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Self help for a stiff neck

Neck cramps, also known as a stiff neck, generally occur when the neck muscles weaken over time due to overuse or poor posture. An example of over use of your neck muscles, is when we are doing abdominal exercises and start to feel it in you neck - if this happens remember you are exercising your neck not your abdominal muscles!   If you regularly get a stiff neck then consider your posture when you use a computer, drive or look at your smart phone.  When You have a Stiff Neck Self Help Procedure

1. Find the sore spot and place one hand over it. 2. Firmly push into the affected area with your fingers, but not hard enough to cause a sharp pain.  Any pain should feel like a good pain as its accompanied by a sense of relief or release. 3. Turn your head slightly in the direction opposite of the cramp and bend it diagonally. 4. Repeat steps 1 to 3 around 20 times.
  If you find you can't quite hit the spot then why not book in with us.
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‘Alternative cancer therapies’ may increase your risk of death

“Cancer patients who use alternative medicine more than twice as likely to die,” is the stark message, which has been reported in the press including  CNN, Daily Mail and the Sun newspaper (see below). https://www.thesun.co.uk/living/4249489/cancer-patients-who-shun-chemo-for-alternative-therapies-are-twice-as-likely-to-die/ I know that I have written blogs about cancer in the past and pointed recent ideas and research.  But I want to make it crystal clear that I believe in complementary therapy not alternative therapy.  While this may sound like symantics its a crucial difference.  At Vitality Therapy we always recommend you follow your GP, consultant and conventional medicine's recommendations and we work in a manner that is complementary to that advice, guideance and medication. In the articles I mentioned earlier, people were using "Alternative Medicine" instead of conventional cancer treatments.  The researchers concluded that people using "Alternative Medicine" were less likely to survive after a cancer diagnosis for 5 years. What I discuss in my blog articles and we recommend in clinic is "complementary therapy" which is completely compatible will all forms of western medicine. Below is an extract from the NHS choices - Cancer section.. "There are reports that some people find complementary medicines (CAMs) of benefit during cancer treatments. For example, some people have said that acupuncture helped them cope better with the side effects of chemotherapy." The basic premise of the press articles is that ignoring medical advice on the treatment choices that potentially offer the most benefit for cancer (or any other illness) could be fatal.  Here at Vitality Therapy we never suggest or imply that you ignore medical advice.  

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Trigger Points

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
     
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Can massage help relieve pain?

When a toddler falls his mother will instinctively rub the sore spot to make it better.  Likewise, an office worker with stiff shoulders will probably try to knead them.  Because from an early age we have learnt the touch of a hand will ease pain. There are two type of pain:

  • Acute
  • Chronic
Acute pain can be mild and last just a moment, or it might be severe and last for weeks or months.  Chronic pain is pain that is ongoing and usually lasts longer than six months.  In addition to chronic pains extended duration it is often more life limiting  and hence may have an emotional effect such as depression, anger, anxiety, and fear of re-injury.  Such a fear might limit a person's ability to return to their regular work or leisure activities. Deep Tissue or Sports massage may relieve pain by way of several mechanisms, including relaxing painful muscles, tendons, and joints; relieving stress and anxiety; and possibly helping to "close the pain gate" by stimulating competing nerve fibers and impeding pain messages to and from the brain. So if you are in pain, why not book a massage?
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Is the way you breathing causing your neck pain? – Part 1

If you have had a treatment with us, we may have talked to you about importance of deep breathing,  if you have tension in your neck. Shallow breathing, thoracic breathing, or chest breathing is the drawing of minimal breath into the lungs, usually by drawing air into the chest area using accessory muscles rather than throughout the lungs via the diaphragm.  This means that you over use some of the accessory muscles of breathing, including the scalenes and sternocleidomastoid muscles both of which are located in the side of the neck.  The scalenes elevate the 1st rib during inspiration and the sternocleidomastoid raises the sternum.  Unfortunately, these accessory muscles aren’t built for routine respiration, and they exhaust and eventually injure themselves which may result in pain and/or a reduced range of movement (i.e. inability to turn your head fully from side to side). People shallow breath when they are nervous, stressed, anxious, or when they concentrate.  So simply stopping and taking one deep breath after you send each email, can reduce the over use of your scalenes and sternocleidomastoid.

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Benefits of Deep Tissue Massage when compared to Seated Acupressure Massage

Just because you have a Neck or Shoulder problem it doesn't mean Seated Acupressure Massage is the best treatment for you.  There are many benefits of Deep Tissue Massage for Neck & Shoulder problems and I wanted to share some: Because Deep Tissue Massage is carried out on a massage table allows us to use a greater variety of advanced techniques (which are not able to utilise while you are sitting in an oniste massage chair).  By ustilising all our massaging applicators and advanced techniques it makes Deep Tissue Massage more effective at:

  • Alleviate pain
  • Restore flexibility
  • Address muscle spasms
  • Address knots
Deep Tissue Massage is more flexible so we can reach all the affected muscles.  For example with Seated Acupressure Massage we only treat some of the muscles and don't do any work on the chest.  If you have poor posture then Deep Tissue Massage can open up your chest which is normally tightens up when you have poor posture. Put simply Deep Tissue Massage is best for addressing problems with your Neck or Shoulder while Seated Acupressure Massage is best for reducing stress and anxiety.
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Mundane superfoods – part 1

The list of superfoods grows longer each day and they all seem to come from far off exotic locations and they can be quite pricey.  So I want to share with you a few more humble, even mundane foods that are good subsititues for some superfoods.

Swap: Lemon Balm for Cacao

Ok the flavors aren't similar but the effects are. People crave chocolate because it is soothing and even slightly stress relieving. The appropriately named lemon balm, lifts your spirits but without the stimulation from caffeine.  Native to the eastern Mediterranean and West Asia, Melissa officinalis, like so many other herbs, has been used for centuries as a therapeutic remedy due to its antiviral, antibacterial, antispasmodic and antidepressant compounds. Its modus operandi, according to Natural Living Ideas, includes stress relief, relief of pain from indigestion and improving your appetite. Another use for lemon balm is to promote sleep. You can chop the leaves and steep them in boiling water to make a tea or rub a few leaves on your skin to allow the natural oils to seep into your bloodstream, which helps you relax. In fact, a University of Maryland study found that 81 percent of the participants who used lemon balm with valerian root got a better night's sleep than those on a placebo. And a Northumbria University study reported that experiments with lemon balm returned memory-strengthening and improved problem-solving abilities when they took capsules filled with the dried herb. The subjects also performed "significantly" better when taking standardized computer tests on memory in comparison with those given a placebo. One of the great things about lemon balm, a perennial herb and member of the mint family, is how easy it is to grow, particularly in the spring. It can be sown from seed, or you can buy a small plant from a farmers market or nursery, and you'll be amazed how quickly it grows and spreads. References Natural Living Ideas March 8, 2017 UMM 2017 Northumbria University April 29, 2016  
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Mundane superfoods – part 4

This week I explain how to replace goji berries.

Rose Hips can replace Goji Berries

Goji berries are renowned for having a lot of vitamin C. Originally from Asia, they were used by the ancients to replenish body fluids, improve skin and soothe jangled nerves. The bush-like plant belongs to the nightshade family of plants with tomatoes and peppers and is reputed to be beneficial for insomnia, tuberculosis and to increase testosterone. On the other hand, rose hips, contain so much vitamin C, aka ascorbic acid, they're actually known to be the most abundant source in the world, which explains why they're so sought after by many markets. It was only in the last several decades that anyone thought to consider if there might be actual nutrition in rose hips. Once used in animal food, today they're an ingredient in jams, jellies and pie, as well as soups, bread and wine. Bon Appetit adds:
"The hips, like the petals, are high in flavonoids, those small but mighty antioxidant friends. Like nettle, rose hips are anti-inflammatory. The pectin in rose hips also make it a heart healthy medicine … "
Mother Nature Network adds vitamins A and E to rose hips' benefits, so they can be made into tea or even eaten to help treat colds and sore throat. Because they also contain free radical-fighting antioxidants, the anti-inflammatory properties can even treat rheumatoid arthritis. The odd pods also contain pectin, which is good for your heart. Organic Facts reveals more advantages of consuming rose hips in some form, including an ability to optimize cholesterol, boost your immune system, prevent chronic disease such as cancer, regulate your blood sugar and eliminate toxins. References   Bon Appétit July 19, 2017 Mother Nature Network July 6, 2011 International Society for Horticultural Science Organic Facts 2017  
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Does abstinence improve sporting performance?

I know lots of my readers take part in sporting competitions and they always want to perform at their peak and win.  So is it best to abstain the night before a competition?  Certainly here is a myth that abstinence before sporting activities improves performance? But does it? Researchers at the University of Florence reviewed hundreds of studies to determine if there was any truth in the myth that abstinence helps performance.  They found no evidence to support the myth that abstinence before a sporting competition improves performance.  In addition they found no evidence that having sex the night before impairs performance the next day.  They came across one study that found marathon runners did better the next day after having sex the night before. All sporting competitions are as much about the mind as the physical activity.  So the impact of sex the night before on marathon runners may be psychological.  Maybe that is why the organisers of the Rio Olympics distributed more than 450,000 condoms in the athletes' village during the 2016 Olympics. Reference Stefani Laura, Galanti Giorgio, Padulo Johnny, Bragazzi Nicola L., Maffulli Nicola, 2016, Sexual Activity before Sports Competition: A Systematic Review,  Frontiers in Physiology, Vol 7, pg 246 http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fphys.2016.00246

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Does owning a dog help you live longer?

A new study has discovered that dog owners:

  • live longer
  • less likely to suffer a heart attack
The protective effect of having a dog is increased if the dog is a hunting dog e.g. a terrier or a retriever. However it may not be owning a dog itself that helps you live longer but the lifestyle of dog owners.  This is because dog owners have to walk the dog so they are more active.  During these walks they may bump into other dog walkers and talk so there is increased social contact.  In addition the dirt the dog brings into your home changes the dog owners gut microbiome making them less susceptible to a heart attack. What ever the reason the statistics are impressive.  The risk of premature death drops by around 33% and the chances of a heart attack is reduce by 11%, according to researchers who studied the health of 3.4 million swedes of which 13% owned a dog for up to 12 years. To focus in on the benefits of dog ownership, researchers focused in on single people living alone as this is recognised risk for heart disease. One potential flaw in the is study is that people who choose to get a dog may already be more active and social and hence less likely to develop heart disease anyway. Reference https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29150678
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