Massage for Runners … its all about optimising recovery

We are introducing a new service: Runners Massage a special service to assist runners to optimise their recovery the massage will

  • flush out all the waste products in the tired muscles
  • address micro tears in the muscles

which rejuvenates the tired heavy muscles making them feel light.

The goal for runners is to first and foremost prevent the kind of wear and tear that comes with putting physical demands on your body. Yes; running is fantastic and ultimately good for your overall health, but if you are going to push your body to its limits you must prepare it and maintain it to avoid potential injury.

With strenuous running, your muscles can lose their ability to relax and they become shorter and tighter.   Chronically tight muscles will lose their flexibility and that is really asking for trouble, as it makes you so much more susceptible to injury.  If your muscles lose flexibility, they can easily pull or tear, and tight muscles become very sore. Blood flow is poor through tightened muscles (ischemia) and that also cause pain.  Massage stretches the muscles in a much more specific way than stretching after a run, to regain lost flexibility.

Click here to book your runners massage

 

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  • The Impact of Sitting All Day – Part 4

    In part 1, I looked at the impact of sitting on your muscles,  and in part 2 generally explored the impact  on the rest of your body.  In part 3 I focused on the impact of sitting on your circulatory system including your heart.  In this article I will explore the impact of sedentary behaviour (sitting) and the link to cancer.

    So how common is cancer? According to Cancer Research UK
    • Every two minutes someone in the UK is diagnosed with cancer.
    • 1 in 2 people in the UK born after 1960 will be diagnosed with some form of cancer during their lifetime.
    • Breast, lung, prostate and bowel cancers together account for over half of all new cancers each year.
    • Overall cancer incidence rates in Great Britain have increased by more than a third since the mid-1970s, with almost this entire rise occurring before the late 1990s.
    And here is the good news is more people survive cancer than die from it now.
    • 46% of men and 54% of women cancer patients diagnosed in 2010-2011 in England and Wales are predicted to survive 10 or more years.
    • Cancer survival in the UK has doubled in the last 40 years.
    The Link Between Cancer & Inactivity Last year in a meta-analysis, Daniela Schmid and Michael F. Leitzmann of the University of Regensburg in Germany analyzed 43 observational studies, amounting to more than 4 million people’s answers to questions about their sitting behavior and cancer incidences. The researchers examined close to 70,000 cancer cases and found that sitting is associated with a 24% increased risk of colon cancer, a 32% increased risk of endometrial cancer, and a 21% increased risk of lung cancer. D Schmid & MF Leitzmann, 2014, Sedentary behaviour insreases the risk of certain cancers, Journal of National Institute of Cancer, Volume 106, No 7. see http://jnci.oxfordjournals.org/content/106/7/dju206.full The really bad news is that your can't exercise away the harmful effects, "Adjustment for physical activity did not affect the positive association between sedentary behavior and cancer" write Schmid & Leitzmann.  Even participants who achieved the daily recommended levels of physical activity were at the same risk as those who spent their day sitting. One theory as to why this is the case, is that regular movement boosts natural antioxidants that kill cell-damaging and potentially cancer-causing free radicals, another theory is that the excess insulin encourages cell growth. The pancreas produces insulin, a hormone that carries glucose to cells for energy.  But cells in idle muscles don't respond as readily to insulin, so the pancreas produces more and more. A 2011 study by Stephens et al found a decline in insulin response after just one day of prolonged sitting. Stephens et al, 2001, Effects of 1 day of inactivity on insulin action in healthy men and women: interaction with energy intake, Metabolism Volume 60, No 7 pages 941 - 949. see http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S002604951000315X  

  • Is a 15 minute Neck & Shoulder Massage beneficial?

    Fifteen minutes is a very short space of time, so I am often asked by potential clients if they will receive any benefits from such a short massage. Well the good news is that you do receive benefits, and its not just me saying that, or the subjective experience of other clients there is scientific evidence too.

    • In 1996 Shulman, K.R. & Jones, G.E. in the Journal of Applied   Behavioural Science, looked at the effectiveness of chair massage in reducing anxiety in an organisation. An on-site chair massage therapy program was provided to reduce anxiety levels of 18 employees in a downsizing organization. 15 control group s participated in break therapy. Subjects’ stress levels were measured with the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, which was administered twice during pretest, post-test, and delayed post-test to achieve stable measures. The study concluded that significant reductions in anxiety levels were found for the massage group. 1
    • In 1996 Field, Ironson, Pickens et al. in the International Journal of Neuroscience concluded that chair massage therapy offers benefits in not just alleviating the physiological effects of anxiety, but also in improving mental alertness.2
    • In 1997 Cady et al. in Perceptual & Motor Skills evaluated the effectiveness of a 15 minute chair massage on reducing stress as indicated by blood pressure. 52 employed participants' blood pressures were measured before and after a 15 minute massage at work. Analysis showed a significant reduction in participants' systolic and diastolic blood pressure after receiving the massage. High Blood pressure is associated with anxiety and stress, this study supports the conclusion that chair massage is relaxing and reduces stress. 3
    There is solid scientific evidence of the benefits of a 15 minute seated acupressure massage, so why not book now. References
    1. KR Shulman and GE Jones, 1996, The effectiveness of massage therapy intervention on reducing anxiety in the work place, Journal of Applied Behavioural Science (32), p160 – 173
    2. Field T; lronson G; Scafjdi F; Nawrocki T; Goncalves A; Burman I; Pickens J; Fox N; Schanberg S; Kuhn C, Sep 1996, Massage Therapy Reduces Anxiety and Enhances EEG Pattern of Alertness and Math Computations, The International Journal of Neuroscience, 86 (3-4) p197-205Read More: http://informahealthcare.com/doi/abs/10.3109/00207459608986710
    3. Cady SH and Jones GE, Feb 1997, Massage therapy as a workplace intervention for reduction of stress, Perceptual & Motor Skills, (1) p157- 158Read More: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9132704
     

  • What is NMT or Neuromuscular Technique?

    NMT (Neuromuscular Technique) is a soft tissue technique developed in the 1930's by Dr Stanley Lief.  NMT is the application of quasi-static pressure perpendicular to the skin with the aim of releasing pain and tension in muscles (normally in skeletal muscles). Neuromuscular Technique is used by

    • Physiotherapists
    • Osteopaths
    • Chiropractors
    • Massage Therapists
    A lot of clients will be familiar with NMT techniques from having either a sports massage, deep tissue massage or seated acupressure massage with Vitality Therapy.  We commonly use NMT when we treat
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    • aches & pains
    • trigger points
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