More factors that contribute to muscle cramps

Many clients come to our clinics a few days after vigorous work outs or competing in sporting competition because their legs feel tried or heavy.  These clients often book a sports massage, but is their any scientific evidence to explain what is happening in the body during the treatment? Massage dilates superficial blood vessels and increases the rate of blood flow.  In addition if a deeper pressure is used like in sports or deep tissue massage on a healthy adult it improves the venous return.  Both of these changes to the blood flow represent a potent means to accelerate healing.  For example, it suggests that massage should improve the performance of fatigued muscles.  In addition, Goats asserts that massaged muscle fibres display less spasm, an increased force of contraction and enhanced endurance compared with muscles simply rested.  Which suggests that massage will assist in the improvement of sporting performance where it has been compromised. References Scull CD (1945) Massage - Physiologic Basis.  Archive of Physical Medicine 26: 159-67 Wilkins RW, Halperin MH, Litter J. (1950)  The effects of various physical procedures on circulation in human limbs.  Ann Intern Med 33: 1232-45 Goats GC (1994) Massage - the scientific basis of an ancient art: part 2.  Physiological and therapeutic effects Br J Sp Med 28(3)

Post natal depression is very well known, what is talked about less often is depression during pregnancy. A team of scientists in the Uk and Singapore conducted a systematic review of six clinical studies, involving 450 pregnant women that examined the effects in yoga on depression during pregnancy. All six studies showed reductions in depression scores, indicating that yoga is a promosing non-medicine approach for improving psychological health of pregnant women. Participants recruited for the trails reported mild depressive states and therefore larger studies are required to examine the impact of yoga on pregnant women with severe prenatal depression. Reference https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S174438811830608X?via%253Dihub=  

  Every year May 17th is dedicated to World Hypertension Day (WHD).  The purpose of WHD is to promote public awareness of hypertension.  In keeping with the spirit of the day, I am going to blog about Hypertension throughout May. So what is Hypertension? It is a stage of great psychological stress which causes abnormally high blood pressure.  The graphic to the left, indicates what is considered, low, normal, pre-high blood pressure and high blood pressure. We all know that if we go to the GP they check our blood pressure, but why is it so important? Firstly high blood pressure or hypertension is very common, according to the NHS it affects 1 in 4 adults in the UK.  Secondly it has no symptoms hence it is often referred to as the silent killer.   Thirdly it is the simply most significant risk factor for a range of diseases including:

1. heart disease
2. congestive heart failure
3. stroke
4. kidney disease
5. dementia