More oops I did it again ….

We all wonder why after an injury or issue has healed and after several weeks of feeling pretty good, bang it flares up again, why? Last week I explained so factors influencing why this happens, now I want to explore the physiological aspects.

The Physiological Law of Facilitation (the path of least resistance) The law explains why old injuries flare up under stress.

When an impulse has passed once through a certain set of neurons in your brain to the exclusion of others, it will tend to take the same course on a future occasion, and each time it does, the resistance will become less.

An analogy of this would be the image of rain on a dirt hill each time it rains the pathway becomes more entrenched, larger, and more intricate spreading out to nearby pathways.  So once a nerve learns a pain pattern it tends to repeat it even in the absence of the injury. So the effects of stress to your mind and body can be a trigger for this response to kick in.

But wait, there is good news!

The Law of Facilitation can be maneuvered to help a massage therapist make the benefits of their treatment last longer. You may be wandering how can this be?  In massage, patterns of imbalance which result from trauma, or from habitually stressful patterns like poor posture can be addressed.  So your body should adapt to changes taking place in the musculoskeletal system and create new pathways.

The body likes sameness, which produces habitual patterns. When a pattern is established, it does not take as much stimulation to activate the response.

Related Posts

  • Why sometimes you need light pressure in a massage not just deep tissue?

    Our instinct as humans when we feel tight and stiff is to feel we just need someone to just get into the muscles.  By" get into the muscles", [...]

  • Does massage help tense muscles or muscle soreness?

    A lot of clients visit it us in clinic with tense muscles, which over time can lead to achy muscles and this in turn can then lead to episodes of muscle pain.  Muscle tension refers to the condition in which muscles of the body remain semi-contracted for an extended period.  Muscle tension is frequently caused by the physiological effects of stress.  Massage is well documented to reduce muscle tension  (see top two references).  In addition what is also known to help are

    1. hot baths
    2. yoga
    3. stretching
    Muscle soreness, or to be more precise delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is the stiffness and sometimes pain felt in muscles 24 to 72 hours after exercise, sporting or physical activity.  If you are someone that is prone to DOMS reading my previous blog posts may help: Many athletes believe that sports massage helps DOMS and there is scientific evidence to supports this.  (See bottom 4 references). References Longworth JCD.  Psychophysiological effects of slow stroke back massage in normotensive females.  Advances in Nursing Science. 1982 July: 44 - 66 Valentine KE. Massage in psychological medicine - modern use of an ancient art.  New Zealand Journal of Physiotherapy. 1984; 12: 15 - 16 Ernst E. Does post-exercise massage treatment reduce delayed onset muscle soreness? A systematic review. Br J Sports Med 1998; 32(3): 212-4. Ernst E. Manual therapies for pain control: chiropractic and massage. Clin J Pain 2004; 20(1):8-12. O'Connor R, Hurley D. The effectiveness of physiotherapeutic interventions in the management of delayed-onset muscle soreness: a systematic review. Phys Ther Rev 2003; 8(4): 177-95. Wright A, Sluka K. Nonpharmacological treatments for musculoskeletal pain. Clin J Pain 2001; 17(1): 33-46.

  • Heel Pain Part 1 – Plantar Fasciitis

    Recently a client asked me "is having heel pain first thing in the morning, just one of those things you have to put up with as you get older"?. What are the causes of Heel Pain? There are two major causes of heel pain, firstly a grumbling Achilles Tendon and secondly Plantar Fasciitis.  This week I am going to focus on Plantar Fasciitis.  Plantar Fasciitis is inflammation of the Plantar Fascia or the strong band of tissue on the sole of your foot that stretches from your heel to your toes that supports the arch of your foot and acts as a shock absorber when you walk.  The usual site of the pain with Plantar Fasciitis  is on the sole of the foot, see diagram below. Cross-section diagram of the foot showing the plantar fascia How can I tell if my heel pain is Plantar Fasciitis? Plantar Fasciitis is characterised by the gradual onset of soreness and aching under the heel at its mid-point, which spreads forward along the inner side of the arch of the foot.   The ache or pain is often for the first few steps when you get out of bed every morning or after sitting at your desk for a long period of time. What causes Plantar Fasciitis

    • Sedentary Lifestyles
    • Being overweight
    • Wearing shoes with too little arch support or cushioning
    • Vigorous take off's, landings are fast turns during weight bearing sports.
    • Wearing high heels too much.
    • Excessive foot eversion (your weight is too much on the outside of your foot).
    What can I do to help myself? If you are in pain, then simply rest and ice.  A simple solution is to freeze a plastic water bottle which is about 75% full of water - when it is frozen wrap it in a tea towel, so you don't burn your skin and roll it under the sole of your feet to provide pain relief. The following exercises, done either with or without shoes on, can be used to help treat Plantar Fasciitis:
    • Stand about 40 cm away from a wall and put both hands on the wall at shoulder height, feet slightly apart, with one foot in front of the other. Bend your front knee but keep your back knee straight and lean in towards the wall to stretch. You should feel your calf muscle tighten. Keep this position for several seconds, then relax. Do this about 10 times then switch to the other leg. Now repeat the same exercise for both legs but this time, bring your back foot forward slightly so that your back knee is also slightly bent. Lean against the wall as before, keep the position, relax and then repeat 10 times before switching to the other leg. Repeat this routine twice a day.
    • Stand on the bottom step of some stairs with your legs slightly apart and with your heels just off the end of the step. Hold the stair rails for support. Lower your heels, keeping your knees straight. Again you should feel the stretch in your calves. Keep the position for 20-60 seconds, then relax. Repeat six times. Try to do this exercise twice a day.
    • Sit on the floor with your legs out in front of you. Loop a towel around the ball of one of your feet. With your knee straight, pull your toes towards your nose. Hold the position for 30 seconds and repeat three times. Repeat the same exercise for the other foot. Try to do this once a day.
    • Sit on a chair with your knees bent at right angles and your feet and heels flat on the floor. Lift your foot upwards, keeping your heel on the floor. Hold the position for a few seconds and then relax. Repeat about 10 times. Try to do this exercise five to six times a day.
    • For this exercise you need an object such as a rolling pin or a drinks can. Whilst sitting in a chair, put the object under the arch of your foot. Roll the arch of your foot over the object in different directions. Perform this exercise for a few minutes for each foot at least twice a day. This exercise is best done without shoes on.
    Finally, a deep tissue massage to the calf muscles, achilles tendon and foot will help too.