Well, I had the chance to try this out (minus the ice baths!)a few months ago when I attempted to cycle from Land’s End to John O’Groats.
Firstly, is there any difference between a sports massage treatment taken before or during or after an athletic event? The answer is yes although many of the same techniques are used.
Pre-Event: The aim before an event is to warm the tissues and prepare them for use. So this will focus on spreading the fibres and encouraging blood flow (hyperemia). Deep work just before an event is best avoided as there may be some residual muscle soreness and also an athlete’s proprioceptive reflexes may be “reset”. That wouldn’t be good for a hurdler or jumper who relies on precise body awareness! The athlete should leave the session feeling charged and loose and ready for action.
Post-Event: This treatment should focus on calming and releasing the muscles. Compressions to help remove waste build-up will make the muscles feel less fatigued .Depending on the duration of the event the muscles may be very tender and so only light work may be required.
In fact a new study by the Buck Institute for Research on Aging and McMaster University in Hamilton Ontario shows that massage after high intensity exercise can actually reduce muscle inflammation.
So, let’s go back to our real-world example. My cycle partner for the LEJOG cycle was my good friend Dave. Prior to the trip we worked out a 15-20 minute routine we could give to each other, usually within 90 minutes at the end of the day’s riding. Our mileages varied and were sometimes over 100 miles a day, although our average was 85 miles. Therefore, it was imperative that we rest, maintain flexibility, reduce fatigue and re-nourish ourselves as quickly as possible.
Obviously our legs were fatigued and the muscles were undergoing continual micro- trauma so deep pressure was largely avoided although we are both advocates of modified DTM for all stages of training! The aim was to flush out metabolic waste, relax the muscles, reduce soreness and reduce muscle shortening. Remember that prolonged repetitive exercise will usually shorten working muscles. The sequence was kept basic and consisted of gentle eflleurage to warm the tissue, followed by progressive compressive effleurage on the quads (worst affected). This is a stroking technique in which we used the palms of both hands. The aim here was to flush the tissues of waste and bring new blood into the area. As the tissue began to warm we continued with petrissage, a technique that kneads the muscles and is great for easing off tightness and spreading the tissues. We would normally spend some time around the joints, especially the knee, a use circular or cross fibre frictions (not too deep) to ease adhesions. This sequence was repeated up to three times and finished off with a rhythmic jostling movement of the now relaxed muscle.
Of the 13 days we cycled we missed one day of treatment due to time contraints etc. Interestingly, on the morning we cycled without prior treatment we both agreed that our legs felt heavier, more sluggish and more fatigued.
We also found that recovery at the end of the cycle was dramatically shortened. Again, I am quite sure that the regular massage treatments were a major contributor to our recovery.
So, if you are attempting a long endurance challenge ,don’t forget that massage can be a very beneficial adjunct to keeping you functioning before ,during and after your event. If you are doing your challenge with a pal, then persuade them to massage swap. It’ll be a win-win. If you are interested in learning a basic pre and post event sequence then give me a call and I’ll be happy to show you a short sequence you can use for your event.

 So, I pacified her by extolling the benefits of Deep Tissue Massage. I asked if she had any aches or pains and she mentioned that her lower thoracic and lumbar spine  are always a little sore. I already knew that she worked in an office so the obvious question was how does she sit. Rather cheerily she replied that she always sits with one leg crossed under the other. Did this make her twist I wondered. Yes, she said, she was aware that she does not sit square to the desk. Could this be the cause of her back pain she wondered!

This got me thinking that there are all kinds of activities of daily living (ADLs) that can cause back  and neck discomfort. However, with a little self help and awareness they  could be eliminated.

Let’s look at a few:

Deskwork: Sitting at a desk, answering the phone, inputing data onto a computer, using the mouse. They can all lead to postural adaptions and discomfort. So firstly, look at the position of your desk in relation to your chair. Can you comfortably rest your elbows on the desk without leaning into it or raising your shoulders? Is the chair perhaps a little too deep and you have to lean forward?  What is the chair support like and do you use it or perch on the edge of the seat?!  Really obvious questions but regular habits sometimes blot out the obvious. Adjust the chair height, bring the keyboard closer to you rather than you closer to the keyboard. Ensure that the screen is in front of you, preferably at head height. This is very difficult if you use a laptop but laptop stands are available and you may find that the persistent sore neck you have had for months might just go away.

If you use a mouse or touch pad, try swapping hands every hour or so. It will feel very weird for a while but persist and it’ll click (pardon the pun) in a few days.

Set up a regular stretching routine that you can do at your desk e.g. every time you put the phone down stretch the neck. Try putting one hand under the desk chair and then leaning away from it. This will keep the shoulder down. Now, tilt your head into the lean (imagine you have dozed off on a train). Now bring your other hand to rest on the opposite side of your head .Move your head down or up until you feel a perfect stretch in your neck. You can do other stretches for your upper back, shoulder and forearms. You may get some funny looks but you will feel much better throughout the day.

Driving: Next time you get in your car sit up straight. Feel the whole of your back being supported by the seat. Lift your head up and look directly ahead. Now check your mirror. Chances are you cannot see out of the mirror as it is now way too low! You have been slouching without realizing it. Make a point every Monday morning to do the mirror test. Sit upright and adjust your mirror to the correct angle for your new taller position. Check again by the end of the week and ask yourself if you really are sitting up straight and supporting your back.

Lifting: Quite often a back spasm or onset of pain is not caused by lifting a Grand piano up the stairs it could be a little more mundane like lifting shopping out of the car or carrying a toddler up the stairs.

            An awareness of core stability would help here. Just by flattening your tummy (as if you were pulling up the zip on some tight jeans) just before you attempt a lift willactivate the deeper corset-like muscles of your abdomen and increase intra-abdominal pressure slightly. This will have the effect of providing a natural brace for you back.

If you are lifting something from beneath you, brace your abs, bend your knees and use the strong muscles of your legs and glutes to aid the lift, keep the back out of danger-straight and braced.

So next time you experience an annoying niggle in your back don’t just reach for the pain killers and put it down to old age. Take a moment to go through all the instances when you may have put your back in a compromised position throughout the week and promise yourself to not make it a habit. Of course, if you have left it too late, you can always visit your nearest friendly Deep Tissue Massage Therapist!

Sore to Touch

Shin Splints are often used as a catch-all term for a number of conditions that effect the lower legs. The more scientific name is Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome. All result in similar pain and extreme discomfort when running but are not necessarily shin splints!

Periostitis: The periosteum of the tibia or the outer layer of the bone at the front of your lower leg can become inflamed due to the muscle attachments continually pulling during movement. Usually you will feel pain somewhere along your shin at some point during a run and sometimes afterwards. This is a “shin splint.”

Compartment Syndrome: Muscles in the lower leg are “housed” in a number of tight fitting compartments. During long bouts of exercise, pressure in these compartments can increase and the compartment walls will provide very little “give” to relieve this pressure. Consequently, acute pain can occur which subsides during rest. This can get quite nasty and sometimes results in surgery.

Stress Fracture: Repeated overuse, changing from running on a soft surface to hard can result in a crack in the bone(s) of the lower leg and foot. Runners quite often suffer from a stress fracture of the tibia. Unlike the pain experienced with a shin splint you will find a very specific point of pain which may become excruciating if you tap it.

The first two conditions can be helped by regular deep tissue massage whilst the third (stress fracture) is largely resolved by allowing adequate rest and a very conservative approach to beginning training again.

Likely  Causes

The cause of most shin splint conditions is overuse or inappropriate training. Suddenly upping your mileage from 5 miles a week to 25 miles a week in an effort to claw back wasted training days due to being snow-bound could be one example. Sound familiar?! Running with shoes that are starting to wear or that do not provide adequate support for your running style could also be a contributor. Poor flexibility and lack of stretching can also exacerbate the problem.

The Road to Recovery

Shin splints or medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS) can take up to 6 weeks to heal. The good news is that a regimen of deep tissue massage, appropriate stretching and strengthening and reducing training volume, intensity and duration can get you back out there in a lot less time.

Sports/Deep Tissue Massage will reduce calf tightness by lengthening the muscles, increasing flexibility and taking stress off the muscle attachments.

Stretching will maintain the good work done by the massage treatment. You need to stretch the back AND front of the calf. Stretch the big gastrocnemius muscle at the back with a straight knee and stretch the soleus muscle with a bent knee. To stretch the front muscle just kneel on a soft surface and try to lift your knee up a few inches. Feel a lovely stretch  from knee to ankle.

Strengthening is equally important if you don’t want the injury to reoccur. A really simple exercise you can do virtually anywhere is to tap your toes. Tap them to the left for 20, then to your right for 20 and then directly in front for 20 reps. You can do this at your desk, or waiting at traffic lights.

Reducing training volume is vital to allow recovery. Instead of running try swimming, or cycling or anything that can create an aerobic response but not put stress on the lower leg. Many clients have still been able to complete a marathon even though they have missed large chunks of running training. They have simply maintained their running fitness by choosing other forms of exercise for a while.

Ice! How can I forget ice! After every training session ice the affected area. This will rapidly reduce inflammation and pain. Never put ice directly on the skin. Use a bag of frozen peas or ice wrapped in a clean cloth. Once you are on the road to recovery try using ice then a hot compress. This will encourage circulation and promote healing. Wearing a tubi-grip bandage during the day isn’t a bad idea either as it will offer protection and warmth.

It may also be a good idea to visit a good running shop and get a video analysis on a treadmill. You may find that your feet roll in too much during running (overpronation). This can put a lot of strain on lower limb muscles and can be helped by correct shoe choice. Alternatively visit a good podiatrist who can assess your gait and advise if inserts (orthotics) may help your problem.

So if you think you are suffering from shin splints don’t despair! If in doubt give me a call or send me an e-mail and I’ll go into more detail regarding your specific problem. I’ll certainly do my best to get you back in your trainers ready for your big race!

Fitness can be described as a condition that helps us look, feel and perform at our best. For some this could mean looking good for their summer holiday, or running the last 50 metres to catch the bus to work, or carrying the pushchair up 2 flights of stairs.For others it may mean running a marathon in a world class time or lifting twice their body weight at the gym.
So largely it’s all about your ability to function at your best in daily life i.e. the ability to perform daily tasks vigorously and alertly, with energy left over for enjoying leisure time activities, meeting emergency demands and withstanding stress.

So is a definition of fitness purely relative? Well, yes and no. Clearly only being able to run 50 metres to catch a bus before collapsing in a heap does not suggest a high level of cardio-respiratory endurance. However, if you happen to be 75 years old and a reformed smoker it isn’t too shabby!

This is why it’s a good idea to define your fitness goals before embarking on a new exercise program.Exactly what do you want to achieve by exercising. Yes, you must include all components of fitness to achieve full functional fitness, however, to what degree you choose to refine these components is up to you. A good personal trainer will discuss these goals with you and tailor a regime accordingly. So whether your goals are to win the parents’ day egg and spoon race or play rugby for Scotland-it’s time to head for health!