407 Tom Brady and his Guru [13 Feb 2017]

Did you see last Sunday’s Super Bowl game? I’m not a sports fan by any stretch but a news item about winning quarterback Tom Brady’s masseur-trainer caught my eye.

Tom Brady, at 39, played one of the best ever NFL football games and walked off the field feeling great. In his own words “I never hurt. My arm never hurts, and my body never hurts. I know how to take care of it…”

It wasn’t always that way. Brady had two knee surgeries and a serious infection in 2008. His shoulder hurt too. Brady confesses “When I was 25, I was hurting all the time, and I could never have imagined playing this long” [17 seasons].

Then he met Alex Guerrero and hired him as his personal masseur and trainer. Besides regular massage treatments Guerrero advised Brady on which exercises to do and which to avoid, with emphasis on keeping the muscles strong and pliant. Then there’s diet and supplements. Brady avoids “inflammatory foods” including dairy, white sugar and white flour. He satisfies his craving for sweets with foods like avocado ice cream. He also practices meditation and yoga.

A little background on Alex Guerrero is in order here. In 2003 he was investigated by the Federal Trade Commission for unsubstantiated health claims for his product Supreme Greens and for calling himself “Dr. Alejandro Guerrero”. The study he used to market the product turned out to be a sham, and he was not, and is not, a doctor of any kind. He was investigated again in 2011 for promoting a new product, NeuroSafe, as an aid to recovery from concussion. I make no excuses for this – if you make health claims for a product, you need the science to back them up. I don’t know what’s in NeuroSafe – it could have helpful ingredients (see my article #331 Traumatic Brain Injury, Aug 2015) – but again you need the research to prove it.

Other trainers and the NFL medical staff consider Guerrero a quack and aren’t pleased with Brady’s decision to ignore their advice. But I believe that if he hadn’t made the changes he did, he would have been retired years ago with injuries that would still be causing him pain today. And you can’t argue with Sunday’s results.

Whatever our age and game in life, good nutrition, proper exercise and regular massage treatments should go a long way to keeping us pain free for life.

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.

373 Tendon Strain Therapy [13 June 2016]

I attended a three day massage workshop last weekend which I expect will change the way I work on soft tissue pain. The instructor, Bob Lidington, PhD (Physiology) of Saskatoon, has been using the Cyriax method of tendon strain and ligament sprain therapy for many years now with amazing results. He can’t keep up with the demand for this therapy and wants to retire sometime, so has agreed to his clients’ requests to educate more massage therapists about this method.

Tendons and ligaments are subject to sudden trauma by falls, sudden pulls, or heavy lifting. In the repair process, which can take up to a year, the collagen in the injured tendons and ligaments is replaced and built up with extra collagen resulting in a thickening of the tissue. The muscle attached to the injured tendon often develops a chronic contracture (muscle “knot”) causing chronic pain and reduced range of motion. Trigger points and headaches are other common effects of tendon strains.

Tension and pain from a lifetime accumulation of injuries become a permanent part of your life. Standard massage and other forms of treatments may provide temporary relief but as long as the sprain or strain is not resolved, the tension and pain keep coming back. Does that sound familiar to you?

With a quick assessment, the injury site can be located and treated. Result – the pain is gone, immediately and permanently. The treatment takes only a few minutes depending on the age and number of the injuries. The technique used is deep transverse (or cross fiber) friction at a precise location and at an appropriate depth. Treatment can be uncomfortable but is always within pain tolerance. Residual tenderness from the treatment may last a day or two. Tendon strain therapy does not require any lubricant (lotion or oils) and can be done through light clothing.

The workshop showed how to apply Tendon Strain Therapy to any part of the body that shows tendon strain or ligament sprain injury – neck, shoulders, arms, back, hips, legs and feet. If you suffer pain or restriction of movement in any of these areas as a result of an old (or recent) injury, tendon strain therapy might be the answer you’ve been looking for.

For a technical description of the technique see Cyriax's Friction Massage: a Review, 1982

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.

370 Fibromyalgia [16 May 2016]

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a poorly understood condition. In fact it wasn’t generally accepted as a “real” condition until 2002 when a brain imaging study provided objective evidence that pain was processed differently in the brain of those with FM. Fibromyalgia overlaps the fields of rheumatology, neurology, sleep disorders, and pain, so there is no one medical field dedicated to its research.

Dr. Ginevra Liptan is a medical doctor who developed Fibromyalgia as a medical student and specializes in its treatment. In a May 5 2016 article on MindBodyGreen.com she discusses fibromyalgia from the perspective of both physician and patient.

Fibromyalgia has three groups of symptoms – widespread muscle pain and stiffness, chronic fatigue, and brain fog. Liptan describes the development of FM this way:

“A chronically activated stress response wreaks havoc by preventing deep sleep and keeping muscles tense, leading to pain and tenderness; impairing digestion and energy production; and throwing hormones out of balance…ultimately [causing] the pain sensing nerves to increase the volume of their signals.”

She adds “This deep sleep starvation contributes to the fatigue, muscle pain, and foggy thinking.”

In another MindBodyGreen.com post, Dr. Amy Myers gives 10 possible root causes for fibromyalgia.

There is still no cure for Fibromyalgia but the following will greatly reduce the symptoms:

• Restoring normal deep sleep is the first essential step [see #105, #350]
• Diet changes and supplements to reduce inflammation [see #217, #294, Amy Myers]
• Supplements to support mitochondrial energy production [see #302]
• Support adrenal and thyroid function if required
• A detox cleanse may prove beneficial
• Ensure Vitamin D levels are in the optimum range [see #295]
• Magnesium, especially the L-Threonate form, is important
• 5HTP and SAMe supplements reduce pain, fatigue and muscle stiffness
• Malic acid is a natural anti-inflammatory which is particularly helpful for FM
• Aerobic exercise has been shown to relieve pain and depression
• Massage therapy can reduce muscle pain, improve sleep and reduce stress

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.

340 NISA – A Different Kind of Massage [12 Oct 2015]

I just came back from a four day training workshop learning the massage technique called NISA (Neuromuscular Integration and Structural Alignment).

NISA works on the fascia – the layers of connective tissue under the skin and around each muscle. One of the functions of fascia is to allow glide between different muscles, allowing them to function independently. Fascia is often more responsible than tight muscles in causing pain, limited mobility and postural imbalance.

Here is how the course description puts it:

“The NISA process releases fascial adhesions; it stretches, frees, & clears the tissue. The softened layers of fascia, having regained their flexibility and elasticity, permit improved structural alignment and body mechanics. It provides long-lasting changes to chronic postural habits, and most clients feel increased range of motion and less restriction after one or two treatments.”

Fascial massage is different from Swedish or other forms of massage. Most massage techniques are aimed at releasing tight muscle and are ineffective in treating problems in the fascia. The NISA technique uses less lubricant so instead of gliding over the skin we move the skin to address the underlying fascia.

Fascial massage can be incorporated into regular massage treatments on small problem areas but are more effective when applied to large areas. This is due to the interconnectedness of fascia. For example, shoulder pain could be caused by a restriction in the fascia of the opposite hip. A series of 12 one-hour treatments is required to thoroughly treat the entire body but one or two one-hour treatments on the affected area will still accomplish much.

We also learned new techniques of assessment for body structure and balance – to identify where work is needed and to monitor improvements with treatment.

After four days of being worked on from head to toe (during exchanges with the other massage therapists taking the workshop) I feel looser, lighter, and taller (not sure if that’s a good thing?). I stand and sit straighter. My left knee doesn’t bug me when riding my bicycle. And my lower back doesn’t bother me as much as it had been.

Now I’d like to share what I’ve learned to help your body feel and function better than you believed it ever could.

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner. See this article on my website for links to sources and further reading.

291 Massage and Blood Pressure [27 Oct 2014]

Most people are aware of the benefits of massage therapy for soft tissue pain and stress management. Massage can also provide cardiovascular benefits, particularly for the management of mild hypertension. High blood pressure is a significant risk factor in cardiovascular disease and is known as the “Silent Killer”.

A study published in 2000 by J. Bodywork & Movement Therapies compared the effects of massage therapy and progressive muscle relaxation on blood pressure. Massage was more effective at lowering blood pressure, especially diastolic. Both groups reported less anxiety but only the massage group experienced reduced depression.

A 2013 randomized control trial compared whole body Swedish massage with resting, one hour weekly for 4 weeks, on Malaysian women with hypertension. Both massage and resting improved blood pressure and heart rate, but the massage reduced it more (but the difference was not statistically significant), and for a longer time – up to 4 weeks (which was significant).

Another 2013 clinical trial compared neck & shoulder massage (10-15 minutes 3 times a week for 10 sessions) and rest in 50 pre-hypertensive women in Iran. Massage reduced both systolic and diastolic blood pressure significantly more than just rest, and the effects lasted at least 3 days after the treatment.

These studies (and others) suggest that massage therapy could be a useful tool in managing mild hypertension and pre-hypertension, however some cautions are in order [Massage Therapy – an Approach to Treatments, Fiona Rattray, 1994]. When working with clients with severe hypertension a massage therapist will use certain techniques and avoid others. The goal is to increase peripheral circulation (hands and feet) while avoiding movement of blood towards the trunk. The use of heat and painful techniques are contraindicated. Ideally the client’s blood pressure should be measured before and after the treatment to monitor its effects.

If your doctor is concerned about your blood pressure, ask her/him about massage therapy as a possible management tool. Here is Dr Brent Bauer of the Mayo Clinic speaking about the benefits of massage.

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.

262 Massage Therapy for Neck Pain [7 April 2014]

There have been few good scientific studies of massage therapy but that is changing. A recent study published in the Annals of Family Medicine is a good example.

Karen Sherman at Group Health Research Institute in Seattle looked at the effectiveness of massage therapy for neck pain. A previous study had found that benefits of massage were evident after 4 weeks. This time Sherman wanted to determine the optimum length and frequency of massage treatments.

228 adults, age 20 to 64, were randomly assigned to six treatment groups: 30 minutes 2 or 3 times weekly, 60 minutes 1, 2 or 3 times weekly, and an untreated control group. Neck pain was assessed a week after the 4 week treatment period. The researchers determined that those getting one hour of massage three times a week experienced the greatest benefit. Compared to the control group, Sherman reported “people getting massage three times a week were almost five times as likely to have a clinically meaningful improvement in function and over twice as likely to report a clinically meaningful decrease in pain.”

The author cautioned about applying this study to other age groups – since the youngest person in the study group was 20 and the oldest 64, she couldn’t say if younger or older people would respond in the same way. And Sherman didn’t say anything about other types of soft tissue pain (back, arm, leg, foot, etc.) but in my experience massage is equally effective for treating these – it just wasn’t addressed in this study.

So what can we learn from this study? If you are suffering from neck pain, give massage therapy a try. There are 5 or 6 massage therapists in Rosetown (last count) ready and willing to help you. Get at least two hour-long treatments a week. And don’t quit too soon.

My neck is sore from typing this article – I think I need a massage!

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.

133 Trigger Points [26 Sept. 2011]

As part of my continuing education credit requirements as an RMT, I took a course in Advanced Trigger Point Techniques (TPT) last weekend. We learned a new way to work trigger points that is faster, more effective and – best of all – painless! If you or someone you know suffers from soft tissue pain, I’d love to show you how TPT can relieve your pain.

Trigger points are small hyperirritable spots in muscles, tendons and ligaments that are painful with pressure and often refer pain to other areas in a predictable pattern. Pain with movement or stretching which limits the range of movement of a joint is likely caused by trigger points. Depending on location, trigger points can also cause: dizziness, headaches, tinnitus, buckling knees, muscle fatigue (your arm feels “heavy” or you feel “too tired” to hold your back straight), and stiffness after resting or over-exertion.

Trigger points are often caused by trauma such as a motor vehicle accident (e.g. whiplash) but can result from any injury or strain (excessive or repetitive) to the soft tissue. These can remain latent in the body for years until activated. Factors which activate trigger points include: over exertion of the tissue, prolonged stretch or shortening of the tissue, postural imbalance, getting chilled, general fatigue (lack of sleep), sudden movements, viral infections, high stress, and dehydration.

It usually takes several one-hour massage treatments using TPT to clear an area of the body. After therapy you should feel lighter and looser, and be able to move more freely without pain. A cleared area should remain pain free unless the factors which caused or activated the trigger points are still in effect.

This article is intended for educational purposes only; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.

105 Natural Sleep Aids [14 March 2011]

Last week we looked at some of the heath problems caused by inadequate sleep. This week we’ll explore some natural means to improve sleep:
• Establish a routine: go to bed and get up at the same time every day, even on weekends! Be consistent with naps.
• Avoid stressful activities (TV, video games, homework, discussing your “relationship” with your spouse) for an hour before bed.
• Listen to relaxing music or read a relaxing enjoyable book (not a horror murder mystery!). Try journaling your thoughts to help you unwind.
• Keep your bedroom completely dark – remove night lights, cover clock/radio dials, use light-tight window blinds. Wear an eye mask if necessary. The pineal gland produces melatonin and serotonin only in the dark.
• Avoid coffee and alcohol in the evening.
• Empty your bladder just before bed and don’t drink any fluid for several hours before bedtime to minimize getting up in the night.
• Eat a high protein snack with a small piece of fruit prior to bedtime.
• Exercise in the morning or early afternoon; a gentle relaxing activity in the evening may help you relax.
• Get a massage as often as possible – my clients often comment that they sleep better after a massage treatment.
• Apply essential oils such as lavender, chamomile, citrus, Jasmine or Sandalwood to your face (avoid the eyes), soles of the feet, or your pillow.
• Drink a cup of chamomile tea or a herbal blend designed as a sleep aid.
• There are many effective herbal and nutritional sleep aid supplements.
• Melatonin is an effective sleep aid – use the lowest strength that works for you.
• If stress is keeping you awake, nutritional formulas to help you deal with excess cortisol should help.

Sources: “Snooze it or lose it!” by Irene Seiberling, The Star Phoenix, March 8, 2011 B6; www.mercola.com

Wishing you all a good night’s sleep!

This article is intended for educational purposes only; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.

062 Muscle Energy Technique [10 May 2010]

I recently took a course in Muscle Energy Technique (MET) for the upper thoracic and cervical spine (upper back and neck). A year ago I had taken the course for the lower back from the same instructor – Judy Smith of Nanaimo, BC.

MET is a system of techniques for releasing restrictions or dysfunctions in the spine. When we bend forward or backwards, the vertebrae should move freely within their normal range of motion. Each spinal joint has 6 sets of small deep intrinsic muscles which flex, extend, side-bend right or left, and rotate right or left. When one or more of these muscles are hypertonic (a technical term for “too tight”) the joint becomes “stuck” on that side.

A vertebral dysfunction can cause decreased movement, bending or twisting of the spine, reduced circulation, neurological effects such as nausea, tinnitus or headaches, and of course pain. Untreated these dysfunctions can remain in our body for years.

Because these intrinsic muscles are quite small and very deep in on the vertebrae, they can’t be accessed directly by massage. Instead we use the MET techniques to release them and reset their normal length, tone, and sensitivity to stimulus.

MET works by placing the body in the precise position to engage the affected muscle, gently contracting the muscle against resistance, then gently stretching it to its new length. MET does not use high velocity joint manipulation and is entirely pain free. It can even be done through clothing.

In a typical MET session, the therapist will check the entire spine from the sacrum to the top of the neck, testing each joint for mobility in both flexion (forward bending) and extension (backward bending). Any dysfunction discovered is released before moving on.

I am finding MET to be an effective tool in my massage practice for treating back and neck pain. I’d like to find out what it can do for you.