Is your posture causing your headaches?

Do you sit or stand all day? Would you say you sit up straight or do you feel you slump most of the day? This slumping could be the cause of your bodies aches and pains, especially headaches and neck pain.

The classic office posture involves hunching the shoulders up and slumping forward. When this happens the head naturally tilts backwards as the chin comes forward.

This posture then places a lot of load on the muscles that support your head and shoulders. The main muscles that become overused and then painful are the Upper Trapezius, Sternocleidomastoid, Sub-Occipitals, Levator Scapulae and the neck extensor muscles. Most of these muscles have trigger points that will then refer pain into the head. So the pain in your head is only being perceived in the head but the actual irritation to the soft tissues is in the neck and shoulders.

This irritation and overuse to the soft tissues is a gradual process. The pain may appear to be acute but it has actually been building up over time. It is always happening, sitting on the bus, slumping on the lounge, sleeping at night in a bad position. These small repetitions over a long period of time will gradually turn into a much larger problem.

In this posture the posterior soft tissues of the neck are compressed and the anterior tissues are lengthened. Greater pressure is placed on the posterior aspect of intervertebral discs than on the anterior, and the orientation of the facet joints changes. There is also compression of the fascia and skin on the posterior aspect of the neck. A bump can form at the back of the lower neck, sometimes referred to as dowager's hump, which can indicate tension in tissues of the chest.

So what can you do?

Well the first thing to do is to sit up straight. There is no magic exercise you can do or expensive chair you can buy to fix your posture. Posture involves awareness and breaking patterns that have been held for years. It sounds simple but noticing your posture and then changing it will be reprogramming your body/mind to actually change.

 Exercises that can be beneficial include:

- Chin Tucks to strengthen the opposing muscles in the front of the neck and also to stretch out the back of the head/neck.

-Stretching the chest and the upper trapezius will help to release the tightened muscle tissue.

-Thoracic foam rolling to open the chest can reverse the curved, slumped posture.

For more information or to have an assessment and treatment contact us on 07711 943615 or email info@wellnessmassagetherapy.co.uk

Should you crack your joints?

Do you crack your joints? If so you’ve probably wondered if it is good for you. It usually gives you a satisfying pop or crack so it can't be that bad right. If you don't crack your joints then you probably find it horrifying that people do it.

What is cracking?

Cracking or popping of a joint is basically moving the two ends of a joint away from each other (cavitation) which will then release the nitrogen gas within it. The release of this gas creates the popping sound. It can be hard to believe that this sometimes loud sound can come from a simple gas release but you could liken it to pulling a suction cup off a piece of glass.

Is cracking good for me?

Well, the short answer is we don't really no. There is no definitive proof either way. The understanding that science has as to what happens when we crack a joint appears to be very safe. Releasing of gas from a joint appears to be a natural and normal part of everyday life. The old idea that it was the bones of the joint rubbing against each other that caused the sound is not correct. If you have osteoarthritis in a joint then it would be advisable not to crack the joints as it may cause pain, it may also release tension so this would be on a case by case basis. The reason osteoarthritis may be aggravated by cracking will be that the joint won't have cartilage to protect the bone ends so they may actually rub against each other.

What about Chiropractors?

From a Chiropractors perspective they usually advise you not to crack your own joints, especially the neck, as this can over stretch the ligaments in the joint which will make them looser and crack even more. You can then get hyper mobile joints that move too much.

While we are talking Chiros we could add that the idea of putting a joint back in or that a joint can be “out” is a bit of an outdated idea. The reality of what is happening when they “adjust” a joint is just releasing gas or tension from a joint. Once you pop a joint, you will be able to pop it again approximately 20 mins later as the gas has had time to build up in the joint. It’s like cracking your knuckles. If you crack them right now, you won't be able to crack them again straight away. Our knuckles don't crack because they are out of alignment they crack because there is a gas build up in the joint which is a natural process and by product of a synovial joint.

So there you have it if you're a joint cracker and love it then there is no real proof that it is dangerous, just be careful in the neck not to over stretch it.

Half Price Massage Deals

We are now offering the occasional half price massage deals to replace vacant slots when we receive last minute cancellations. You can join the mailing list via our pricing page to be alerted when these come available.

Offers will be based on a first come, first serve basis.  

Kinesio Taping For Aiding Injury Recovery And Posture Improvement

Designed by chiropractor Dr Kenzo Kase in the 1970s, Kinesio Tape has seenan increase in popularity following its presence at the 2008 Olympic Games.

Kinesio Tape (KT) is an elastic adhesive tape used for the treatment of sport injuries and a variety of other conditions including posture realignment. The tape is claimed to stretch 120 to 140 per cent of its original length and then subsequently recoil to its original length following application, thus exerting a proposed pulling force on the skin. It is suggested that KT allows a greater range of motion (ROM) than conventional tape and can be worn for longer periods of time without the need for reapplication.

In the sporting context, KT has been used to modulate pain, increase ROM, increase strength, improve proprioception  and increase muscle activity. The proposed mechanism of athletic benefits include:

Facilitating joint and muscle realignment by strengthening weakened muscles

Improving circulation of blood and lymph by increasing the interstitial space between the skin and underlying connective tissues (allowing for increased circulation of both venous and lymphatic fluid)

Decreasing pain through the reduction in pressure on nociceptors

Repositioning subluxated joints by relieving abnormal muscle tension, helping to return the function of fascia and muscle

Increasing proprioception through the stimulation of cutaneous mechanoreceptors

The most commonly researched areas for KT application include the shoulder, neck, back, knee, ankle and forearm. It is common for KT to be applied for the management of whiplash-related disorders, lower back pain, subacromial impingement, grip weakness and patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS).  Non-athletic uses of KT include the management of lymphoedema, cerebral palsy and stroke patients.

Contact us for more information and assessment of your suitability for this treatment. 

How Do I Know If I'm About To Be Injured

Sports medicine professionals are now placing a much greater emphasis on preventing injuries rather just treating them, and as the saying goes prevention is better than cure! We’re in the early stages of learning what contributes to sports injuries, but here’s a list of things that you can use to assess whether an injury is looming.

Look for specific tightness and restriction

The body is quite clever. When an area is irritated or injured the nervous system usually switches on the muscles around the region to help brace or splint the region to protect it. If you’ve ever had a wry-neck you know what I mean. This increase in muscle tone can be picked up (sometimes) before you feel any pain, and it’s usually specific to one area. So if one calf starts getting tight or you’re finding hard to stretch your lower back to the left but not the right get things checked out.

Pain is not your friend

Nature gave us pain for a reason. There is a difference between working hard and feeling a bit sore after a session and a pathological pain. Use the 3-day rule: if it’s not better after a few days there might be something going on.

Changing training, routine, or technique

Change your training gradually. It doesn’t matter how fit you are, when your body is exposed to a new physical stress it takes time for your system to adapt. And it’s not only your sports activity that you need to take into consideration. That business trip you did last week where you were in meetings all week, or painting the baby’s nursery all weekend may play a part. If you’ve changed your physical routine, pay attention to the other points in this article.

Old injuries playing up

One thing we do know from research into sports injuries is that old injuries generally have a risk of recurring, and incomplete recovery or rehabilitation can play a major role. Be honest with yourself – did I finish off everything I was supposed to do after my hamstring tear or knee operation? If not, better late than never. And if you don’t know, get a health professional to check you over.

Gaining weight

Whether you’ve eaten too much or bulked up in the gym, weight gain can be a problem. Obviously the heavier you are, the more stress is placed on your legs in particular. If you have gained weight pay attention to any niggles and try and get your weight down by eating well and low impact exercise such as cycling and swimming.

If you have any questions on this or any of my articles please do not hesitate to contact me.

Rick Southcott

Sports Massage is added to FHT’s independently accredited register for complementary healthcare therapists

Wellness Massage Therapy is pleased to announce that Sports Massage has been added to the FHT’s Accredited Register, which is independently approved by the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care, a body accountable to Parliament.

FHT members (including Rick Southcott of Wellness Massage Therapy) who hold a qualification in Sports Massage, accepted by the FHT for membership and insurance purposes, will now be automatically listed on the FHT Complementary Healthcare Therapist Register, under Sports Massage.

Furthermore, the FHT’s Complementary Healthcare Therapist Register is the only Accredited Register to list Sports Massage as a standalone modality.

Practitioners listed on the FHT’s Accredited Register are part of a government-backed scheme to protect the public, which helps potential clients, employers and health and care commissioners to choose a therapist with confidence.

FHT’s President, Jennifer Wayte, says: ‘While Body Massage and Sports Therapy already appear on the FHT’s Accredited Register, we’re delighted to now add Sports Massage to the list. Not only will this offer more choice to those looking for practitioners on an Accredited Register, we hope it will also bring therapists offering this modality further recognition for their role in health and care.

‘Sports Massage has many health and well-being benefits to offer, and not just to those taking part in sporting activities’, Jennifer adds. ‘For instance, many people experience minor aches and pains as a result of their work or hobbies – from painting and decorating, to gardening and fishing. Sports Massage, alongside conventional medical care, can be an excellent way to help people address these day-to-day challenges. It can also be an effective form of preventative health care.’

For more information about the FHT’s Accredited Register, visit http://www.fht.org.uk/register

Massaging the hip area to relieve low back pain

My regular clients know so well that I tend to spend quite a bit of time on the hip area, when the reason they come to see me is lower back pain, sciatica or leg pain. Trigger points or muscle knots in the gluteus medius and minimus in the hip are a common cause of stubborn and strange aches and pains both locally, as well as referring pain to surrounding muscles, and yet they are often under-diagnosed.

What is Hip Pain?

Hip pain is a common symptom that can indicate a number of different underlying conditions that may affect the joint and its surrounding structures. Because of where the hip bone is located, it’s a common place for injury and trauma to occur that can lead to several different and occasionally long lasting problems above in the lower back and below into the legs.

With so much stress placed on the hip by the body in everyday situations, the area sometimes never gets the chance to heal, meaning that symptoms can continue to present themselves for weeks or months without treatment. If you’re suffering from hip pain and it doesn’t show any sign of relenting, ascertaining the cause is crucial to helping your body recover.

The Cause of Hip Pain

Arthritis, injury, over exertion through physical activity or poor posture are the most common causes of hip pain, each affecting the joint and surrounding area in a different way. Identifying the reason for your pain is the first step to correcting and healing the problem.

Hip Pain Relief

Hip pain can start off as a dull annoyance but, if left untreated, can become a serious problem leading to a loss of mobility and severe pain. Knowing the underlying cause of your pain is the crucial first step to correcting and healing the joint.

Massage therapy is the perfect way to loosen the muscles and alleviate pain in the short term. Strengthening the area through exercise and a focus on physical fitness and wellbeing can help prevent injury from recurring and is an important final step to eliminating pain permanently.If your hip pain is persistent and affecting the way you want to lead your life, visit me and let me help you to break free from pain. I’m not just interested in short-term fixes; I’ll identify your condition and provide the appropriate care to ease your suffering permanently.

Correct – Relax – Strengthen

I believe in supporting good health and providing permanent solutions rather than temporary fixes. Through addressing muscular imbalance and dysfunction with a mix of advanced massage therapies to relax and stretch tight and painful muscles alongside a strong focus on strength and fitness training to help strengthen the body and prevent pain from returning. You will experience improved posture, an ease of suffering and achieve a healthier lifestyle. 

Contact me for a holistic approach to your well-being and break free from pain.

The Pelvic Floor Muscles

The pelvic floor is the base of the group of muscles referred to as your ‘core'. These muscles are located in your pelvis, and stretch like a trampoline or hammock from the pubic bone (at the front) to the coccyx or tail-bone (at the back) and from side to side. 

The pelvic floor muscles work with your deep abdominal (tummy) and deep back muscles and diaphragm to stabilise and support your spine. They also help control the pressure inside your abdomen to deal with the pushing down force when you lift or strain - such as during exercise.

Pelvic floor muscles support the bladder and bowel in men, and the bladder, bowel and uterus in women. They also help maintain bladder and bowel control and play an important role in sexual sensation and function.

Working your Pelvic Floor Muscles

Although it is hidden from view, your pelvic floor muscles can be consciously controlled and therefore trained, much like your arm, leg or abdominal (tummy) muscles. Strengthening your pelvic floor muscles will help you to actively support your bladder and bowel. This improves bladder and bowel control and reduce the likelihood of accidentally leaking from your bladder or bowel. Like other muscles in your body, your pelvic floor muscles will become stronger with a regular exercise program. This is important for both men and women, especially for improved recovery from childbirth and gynaecological surgery .

Contact us for more advice, 121 and small group sessions available for exercise instruction and programme design. 

Sports Massage Should Be Part Of Your Fitness Regime

If you are getting out there and exercising this winter, good on you! Perhaps you are in training for a marathon. But remember that sports massage should play an important part of your regime, whether you are an athlete or just increasing your activity levels. Massage has a number of benefits both physical, physiological and psychological for everyone. However, sports massage can help maintain the body in generally better condition, prevent injuries and loss of mobility, cure and restore mobility to injured muscle tissue, boost performance and allow you to keep exercising for longer as you age. Massage as part of your exercise regime has numerous benefits. The stroking movements in massage suck fluid through blood and lymph vessels. This is especially important in tight or damaged muscle tissue, as a tight muscle will squeeze blood out like a sponge, depriving the tissues of vital nutrients and energy to repair. Deep massage causes the pores in tissue membranes to open, enabling fluids and nutrients to pass through. This helps remove waste products such as lactic acid and encourage the muscles to take up oxygen and nutrients and recover quicker. Massage stretches muscles in ways they may not normally be stretched, and can help break down scar tissue which otherwise may cause inflexibility and areas prone to pain and injury. Hard training can make tissues hard and inelastic, all the stretching in massage helps reverse this. All these benefits also help us non-athlete types keep our muscles in top form. Massage can also be great for chronic diseases, specifically arthritis, osteoporosis, postural problems, stress, anxiety, depression, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and inflammatory disorders. Wellness Massage Therapy has a skilled therapist who specializes in sport and remedial massage and can work with those of us who are fitness freaks, light exercisers, ageing or facing any of the above conditions.

Why Everyone Would Benefit From A Regular Massage

Why Everyone Would Benefit from a Regular Massage

Although massage has been practiced for thousands of years, it is not until fairly recently that the general public has become aware of its many benefits. While those with muscular aches and pains often sought out a massage therapist to help them, it has now become apparent that the regular use of massage can promote both physical and mental health for everyone. Massage is not a luxury; it might almost be considered a necessary part of everyone’s lifestyle.

Dealing with Our Stressful World

The fast, often frenetic pace of the modern world leaves many of us feeling frazzled and stressed out. The elevated rate of depression and other mood related issues is reflected in the millions of prescriptions written every year for drugs to try to mitigate these mental problems. Often, people find it difficult to simply relax and enjoy life.

Stress can result in such negative effects as high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, obesity, headaches, muscle pain, and insomnia. All of these are conditions that can seriously impact health. When we are stressed, our body releases cortisol. This hormone helps us to run faster or fight better, which is of use when running from a hungry bear or when your child is in danger. Under normal circumstances, the level of cortisol in the blood drops as soon as the crisis is over. However, in today’s stressful atmosphere, often the crisis is never over. Fortunately, massage is an excellent way to counteract stress and anxiety.

Massage therapy helps to release the body’s natural stress relievers – endorphins. These neurotransmitters are instrumental in producing a feeling of calm and well-being.
Simply being under the hands of a massage therapist causes the body and mind to relax; it’s not uncommon for those experiencing a massage to actually nod off.

Massage for Handling Aches and Pains

Although stress is a great contributor to muscular pain, there are numerous other ways that our bodies can be damaged and require the services of a massage therapist. Injuries incurred while participating in sports or work can cause pain not only in the muscles, but also in the ligaments and tendons.

Sprains are damage to the ligaments holding a joint in place and result in swelling, pain, and difficult in using the affected limb. Massage helps in healing sprains by bringing more blood to the affected area to speed healing, as well as helping to drain away excess fluid that has accumulated as a result of the injury.
Strains represent damage to muscle tissue. Overworked or overstretched muscles can experience tears in the fibres, causing pain, knotting, and stiffness. Your massage therapist will apply the proper technique to loosen up tight, stiff muscles, and the endorphins released during massage will help with pain reduction.
Exercise is instrumental in keeping both the body and mind strong, but it’s also very easy to overdo it while exercising – especially in the case of those who are engaged in bodybuilding. Both regular and deep tissue massage can help relieve pain and promote healing.

Is a Regular Massage Right for You?

The nice thing about massage is that it is never wrong. Not only is massage therapy perfect for dealing with stress and assorted aches and pains, it also bolsters the immune system to keep you healthier. The flexibility of the joints increases and more oxygen is delivered to all parts of the body (including the brain) as circulation improves.

Many people will use massage once or twice when dealing with a specific problem, and will come away feeling refreshed and revitalized. But, why wait until there is a problem to see a massage therapist? Scheduling a weekly or biweekly massage can help to keep you feeling better all the time – less stressed, more alert, and less likely to suffer from painful, tight muscles.

What it basically comes down to is this – regular massage by a massage therapist is one of the best ways to promote both mental and bodily health for everyone.