Oops I did it again?
In clinic we frequently see clients who had an issue with either their neck or shoulder or their lower back that was resolved then a few weeks or months later they are back with the same issue. So why does this happen? First, it depends upon the client, as human body is unique and the issue.
What I want to explain below are some influencing factors:
Posture – Because lots of clients come to us in pain, when they walk out of clinic they are very vigilant about their posture. When they start to feel like the issue has been resolved good posture becomes less of a priority. More importantly bad posture creeps up on us slowly – particularly slumping at you desk when you have a tight deadline!
Over training – One of the most common questions we get asked, is when “will I be able to go to the gym again?” – clients are always very eager to get back training. If you are unable to train for a while, you need to gentle easy yourself back into training. Over training is when the physical trauma from exercising occurs faster than the body can repair the damage.
Overuse – An overuse injury typically stems from: training errors. Training errors can occur when you take on too much physical activity too quickly i.e. when you are training for a marathon you build up your distance and speed too quickly.
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Back Stretches
These stretches can either be done as a complete series or individually. The aim of stretching is to relax the muscles so it should never be painful. Each stretch should be held for 15 seconds and repeated twice. Ideally you should stretch daily. Back
- Clasp elbows in front of your body at shoulder height, making big circles in front of you - push out and look down. This will stretch your upper back.
- Lie on your back and raise your legs with your knees bent and hands palms down at right angles to your body. Move your legs over to one side of your body keeping your knees together and bent. Repeat for the other side of your body.
- Lie on your back with your arms at right angles to your body. Raise a leg with your knee bent and let it drop over to the other side of your body. Now repeat on the other side.
- Kneel on all fours, then sit back with your buttocks on your heels and your head on the floor and your hands outstretched in front of you (child pose for those who know yoga). This will stretch your entire spine.
- Kneel on all fours, look down whilst arching your back upwards (like a cat) hold for 15 seconds, then slowly drop your back down and stretch your head up and hold for 15 seconds.
- Lie on your back with your right knee up keeping your foot on the ground. Place your left ankle on your right knee, letting your left knee drop outwards. Clasp your hands below your right knee and pull towards your body, this will stretch out your gluteals. Now repeat on the other side.
- Lie on your stomach with your arms by your side and gently raise your head slightly. If these feels comfortable then you can also raise your feet of the ground and raise your arms above your head in from of you. This is very strengthening and especially good for people with straight backs.
So massage is safe for pregnant women, but is it effective?
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
- reduced cortisol levels
- reduced excessive fetal activity
- lower rate of prematurity (a baby being born before its 37 weeks old)
- experienced less pain
- required less medication
- had shorter labours (on average 3 hours shorter)
