move efficiently and freely. It exists within and around all the soft tissues in our body from head to toe and keeps them supported so they virtually don’t fall out of place. Without fascia, we would crumble to the ground.

The ITB is the fascia that exists along the outside of your thigh, sealing all the muscles in this area securely. When you are in a healthy state, the ITB permits smooth movement in your thigh and hips so you can carry on pain free. When it becomes tight – as it would with any unaccustomed, prolonged or incorrect movement – the fascia thickens and shortens - thus inhibiting healthy movement in this area (and producing any of the above symptoms mentioned earlier). As the fascia around this area thickens it reduces the amount of blood and oxygen which would normally flow here and consequently deprive the muscle of the nutrition it needs to move, grow and repair. This will result in a nutrient deficient muscle and then the cycle begins. It will become more tense and tighter until something is done to reverse the cycle. Your muscle may begin to spasm (involuntarily contract) continuously until it becomes fatigued. This is a protective mechanism and also occurs when stress is placed upon the body. Another term that you may have heard of is ‘Trigger point’. This is a local tenderness along a tight/taut band of muscle that results from a lack of blood flow and oxygen to the area.

If there is stress in the body (or mind) your nervous system is on ‘over-drive’ and can stimulate the muscle spasms which can lead to the trigger points.  

So there are three (there are more!) measures that can be taken to address the discomfort you are feeling in your hips and knees. Massage and stretching are a great and proven way to promote health in your muscles and fascia allowing ease of movement amongst many more benefits. The third is relaxation. This can be achieved with the above two and thus promoting a holistic approach which is always the better approach.

Massage will release the tension in the fascia and muscle. This will encourage circulation of blood (nutrients and oxygen) to flow efficiently through your muscles and allow them to move, grow and repair to the best of their ability. Massage also promotes warmth in your body – we are warm blooded beings – and with massage we can enhance our body’s natural healing ability.

Stretching your muscles promotes flexibility and elasticity which also allows for efficient circulation and movement. It is important to stretch for these two reasons, especially for healthy movement in your hip and knee areas. These are weight bearing joints and if you experience any tension or discomfort around these areas – chances are you’re not moving to your potential!

Relaxation will clear your mind and reduce any nervous tension.

Less nervous tension = Less muscle spasm = Less pain.

In my clinic I offer massage treatments and also teach stretching – a great way to unwind. If you need help for your hips or knees and would like to make an appointment call 02 92 333 800 and ask for Ricky. You can also email me at ricky@backonyourfeet.com.au

Emotions

Rage, fear, anger, joy, frustration and sorrow. All emotions are expressed uniquely in the human body. We see it every day.  Many people say if you feel good, you look good!

But what happens when you aren’t feeling good? Our bodies are masters at storing memory and these memories allow us to learn and grow as we continue through life’s journey.

In times of stress, we tend to adapt and overcome, which allows us to carry on. A lot of this adaptation can be a result of our state of mind before, during and after this stress. 

If your state of mind is unbalanced and you have thoughts constantly coming and going, not allowing for any free-time inside your head, you may very well be stirring a recipe for muscle or nervous tension, aches and pains in your body.

One of the commonest symptoms in times of busyness, stress or any increase in activity is a sore neck or sore shoulders.  Sound familiar? You may be asking yourself, what have I done to cause this?  Yes you may have moved improperly or lifted too much at a time however, if you were not concentrating or if you were anxious, nervous or even fearful, this would probably have been the cause for your muscle soreness and not the movement.

When any amount or type of stress exists in our mind, messages are sent from our brain to our muscles. Changes taking place in the path from our brain to our muscles involve chemicals being released in our body to allow our muscles to contract. If your mind is crowded and you find yourself always doing something, are anxious or nervous (to name a few), your muscles may always be firing and even though you are not moving, tightness and tension will still be present. Until you address your mind, your muscles will remain like this.

It is important to give yourself free time to relax and recover. This will allow a steady relationship between your mind and body.  Massage therapy has proven well to address emotional well-being and thus benefiting your physical state of health.  If you are in need for some time to let go of your thoughts and would like a massage treatment call 02 92333 800 and ask for Ricky. You can also email me at ricky@backonyourfeet.com.au

Balance - Don’t lose yours!

Do you have trouble keeping your balance, be it in sport or just general day to day movement?  You may be experiencing muscular imbalance.

Muscular imbalance can be a predisposing factor in instability in dynamic and static posture. The consequences can lead to not reaching your optimal performance in executing a skill, or commonly seen today pain or stress in your ankles, knees, hips, spine or shoulders.

We’ve all heard or have even said ourselves “I have one leg shorter than the other” There are two categories this can fall under: Structural (being born this way or having a structural component altered by means of surgical intervention) or Functional (a result of a movement pattern that has been adapted to suit your environment). Many of us due to our lifestyle fall under the second category.

The more important thing here is to understand what is happening within our body mechanically and how it can affect us in the short and long term. I’m not only talking about the above mentioned activities, but in all our day to day motions at work rest and play.

So what (dys)functional factors can lead to muscular imbalance?

1. Under-activation of our core muscle group

2. Prolonged repetitive movement e.g. Typing at your computer

3. A tendency to lean on one leg instead of standing equally on two

4. Infrequent stretching to allow for overall flexibility

5. Improper technique when performing a skill

6. Any type of injury that has lead to prolonged rest or a change in your natural movement

7. Repetitive lifting i.e. shopping, heavy objects at work, using one arm instead of two.

8. Conditioning only the same muscle groups at the gym e.g. only doing push-ups, bicep-curls or bench-press and not doing any exercise for your back. Or only exercising for your upper body and not your lower body. This could be why you experience back pain.

When our body begins to experience imbalance; changes in strength, endurance, power and quality of movement (to name a few) occur.  All of these qualities can affect your ability to simply balance in your sport or day to day movement. Without balance, all of these qualities mean nothing.  Certain muscles may shorten and thicken, causing their opposing muscles to forcefully lengthen in an attempt to counteract the changes happening in your body. As you feel the symptoms kicking in it then becomes a vicious cycle between the two muscle groups until something is done to help it.

One of the key symptoms that may help you recognise muscular imbalance is that you may always be feeling tension or pain in the same muscles. 

Massage therapy can help release these tense and painful areas to help restore balance in your body.  It will address your posture and movement patterns and design an effective treatment for you. If it’s been a while or you’ve never had a massage treatment let me work with you to help improve your ability to balance. Call 02 92 333 800 and ask for Ricky or email me: ricky@backonyourfeet.com.au

Cold hands and feet, what to do?

Well, the colder seasons are creeping up now and already we are feeling the coldest temperatures for the year. Well, at least that's what the news is saying. People are starting to layer up with thicker jumpers, thermals and warmer pants. Let's face it, summer is over for now.

So, what else comes with cold weather? runny noses, sore throats, aching muscles and lots of shivers! 

Our bodies are warm blooded, so for the warmer seasons, that's great, but when autumn and winter settle in our bodies need to work harder to keep our body systems regulated. To do this, we need to generate more energy to meet higher demands. One reason it's important to be eating the right foods this time of year! 

One of the more important systems around this time is our immune system and its important role in keeping us on our game. Consequently from the colder weather and winter chills our body functions slowly and takes longer to move things around.  That's right, when you catch a cold, it takes more than one day to get rid of it. For some of my clients... Two weeks can do the job. 

Circulation is important now and blood is rich in nutrient, oxygen and water. Blood is transferred all around the body and our muscles are on high demand for this most important substance. It provides our muscles with the source required to produce the force we need to perform our daily activities. What would we do if we didn't have the energy needed to get up out of bed?

So what happens when circulation to our muscles is reduced? When our muscles are depleted of blood and its important properties their ability to contract and produce a force is limited and at worst inhibited. Consequently our level of strength is reduced and we wouldn't be able to work at the same intensity as before and also for the duration in time.  How much easier is it to warm up for sport in summer or spring compared to Winter?

  

 Your muscles rely on good circulation to grow, repair and function. There are 3 types of muscle tissue in the body:

1. Skeletal muscle - For movement (and several other roles below)

2. Cardiac muscle - found in the heart

3. Smooth muscle - found in the digestive system to move food along.

In the scope of massage, we directly treat the musculoskeletal system. Additionally, we stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system and this allows for your body to enhance its ‘self-healing’ process. This is commonly known as the ‘rest and digest’ system. We all know not to run around straight after we eat a meal.

It's important to know that our musculoskeletal system has several functions:

Locomotion, Dynamic and static postural support, Thermoregulation, support of our skeletal structure, assisting in shock absorption, producing force, resisting force, directional change, protection of vital organs, respiration, muscle tone.

The musculoskeletal system, with all of these functions has a vital role in maintaining our well-being. Amongst the postural and movement benefits, the importance in supporting our immune system should always be considered.  Movement, moves things around and that is one (important) way to eliminate unwanted and foreign substances from our body, keeping our system a continuous flow which allows us to grow and adapt to changing environments.

Particularly now, is when I see more muscular tension than I do any other time of the year. Mainly, because of the body’s attempt to keep warmth ‘in’ and coldness ‘out’. You may have also experienced muscular aches and pain when you have caught a cold. This is not uncommon when you are ill. Massage is an ideal way to help prevent and also enhance your body’s ability to deal with these symptoms.

The benefits of massage are beyond improved movement, but also improved immune functioning and more importantly a sound mind. However, amongst healthy movement is a healthy diet and the two complement each other. In my practise to relieve tension I encourage people to eat more green leafy vegetables as they are rich in magnesium - great for relieving muscular tension and assisting in your circulation. For those who aren't keen on vegies, magnesium supplementation is a safe alternative, which is available in my clinic. 

Give yourself the time you need, stay warm and eat well, sleep well, play well and work well. 

If you need a massage (you deserve one) book in to see me at Back on your feet in Sydney cbd . To make an appointment please call (02) 9233-3800. 

Low back pain

Do you experience low back pain but aren’t sure why?  Have you struggled to reach the end of the day at work, or had to push through the final stages of your exercise program because of this pain?

In the scope of massage one of the commonest causes that I come across, for tension or pain felt in the lower back region is due to muscular imbalance, postural dysfunction and/or incorrect movement. This can be accompanied with pain from muscle, neuromuscular and/or joint structures.

Our spine is connected to our hip at the sacrum, making the sacroiliac joint.  To allow for smooth and efficient movement through this joint, muscles responsible for flexion, extension and rotation (all movements in the spine and hips) to any degree need to be balanced in their ability to lengthen and shorten simultaneously.  

To control these movements a group of muscles known as the ‘core’ muscles exist. Their role in preventing injury and allowing for smooth, optimal movement in our trunk and our limbs is vital. 

Underactivity or inhibition of this muscle group can reposition your hips to sit improperly and can lead to any of the symptoms you may be feeling in your low back region, especially if it becomes an on-going change.

The two important core muscles (there are more) that provide the fundamental structure you need to move efficiently, optimally and to help prevent injury and pain are your transverse abdominis muscle (not your six pack) and your pelvic floor muscle group. 

In my clinical experience most people have ‘heard’ about the core, but aren’t exactly sure of how to ‘switch it on’.   

Massage therapy will address your low back pain by assessing your posture to find out the associated muscles linked to your symptoms.  An important consideration in treating your low back pain is your flexibility. If you aren’t a frequent stretcher this can overload your muscles ability to help you carry out your daily activity. By also observing your technique in specific activities you do throughout the week I can give you useful tips on how to improve your movement.

If it’s been a while since you have had massage and you are suffering from low back pain give me a call before it becomes a chronic condition. I may be able to give you some exercises as well.  Please phone 02 92333800 and ask for Ricky.