"Uncle Rhabdo" is not someone you want hanging around!

First of all, hello everyone! I have been terribly behind on posting, but basically my wedding took over my life. Plain and simple. I'm married and now I'm finally ready to blog again! I have so much I want to post, but I have must come back on a slightly heavy note.

Massage therapists, chiropractors, and physical therapists regularly see people who partake in the fitness phenomenon CrossFit, and there is this not-so-funny inside joke: CrossFit keeps us in business. CrossFit has become a very popular form of exercise for those wanting to get super ripped and really push themselves to the absolute limits. So much that the company became very familiar with a pretty rare but no nonsense condition called Rhabdomyolyosis, which is basically what happens when your muscles are pushed so hard that they completely break down. This is not only permanently damaging, but it is also potentially fatal. So why did they feel like making a ripped cartoon clown attached to a dialysis machine and his innards on the ground its unofficial mascot? And somewhat off topic-why is the idea of pushing THIS HARD even appealing?

Check out this article, share it, and learn about the seriousness of rhabdo. Please, really REALLY think about what your health and fitness goals are and what you are willing to endure in order to achieve them. I don't think "muscle explosion" is something really all that cool, and saggy depressed muscle cells aren't something that can be "fixed" with a 60 minute massage.

Stretches for both the upper and lower body!

If you ever have a massage session with me, you'll recall that at some point, I will talk about stretching. Whether you work all day at your desk, or a very physical job running around on your feet, stretching will help improve blood circulation while elongating your muscles, increases flexibility, improves your  day to day range of motion, and it is just FEELS NICE.

I dance and perform on the stage, as well as physically work with my body on a regular basis as a massage therapist. I am accustomed to some pretty intense and tricky stretches. Often times, I find myself resorting to the tried and true basics. FUNCTIONAL range of motion stretching is honestly the best for you, especially before workouts.. but that takes more "work". Will you realistically lunge down the hallway at work or in your house in order to get to the  kitchen or break room? Eh...UNLIKELY! If you are, however, willing to take some time for yourself to simply breathe and quietly-or with your favorite tunes-stretch and get some movement in your body, then I'll take it!! AND SO SHOULD YOU!

I really appreciate the accessibility of these stretches. They are simple and effective, and if done regularly, you will absolutely feel a difference. In a perfect world, you would do both of these videos everyday. Alas, if you could do both the upper and lower body videos at least 2-3 times a week, and pick a couple of the stretches from each video to do every day, you'll be in better shape than most. The key is listening to the instructions and FORM. That goes with any exercise or stretching routine. Please also, have realistic expectations of yourself. Don't beat yourself up when you can't touch your toes or touch the ground, but the 24 year old yogi/model demo can. A.) Have you EVER been able to? B.) When was the last time you stretched? REALLY stretched, not just the little 2 minute thing you do before you get on the treadmill. Know your limits and recognize when your body is telling you you're overdoing it. If you feel PAIN-and know the difference between pain and discomfort, simply because you're not accustomed to it-stop immediately.

I love the FitnessBlender channel on YouTube. There are several full length work outs for FREE, with labeled categories to help you find the right workout to address your needs. If you're just trying to get some basic mobility and get "loosened up", I'd suggest these two videos below.

This is the Lower Body Stretches for Flexibility routine
And here is the Upper Body Stretches routine!!


I enjoy FitnessBlender, so check out their other videos, too!

If you wanted to see an example of some functional stretches, you can check out this video. In short, the difference is you going through actual motions WHILE stretching. You always pull a muscle when you perform an action right? STRETCH for movement.

If you want to learn more about the different kinds of stretches, visit this link on exercisebiology.com

Remember, it is always good to check with a physician before starting new exercise routines. Hope this has been useful! Have a fantastic day!! :D
~Valerie

Sick massage? Don't do it. We'll both regret it later!

Happy New Year! Hope all is well with my pals in the blogging world!

Today I wanted to cover a topic that I feel strongly about in regards to massage and our health. Yes- OUR health. I write this particular blog today at home sick, so I have a little bit of time today. 

I cannot tell you how many sick people I work on on a regular basis. Like, "I had a cold that developed into pneumonia, then I had a fever yesterday, but I feel mostly better today!" (Yes. I've ACTUALLY heard this. Followed by hacking throughout the rest of the session. We had a chat afterwards...)

Imagine you wake up, and everything is just tremendously sore and achy. You've got a sore throat, stuffy nose, you feel chilly all over, and just generally feel really lousy. Man, that toasty warm massage table, mellow, soothing music and a 90 minute session sounds amazing right now! It's true, massages are wonderfully relaxing and you typically feel great after. But did you know that getting massage when you're sick can actually make you MORE SICK? Here are a few things to think about:

• Since massage helps promote blood circulation, it can help spread your illness more efficiently. So something that is maybe a mild cold, can spread MORE quickly and intensify. 
• When you're sick, your body is telling you to slow down and rest up. Everyone always says plenty of sleep and fluids, right? Well, you may be laying on a table or a mat, but your body is doing a LOT of work, responding to the work it is receiving...so you're actually doing the very opposite of resting and relaxing.
• Think about what you typically go to get massage for- in the Silicon Valley, the common response is upper back, lower back, neck and shoulders. If receiving a chair massage or side-line massage, maybe you can pseudo comfortably get these things worked on, but otherwise you'll be face down. Face down...in a face cradle. We all know how comfy those are- heck they make you stuffy when you aren't sick! Now add a runny nose, sinus pressure and potential dizziness to the mix. Especially if you want a lot of work done, yea no. Just avoid it. 
• Being sick means your immune system is weakened, which makes you more susceptible to any germs that may be lingering about! If you can avoid it, you should stay away from high traffic areas when sick, and not surround yourself with additional risk factors. With as many appointments that can occur any given weekend at a spa or clinic, I'd call a massage table a high traffic area.
• A direct quote from www.spaweekblog.com, and the most important, in my opinion, "Probably the most obvious reason: germs spread. When you’re inside a steam room, sauna, or even a treatment room with your therapist, your nasty little germs are creeping everywhere. That’s inconsiderate to everyone else!" 

Us massage therapists, we're not doctors. We can't fix your cold. We're people who also can catch and/or carry illness. I know that if I came to work as phlegmy and coughy as some of the people who walk into my massage room on a regular basis, my work would tell me to go home and rest. Or better yet, my guest would complain and ask for a different therapist, because this Valerie girl is a gurgling, slimy mess. Pretend you went to your favorite restaurant, and your server came to greet you, tissues hanging out of the apron pocket, red nosed and sniffly, and trying desperately to hide the need to sneeze while taking your drink order. Chances are, you may reconsider ordering ANYTHING from that person!

Also, my job is to touch people for extensive periods of time- up to two hours in the same confined breathing space. If I'm working on a sick person, I may not get sick myself, but I can be a carrier, and pass it onto someone else. Or, as of lately, my issue is that I DO get sick, and I have to call in and miss work for at least 1-2 shifts, where I miss out on earnings that help pay bills, buys groceries, etc. Some folks can do paper work or computer work when they're ill after they have popped a DayQuil or something. "Oh, it's ok, because I can sip some tea and sit there and do what I have to do, not moving around all over the place."Try that when half of your guests are 90 minute deep tissue appointments. HAHAHA! :pass out on top of guest:
Ok, enough passive-aggressiveness, Val. Back to YOUR health! Your mild sniffles and sore throat may not seem like a big deal to you today, but who is to say it won't turn into some raging mess of a cold or flu the next day? Colds and other viruses affect people's immune system differently. And if you do get that massage that circulates your blood, and it DOES end up being some terrible, messy cold?Oooh, that will REALLY be a bummer and it WON'T feel good. I've received massages when my allergies are at their peak in the springtime, and it is NO FUN. I don't feel like I can enjoy it as much, when I'm trying to breathe through my mouth and my throat gets dry, and I'm stuffy...well, you know the deal.

I post this because I feel like it is something that NEVER gets addressed in the massage world, and it typically isn't a question asked by those who book your appointments. Be honest with yourself, and know what could potentially come from your decision to get a massage while ill:

• Making yourself more sick!
• Not letting your body repair and heal itself with the work it must do during massage.
• Infecting others- including your therapist!
• Not being able to enjoy it as much as when you're healthy.

If you have an appointment scheduled and you become sick, most places have a 24 hour cancel/reschedule policy. You won't be charged anything if you do it at least 24 hours before your appt. Or often times, you can pass it on to a loved one who may really need the work. HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY, go lay on the table for me! I doubt they'll mind!

My suggestion would be to get yourself well: plenty of fluids and rest, stay warm, take your vitamins. Vitamin C, D-3, zinc, Echinacea and Goldenseal are all great things to keep around. Lavender, Eucalyptus and Tea Tree oils are great aromatherapy options if you have an oil burner. Then, after you're as fit as a fiddle, get on the table and work some kinks out! We love having you visit us, we'd just rather you be healthy first! 

Take care this 2013 and be well!

Resources for this blog and additional information:

http://massage.terrahbanakas.com/youre-sick-you-dont-need-a-massage/

http://www.spaweekblog.com/2010/12/08/spa-when-sick-shibumi/

Oh that crazy low back pain: Hyper lordosis, tight glutes and stretching, oh my!

Happy Thanksgiving! Well, a few days late, anyway. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday with your family and friends, and hopefully you get to try out--making or tasting--some awesome new recipes!

Last time I talked about upper back/neck and the postural deviations that typically go along with it. Today I want to address lower back and hip/glute issues. A lot of people who mention that they are experiencing low back pain generally point to the lower back into the upper gluteal region. They'll say that their job is a 9-5 computer work job, and they sit at a desk all day--potentially also requiring them a lot of drive time commute.

Now something that happens when you sit in this position all day long is weakening of the glutes--your butt muscles. The three butt muscles are gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus. Basically, you're sitting with your glutes in a stretched position for a long period of time--with the weight of your body enhancing that stretch, so to say. Typically associated with that is tight hip flexor muscles- the muscles that help bring your knees closer to your body at the front crease of your hip. Moving and stretching this overworked (over flexed) area is important if you want to avoid hip spasms or tight quads.



Glute weakness and back pain are very closely related. And if you have any sort of postural imbalance, such as a hyper lordosis, in that low back area, it could add to the discomfort. Remember kyphosis, the rounding of the shoulders and upper back that we mentioned last post? Hyper lordosis is kind of similar, but in the low back--also an outward curvature that shouldn't be quite that pronounced for good postural health. Check it out:

The picture above is of kyphosis in the upper back (left) and a hyper lordosis in the low back (right).

Some curvature in the low back is totally natural. Same goes for the upper back, a little curve in the spine is normal. When either of these are more pronounced than usual, it typically leads to some muscular discomfort. With hyper lordosis, there is just too much pressure on those lumbar vertebrae- especially when sitting for long periods of time. In the case of kyphosis in the upper back, you'll feel as if your shoulders are always tight and you'll feel the discomfort between the shoulder blades. Sound familiar? I call it, "Silicon Valley Syndrome."

Common areas cited for low back pain.

Trigger points are little nodules (aka knots) of hyper tension in a muscle that can be locally sensitive to the touch. They can also exist without any pain until they are worked on, and they can also refer pain from one area of the body to another area. This is a common occurrence with low back pain and gluteal tightness. Often times, when people have "sciatic nerve pain" or "sciatica", they are just saying that because that is what they think it is. Pain in the back of the leg, through the glute and all over your hamstring and adductors? It sounds like sciatica, right? Perhaps. It is also possible that it is a trigger point referral pattern, and not actual sciatica, and it is referring pain from one area down through the posterior leg. Hooray! In that situation, it is better to have it be a mere trigger point that can be worked out!

Typically, unless there is a previous accident or major injury to take into account, it is a muscular imbalance. Not to fear, 99.9999% of people have at least one--and no, that is not an actual statistic. It IS incredibly common, however. Every muscle as an opposing "buddy" in movement. For example, your glutes primarily swing your leg backward and stabilize movement when walking, while the adductors in your thighs help swing your leg forward. The muscle is in "work mode" when the muscle fibers are being shortened, or flexed. If the glutes are weakened via inactivity, it will affect how your adductors respond when being called upon to do their task, and can result in tightness and inner thigh pain, even up into the groin.

So what the heck do you do? If your weak in the hips and gluteal muscles, clearly we need to strengthen those areas. Although, if it is super tight and restricted, they need to be stretched. Many, including yours truly, have a combo of both. Because my gluteals are not as strong as they should be, other muscles in my body- namely my adductors, calves and low back- have to do a LOT more work than needed to help stabilize and compensate for my weakness. The body also goes into protective mode saying, "Hey! Those glutes can't do that, so let's create a barrier so it doesn't hurt anything else!" Usually, this means the development of that low back belt of tightness and restriction of "harmful movement" in the surrounding areas. It is a protective mechanism, but it limits proper function, which can lead to more imbalances. BAH!

So step # 1- Get some of that tight restriction out of the way. Stretch frequently and get massage done to help loosen some of those locked up areas. Below are some great stretches for loosening up the hips, glutes and hip flexors:

Hip flexor stretch: enhanced lunges

This is a simple yet effective low back/glute stretch to do while at the office!

Stretching the hip and gluteus medius with "secretaries"

The wall stretch: effective and EASY! Gravity does most of the work for you!

Step #2- Strengthen those weakened muscles! You CAN strengthen while stretching, but I wouldn't make it the primary goal on a super restricted person. If you have tight pecs, I won't tell you to do 100 push ups or bench presses a day, because you're strengthening an already shortened muscle group. Just go easy, and be sure to stretch before and after activity.

Modified bridges on a stability ball

3 exercises demonstrated, but I really like the "peeing dog/fire hydrant" one a lot!

This is a little more challenging, but really awesome at targeting glute medius/minimus and also aids in core strength


Step #3- Maintain good posture and home care practices. This is certainly easier said than done, but will be vital to overall success and long lasting results. Consider investing in a foam roller to work out some of that low back and glute tightness. Foam rollers are foam cylinders that come in different sizes and density, and they're designed to facilitate myofascial release of scar tissue and trigger points on your own terms. I just had the pleasure (and pain!) of trying out two different foam rollers at REI last night--The Grid and the Y Roller. Oh man....beastly! These are hardcore foam rollers that WILL break up adhesions and WILL last you a long time! Foam rolling is a great thing to do to maintain the results of a massage, and as a warm up pre-event for sports or physical activity. You can get these online through retailers like Amazon or in stores like REI and Sports Authority. The Grid and other fancy textured rollers are a bit pricy, but a great self-care tool to invest in. The standard roller you can find at Target, TJ Maxx and Marshalls for a lot less! The thing I like about The Grid is the PVC core. Other rollers are foam with varying density, but it might lose firmness after a while. You won't have that problem with The Grid or Y Roller. There are plenty out there, these are just the ones I have tried. The important thing is to take your time while rolling. Slow down and breathe, especially when you find a tight spot.

                                                                         The Grid. (above)

           
                                                                        The Y Roller.

Here is an example of how you can foam roll your hips and glutes!



And as always, staying properly hydrated is good for you in a number of ways, including muscle malleability. You are able to receive massage--especially the deeper work--better when properly hydrated. My strange abstract mind: Think of your body like a big piece of steak or something. Beef jerky isn't very tender, and you'd really have to hammer it out if you want it to tenderize somehow, but it wouldn't be easy (or comfortable!) If you were nicely marinated, like a filet mignon, you could tenderize the heck out of that baby! Channel your inner $22 steak. Drink your water! :P

So this was a long one, all. I hope you found it useful and informative, and I hope you can start utilizing some of these methods to get more strength and flexibility in that low back/gluteal region. Have a fabulous day, and I'll see you on the table soon!



my image sources and additional information sources:
 www.triggerpointtherapist.com
www.theofficeeffect.com
www.riversideonline.com
http://rpm-therapy.com/massage-blog

Welcome! In this post- upper neck and back issues and postural deviations

Welcome to the blog!! I'm Valerie- you were likely introduced to this page through me after we worked together at Massage Envy Spa in Cupertino. If not, I'm glad you happened to stumble upon this page, and I hope you find some of the info here useful. :)

 I had been thinking about coming up with some sort of extra outside communication, or a way to relay all the stretches and suggestions I want to share during or after a massage for your at home care for quite some time. An email group didn't appeal to me really, as the personal exchange of info would have to happen. Since that is frowned upon at my work, and everyone knows what blogs are, I came to the conclusion that this would actually be a really good medium for what I'm trying to do. Tada! A blog is born!

Above: Upper Crossed Syndrome, and how it affects the body.

So shall we get going right away on an issue I see way too often? Upper back and neck pain/tightness! It is to be expected, considering I live in the Silicon Valley-everyone is in tech! Even the people who aren't working as a software engineer are utilizing the same technology and play with smart phones religiously. When you come into get work done, you'll notice that the therapist may not simply work on THAT SPECIFIC AREA that hurts. There is a pathology to it- the site of pain may not be what is actually the problem, merely the symptom. In the case of upper body postural deviations-- upper crossed syndrome, kyphosis (rounded and forward shoulder and head) and "shoulder earrings" -AKA shoulders that sit up near your ears- are the top two I see.


I have an excellent YouTube video that I like to forward to all of my friends and family and to my own private guests that addresses common causes of this postural distortion, and breaks it down simply. Check out this guy's channel, too. Plenty of great corrective and strengthening exercises!

Upper postural distortion video on Youtube

And this video below is just a very quick demonstration of an exercise similar to what I've shown a few of you. I appreciate the benefits of this exercise, being on the ground, you have to work against gravity in a neutral position, so I do like this. However, in order to make it more accessible on a regular basis- restroom break at work, lunch, etc- I've demonstrated this same thing standing, primary focus on the rotating of the shoulders. Many will try to do the "elevating off the ground" part, and just kind of bend backwards. Common compensation tactic, so don't cheat yourself. If doing this correctly, you should feel a little pinch between your shoulder blades alongside your spine. Tip: remember the "release" part of any "contract and release" exercise should be done slowly- that is when the good stuff happens! The controlled release/extension makes it more challenging, and really works that muscle much better than just quickly letting go. Check it out!

Rhomboid strengthening exercise!

As always, drink PLENTY of water, and remember- massage is just ONE part of your wellness plan. You must also be aware of your physical posture and your habits that could be aggravating the problem, and try to "do your homework" by stretching and strengthening at home. :) Teamwork!!



visual aid source: www.kettlebellinstitute.com