tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68372414551839595412024-02-07T21:00:27.205-08:00Orthopedic Massage GuideA Orthopedic Massage blog for Manual therapists. Orthopedic manual work is more than just massage, it is a way to assess, test, and structure work to get medically relevant results. I will discuss step by step treatments, how to's, and information I have learned working in the medical industry as a medical massage therapist, a prenatal care expert, and as an orthopedic manual worker. Information might range from really basic to advanced...we all are on our own journey.
By Beret KirkebyAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03068770552816262050noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6837241455183959541.post-41983789379373720872014-10-12T12:30:00.000-07:002014-10-12T13:03:21.534-07:00Orthopedic Massage....What are we doing. <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">
So this post is inspired by my frustration at some of the myths that perpetrate the massage industry through poor education, misinformation, poor training and subsequently are passed on to the general public. Orthopedic Massage is a science based practice based largely on evidence. While our understanding of what exactly is happening during treatment sometimes is incomplete, we try very much to keep within the boundaries of plausible science. As new information comes out we adapt and keep moving. Here are some of the tenets my practice as an orthopedic therapist is based on.</div>
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1.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span>While we use physical assessment during our intake, that assessment is primarily concerned with postures that avoid pain and general notation of physical differences. Our treatment is not based on fixing, changing or improving posture. Structure does not always follow function. People can have poor posture and no pain or poor posture and pain. Unless a posture has been adopted to avoid pain and gives information about the causality, then it has little bearing on treatment. It is merely something to note. On the same token, imaging also has little information to lend to this people without pain are riddled with so called dysfunction. This does not mean we ignore it, but it is not absolute. </div>
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2.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Homeostasis happens whether you are there or not. Most conditions are self resolving, we cannot change the body, what we can do is set the ideal conditions for change, and interact with the nervous system in such a way that we try to communicate that the crisis is over. </div>
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3.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Pain is neurogenic and an output of the brain. Pain is one of the body's few ways of communications with you, but that communication does not always mean damage. Some of the few areas of research that have been confirmed tell us that touch does help with pain mediation. We touch with the understanding we are not 'fixing' but more likely influencing processing.</div>
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4.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Nothing in the body goes to waste, there are no toxins or buildups of lactic acid that need to be dealt with through manual therapy. Lactic acid is an important chemical necessary for long term metabolism, and even your earwax is an mild insecticide.</div>
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5.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Other than scar tissue, which is slightly less functional than regular tissue and produced by inflammation, there are no adhesions in the traditional sense that need to be broken down. It does not make sense that our body would just ‘gum up’. The natural movement of the body resolves most issues. Areas that are shortened should be approached from a neural perspective. </div>
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6.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span>The body heals itself through it’s natural movements and function. The heart alone is not responsible for pumping all of the blood through the body, muscle pumping also aids, which is why movement is so strongly tied to our health.</div>
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7.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span>The likely hood of benefit, is always greater if the body is in control rather than a passive operation.</div>
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8.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Techniques where you ‘re-damage’ tissues in order to promote healing such as frictions are outdated. </div>
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9. Stretching is not actually lengthening muscles, but conditioning them to the feeling of length. In muscle tonicity there is relaxed and contracted. (please see pain in neurogenic)</div>
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10.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Ice is an analgesic…it is not for swelling. RICE is made for emergency care to help manage pain and fluid soon after injury. There has been some confusion about this lately, as new information has come out the effect of ice on capillary beds. However, if you just got hit in the head with a hockey puck, please follow your protocol of RICE until an emergency worker arrives, nothing about emergency protocol has changed. Inflammation in general is not bad for you, it is part of the natural process of healing. Ice is also contractile so if you are applying ice to something that hurts, think about why your applying it, because it is also contracting the muscles in the area. </div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">And this I am </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">throwing</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"> in on principle...you do not need water after a massage, but it is nice!</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Marketing based on poor </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">scientific</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"> conclusion about manual therapy, that makes the patient think there is something wrong with them that may only be fixed though intervention, is far more damaging that the problems they seek help for. Absolutely patients need a care continuum in their health care that involves manual therapy, but i</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">f we are not treating posture, imbalance, adhesions or muscle length, it might be hard to understand what we are doing.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"> And while the question remains open on a biological level as to what is happening step by step, I view my job as an orthopedic therapist as that of a facilitator. I move people in a relaxed state, through the use of skin/muscle stimulation and passive, active and resisted ranges of motions while giving a safe place to explore and educate about mild to medium level pain. For many people this increases their range of motion and decreases their pain on the table, as well as off, which allows them to get back to moving in ways that are normal for them. </span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 16.8666667938232px;">Because </span><span style="line-height: 16.8666667938232px;">Orthopedics</span><span style="line-height: 16.8666667938232px;"> is mostly </span><span style="line-height: 16.8666667938232px;">concerned</span><span style="line-height: 16.8666667938232px;"> with increased ROM, we are looking at measurable results, that bring us away from more CAM practices. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 16.8666667938232px;">Find out more about Orthopedic <a href="http://www.bodymechanicsnyc.com/" target="_blank">Massage in NYC</a></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">-- </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03068770552816262050noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6837241455183959541.post-71599084087618227632014-06-30T12:04:00.003-07:002014-07-01T04:48:14.023-07:00Treating Plantar Fasciaitis In this post we are going to talk about an orthopedic massage treatment for Plantars fascitis. Before we get down to the nitty gritty, however I want to discuss the pathology on the whole. <br />
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Plantar fasciitis has been previously classified as an inflammatory condition, hence the 'itis' at the end of the name. The literal translation of the medical language is foot part inflammation. Recent studies have concluded that its not really an inflammatory condition at all. Its is very important to understand however in treating this condition, that while it is not an inflammatory condition itself, there may be inflammation present especially post exercise or you may cause inflammation by working on it. Not being classified as an inflammatory condition does not exclude it from inflammation.<br />
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Clinically in my experience with <a href="http://www.bodymechanicsnyc.com/#!sports-massage-nyc/c4dp" target="_blank">sports massage</a>, it has turned into a bit of a blanket term meaning pain in the bottom of the foot. The classic presentation is specifically pain in the AM after the tissue has contracted over night, however I have frequently had people come in with diagnosis from physicians where pain is during exercise or after only. If you are treating plantar fascia you also need to be aware of the risk of heel spurs and their contraindications.<br />
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People who have started training programs, had a recent weight gain, are pregnant, work standing all day, are logging a lot of miles, and who have inflammatory conditions are all at risk for Plantar fasciitis. Plantar fasciittis is one of the most common foot complaints. Technically what is happening is the plantar fascia is being over stretched or over taxed for a number of reasons and is tearing at the most delicate part of the connective tissue in the leg, the plantar fascia. Tears can be small and irritating or in the worst case scenario, a full rupture. <a href="http://bodymechanicsnyc.blogspot.com/2013/09/it-is-running-season-how-about-little.html" target="_blank">You can find out more about plantar fascia in my brief description here.</a><br />
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For the purposes of this treatment we will be treating as if we have performed a full body treatment with the focus on the lower leg. In progressive treatments I would then do a full body with the focus on the leg above the knee as well, and then a full body with the focus on treating plantar fascia at the hip...etc. Plantar fascia is rarely a foot problem, however it has been my experience that patients get the most initial relief from treating the lower leg, so that is where we will start.<br />
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Start your client in prone and with general Swedish massage. When ever possible I try to mix in as much general treatment as possible so that the client can benefit from the systemic benefits of massage as well as the focused ones. As you work towards the legs be aware of what you are touching, feel for anything that seems tighter or ropy-ier than it should be. Use this extended Swedish time as a palpitation exploration and add it to your full assessment. You are always going to start on the side with less pain so you can have a comparison of that persons 'normal' to dysfunction. Between each larger technique, I always return to Swedish massage to assess and sooth the tissue. <br />
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Once you have reached the lower leg warm the tissue with Swedish work. After the tissue has been warmed, then move to deeper work such as trigger point and deep tissue on the whole of the lower leg structures. At this point, move to passive active release moving laterally to medially via anatomical structures. Starting at the peroneus muscles, anchor into the tissue with a thumb/finger/elbow at the origin and move the structure through its range of motion. Work down the whole length of the muscle doing this passive active release. (in some cases I would do this for gastrox and solus as well but usually I progress to straight active release)<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/lFYvm0BYXdk?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Now that the client knows the motion of the peroneals, I as them to take the motion over on their own. As they evert/invert I again work my way down the length of the muscle, stopping of course for any thing that causes too much pain or discomfort. All motions and pressure are to remain within clients comfort level. After working the peroneals, then move onto the gastrox and solus active releases in the same manner. Start at the proximal attachment and move distally towards the Achilles. You can access deep into the muscle bellies from the sides and from the center of the tissue. Here is a video to help understand the process. Its important to note that at some points of the ROM in the active release there may be discomfort. That is fine, the client is in control of the motion and ask them to move slowly and carefully expressing that you will not increase the pressure. <br />
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Using active release as the massage allows greater muscle pumping properties to the tissue, helps approximate muscle length and through conscious movement helps the client be more aware of movement patterns. It also puts the client in control of work that could be quite sensitive otherwise.<br />
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After the active release has been performed, and the client can move through the range of motion pain free, I move on to stretching. Using a number of different kinds of stretches is very helpful in when treating plantar fasciitis because each muscle presents its own challenges. For both gastrox and solus I use a pnf version of stretching. I stretch them separately, by putting them into their lengthened position and having the client resist the stretch for the count of 10, and then repeat that cycle until the desired length is achieved. For both tibialis posterior and the peroneal muscles I do the same, although much more delicately. You of course to do this must know exactly what the action of the muscle is. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMiQfLfg3nyFYhaIkByH12b5oq9R2YlzJUphwL0xRIOq7XzvBJyfgaZGowjUyk6IHE1zLxkiwdtW-q2bQtTfuUtTc5eTvY8Xr0vTDY6QNgSoigkxdqZq7Fo7RuvCCO2fpr14EbS-ZPdAPU/s1600/bowing.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Bowing the achilles " border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMiQfLfg3nyFYhaIkByH12b5oq9R2YlzJUphwL0xRIOq7XzvBJyfgaZGowjUyk6IHE1zLxkiwdtW-q2bQtTfuUtTc5eTvY8Xr0vTDY6QNgSoigkxdqZq7Fo7RuvCCO2fpr14EbS-ZPdAPU/s1600/bowing.JPG" height="200" title="" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">S curve bowing of the achilles</td></tr>
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After the active stretching I move on to stretching the tissue manually with fascia work and bowing. Sometimes because a client has a bone structure that prevents full ROM this is the most effective way across the board, however the calves on the whole are very strong muscles, my strength can never compare to theirs so using the clients own power is always safer and more effective generally as a means of tissue movement, which is why I perform both active release and fascia work. For this I manually pull the bulk of the muscles away from the bone, by anchoring the ankle and pulling the tissue towards or away from me in long steady movements. Sometimes it can be helpful to do this through a hot wet towel. In fascia work this would be a form of bowing. At the achilles I can bow laterally, medially or both in an s curve. <br />
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Once the calf work is completed I work around the heel, you can work around the heel with your fingertips encouraging the tissue towards the site of the pain. In school I learned then to do deep work on the plantar fascia at the site of pain, but have since abandoned that technique as too painful and too risky to the tissue. Clients would literally sweat on the table as you put the foot into flexion and dug away at the tissue. Instead I recommend this technique which is a variation of the work with the foot in flexion but far less painful.<br />
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Drop the foot off the table in prone so that the toes hang off . The heel will be just about level with the edge of the table. Stand so that you are facing the end of the table and the clients feet. Squat down or kneel so that you are not using strength, but body mechanics and grasp the heel firmly with both hands and with medium pressure pull the foot into flexion and drag the tissue down. It is important to note I am not rubbing the surface of the skin but, letting the skin move me towards the toes.<br />
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After all of these steps are completed I would close with Swedish massage working my way back up the leg and moving onto the next side. Once that side is completed I would ask the client to turn over and work the anterior lower leg muscles in the same fashion, following the same protocol, of Swedish, active and stretching. In my clinic we would also follow this up with a supportive taping for that plantar fascia.<br />
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For many people the initial treatment will bring considerable relief if the diagnosis is correct, however the condition is not 'fixed'. It is very important to continue maintenance, change behavior, and seek help in the form of strengthening. Any time the body lays down splinting or pulls tight in this manner its usually looking for extra support and you have to ask yourself 'why?'. Giving your client a home care plan that works for them is also very important. Most people get stuck with plantar fascia issues because they are treating the plantar aspect rather than the problem, and only taking preventive measures, such as wearing a night sock. Full treatment constitutes a change in behavior, strengthening, manual therapy and a good home care program. <br />
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For more information on <a href="http://www.bodymechanicsnyc.com/" target="_blank">sports massage or orthopedic massage</a> you can visit us at<br />
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NY, NY 10017<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03068770552816262050noreply@blogger.com2Body Mechanics Orthopedic Massage NYC40.7127837 -74.00594130000001840.3275957 -74.651388300000022 41.0979717 -73.360494300000013tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6837241455183959541.post-30713115621051143422014-05-29T13:47:00.000-07:002014-05-31T06:24:10.926-07:00Being effective in Acute and Subacute states of healing. If you are working with people in pain one of the worst things you can do as a therapist is be ineffective, but how do you be effective when your patient is in a stage of healing where you cannot use deep pressure or move their limbs around? Its easy to treat low back trigger points when you can apply some pressure, but what about when you can't?<br />
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This blog is devoted to something I do a lot of: working in the acute/subacute stage of healing. In school for orthopedics, we were taught that working in acute was cautioned, and that you were to use techniques such as lymphatic drainage, and working compensatory muscles (which for many therapists translates to 'far away from the injury') to treat patients while managing their expectations. And all of that is still true, however there is a lot more you can do too. These guidelines are taught with public health in mind, and by no means am I recommending that you blow by them, however it after you have been working for a while you might find that there are some other things that you can do as well. They don't break the rules, they just can't be explained in the rule because it would leave to much of a grey area open in treatment. Today we will look at low back as an example and in the next blog at the knee.<br />
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First off get your thinking cap on. Try in your assessment to separate the injury itself from the symptoms of the injury. Every injury has a symptom picture, however some of the aspects of the the injury are more secondary reflexes the body uses to protect and heal itself. Lets look at an example:<br />
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A client comes in with low back pain, slightly left of the spine at the SI joint. Yesterday, they were lifting an object and turning at the same time, and they felt a click in the left low back and now they cannot move. You are reasonably sure based on the symptom picture that they have sprained or subluxed an SI joint, but of course they can't move to do special testing. Palpating the site reveals there is heat over the joint but no palpable swelling and the low back is pretty fixed and seems splinted, as do the gluts. Other than the pain, there are no CI's and they called their doctor and said it was fine to have a treatment.<br />
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So now what? Well for me the splinting and the actual injury are two separate things. The injury is that the joint has moved out of place and it might still be out of place. The side effect of this injury is that the body neurologically saying "oh boy, things are really unstable, we had better build some more structure for this guy fast or things might fall apart". Most of the pain is actually caused by the splinting pulling on the injured joint.<br />
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To treat this type of injury, I start by making a plan based on the injury. In this case it's that swollen hot joint that is being pulled on by gutes, quadratus lumborum, and the psoas/iliacus. Reducing the splinting would help take the tension off the joint, lower the tone of the fascia, and allow fluid movement in the area to boost healing. But all my text books say don't manually remove splinting by force. So now what?<br />
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First I would try and get the tone down by working compensatory. Managing pain is awful; it stresses the body out and often leads to more pain. Getting your client into a relaxed state through working the cervical muscles is a great start. You can do this in prone so that you client does not have to roll over on the table. focus on getting the shoulders to relax and the scalenes moving. This will signal to the body that its not time to 'fight or flight' this should help not just relax the tone, but also reduce the pain.<br />
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Continue with your treatment working towards the site of the pain, in this case that is the whole lower back. As you get to the site of the splinting you will have to switch to lymphatic work. If you don't have lymphatic training, you can substitute it with very gentle and slow feather light gliding touch over the skin. While you gently massage, you should be assessing the tone. You will probably notice while you are working in this area that although your client is breathing (I hope;) the low back and gluts are not moving much. When you watch your client breathe, the chest goes up, but the air stops in the thoracic spine. This is due to the splinting, and while you, as a therapist, should not attempt to remove this manually, the patient can remove it on their own, thereby lowering their own tone, activating the normal muscle pumping and relieving some of their pain.<br />
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I want to stress that during this process your job is not to apply pressure in anyway, your hand contact is only enough to palpate the muscle, to cue the client as to where the air should move, and asses the tone. Placing your finger tips on the lateral edge of quadratus lumborum (make sure its the side of the muscle not downward) palpate just deep enough to feel the muscle, your client should feel no pain at your touch. Then ask your client to take a long slow breath. If the air does not move down to where the lower back expands, que them by saying, "I want you to breath into where my hand is". As they breathe in and out, slowly expanding the area, you will likely notice that the tone in the low back falls as does the pain level. This process could take up to five minutes on each quadratus lumborum. This same technique can also be used along the iliac crest (or any area where the client can move air such as the cervical spine)following the line of the top the glutes as the pelvic floor and iliac spine are also affected by breathing. If at any time your client responds with pain, immediately discontinue. For some cases I will aso put a pillow under the stomach to limit the amount of belly expansion and increase back expansion. Never push the client past where they want to go, at all times they should be in control of this activity.<br />
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What is happening? A few things actually. In one sense maybe you are doing nothing, but your clients slow steady breathing stimulates the parasympathetic system, and it reduces the symptoms by proxy. Secondarily, sometimes pain is manifested due to immobility. Your body uses immobilization in order to protect injured parts and when it proprioceptively realizes an area is not moving, it sends a signal back up saying "hey this bit is damaged, its not moving at all, we had better produce some pain so this guy knows not to do anything stupid". Getting the air to move normally in that area signals the start of movement and so leads the body to believe that things are on their way to ok. And lastly, your lymph system and some of your circulatory system, whether you know it or not, is driven by muscle pumping. When you approximate the air flowing into an area, you are also working the fluids like pumping a bellows, which is how the body in the end will heal itself.<br />
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If you are at all confused about a symptom picture, anything red flags, or feel in anyway unsure, always refer out. I find it extremely helpful to be as upfront with subacute clients that walk through the door by managing their expectations. During the consent I will almost always say something along the lines of "it sounds like _____ is happening, but I am not a doctor. We have to treat conservatively until you find out exactly what is going on. We can probably get you more comfortable while you wait however". Usually if it was nothing that serious, you have helped them a great deal and the next time you see them it will be to finish up the work that is headed for chronic. If the problem has not subsided, you have done no harm but performed your job as a supportive healthcare provider, by encouraging them to get a diagnosis from a qualified professional. Good luck!.<br />
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For more information about orthopedic <a href="http://www.bodymechanicsnyc.com/" target="_blank">massage therapy</a> please visit our website<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03068770552816262050noreply@blogger.com4New York, NY, USA40.7056308 -73.978003540.3204428 -74.6234505 41.0908188 -73.3325565tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6837241455183959541.post-73041741854106426102014-03-11T14:53:00.000-07:002014-03-11T15:07:40.643-07:00Orthopedic Massage Therapy Treatment for Bursitis. <div class="MsoNormal">
So this weekend as the cold temperatures finally broke, I
decided to hit the pavement for a run and enjoy the beautiful weather. The only
problem is I actually hit the pavement.
Two miles from home, I tripped over a grate, and pitched forward.
Failing to get my hands up in time, I landed square on my knee cap. Technically
it would be the medial base of my patella, which slammed the apex into the
patellar tendon and underlying bursa
with tremendous force. It was excruciating. Over the following few days, I have
had pain on quads contraction, swelling around and below the patella, and low
back pain due to the gait change. Given my current condition, I thought I would
take this time to do some bursitis treatment and review.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A Bursa is a fluid filled sac that is often found in the
body that buffers surfaces that might otherwise cause too much friction, thus
damaging the body as one structure passes over the other. They are usually
found in joints, where a tendonous attachment has to pass over a bony
prominence. The knee has many bursa, due
to its complexity, as does the hip at the greater trochanter and ishial
tuberosities, and the Achilles at the point of attachment to the heel etc.
Almost anywhere you find a bony prominence and tendons you will find a bursa.
To visualize how it works it is something like this.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dympLUBP29vVSvgHKmoTyWJksO75oHhnk3uDx3Fd0XQdkuBPjFb3MjMyYlAmjt1nbPsjIDLv31W8fHYK1jeSA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In a clinical setting, bursitis can often be confused with tendinitis,
and they are actually pretty similar. Tendinitis is the inflammation of the
tendon sheath, which is a similar structure to the bursa. But rather than being just under the tendon,
a tendon sheath wraps around the whole structure to provide a similar function.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Both tendinitis and bursitis can be caused by over use,
which means that the ‘sac’ has become inflamed.
Bursitis however is often characterized by an impact to the overlying
structure, the trauma of which causes swelling and inflammation. In some cases antibiotics or anti-inflamitories
might be used, depending on the severity of the case.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In clinical evaluation, clients will have pain on movement,
the muscles around the area may be splinted, and heat and tenderness might be
but are not necessarily present. In
cases such as the knee, the bursa can sometimes be seen as it puffs out around
the patella. However, if the bursa is
under many layers of muscle, such as at the greater trochanter, it might not
be, so it is often misdiagnosed. Taking
a good subjective client history can help to determine what you are really
dealing with, as it can inform you to activities that would point one way or
the other. Did your client recently fall? Is he/she an athlete that uses a
repeated motion? <br />
<br />
Following that up with
your objective ROM, and muscle testing,
will further confirm your analysis.
Active resisted testing of the suspect structure is extremely helpful. Tendinitis
usually has a pain response that is constant on active resisted exercises such
as “speed tests”, and while bursitis also reports pain on active resisted, the
pain increases with contraction as the structure continues to contract over the
bursa. It’s necessary to be clear that the pain is where the bursa is located,
not in the joint or referral. It’s also relevant to use a pain scale to chart the pain
increasing with contraction. <br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Once you have assessed that you do have a case of bursitis,
rather than joint pain or tendinitis, treatment through massage is extremely
helpful. For the purposes of this treatment
we will look at bursitis of the knee in sub-acute and then add on a few chronic
suggestions.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Like all other orthopedic
treatments, bursitis of the knee begins with your assessment of the
primary injury and also the compensatory ones. In this case the low back is
irritated by the antalgic gait (a form of stride shortening due to pain). We
are going to work general to specific, starting on the opposite side of the
injury. That means I am starting on the back in prone position or the low back
first (depending on your time constraints) and on the low back side that is not
in pain. In order to perform this safely
without aggravating the bursa further while the client lies face down, you
would pillow the affected knee so that it does not make hard contact with the
table. I usually use a pillow under the
hips with multiple leg bolsters. After
treating the low back with massage, trigger point and whatever else was in your
general treatment plan, you would move next to the posterior aspect of the
unaffected leg, which has likely been overworked to compensate for the leg with
the bursitis. Next you would move to the
posterior aspect of the, affected leg, paying special attention to the
structures that cross the knee. Hamstrings, gastrox, and ITB are all suspect to
have pain and dysfunction because they, like the patellar tendon, cross the
knee and are either getting too much movement, or too little, while the body
protects that bursa.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At this point you would have your client move carefully to
the supine position, once again pillowing them for comfort. Next you would want
to treat the front of the unaffected leg in the same way you normally would. For
the affected leg, you will want to work toward the bursa using general massage
techniques. Be careful not to apply too much pressure to structures that could
compress the bursa, such as quads (and ITB by torquing the knee). Gentle
stroking techniques and techniques such as cupping can be used up and around
the knee to encourage fluid movement. The tissue will warm quickly and the
increased circulation should aid in lymph movement provided you are gentle. <br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I would then recommend moving on to other techniques while
applying ice. Rather than put the ice
directly across the tendon, which will cause muscle contraction, I will have
prepared an ice ring made from a towel that will sit over the knee cap, making
minimal contact with the muscle and maximum contact with the bursa. (Here is where the treatment would diverge if
the bursitis was chronic and not inflamed, but sticky with scar tissue)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidYnPWda5g2Nv-W_K-VkvrfJaVxRy1L35UlKBsRTK6GaOQmEj_c_cEsqkTcFWH4_g5bNvyIDzxo6JstoPKDWg3eFBOu9ZkJozOBCGVQYIezPHrcaPmCb15MvEwKt35O9x9TfSEctfwwLOm/s1600/photo+(12).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidYnPWda5g2Nv-W_K-VkvrfJaVxRy1L35UlKBsRTK6GaOQmEj_c_cEsqkTcFWH4_g5bNvyIDzxo6JstoPKDWg3eFBOu9ZkJozOBCGVQYIezPHrcaPmCb15MvEwKt35O9x9TfSEctfwwLOm/s1600/photo+(12).JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a>While the bursa and surrounding tissue ice for a few minutes,
I will shift my focus from gentle stroking, to trying to lengthen the
structures that cross the knee, without compressing the bursa. I might choose
gentle fascia work of those structures, being careful to move towards the
patella, or deeper sentimental work. The goal here is to ease compression of the
bursa in order to lessen the irritation. Because the client is favoring the leg,
it’s likely not moving as much, which in turn will cause a contraction of the
tissue. It is then our job to act as an external muscle pump and mimic the body’s
normal functions, to ease the tension. <br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ9oO1gHW3FPoBXE_M-hR52FX3TLDp_jRbBXbg1OeUs_EIkfcDv6YCUu_bv6BWGP88JYsO0NQUdaa-nNc98dbcnIo3HdPsKnZgdjG1INAJFDIazD_gIrKKVbJuIMH_RL3IOffeNk8VfjX_/s1600/photo+(11).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ9oO1gHW3FPoBXE_M-hR52FX3TLDp_jRbBXbg1OeUs_EIkfcDv6YCUu_bv6BWGP88JYsO0NQUdaa-nNc98dbcnIo3HdPsKnZgdjG1INAJFDIazD_gIrKKVbJuIMH_RL3IOffeNk8VfjX_/s1600/photo+(11).JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a> I would finish by
removing the ice ring, and once again moving to gentle stroking techniques towards
the knee to re-warm the tissue and flush it. Always moving from general to
specific to general again. </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
In my clinic we also tape supportively with fascia movement
tape, so we would do a taping that looks something like this to help with
drainage. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
NOTE:If the client was in chronic and the bursa was adhered,
instead of ice I would use gentle fascia work around the patella as well as
patellar mobilizations to access the tissue under the patella, stretching and more aggressive
lengthening techniques, but the
essential treatment would be the same.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The treatment for bursitis is very easy, provided you understand the underlying
pathology and have a plan to organize your treatment properly. Clients often get diagnosed by chiropractors
and practitioners who are not familiar with soft tissue problems. so do not
take anything for granted in your interviews. Good luck!<br />
<br />
For more information please see <a href="http://www.bodymechanicsnyc.com/" target="_blank">Body Mechanics Orthopedic Massage</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03068770552816262050noreply@blogger.com3New York, NY, USA40.7143528 -74.005973140.3291648 -74.65142010000001 41.0995408 -73.3605261tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6837241455183959541.post-12581116212980294742014-02-13T13:49:00.000-08:002014-02-19T12:21:47.811-08:00Biceps Tendonits- A clear viewTechnology is fantastic (when it works) I recently invested in some to allow me to talk to clients in a clearer way. Since I have it at my finger tips, quite literally, I thought that I would take the time to explain Biceps Tendinitis from an Orthopedic point of view. We will go over both the anatomy of the injury and a basic treatment principles.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8DjWiNFLW6Nbaf6jp8ZUmJYiGS5k1VQIRi90xH9Pa9G8q0cPRNa4GECmWt2Bxhfz4WU59mscOfKmxwZKAEjpD5c9mLk5Ar9vjY6BX_rrwjSrLva6b-7Wy7RkEi0VmJNzijcMoGRPSu1V1/s1600/picture+%25281%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8DjWiNFLW6Nbaf6jp8ZUmJYiGS5k1VQIRi90xH9Pa9G8q0cPRNa4GECmWt2Bxhfz4WU59mscOfKmxwZKAEjpD5c9mLk5Ar9vjY6BX_rrwjSrLva6b-7Wy7RkEi0VmJNzijcMoGRPSu1V1/s1600/picture+%25281%2529.png" height="320" width="240" /></a>Biceps tendinitis is an equal opportunity injury. By that I mean that you will find it in mothers lifting heavy babies, factory workers, athletes such as tennis players, massage therapists, and even office workers reaching for heavy books on their desks. Across the board what connects all these things is the repeated over loading of the biceps tendon, irritation of the synovial membrane encasing it, and irritation of the transverse humeral ligament. Clients with biceps tendinitis will report pain at the bicipital groove, point tenerness at the same location, pains or aches into the arm and shoulder, and often have hard rope-y muscles around the area. The <a href="http://sitemaker.umich.edu/fm_musculoskeletal_shoulder/speed_s_test" target="_blank">speeds test </a>should be used to confirm your assessment. </div>
<div>
In treating biceps tendinitis its essential to understand the anatomy fully, because although the suffix "itis" tells you that it is an inflammatory condition, the anatomy of the shoulder lends special complications to the treatment. By fully understanding the anatomy, you can quite effectively treat.</div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDzNJCWRFBvdvpi0O_PVkohyoiTbPOoGFzDuKJ3qijkWvkVbeThq_ayAnCo1-y5y8_Jp_MRkxcFNZGq3Zo0iwvWDHnkcaDAW7OzednEuruCWGdXnV9RK-iQ5zAw8h6BxY52TOqIKUsBGhs/s1600/picture+(2).png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilq7SkU4dOCavD1Gq9JsP6uMKZOGHH4Jo5Kj-O2Pt9NF5bUH4GnXfQojzTcVbPIPU_joX3E_uW1pYy7leiSmgE9d9cUV3TDfnUcHokrBsNBFULCVCkhmeIbVU12UHw9A3oy2-f7XaNlfm1/s1600/picture.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilq7SkU4dOCavD1Gq9JsP6uMKZOGHH4Jo5Kj-O2Pt9NF5bUH4GnXfQojzTcVbPIPU_joX3E_uW1pYy7leiSmgE9d9cUV3TDfnUcHokrBsNBFULCVCkhmeIbVU12UHw9A3oy2-f7XaNlfm1/s1600/picture.png" height="640" width="480" /><br />
Let's take a look at what is so special about the shoulder anatomy for the biceps. Here are images that will help you understand what makes this different than your normal "itis" treatment. The first view is a highlighted isolation shot of the biceps tendon and attached muscle. As the muscle turns to tendon you can see it travel up into the bicipital groove, passing below the transverse humeral ligament and into the shoulder where it attaches at the supra-glenoid tubrical. The second image is what is really interesting. That same anatomy shot from above gives you a clear idea that this is not just about swelling from overloading, but also about space and angles. If that tendon becomes so inflamed that it cannot in fact pass easily through the "tunnel" formed by the anatomy, it will friction along it, which in turn creates more inflammation. There are 3 factors at play here which can be directly effected by massage, the width of the tendon passing through (is it irritated?), the health of the ligament (is it swollen from repeated impact and abuse) and the angle at which the tendon passes through the "tunnel" (which can effect both the tendons inflammation and the ligaments) Your intake should help you decide what the aggravating factors are, and there by the main problem, which might be 1 or all of the contributing factors. </div>
<div>
You will want to determine if the client is in acute, sub-acute or chronic before the treatment. Treatments in the early stages can be used to help speed healing, and re-educate clients about alignment, but it is the later stages that can be used to correct problems. For this the injury must be in chronic. Someone who has had the injury for a length of time but has reoccurring flairs is considered chronic as well. </div>
<div>
During treatment you will want to pillow the shoulders into the correct anatomical position, relive any trigger points, use active release to strip out the muscle and activate the muscle pump to restore circulation. When you begin to work the biceps tendon, I recommend ending the process with a biceps stretch. I usually do this by hanging the arm off the table and using gentle pnf techniques which will lower the pain response to the tender tissue at the anterior of the shoulder. The goal here is a nice long lean biceps tendon, that fits well through the anatomical structures. For this particular type of "itis" treatment sometimes I recommend the use of ice, not because there is inflammation present, but because as a side effect ice causes contraction. Imagine trying to thread a needle with a fuzzy thread? almost impossible, but if we get that thread wet, it is a lot easier. Be careful however to ice only at the point where the transverse ligament is, as ice can contract the entire length of the muscle the long way, causing other complications and frictions against the bone. Over aggressive use of ice or inappropriate use of ice can cause just as many problems as what you are treating. </div>
<div>
In many other "itis" treatments you will want to use heat rather than ice in the chronic stages (which sounds counter intuitive), but again knowing the anatomy is essential. If a structure is shortened in chronic, and rubbing across a bone, contracting the structure would be in no way beneficial, and would in fact cause more damage. </div>
<div>
After the treatment take the time to explain to your client how to align their shoulder during their aggravating tasks for the least possible irritation. Many relapses can be avoided by simple client education. </div>
<div>
The biceps tendinitis is VERY treatable through massage and has a high success rate because for most people, letting the arm rest is less of a problem than say, resting the achilles. Provided you understand what is really going on to create the problem in the first place, this should be a staple go to 'success' in your massage practice. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
For more information please see <a href="http://www.bodymechanicsnyc.com/#!sports-massage-nyc/c4dp" target="_blank">NYC sports massage</a><br />
by Beret Kirkeby</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03068770552816262050noreply@blogger.com0New York, NY, USA40.7143528 -74.005973140.3291648 -74.65142010000001 41.0995408 -73.3605261tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6837241455183959541.post-23949733579850368962014-01-31T13:13:00.000-08:002016-03-14T09:41:31.312-07:00Rom: Where we begin to compare the subjective to the objective<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you are looking to be a little more thorough in your
technique for massage assessment but don’t really know where to start, simple range of
motion is a great place. During your interview process with a client you should
have covered such topics as: Where does it hurt? What is the quality of the
pain? When did it start? How did it start? Does it radiate? What is the pain on
a scale of 1-10? Is there any compensatory issues? Aggravators? Relievers? This is your subjective information. Some of us cover a little more, some of us
cover a little less, but this is how your client ‘feels’ about his or her
pain/condition. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is very important information, but keep in mind the body
is not cut and dry. Injury is not always
where the pain is, nor does structural abnormality add up to pain either. It is
only by combining the different tools that we have, that we can begin to scrape
the surface and make educated guesses about what is really going on in the
body.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Range of motion is a huge assessment tool that is really
undervalued. For the most part, when we think of range of motion, we think of
boring dry numeric assessment of how many degrees of motion is normal or
abnormal, and while that information is important, for most therapists, it
matters little if the arm has 3 degrees less rotation, or 8 degrees. Once we know something is limited, whether normal
or over-mobile, it is in comparing that information with the rest of the data
we have learned that ROM really becomes a valuable tool. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You will want to divide your range of motion up into two
categories. Normal ROM for an average person, and normal ROM for ‘that’
person. In your first assessment you
will compare their ROM with what you know to be normal for others. Recording
this information will give you a baseline by which to measure your client. As time progresses and you learn how their
body works, you will begin to measure them by what is ‘normal’ for them. It is important to understand the distinction
between these two things, because for your client, normal may not be normal at all. . Lack of moment or over-mobility may also be completely normal
for a client and not add up to any relevant pain. In the case of injuries, however,
it often can be. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Once you have made both a verbal assessment and a physical
one you will start to overlay the two sets of information and compare what you
have learned. Comparing what the client
‘feels’ to what we observe is where the real value is. The more areas of
assessment we have to compare, such as ROM, palpation, verbal assessment, passive
ROM, and special test etc…the more likely we are to gain an accurate picture of
what is going on in a particular body. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I will give you a brief example of how it works:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A client comes in complaining of low back pain. It is chronic
and constant, and he has been receiving 30 minutes of massage on his low back
for 3 weeks, once a week with no change. He has been to his doctor and been
cleared to see you. He is a runner, in good physical health and has no history
of back injury. He is now afraid he has
a disk problem, and has stopped activity for fear of seriously hurting himself,
which has aggravated the pain. Because
he has come to your clinic, you do a full assessment, including ROM of the
surrounding area (low back and legs) Even though he complains that he has low
back pain, he has no limited movement in any direction of his lumbar spine. If
anything, he is over -mobile. Now you think to yourself, “that does not seem
right, someone with low back pain should be tight and trigger pointy”. So you
perform the ROM for his legs and while you find most things pretty normal, you
realize that he has almost no mobility in his IT bands and gluts. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
By comparing the two sets of data we can start to build a
picture of the probable cause for the client. If you had just had the one set
of verbal information to go on, you would have massaged his lower back like
everyone else. If you had just done the ROM with no verbal information, you
would likely assume that perhaps the limited mobility is normal for that
client, but since we know he stopped running recently, and we know exercise
warms the tissue, we can draw the conclusion that the symptoms were aggravated
by withdrawing from activity. Because
you draw from the compared data, you treat both the lower back and the legs
with massage, stretching and fascia work, which eases the symptoms for your
client. As you learn more tools you can
add them in, such as tests for disc problems as a rule out, but remember, this is an educated guess, not a diagnosis. </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sometimes things are not so clear but the more you practice
the more you will realize how complex the body is and the rules you were taught
often do not apply at all, as biology is not rule based, but biology based.
There are, however, patterns in many of the things you will encounter. Getting familiar
with ROM and using it as an assessment tool is just one step forward in giving
you a tiny peek under the hood. Good
luck building your tool box!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For more information on Orthopedic Massage please see <a href="http://www.bodymechanicsnyc.com/"> Orthopedic Massage NYC</a><br />
by Beret Kirkeby</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03068770552816262050noreply@blogger.com0New York, NY, USA40.7143528 -74.005973140.3291648 -74.65142010000001 41.0995408 -73.3605261tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6837241455183959541.post-18040844223374904472014-01-12T11:17:00.001-08:002014-02-17T17:22:20.101-08:00Why we start treatment by getting to the other side. Orthopedic ProtocolI have been teaching a lot recently and it has gotten me thinking about what I want to say in my blogs. Recently, I have become incredibly aware of how lucky I was with my initial training and the early part of my career. I have been blessed enough to go to a 2800+ hour Orthopedic program and then travel the world learning more, I have almost always worked with medical company's or for insurance claims, seeing clients that had issues that there was no guide book for. I was also lucky enough to do this early enough in my career that I did not know how little I knew, and it gave me free range to experiment with what worked for me, not just with what I had been taught as a base.<br />
<br />
For the rest of my blogs I am going to change the focus from the general public, to speaking to other therapists. Teaching here in NYC has shown me that the information I was given freely, is not given to others freely and I want to share what I have. Some of the information will seem obvious to some, but here in the states therapists can either have very little training or quite a lot of training. By no means do I reserve the right to tell people what to think. However, I can present a structure based on my training and experience on how to think like an orthopedic massage therapist. .<br />
<br />
<h2>
<b> Starting on the other side........<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS7m4mOhfWSYrm7mnyQAdtXW6LTFGbN8nd-T_2kfOu3G1GYwv3xR_aTkayrH6F3gFLy1hm3Q_OC_hA5srzq37zqZaQBOg0CCUdTVI0S9Iogv_T0hJgQQWuJJZAjWDGnQcX1jwqipp5Gjs4/s1600/frogger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS7m4mOhfWSYrm7mnyQAdtXW6LTFGbN8nd-T_2kfOu3G1GYwv3xR_aTkayrH6F3gFLy1hm3Q_OC_hA5srzq37zqZaQBOg0CCUdTVI0S9Iogv_T0hJgQQWuJJZAjWDGnQcX1jwqipp5Gjs4/s1600/frogger.jpg" height="288" width="640" /></a></div>
</b></h2>
<br />
When you have finished all of your assessments and are ready to treat your client, how do you decide where to start? If a client has back pain do you jump right to the pain point? If they came in for a pulled hamstring do you start with the back because that is where you always start?<br />
<br />
Starting on the other side is a basic orthopedic principle. For some of you this will be a basic principle tried and true, but for some you will never have heard of it. All this means is that after you assess your client, whatever the probable problem is, you are meant to begin treatment on the opposite side of the body. For example, if the client comes in with a problem in their right leg, the treatment starts with the left leg. It begins an important practice in orthopedic treatment, as using your treatment as an assessment protocol. Starting on the opposite side allows you to do three things.<br />
<br />
1. Use your massage to asses what the 'normal' tissue and ROM is, thereby using it to compare to the dysfunctional side, making more objective decisions about your treatment.<br />
2. Decide on a depth of reasonable pressure on the patient's healthy tissue.<br />
3. Get the client used to your touch so that you can work in more sensitive areas that they might guard and get them into a relaxed state with the muscle pump 'on'.<br />
<br />
This all seems straight forward when you first think of it, but can get a little confusing if you think on it too much. Obviously if its a limb problem, such as the left arm, you would begin on the right, etc. But issues with the body are not always cut and dry. Take these for example, if the complaint is in the low back, what is the opposite side?<br />
<br />
Well, is its low back right side SI joint, then the opposite side is the left side SI joint. However if its is low back L5-S1 center, and both QL's seem equally tight, then the opposite side is likely glutes. Issues on the main part of the trunk of the body might often use 'up/down' as the 'opposite side' and that is totally fine. The idea is to start giving yourself a structure to understand the tissue and to gather information as you are treating.<br />
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More complexity can be added if you are working with time constraints. You will not always be doing a full body massage. If someone comes in for a 30 minute treatment, and the complaint is a pulled calf muscle, you might only be working one leg, so you might start at hamstring, once again using 'up/down' as opposites, rather than left right. While hamstrings and gastrox are not technically opposite muscles, it still gives you a place to start.<br />
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The most valuable information for learning and assessment perhaps comes from using this principle on a micro scale. When you are working for insurance companies, PT's, or chiros, you are often only given 15 min or so to treat. It's really not enough time to reap the benefits of massage, you are just working the prescribed area. In this scenario, I would recommend working 'antagonist/agonist' starting of course with the opposite muscle of complaint. Not only as a beginner does this give you an excellent opportunity to review valuable information about which muscles counteract which movements, but what is fascinating here is you will start to see patterns in pain emerge. You will find that much of the time when you begin with the area that is opposite of the complaint, that the muscle in question will be tight, splinted and in fact the cause of the problem. So when you treat it first, and then move onto the original area of complaint there is no complaint left to treat, other than compensatory issues. And this should get you thinking about pain in general,why it occurs, where it occurs, and how you can rethink you assessments to make them more objective.<br />
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Regardless if you are treating whole body, or micro areas, treating on the opposite side is a valuable tool for organization, assessment and gives your client a better treatment on the whole. Even in a relaxation session, small things like this, a can improve a client experience without them ever knowing it was done. Once you start to apply structures in thinking to your treatments, your ability to find patterns within them will quickly develop.<br />
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*QL-Quadratus Lumborum<br />
*SI-Sacroilliac Joint<br />
*PT- Physical Therapist<br />
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For more information on Orthopedic Massage, or Beret Kirkeby check out <a href="http://www.bodymechanicsnyc.com/">Massage NYC</a><br />
By Beret Kirkeby<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03068770552816262050noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6837241455183959541.post-5074672256577518902013-11-11T18:22:00.000-08:002014-02-19T09:01:58.967-08:00The whole process is supposed to happen in 15 minutes.<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 16px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The whole process is supposed to happen in 15 minutes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">What do I mean by that? I mean that in a lot of spas a fifteen minute turnover is standard practice. In other words, most spas, if they are busy, are booking therapists with clients hourly with a fifteen minute break in between. At the end of a treatment the therapist has 15 minutes to:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Inform your client how to get up</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Exit the room</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Wait for the client to come out</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Walk the client out</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Cover homecare/client questions</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Run back to clean the room and change the sheets</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Greet your new client</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Assess them</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Give them informed consent and g</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">ive them instructions to get on the table</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Wait for them to change</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And finally begin the treatment.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">This does not cover any bathroom breaks, late clients, unforeseen circumstances or any water breaks. The average shift being 5 clients long, a </span><span style="color: #222222;">therapist</span><span style="color: #222222;"> often goes for 6 hours without stopping. </span><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 16px;">By no means is this ALL clinics, but it is standard practice for many.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">On one hand, as a business owner, I understand the need for efficiency, and for structure. After all, in the end, it is a business and the end goal is to make money, however, as a health care worker, I also feel that it is not possible to meet the needs of my patient with such a schedule.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">On the other hand, this is often not the case in private clinics, as private clinicians schedule themselves and are able to take a larger cut of the profit, so obviously their concern is putting out a quality product in a healthy amount of time. There is less pressure to make money fast when there is no one to split the total with. However, when health care becomes monetized into units of time that must be cut into smaller splits, the pressure is on! Compound that with the fact that many spas and gyms are not run/owned by actual therapist, but are managed by business owners, the end result is likely something that does not meet any standard of client health care. Obviously it is not deliberate, however, health care goals and financial ones sometimes do not align. The situation further degrades as therapists, on long shifts with only 15 minute breaks, are likely at higher risk for burn out and mistakes as the therapists become essentially an assembly line of massage.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So the question becomes, are massage therapists health care, or are we a product? Massage therapy often finds itself straddling this issue as it rides a thin grey line between a luxury item and heath care. My clinic runs on a 30 minute schedule. It works for me; it allows me enough time with clients to pay the bills and invest in their care. I don’t expect that this schedule will work for everyone, some will need more and some will need less, but in the interest of raising the standards for work environments and for lifting client care, we should work together as professionals to raise awareness for what <u>IS</u> and what <u>IS NOT</u> possible in 15 minutes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">For more information on<a href="http://www.bodymechanicsnyc.com/" target="_blank"> Massage in NYC</a> find us at our website!</span><br />
by Beret Kirkeby</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03068770552816262050noreply@blogger.com0New York, NY, USA40.7143528 -74.005973140.3291648 -74.65142010000001 41.0995408 -73.3605261tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6837241455183959541.post-12343472293057101132013-11-02T11:39:00.000-07:002016-03-14T09:40:22.678-07:00Twas the Night Before Marathon Poem.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_0JIEqm9p6mqIrbfG8-fnhhYPiqzpe_pEfRvntKV7_2z3bv71zSHo8d4iM8w_J9bS4dR56Jy7Qr9a4yN0DozIwgIwOsLgQuBCLW3U6JxjcFED6dcu7GbAvITKP77X1KrLUoPNxxUPmHG8/s1600/IMG_3333.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_0JIEqm9p6mqIrbfG8-fnhhYPiqzpe_pEfRvntKV7_2z3bv71zSHo8d4iM8w_J9bS4dR56Jy7Qr9a4yN0DozIwgIwOsLgQuBCLW3U6JxjcFED6dcu7GbAvITKP77X1KrLUoPNxxUPmHG8/s1600/IMG_3333.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: #45818e; color: #222222; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Twas the Night before Marathon and all through the city,</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #45818e; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Not a runner was running, not even the most gritty.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #45818e; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The compression socks and shoes were set with care,</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #45818e; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">In hopes that come morning lovely weather they would share.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #45818e; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222;">The runners were nestled all snug in </span><span style="color: #222222;">their</span><span style="color: #222222;"> beds,</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #45818e; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">while visions of sports drinks danced in their heads. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #45818e; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Now Sprinter! Now Pacer! Now Nubie! Now Runner!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #45818e; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">On Veteran, On Triathleate! Lets make this one Funner!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #45818e; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #45818e; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">So up to the race course, the runners they flew,</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #45818e; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222;">For themselves, and their best time, and for charities too!</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #45818e; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">When they meet with an obstacle they mount to the sky!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #45818e; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Like they have wings on their feet, oh how swiftly they fly!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #45818e; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #45818e; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">How their eyes twinkle! How their cheeks flush!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #45818e; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Hey its 26+ miles! Dear God whats the rush!!!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #45818e; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">So tonight as your sleeping, know in your heart that you are ready,</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #45818e; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Tomorrow will be thrilling, your endurance will hold steady!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #45818e; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">And as you spring from the start and dash out of site,</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #45818e; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I wish to you Happy Marathon to ALL and to all a good Night.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Have a wonderful run. We wish you the best from this Amazing experience. Thank you for your dedication and commitment</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> that make this sport great for all levels. </span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.bodymechanicsnyc.com/" target="_blank">for more info find us at our NYC Massage program</a></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">By Beret Kirkeby</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03068770552816262050noreply@blogger.com0New York, NY, USA40.7143528 -74.005973140.3291648 -74.65142010000001 41.0995408 -73.3605261tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6837241455183959541.post-973902388908079392013-11-01T13:48:00.001-07:002014-02-17T17:26:42.123-08:00Running Hot and Cold before your Marathon. The power of a contrast bath. <div class="im" style="background-color: white; color: #500050; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">I get asked a lot by athletes 'What can I do to recover faster' or 'What can I do before a race if I am sore'. I almost always bring up contrasts baths. And that almost always that leads them to say 'What is that?'</span><u></u><u></u></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2vaPNrVHo4vq4UQ2_UE39z9QXtGW6TbbhdOl2hbWH5kat7yKicROv5XnkUuMx1YgVSC_yuS8LjoFqls59I8q_dfQ3wXpl5XftE3Y_Q4cOUSqssi3Wi7FgemuyimS0UHSG-0ubXbV_rdoK/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2vaPNrVHo4vq4UQ2_UE39z9QXtGW6TbbhdOl2hbWH5kat7yKicROv5XnkUuMx1YgVSC_yuS8LjoFqls59I8q_dfQ3wXpl5XftE3Y_Q4cOUSqssi3Wi7FgemuyimS0UHSG-0ubXbV_rdoK/s1600/photo.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">If I think back to the time of where I first knew of contrast baths, it really brings up images of 80's sports movies where athletes are dunked in big steel tubs of ice, or institutional baths. They are ugly steel contraptions set awkwardly in corners of locker rooms. In today's utterly perfect, slick, performance world I can't remember seeing them anywhere. Instead, we eat a vitamin-filled gummy, or wear cool colored tape for our recoveries; however, the contrast bath should not be over looked. It is a huge tool in recovery, and if you are running with<b><i> </i></b>an injury you should not be<b><i> </i></b>running with, it might be a game changer.</span><u></u><u></u></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">A contrast bath is a simple rehab tool anyone can use that helps decrease inflammation, decrease pain, decrease swelling, and potentially increase mobility. The bather, moves from a tub of warm water, to a tub of cold water and back for a cycle of 30 minutes. The back and fourth temperature changes from warm to cold, cause your circulatory system to repeatedly vaso-constrict and vaso-dilate. That "squeeze - release" action moves the fluid through your body at an expedited rate....as IF you were exercising but without the actual risk of exercising. </span><u></u><u></u></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">We all know our blood moves through our body by the hearts pumping mechanism, but it does not move the blood by its power alone. Your muscle movement provides a very strong secondary pump that facilitates fluid movement throughout your body. For example,<b><i> </i></b>some of you might have noticed that your legs swell up a bit from lack of movement when you are on an airplane. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Plunging your whole body from hot to cold, or part of your body, can mimic the normal muscle movement, and be a very effective way of moving things along, especially if you are too close to race time to risk a massage, or cannot access treatment. In most cities there are bathhouses that have alternating cold hot dips that athletes can utilize for full-body plunges. You can also put one together at home with the use of buckets and thermometers. The bucket version is best for ankles and arms, or you can do a hot/cold compress for harder to reach areas. </span><u></u><u></u></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Before we get to the nitty-gritty of the recipe, I should like to add that it‘s very important to check with your doctor if you have any questions about if this is right for you. Anyone with circulatory problems, Reynaud’s, decreased feelings in their limbs or compromised skin should not be doing a contrast bath because it puts you at risk.</span><u></u><u></u></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Here is the recipe for your contrast bath (if you are at home you will need a thermometer)</span><u></u><u></u></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">30 minute cycle repeating hot/cold and always ending on the hot</span><u></u><u></u></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">3-4 min hot water (100F)</span><u></u><u></u></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">1 min cold water (60F)</span><u></u><u></u></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Have fun running hot and cold! For more information <a href="http://www.bodymechanicsnyc.com/">http://www.bodymechanicsnyc.com/</a></span><u></u><u></u><br />
by Beret Kirkeby</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03068770552816262050noreply@blogger.com0New York, NY, USA40.7143528 -74.005973140.3291648 -74.65142010000001 41.0995408 -73.3605261tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6837241455183959541.post-68893792910458060132013-10-23T12:40:00.001-07:002014-02-19T08:58:49.096-08:00 A quick runners' synopsis on Lower Cross Syndrome- Why other sports do and should exist<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<b>What is it?</b> Lower Cross syndrome is a condition that runners (or anyone who is inactive or sits for long <u></u><u></u></div>
periods) can develop from using the same muscle groups again and again, such as during running. It refers to the over-tightening of the hamstring, low back and the weakening of the deep belly and glut muscles.<br />
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<b>How do I get it?</b> Essentially the muscles on the back of the body such as gluts and hamstrings are supposed to balance the ones on the front like abs and quads, however, some activities don’t use all of those muscles so when you do them repeatedly you are training for weakness in certain areas. For runners who are focusing on keeping their strides short for training, the leg will never swing above hip level…which is exactly the motion needed to train those deep belly muscles. Over time, this repeated action of small flat strides builds up hamstrings and quads but does not address the gluts and belly.<u></u><u></u></div>
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<b>How do I know if I have it?</b> Lower cross syndrome can be insidious, and build over time. Symptoms can be low back pain, ITB tightness/pain, and hamstring tightness/pain. Lower cross syndrome in itself in the beginning may not be a huge problem for runners, but the secondary problems that come<b><i> </i></b>with it can defiantly sideline a runner big time. Chronic shortened hamstrings and ITBs can lead to some unpleasant secondary problems for runners. Short hamstrings put you at risk for strains and hamstring pulls which are notoriously slow healers. Having short ITBs can cause friction at the knee from overuse and knee tracking issues. Ever hear that knee problems usually come from the hips? This is exactly what they are talking about<b><i> </i></b>so you can see how one problem can spiral into many.<u></u><u></u></div>
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<b>How do I fix it?<i> </i></b>Well, you need to strengthen the weak parts and lengthen the tight ones. Often just being involved in another activity can help bring balance into your life. Boot camps, Yoga, Cross fit, climbing…anything that brings your leg up to 90 degrees extension (about hip level) and puts you into some squatting positions can be helpful. In general, moving through a whole range of motion rather than a partial one is considered very healthy for your body. You may also want to consider Massage therapy to alleviate some of the pain associated with problem, and working with the secondary condition associated with it. If you are concerned you might have this condition you should consult a Physical Therapist, trainer or someone adept at physical assessment to help you check. In general, however, erring on the side of caution by bringing some full range of motion exercises into your life can help you be a more well rounded person and better runner. </div>
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For more information on runners issues please see <u>For more info see our sports massage program</u><br />
or <a href="http://www.bodymechanicsnyc.com/#!lower--cross-syndrome/c1l0y" target="_blank">http://www.bodymechanicsnyc.com/#!lower--cross-syndrome/c1l0y</a><br />
By Beret Kirkeby</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03068770552816262050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6837241455183959541.post-5530182724267202432013-10-14T08:07:00.000-07:002014-02-19T08:58:06.650-08:00Running a marathon can be a pain in the Butt. What a strain.<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So many of us in the athletic world are preparing for marathons </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">right now or at least gearing up our runs. It is a </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: center;">good time to remember that many running problems can be insidious. I hear from runners all the time that they NEVER had a knee, glute or hamstring problem before, and that this problem just showed up. It's really important from a rehab point of view and a running point of view to understand that injury is often cumulative. When you are doing something like running a marathon, where you are constantly stressing the SAME muscles over and over, that much like your training, small increments can lead to larger ones. Take for instance a hamstring irritation. Every day you run, and you are in your arc before your taper. Things are great! But you are running after work and you're pretty</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: center;"> tired. Now you never had pain exactly--however, every day you did a longer run, you noticed your hamstrings were super tight and even tighter in the morning. Like a good runner who is invested in their home care, you made sure to stretch them out.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Now--I would never tell someone not to stretch at all. However, if the hamstring tightening is the result of micro-tearing from overuse, muscle imbalance,and fatigue, it is a signal that your hamstring is saying “hey, back off! I am trying to grow new hamstring here!!’. So when you stretch that site, you are pulling the fibers away. What happens is the micro trama from friction and repeated overloading causes inflammation at the site of the ishial tuberosity (usually just under the butt). That inflammation is a direct chemical signal to your body to build new tissue in order to support the damaged ones. So now each time you run, it gets tighter and tighter…Ouch! What a pain in the butt! Now its hard to run at all and you are nervous about a long run.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So what went wrong? Well, maybe nothing. Or, maybe a little of everything. Don’t take the injury personally. You can't predict the future and there are many races coming down the line. So much can go into a hamstring strain--fatigue, overuse, muscle imbalances, the wrong shoes….the list goes on. It could be you did not warm up properly. It could be that you tripped and pulled it without realizing. It could be that the evening runs were not ideal for your healing because your circulation slowed down at night. Or it could be that there was no reason whatsoever other than that your body reached a point where it could not recover. The problem is, there is a tipping point for all people and many small ignored problems can add up to a larger one. You can help yourself by following a few guidelines.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Recovery is a pre-game event. Stretching and foam rolling really help, but it's best to use them preventively before you are scrambling. You should also really understand RICE protocol. That’s Rest (which runners hate) Ice, Compress, and Elevate….and they all have to be done together. You can’t just stick an ice cube in your sock and hope for the best.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So now what? Your hurt, but you want to run. My first suggestion is to see a physical therapist and find out what they say. Strains are categorized by severity and you really need to see if you're doing permanent damage to yourself. If they give you the all-clear, there are some things you can do for yourself after you run it past them.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8wrsmvP1arbqbAgkZaIZi6skBDzGK9BTLF5tXAtR6voN0Ruz7ThypivZBEc9U236Y8B30PQlXXMhIJ3X2br-GehueMqdzFhdeXa7iSGmTh-B3cmujV5uA2yDlZ5GvoCjj_TPdWbNgbzBV/s1600/photo+(4).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img alt="rock tape/Kt tape" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8wrsmvP1arbqbAgkZaIZi6skBDzGK9BTLF5tXAtR6voN0Ruz7ThypivZBEc9U236Y8B30PQlXXMhIJ3X2br-GehueMqdzFhdeXa7iSGmTh-B3cmujV5uA2yDlZ5GvoCjj_TPdWbNgbzBV/s200/photo+(4).JPG" height="200" title="rock tape" width="150" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> Injury treatments that are not acute often include contrast baths. You submerge the offending limb in warm water and then cold, and then repeat. The ongoing cycle causes vasodilatation and contraction, which aids in recovery and flushes out the area. This technique can also be used for general recovery. This is old school, serious recovery.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">No one advises running on an injury, but if you do, you might use a compression sleeve to limit the inflammation. Runners often use this sort of device for injuries that are older and come back with a vengeance. You can also use KT tape or Rock Tape to help support and increase circulation to the area. These two treatments are slightly different in approach, as KT tape lifts the skin a bit to increase lymph and blood flow to the area, while compression does the exact opposite. So how do you choose? With compression, you are saying, “I know this is going to swell up, I am going to minimize this." When you choose tape, you are saying, "This might swell a little but not too much and I am am taping preventatively". The tape can also be used in places no compression garment can go.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">Above all, listen to your body and bear in mind that the number one thing you can do for yourself is rest. No runner likes to hear it. Even if you make it through your big race on your injury, afterwards you will still have to take that break (and by then you will really deserve it). Boy, what a pain in the butt. For more information on recovery please see </span><u><span style="color: #222222;">For more information see our sports massage program in NYC</span></u></span><br />
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or <a href="http://www.bodymechanicsnyc.com/#!athletes-corner-strains/c1541" target="_blank">http://www.bodymechanicsnyc.com/#!athletes-corner-strains/c1541</a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03068770552816262050noreply@blogger.com0New York, NY, USA40.7143528 -74.005973140.3291643 -74.65142010000001 41.0995413 -73.3605261tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6837241455183959541.post-63384666530648259472013-09-27T11:33:00.000-07:002014-02-19T08:57:29.095-08:00It is running season, how about a little foot pain??<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfiuFM3gU-3UPsCM3itgyGmqJYH3dAMe54fdBDpyktQyqPR_xTXK3zFAkcbej8g6BjHj0rnW1wP-m7T1bnHCouW4ugNuKOO6ywadIL5mOrXUEn8dRc7TtUO5GMjTpYmy60CgBJ_VuqeRCk/s1600/IMG_3148.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfiuFM3gU-3UPsCM3itgyGmqJYH3dAMe54fdBDpyktQyqPR_xTXK3zFAkcbej8g6BjHj0rnW1wP-m7T1bnHCouW4ugNuKOO6ywadIL5mOrXUEn8dRc7TtUO5GMjTpYmy60CgBJ_VuqeRCk/s1600/IMG_3148.jpg" height="200" width="190" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #500050; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It's every runner's
nightmare: waking up one morning and feeling a stabbing pain on the
bottom of the foot near the heel. Plantar fasciitis affects around 2 million
Americans a year, and it's not just limited to runners. Anyone who is bearing
extra weight on their feet, who has body-structure problems, is over-training,
is pregnant, or has compounding injuries could be at risk. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #500050; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If you search the
internet you will find loads of boots and strange supportive gear that
help you deal with plantar fasciitis after it appears. Doctors might prescribe
pain killers, anti-inflammatories or cortisone injections to help you deal with
the pain. All these things are geared strictly to managing the problem.
They are a mere band aid in for something that many people find literally
debilitating. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #500050; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The plantar fascia is
located on the bottom of the foot. It stretches from the heel to the ball of the
foot, supporting the muscular arch above as well as interlocking bones.
Technically, plantar fasciitis is billed as an inflammatory condition, however
it's not that the body is randomly creating inflammation---rather, the
inflammation is being created at the heel in order to try and repair the micro
tearing that is occurring there, In truth, the problem is actually over-stress
or tearing of the delicate foot fascia. and the inflammation is just a
symptom. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #500050; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So here is the skinny.
Understanding this problem for your body is key. The tissue on the bottom of
the foot is very delicate when you compare it to the things it's being asked to
do. The plantar fascia is not an isolated tissue, it is one small part of a
long chain of tissue that runs from the top of the back of your body, down to
the tip of your toes. Picture this tissue as something like how, when you
tie a rope around a box, it helps stabilize the box wrapping the whole way
around If for some reason the rope were to get shorter, things would become uncomfortable
for the box....there would be less and less space until finally the tension
would be so great that most likely the rope would begin to fray at one of
the corners (just like your heel) in order to create more length. That is
exactly what is happening to your foot. The rope is tearing at its weakest
point. When you have injuries that thicken the tissue and make it less
contractile, or add extra stress to the "rope", it is at risk
for damage. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #500050; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">By the same token,
slackening the 'rope' can take pressure off the weaker tissues. Adding length
to your <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMiiP5KG18cDD4NiiSORhpr1tGxI-Ng1b-iayRMrPSmts2TxcBZ5kFvjpQ7fd7ULwM5XWtYXON-t9C10P7w4SQK0jvXXKXpEJU2pfwnk9vzbv7AKnAD3BKMrLLm4RG5adty-C0lP6bNQ2-/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMiiP5KG18cDD4NiiSORhpr1tGxI-Ng1b-iayRMrPSmts2TxcBZ5kFvjpQ7fd7ULwM5XWtYXON-t9C10P7w4SQK0jvXXKXpEJU2pfwnk9vzbv7AKnAD3BKMrLLm4RG5adty-C0lP6bNQ2-/s1600/photo.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">visual of the 'rope'</td></tr>
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hamstrings and calves takes pressure off the bottom of the foot.
Treating plantar fascia issues is a two-fold process. You must examine what
caused the flair in the first place. Is it too much tension? A structural
defect? Training? Extra weight? Or is it another muscle pulling it tight?
The second step is to create less pressure on that plantar fascia by
lengthening the tissue on the posterior chain, which will decrease the
inflammatory reaction from the micro tearing. Professionals in sports medicine,
physical therapy, massage and orthopedics can help you with the various parts
of this painful problem to get you back on track, but I have also seen a good
number of people help themselves</span><span style="color: #500050; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="color: #500050; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">once they truly understand the problem. A good foam roller and a
trigger point ball are always a good investment for preventative care if you
know you are prone to this malady. Once this is done and the cycle is
broken, it is essential you give it time to heal...after all time heals all
wounds. If you are experiencing problems that are diagnosed or that
do not resolve, it is very important to visit your primary care physician. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #500050; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For more info visit <a href="http://www.bodymechanicsnyc.com/">http://www.bodymechanicsnyc.com/</a></span><br />
or <u>see our sports massage program in NYC</u><br />
By Beret Kirkeby<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03068770552816262050noreply@blogger.com1New York, NY, USA40.7143528 -74.005973140.3291643 -74.65142010000001 41.0995413 -73.3605261tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6837241455183959541.post-61010534227271821592013-09-23T14:43:00.000-07:002014-02-19T08:54:39.965-08:00What is Orthopedic Massage?<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
What is orthopedic Massage exactly? Well, to be honest, that is a hard question. I have heard it described multiple ways, such as it is a combination of medical and sports massage, or a way of treating soft tissue injury which is its own style. <u></u><u></u></div>
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Truthfully, the answer is an issue I also struggle with because my training is different from anyone trained in NY who is doing ortho work, and at first I did not realize that my training was any different because, in Ontario, where I went to school, everyone works the same way. I <u>was</u> aware that I had gone to school nearly twice as long as the New York program , but I never thought that what I was being taught was entirely different that what was being taught here.<u></u><u></u></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake Ontario- Toronto, Ontario</td></tr>
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I suppose I should go back a bit and explain that in Ontario massage is covered by the National Health System. Canadian massage therapists operate in a very different capacity than in New York. Massage is not seen as a luxury but as affordable basic health care for physical problems that do not require a prescription. Canadian therapists might work in conjunction with a doctor or physical therapist, or entirely alone. The entire attitude towards the profession is different.<u></u><u></u></div>
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Here is what I learned about the difference: In the first year of school in Canada we learn the basic concepts of Swedish massage, which is essentially the same as the training here in New York. It is the second year in Canada--where we only treat dysfunction, go through an internships plus the continuing education-- is where things take a turn. The second year of massage in Canada is solely ortho. The therapists learn every single thing that could possibly go wrong physically (within reason, ie we are not studying super-rare subsets of infections and disease) in each part of the body, including those things that we are NOT able or licensed to treat, and you are drilled on it...over and over. We are run through literally thousands of scenarios, good, bad and ugly, and graded on them. The drills are run like real live client interactions where we assess, interview, decide to treat or refer out to higher care, and then provide home care. When the school thinks we have done enough ground work we are sent to practice on real assessments for real conditions. It is essentially our residency. I was sent to a Parkinson's clinic, and an AIDs hospice for 3 month stints. By that time, organizing a treatment for someone with a physical problem is not really a challenge, however, <i>reading</i> about someone who is dealing with the possibility of death or disease is entirely different than caring for someone who is dealing with it. This part of the program gives us essential real life clinical experience, and it‘s pretty tough. Incidentally, they also make us intern in an office as a lesson in how not to ruin a business. <u></u><u></u></div>
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From what I have understood from therapists here, they touch on ortho. The class might visit a Parkinson clinic here, and they might learn the techniques from a book just as we did, but they don't have the time to work in those environments. In essence, the program here is a tasting platter and the Canadian is a full 6 course dinner. There is nothing wrong with the program here, it is just different. It is designed to give a great relaxation massage and show the therapists IF they wanted to learn more that there is more out there. Many, of course, have learned more, and are working in hospitals, teaching throughout NY and generally doing great work. Many therapists never move beyond working in a spa however. But why the difference? Why educate all therapists to work in a way only a handful do in NYC?<u></u></div>
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Massage Therapy in Canada is covered by the NHS, and since the insurance is paying, they are invested in the product. The massage therapy program in Ontario fills the gap between physical therapy and your doctor. We handle the manual therapy components that often pt's are uninterested in, pain management, and the physical components of stress-related problems, while keeping the doctors’ offices clear of minor bumps, sprains and strains. My days were filled with never ending streams of very normal problems ranging from headaches, surgery recovery, car accidents, over training, back pain and fibromyalgia. The end result is less people in the doctor’s office, less prescriptions for pain relief, and more problems caught before they become serious. <u></u><u></u></div>
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You might pose the question of litigation. Here in NY we worry about litigation a lot. Therapists here are trained to explain that their care is not a substitute for medical care, which is really confusing as we are listed as medical professionals. You might think that, because we more frequently work with injured in Canada that the risk would be higher, however it is the opposite. Canadian therapists are far more likely to stay out of trouble by being able to accurately identify problems before they start. We have the extra training to understand when a problem is too big for us, and our training prepares us to work in emotionally difficult scenarios. <u></u><u></u></div>
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So what is Orthopedic Massage? For me it’s being a trained professional, knowing what I can provide, and understanding my limits so I can make available the best care possible to the people seeking me out. Good care comes from understanding and pulling in the right resources, not from being the only stop in health care. Orthopedic treatment means I can pull from lots of sources and work in conjunction with trainers, and other health care providers to get the best.</div>
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For more information on <a href="http://www.bodymechanicsnyc.com/#!massage-nyc/c1xag" target="_blank">Orthopedic massage in NYC</a> please visit our website a</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03068770552816262050noreply@blogger.com2New York, NY, USA40.7143528 -74.005973140.3291643 -74.65142010000001 41.0995413 -73.3605261tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6837241455183959541.post-79303293440431012412013-09-12T18:09:00.003-07:002014-02-19T08:53:52.069-08:00What's touch got to do with it? <blockquote style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" type="cite">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Many years ago I visited a doctor in Canada who was an expert in TMJ (Tempromandibular Joint-this sort of doctor works with the dysfunction of the joint). He was sort of an old school doctor, the kind with a desk littered with papers and a big laugh, so that you felt as if you were walking into his home rather than his office. While questioning me, he found out I was a massage therapist.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Excited, he quickly posed this question to me, "Do you think if we did the exact same touch, detail by detail, but replaced the touch with that of a robot, you would get the same results? Furthermore if you replaced me with a robot, would you get the same doctor-ing?" At the time, I was very young and a bit intimidated by him, despite his warmth. I thought perhaps I was being tricked by someone with a higher level degree than mine, and that his point was that it was information that mattered, not the person delivering it. But I was wrong. As it turns out, he himself was doing research on human touch, and why it is so important and ultimately healing. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the body's most important biological features is its division between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, or in lay terms the 'fight or flight' and 'rest and digest' systems. When the body is in the fight or flight mode, it is sending the signal to you that all is not ok and that you should protect yourself. Your heart rate will go up, your posture will change to that of one preparing to flee, sounds and perceptions might increase, and your pain tolerance might go down, prompting you to move quickly. In essence you are on high alert for anything remotely threatening. Unfortunately, this is the constant state many of us live in, in cities like New York. We are forced to defend ourselves with headphones, sunglasses and external disconnects just to shut out the stream. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When we are touched, we have to take down those barriers. The simple act of allowing another person that close to you can override the stress response by mimicking intimacy, even in a clinical setting. It is a built-in part of our biology to expose soft things like the neck, the belly, and the vital organs only to those we trust and deem safe. This is an unavoidable part of the intimate human experience. By mimicking this behavior, you unconsciously send a signal to the brain that all is well. That reduces your heart rate, reduces your perception of pain, and changes your posture substantially - and all of these things are connected to blood flow and hormone secretion which drive our lives. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whether your therapist is skilled at effecting lasting change for injuries, or is a beginner who gives a basic Swedish massage, so long as it is done calmly, in a safe comfortable manner, you have the opportunity to change your health for the better that day. The Mayo clinic lists stress as the number one killer of adults. It decreases health, and often leads people to cope by taking on other killers, like smoking and excessive drinking. Perhaps today more than at any other time, where we live in a world of technological isolation, the biological response of community and touch is even more relevant. Your " luxury" of having a massage takes on a whole new meaning if you begin to look at it in terms of a way to override the biological response to stress and eventual disease. My personal and professional opinion is that we all must take a little ownership of our lives, and decide honestly if we are doing enough to reduce our stress. Bike, swim, run, climb, laugh... massage ...touch...but do something. For more info see our <a href="http://www.bodymechanicsnyc.com/#!massage-nyc/c1xag" target="_blank">Massage program in NYC</a> or email at <a href="mailto:info@bodymechanicsnyc.com">info@bodymechanicsnyc.com</a></span><span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03068770552816262050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6837241455183959541.post-47480726395947080402013-09-04T08:22:00.001-07:002014-02-19T08:52:48.955-08:00Pregnancy and Posture<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Today
we are going to briefly look at the musculature changes that take place during
a normal pregnancy and how they affect the body. A normal pregnancy is full of
postural changes, and sometimes those changes are completely normal. The
end result for the person experiencing them can be confusing and uncomfortable.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Even if you have gone through it before,
second and third pregnancies can be completely different, but progress much
faster.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Since
there is so much change occurring on a regular basis, it is important that you
check in with your doctor continually. This ensures safety for both you
and for the baby. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As
the course of your pregnancy progresses, many women experience low back pain,
headaches, shoulder pain, foot pain, swollen ankles and hands, and even
occasionally seemingly random thoracic pains. </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Many of the postural changes occurring, and
the discomfort associated with them, have to do with the body accommodating the
growing baby.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
uterus is nestled deep inside the female pelvis. As the baby grows, it pulls
the pelvis forward and down. </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Alternately, as the pelvis rotates forward, the tail bone lifts,
causing the low back to curve more than it would normally. </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">You can approximate this change on yourself if
you stand and look in the mirror, tucking and un-tucking your tail bone.
Because of the increased curve in the low back, which shortens the muscles,
many women often complain of low back pain.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As
the pregnancy progresses and more relaxin (a pregnancy hormone) is released,
the cartilaginous joints and ligaments soften in order to prepare for birth. In
many cases the body feels unstable and responds by tightening up the muscles in
the pelvis in order to give more support. It can often be seen most easily in
the glut and piriformis muscles (butt muscles) as they shorten and rotate the
legs outward. This combined with the belly pulling down and forward gives
pregnant women that distinctive “duck walk”. Those shortened muscles can also
be the source of pain. The nerve that feeds the leg, the sciatic nerve, runs
just under or through the piriformis muscle. </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Frequently during pregnancy, women report the
symptoms of sciatica, which are due to the piriformis muscle tightening over
this nerve.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Most
of us we think of the changes that happen in the body during pregnancy as in
and around the pelvis area, but actually the upper back is affected just as
much. All of our spines are essentially an S shaped curve that balances itself. Whatever
the low back does, the thoracic or mid back area has to reflect in order to
keep balance. This is often combined with the growing weight of the chest
pulling the shoulders into a rounded position. All this results in an increased
curve in the upper back. For some women this will not be a problem, but
depending on their original posture, their pain tolerance and a number of other
factors, for some women this leads to headaches and upper back pain.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Just
as the top of the body is effected, so is the bottom. Many women experience
foot pain during pregnancy. Carrying extra weight and retaining water can be
very hard on the feet. As the pregnancy progresses, the ligaments supporting
the bottom of the feet can be stretched and over taxed; adding to that
the swollen feet that come from carrying 50% more blood can make for a
difficult time. It’s a perfect reason to put your feet up, relax and rest a
while.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The important thing to remember is that under a doctor's care all of this is normal, and that the symptoms of muscular pain are treatable through stretching, exercise, massage therapy and other alternative care.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">If you would like more information on massage therapy in New York, pregnancy or prenatal massage you can see Body Mechanics Orthopedic Massage's prenatal treatment page </span> or come see us in Midtown New York. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">or <a href="http://www.bodymechanicsnyc.com/#!prenatal-tips/c11vd">http://www.bodymechanicsnyc.com/#!prenatal-tips/c11vd</a></span><br />
For more information on <a href="http://www.bodymechanicsnyc.com/#!prenatal-massage-nyc/c1mm1" target="_blank">prenatal massage in NYC</a> check out our websites</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03068770552816262050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6837241455183959541.post-42507967181054807912013-08-28T10:25:00.000-07:002014-02-19T08:51:23.716-08:00The key to less injuries is prevention. Information for athletes and Sports Masssage<blockquote style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" type="cite">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /> We all know the primary work of the circulatory system is to push your blood around your body. But the other job of the circulatory system is to deliver essential nutrients to your body tissues and to work in conjunction with your lymph system to remove waste products. So how does that all work? Your blood is pumped by your heart; it moves through your body, and when your heart rate goes up due to stress, activity, or receiving a massage, it moves at an even faster rate, with more pressure. Your lymph system, on the other hand, is completely independent of your heart and works on muscle pumping to move fluid and broken cells through the tiny collection vessels in your body. When you move your body more, and your body is warmer, the rate of movement and collection goes up. But that is in a perfect world. What happens when you are trying to push blood through the blood vessels and lymph through the collection vessels when you have been in heavy training? When you are tight and sore? Essentially you have a bottle neck--there are too many cars on the highway, and not enough space to get through. No matter how hard you push, which nutrients you eat, how hard you train, or how much you move--unless there is enough space within the tissue to get that stuff there, you will be more prone to injury and fatigue. To compound matters, when you are injured, it is going to take longer to heal.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tissue often changes by means of inflammation. In some cases this is not a problem, but too much inflammation is bad. Inflammation is a generalized first response to injury, and signals the body to lay down non-functional layers of tissue in order to support the body structure. Your body’s response to any kind of unknown stress is to stabilize. It is very important to understand that your body sees training as a form of stress and your body’s response to that stress is to lay down thicker tracts of tissue through an inflammatory process. Those tracts are less functional than the original ones and will thicken along the fascia trains already in existence, reducing fluid flow, which robs your body of the things it needs to make you a top performer. Thicker trains means more compression, more inflammation, and less movement of fluid, and that means more injury, slower healing and less performance. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By icing any areas where unusual heat or soreness are present (thus limiting the amount of inflammation you endure while exercising), you can help your body defend against excessive inflammatory processes. Some people are also more prone to inflammation than others and might also benefit from a low inflammation diet, which is a way of eating that limits or reduces your reaction to inflammation. Compression socks, and KT/or Rock tape can also be helpful by limiting swelling and/or encouraging lymph flow in order to minimize damage in an event. Any area that is prone to shock, friction, load bearing or overuse is at risk. Take steps to give yourself the best chance to heal by learning to stretch and realign these areas appropriately prior to exercising. The best medicine is prevention. It is far easier and far cheaper to limit inflammation than to require extensive treatment to correct a problem in full flair…and perhaps even risk missing the big event entirely.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For More information on Sports Massage and how you can prevent your own injury's you can visit me at www.bodymechnaicsnyc.com or book a treatment. If you are interested in learning more on the topic of how your body works, how to prevent injury, increase your recovery times and get relief for FREE, I am speaking at Jack Rabbit sports this month at <b style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Self-Massage Clinic </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">here is the info:</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Jack rabbit sports 14th st. Sept. 18, 2013 -7pm</b>
<b style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Curious how to expedite recovery, increase performance, and decrease risk of injury? Body Mechanics NYC joins us to host a self-massage clinic at Jack Rabbit Sports 42 west 14th st. (between 5th and 6th). You'll learn which recovery tools work best for certain aggravations and how to use each properly. And by addressing discomfort immediately and effectively, you'll increase your chances of crossing the finish line injury-free.</span></span><br />
for more info on <a href="http://www.bodymechanicsnyc.com/#!sports-massage-nyc/c4dp" target="_blank">sports massage in NYC</a> please check out our websiteAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03068770552816262050noreply@blogger.com0New York, NY, USA40.7143528 -74.005973140.3291643 -74.65142010000001 41.0995413 -73.3605261tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6837241455183959541.post-88986048168492119072013-08-23T15:49:00.001-07:002014-02-19T08:50:23.973-08:00Pregnancy Massage: Face down or on your side...What is the difference?If you’re pregnant and you are looking for a prenatal massage therapy treatment, one of the choices you might be pressed to make is to decide between a place that performs the massage face down on a “special table” or does it in a “side-lying” position on a normal table. If you do a little online research, you will also see that the face down option, which is done by means of a large hole cut into the table for belly and or breasts, is highly advertised for its enjoyment factor of lying face down during a time period where you otherwise could not. When you go to a site that utilizes side lying, they will often say that the reason that they do it that way is because it is safer, thus implying the face down method is unsafe.<br />
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So how do you as a make a decision with two such conflicting view points from the professionals? If you are pregnant or buying a gift for someone who is, clearly you want the best.<br />
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1-First of all, if you are pregnant before you get any kind of treatment you should check with your doctor and get the all clear before starting the program<br />
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2-Second, both being treated while face down or side lying are safe. You can bet that if there were a risk the tables would have been pulled from the market already.<br />
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So what is the difference?<br />
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I have used both methods. The face down method is relaxing for some because they miss their mobility; this is especially true if before you became pregnant you were a belly sleeper. In most cases however, pregnancy causes an increased lumbar curve, and when you lie face down on the table, even though you are supported, the weight of the belly pulling down causes the low back to curve even more that it already was. Your back is then doubly compressed.<br />
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When you lie on your side, and are pillowed correctly into position, your back assumes a more neutral position. The benefit of this is that even though you are on your side, and it is not as special as laying face down, when the therapist tries to relax your muscles, they will have the room to lengthen, causing you have a better result from your treatment, especially if you went in for low back pain.<br />
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Both methods will, of course, feel good, but in the end it really depends on why you are receiving the massage to begin with. Many women seek prenatal massage when they have pain, and in that case I would always choose the side-lying option, however if a simple spa day in a perfect pregnancy is what you are after, both options are totally okay.<br />
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Body Mechanics Orthopedic Massage uses the side-lying method.<br />
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If you are interested in more information on prenatal massage, please contact us, and stay tuned for the third installment of pregnancy series and for more info on <a href="http://www.bodymechanicsnyc.com/#!prenatal-massage-nyc/c1mm1" target="_blank">prenatal massage in NYC</a> check out our website<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03068770552816262050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6837241455183959541.post-33609840981794836652013-08-11T15:14:00.000-07:002014-02-19T08:48:57.814-08:00<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif, Arial, Verdana, 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 20px; line-height: 20.796875px;">Hi and welcome to my site! I included a blog on my site because I get a lot of questions from clients and friends about the work I do. I thought that I might as well post the answers publicly so that everyone can read them. I will cover a wide range of topics about massage, sports massage, pregnancy massage, injury recovery, my own personal training, yoga and the things generally relating to my practice. If you have any questions please feel free to ask. You can write to info@bodymechanicsnyc.com</span><br />
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for more info please see <a href="http://www.bodymechanicsnyc.com/" target="_blank">Massage in NYC</a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03068770552816262050noreply@blogger.com0New York, NY, USA40.7143528 -74.005973140.3291643 -74.65142010000001 41.0995413 -73.3605261