Myofascia – part 1

Often clients sit down to have a massage and are unaware how tight one area of there shoulder or neck is.  This is very common and here is why:

• We only notice the worse area of pain - so if our right shoulder is more painful, we have a tendency to assume our left shoulder is OK.
• Trigger Points

What are Trigger Points? Trigger Points are hyper-irritable spots in muscle which are between 2mm - 10mm in diameter that are located frequently located where the nerves join the muscle fibers.  Active trigger points are always tender or painful, and often refer pain, so trigger points in only of the largest shoulder muscles the trapezius often refers pain up the side of the neck.  While latent trigger points are only painful when they are touched.  This is why when I work, sometime you discover areas of your shoulders that you didn't know were painful, these are latent trigger points. Trigger points can be found anywhere in the body but are extremely common in the shoulders. So if latent trigger points are only painful when you touch them, do I need a massage to release them?  The simple answer is yes as they may restrict your range of movement, so you will feel tightness if you try and rotate your shoulders or they can reduce the strength of your muscles, which puts more strain on your joints. What causes trigger points? There are several ideas about what causes trigger points but no agreed theory.  Below is a list of possible causes

• Poor Posture
• Muscle Damage
• Nervous Tension
• Physical Stress
• Psyschological Stress
• Environmental Factors - cold, damp
• Illness
• Lack of rest or sleep
• Poor Diet

What are the symptoms of trigger points?

• Restricted movement
• Tension headaches
• Referred pain
• Painful movement of a joint or limb

How can I prevent trigger points forming?

• Maintain good posture
• Manage your stress
• Follow a daily stretching routine

How can I get rid of my trigger points?

• Acupuncture
• Massage

     

We all know that we need good posture.  So today I wanted to share with you how to test if you have good posture.

The Wall Test - Stand with the back of your head touching the wall and your heels six inches from the baseboard. With your buttocks touching the wall, check the distance with your hand between your lower back and the wall, and your neck and the wall. If you can get within an inch or two at the low back and two inches at the neck, you are close to having excellent posture. If not, your posture may need professional attention to restore the normal curves of your spine.

The 'Jump' Test - Feel the muscles of your neck and shoulders. Do you find areas that are tender and sensitive? Are the buttock muscles sore when you apply pressure? What about the chest muscles?

If any of your muscles feel tight, sore or achy then why not book in for a massage.

Last week we established that massage is safe for pregnant women.  A scientific review of studies of pregnancy in massage fond that pregnant women who received massage had

• decreased depression
• decreased anxiety
• decreased leg and back pain

In addition pregnant women who received massage had reduced

• reduced cortisol levels
• reduced excessive fetal activity
• lower rate of prematurity (a baby being born before its 37 weeks old)

For pregnant women who received massage during labour they

• experienced less pain
• required less medication
• had shorter labours (on average 3 hours shorter)

The study concluded massage is effective for pregnant women. Reference Field T. Pregnancy and labor massage. Expert review of obstetrics & gynecology. 2010;5(2):177-181. doi:10.1586/eog.10.12.