By Adena Mai-Jardine BA, PFT, RMT

I thought we would lighten up this month with some body trivia. I cannot guarantee that all this trivia is 100% correct, but it is good for some interesting cycling conversation!

• The average human blinks their eyes 6,205,000 times each year. More when we get bugs in them!
• The average human will shed 40 pounds of skin in a lifetime. Exfoliation!
• Nerve impulses to and from the brain travel as fast as 170 miles (274 km) per hour.
• During a 24-hour period, the average human (but we are cyclists, so we are definitely NOT average!) will breathe 23,040 times.
• The average person falls asleep in seven minutes. You don’t? All I can say is…R-e-l-a-x-a-t-i-o-n M-a-s-s-a-g-e!
• 15 million blood cells are destroyed in the-human body every second.
• The average life of a taste bud is 10 days.
• The average cough comes out of your mouth at 60 miles (96 km) per hour.
• Every year about 98% of the atoms in your body are replaced.
• The bones of movable joints are covered with a clear, thick, lubricating liquid called the synovial fluid, which acts like oil to make the joints work smoothly. If it weren’t for this fluid, you would squeak when you walk. This is why massage therapists will move your limbs around during your massage session…cool huh!
• When a person is “shocked” the sensation is actually one of blood rushing to the brain.
• The average adult stands 0.4 inch (1 cm) taller in the morning than the evening, because the cartilage in the spine compresses during the day. We all need to stretch regularly!
• There are 35 million digestive glands in the stomach.
• There are 62,000 miles of arteries, capillaries, and veins in the adult human body. Here is the answer to “why does my nose always get stuffed up during a massage?”
• There are about 2 million sweat glands in the average human body. The average adult loses 540 calories with every litre of sweat. Men sweat about 40% more than women. Drink your water!
• There are approximately 250,000 sweat glands in your feet and they sweat as much as 8 ounces of moisture per day. When is the last time you aired out your cycling shoes?

Source: www.massagenerd.com
Adena Mai-Jardine, BA, PFT, RMT – Massage Therapy & Holistic Centre – 780-738-4769
Massage Therapy & Holistic Centre

By Adena Mai-Jardine BA, PFT, RMT

Your back consists of stacked bones called vertebrae. There are discs between the vertebrae that act as shock absorbers and that allow the spine to bend. Each disc consists of a soft semi-fluid center (the nucleus) that is surrounded and held together by strong ligaments.

The discs in your spine can be the source of a great deal of back pain. This pain can range from a nagging ache and sciatic discomfort to excruciating pain that incapacitates you. There are simple measures you can take to reduce the risk of disc problems occurring and to reduce your pain once problems do occur.

To understand how disc pain happens, it is important to understand normal posture. When standing upright there is a natural inward curve in the lower back called a lumbar lordosis. With this natural lordosis, your body weight is distributed evenly over the discs.

The lordosis is lost whenever you slouch or bend forward. Back problems develop if you find yourself in these positions for long periods of time. This occurs because the vertebrae are placed in a position that pushes the nucleus backwards and stresses the ligaments at the back of the disc.

If the pressure on the ligaments is severe enough they may become weak and allow the soft inside part of the disc to bulge outward (prolapse) and press on the spinal nerves. This can cause sciatic pain in the buttock or down the leg.

Q & A ? What is Sciatica?

The sciatic nerve is a large nerve that begins at the base of the spine and that passes through the buttocks and continues down the back of the thigh and into the lower leg. This nerve can become compressed or inflamed. If this occurs, pain begins to travel down the back of your leg. This pain is referred to as “sciatica”. Sciatica can be caused by a bulging disc, arthritis of the spine, a tight piriformis muscle in your buttocks and even trigger points in your muscles. Depending on the cause and the severity, you could also experience numbness, tingling or weakness in the leg. If you experience any of these symptoms, see your massage therapist as soon as possible for assessment and treatment. Next Month…Prevention and Back Exercises

Printed with permission of the Author: Adena Mai-Jardine BA, PFT, RMT
Massage Therapy & Holistic Centre 780-738-4769

By Adena Mai-Jardine, B.A., PFT, RMT

We see many clients at the centre with lower back and buttock pain. This may be caused by tight hip flexor muscles which includes the illiopsoas group, quadriceps, and tensor fasciae latea. There also may be vertebral problems causing the pain, however, effectively stretching these muscles will help manage the pain and most of us need to stretch this area on a regular basis due to the amount of driving and sitting (and cycling) we do on a daily basis.

When doing the following exercises, please ensure there is no back or knee pain. If so, reduce the stretch or stop completely. The stretch should be felt in the front of the thigh—sometimes at the “top” of the knee (but definitely not “inside” the knee) and in the groin area where our body naturally bends forward. Hold each stretch for at least 30 seconds to 1 minute. The table top stretch can be held for as long as it takes the muscle to release.

Quadriceps Stretch

This stretch is more effective then when standing because it forces the front of our hip to stretch as well. We can’t cheat when we are laying on a flat surface. Concentrate on the hip bone of the leg you are stretching to touch the floor. If you can’t reach your foot, wrap a towel around your ankle

Table Top Stretch

You need to use a surface that is high enough (kitchen table, counter top) so your leg hangs over the edge and your foot does not touch the floor. You might want to explain to your family why you are laying on the kitchen table! Get the bum cheek off the table—there should be no lower back pain, if so, stop. Let gravity do the work. Hang out for at least 1-2 minutes.Tabletop Stretch

If you have specific health concerns consult your medical doctor. The information in this newsletter is educational only and is not intended to replace the advice of your personal health care providers

Published with permission from the Author: Adena Mai-Jardine, B.A., PFT, RMT
Massage Therapy & Holistic Centre – Sports Massage Available – Call 780-738-4769 for $10 off a 1 hour therapeutic massage therapy session. Please identify yourself as an EBTC Member!

By Adena Mai-Jardine, B.A., PFT, RMT

What is it?

Some muscles, when they become overused, become weak (phasic muscles) – and are unable to contract to their full capacity – and some muscles become short (postural muscles) – and are unable to lengthen to their full capacity. As you can see, if these muscles are opposing muscles in the body, an imbalance can occur or a postural dysfunction results.

Why does it occur?

There are a multitude of reasons why postural dysfunctions occur in our body. One of the most common postural imbalances I see in the clinic is in the upper body, specifically between our chest muscles (pectorals) and our upper back muscles (rhomboids and middle trapezius). The rhomboids and middle trapezius muscles are weakened and stretched trying to keep the short and tight pectoral muscles from pulling the shoulder blades and the arm forward. This frequently occurs due to the amount of time we spend sitting in a chair with poor posture: shoulders slumped forward, chin jutting out and arms extended in front of us (active people are just as prone as non-active people).

Signs and Symptoms

This is a tricky one to put into a nice neat box. Because of the complexity of the shoulder girdle, there will most likely be a variety of issues going on at one time. If you have a postural imbalance in your upper back and chest, you may experience the following signs and symptoms, however, having one or more of these symptoms is not a diagnosis for a specific postural imbalance.

• an increased curve in your upper back (thoracic curve)
• a head forward posture
• neck pain
• pain in the middle of the back
• difficulty taking a deep breath
• sore and/or tight rotator cuff muscles (muscles at the back of your shoulder and along your armpit)
• reduced range of motion in the neck and shoulders
• thoracic outlet syndrome (pain, tingling in the arm and hand)

What is my next step?

Your Massage Therapist can complete a postural and orthopedic assessment which will begin to form a basis for your concern. From the results of the assessment, a treatment plan can be developed specifically for you and for your muscles. The majority of functional postural concerns can be alleviated if not eliminated by appropriate stretching and strengthening exercises. In the above discussed imbalance, the pectoral muscles need to be lengthened or stretched and the rhomboids and middle trapezius muscles need to be strengthened.

Remember, chronic conditions, unfortunately, can cause problems throughout your entire body – believe it or not – from your neck to the bottom of your feet, so deal with them as soon as possible. We want to keep you active – pain free.

Written by: Adena Mai-Jardine, B.A., PFT, RMT,
Massage Therapy & Holistic Centre – 780-738-4769

By Adena Mai-Jardine, B.A., PFT, RMT

Cold or Heat?

As part of your therapeutic massage session, hydrotherapy may be used and your Massage Therapist may encourage you to continue using it for self-care. There is a long history of heat and cold being used to treat injuries and illnesses. We know that hot baths and hot springs in ancient times were used regularly as well as the application of cold is mentioned by Hippocrates as a treatment for acute and overuse injuries. (CMT, Rattray, 2000). It can however, be confusing as to whether to use a cold application or a hot application.

Heat

Heat feels good. It dilates local blood vessels and increases blood flow to the skin and muscles therefore increasing circulation of that area. This increase in circulation can reduce pain by circulating out pain producing chemicals. Heat softens connective tissue and collagen fibers making them more able to be stretched and hence, the muscles can be worked on more without inducing pain. Pain perception is decreased and so is the tone and spasm of the muscle. Heat increases metabolism so the oxygen and nutrient supply of the heated area increases which facilitates healing. Remember that when given the proper tools, our body will do its best to heal itself. It is interesting to note that heat decreases intestinal activity, as we all know when it is really hot outside, we may not be as hungry as on a cold winter day.

Cold

Cold also relieves pain through decreasing blood flow and therefore decreasing stimulation of pain nerve endings. Cold stimulates the release of endogenous opiods that are in our body which are a pain reliever. Cold will reduce bleeding of an acute injury as well as reducing inflammation and swelling.

Application

An acute injury—something that has happened in the last 24 hours—should have cold applied to reduce inflammation, swelling and bruising. Contrast therapy—hot and cold alternated over the injured area—increases circulation of the area to increase healing and can be applied after the acute stage. When there is a chronic injury, like low back pain, heat can be applied to relax the muscle tissues.

When applying cold or heat, apply for 10 minutes with a barrier between the source and your skin. Contrast therapy can be applied with a ration of 3:1—3 minutes heat and 1 minute cold -for about 15 minutes, ending with the cold application to avoid inflammation and pain. In terms of heat, moist is the best, such as a warm moist towel which is very similar to the hydrocollator pads we use at the Centre. Re-heatable or re-freezeable wheat bags, like the kind we sell at the Centre, are convenient to use. You can also buy frozen gel packs or use a bag of frozen peas and keep them in your freezer until needed.

When doing hydrotherapy, always incorporate some movement of the area after the hydrotherapy application. The movements should be mild and pain free—the more the injury heals, the more movement you can do. The movement keeps the joints lubricated, stops the muscles and tissues from sticking together and provides an avenue for the body to remove the wastes associated with the injury.

Reprinted with permission from the Author, Adena Mai-Jardine, owner and Massage Therapist with the Massage Therapy & Holistic Centre, 780-738-4769

By Adena Mai-Jardine, B.A., PFT, RMT

“Even small problems can quickly become debilitating if not taken care of immediately”.

Your shoulders are incredibly flexible joints that allow your arms to move through a large range of motion. They are used in almost every activity and they take a lot of punishment on a daily basis. As a result, they are prone to a wide range of injuries. It’s important to take good care of your shoulders because even small problems can quickly become debilitating if not taken care of immediately.

Shoulder Problems

The shoulder is prone to a variety of problems that can give you pain and limit your range of motion. Many of these are simply caused by wear and tear. For example, a common injury is tendinitis of one of the rotator cuff muscles called the supraspinatus. Through poor posture or overuse, the tendon becomes inflamed and painful. When the bursa becomes inflamed you develop what is known as bursitis. This can be extremely painful. Trigger points, small knots in the muscles, are very common around the shoulder and can refer pain and tenderness into the muscles or joints. The referred pain can mimic other shoulder problems like tendinitis and frozen shoulder.

Sprains and dislocations typically result from falls. It’s natural to reach your arm out to catch yourself when falling, but the impact can strain or tear the shoulder ligaments. If the impact is severe enough, the humerus may be knocked right out of the socket and the shoulder becomes dislocated.

With a severe trauma, the bones may actually fracture or break. The collarbone is most likely to break, although the humerus can sometimes break as well. When this happens the arm needs to be immobilized. Fractures can take up to three months to heal.

Whenever you have a shoulder problem, you tend to limit your movement to minimize the pain. This can lead to frozen shoulder. Your shoulder becomes stiff and you quickly lose mobility. It can soon become extremely painful to lift your arm. If you develop a frozen shoulder, it will take a long time and lots of therapy to regain your normal movement. Sometimes the only option is surgery. The best medicine in this case is prevention. As soon as you develop any pain or discomfort in your shoulder, see your massage therapist immediately for assessment and treatment. Don’t risk getting this serious and debilitating shoulder condition.

Next Month—Part 2—a quick anatomy lesson / massage can help / shoulder care checklist / shoulder exercises (source: www.bodyworkBiz.com)

Published with permission from the Author: Adena Mai-Jardine, B.A., PFT, CMT, Massage Therapy & Holistic Centre – 780-738-4769.

By Adena Mai-Jardine, B.A., PFT, RMT

The shoulder is made up of three bones. The humerus is the big bone in your upper arm. The clavicle (collar bone) attaches to your rib cage at one end and helps keep your shoulder out to the side of your body. The scapula (shoulder blade) is the third bone. Part of the scapula, the acromion, juts out and forms a roof over the top of the joint. Another part of the scapula forms a socket into which the round head of the humerus fits.

The upper arm is held in its socket by loose ligaments and four small rotator cuff muscles that cover the joint like a sleeve. Other back, chest and upper arm muscles help support and move the shoulder.

Anatomy of the ShoulderThere is also a fluid filled sac in the shoulder called a bursa. This bursa is like a cushion that helps prevent the tendons from rubbing against the bones.

Massage Can Help

Massage therapists can help when shoulder problems occur. More importantly, they can help prevent these kinds of problems from happening in the first place. Massage therapists will evaluate your shoulder through range of motion tests and other as- sessment procedures. They can then give you recommendations on the best course of treatment.

Their first priority is to make you feel more comfortable by getting rid of your pain. They can do this with specialized massage techniques. They may also use heat or hydrotherapy. To help the process along and to help prevent further problems your massage therapist can also give you exercises to help strengthen your shoulder and help maintain your mobility.

Massage therapists are trained to treat trigger points. As mentioned previously, these knots mimic other common shoulder conditions and are often an overlooked source of pain. Your massage therapist will be able to tell you if trigger points may be playing a role in your shoulder problem.

If you’ve injured your shoulder, your massage therapist will likely prescribe some exercises to help you regain the strength, flexibility and range of motion in your shoulder. Below is a typical exercise given to people with shoulder injuries.

Shoulder Care Checklist

To prevent shoulder problems from occurring, always practice healthy shoulder habits:

• Maintain good posture
• Avoid excessive and repetitive use of your shoulders
• If you sit at work, take frequent breaks
• Don’t put undue stress on the shoulders with heavy knapsacks or bags
• Warm up your arms before exercising
• Consult your massage therapist or doctor if you injure or develop pain in your shoulder, even if it seems minor
• Do any maintenance exercises prescribed by your massage therapist

The Wand ExerciseThe Wand Exercise

You can stand, sit or even lie down for this exercise. Hold a cane or stick straight out in front of you. Slowly raise the “wand” as high as you can overhead. Hold the wand at the highest possible point for a couple of seconds. Lower the arms and repeat the exercise several times. By using a wand, the “good” arm helps assist the movement of the injured one. Your massage therapist may have you move the wand in other directions, such as side to side.

Wall Walking

Stand about 12 to 18 inches away from a wall. Slowly walk your fingers up the wall to the point where you start to feel some discomfort. Note how high you were able to go. Try the exercise again and try to go a little higher. Repeat several times. Your massage therapist may have you face the wall and use both hands or have you standing sideways to the wall and use just the injured arm.

(source: www.bodyworkBiz.com)

Published with permission from the Author: Adena Mai-Jardine, B.A., PFT, RMT,
Massage Therapy & Holistic Centre 780-738-4769.

By Adena Mai-Jardine, B.A., PFT, RMT

What is it?

The periosteum is a connective tissue in our body that covers our bones. Muscles attach to the bone via tendons and the periosteum. Periositis is inflammation of the periosteum. One common type of periositis is generally referred to as “shin splints” – and more specifically, “medial tibial stress syndrome”. Medial tibial stress syndrome comprises about 18% of run- ning injuries and affects more women than men. (source: Rattray, Clinical Massage Therapy).

Why does it occur?

There are many reasons why we develop medial tibial stress syndrome. As an overuse injury, the periosteum is stressed and due to continued stress (ie. we continue running) is unable to heal and finally pulls away from the tibia bone. The following are contributing factors for medial tibial stress syndrome:

• Overuse/overtraining
• Poor running technique
• Running on hard or uneven surfaces
• Improper footwear
• Postural/biomechanical abnormalities/asymmetries

Signs and Symptoms

Just as a clarifier, the muscle in the front of the lower leg, the tibia is anterior, can become sore and tired with lots of walking and hill climbing. People immediately say they have “shin splints”, but this most likely is not medial tibial stress syndrome, just a sore and tired muscle. If you have medial tibial stress syndrome, you may experience the following signs and symp- toms; however, having one or more of these symptoms is not a diagnosis for medial tibial stress syndrome.

• Pain along the tibia
• Achiness when getting up in the morning
• Achiness with exercise

Pain may subside during exercise, but with repeated stress, the condition will become chronic and pain will be constant

What is my next step?

Your massage therapist can complete a postural and orthopedic assessment which will begin to form a basis for your concern. From the results of the assessment, a treatment plan can be developed specifically for you and for your muscles. Me- dial tibial stress syndrome, as with other overuse injuries, need REST in order to begin healing. A proper warm up is impor- tant and thorough stretching of the calf muscles should be completed after exercising. Ice can also be used to reduce the inflammation.

Remember, chronic conditions, unfortunately, can cause problems throughout your entire body – believe it or not – from your neck to the bottom of your feet, so deal with them as soon as possible. We want to keep you active – pain free.

Author: Adena Mai-Jardine, B.A., PFT, CMT,
Massage Therapy & Holistic Centre – 780-984-4769

By Adena Mai-Jardine, B.A., PFT, RMT

It is that time of year when we are cleaning up our yard for fall preparation and getting in the last few bike rides of the year. All this activity may result in sore, achy muscles and possibly some minor strains.

A muscle strain (not a sprain which is damage to a ligament) is when the muscle and its tendon has been over- stretched. This can be caused by quickly lifting something too heavy, an inadequate warm-up, limited flexibility, muscle fatigue, repetitive overuse, a strength imbalance and a history of previous strains. Examples are:

• Bike riding for the first time and tackling a hill
• Raking the yard for a couple of hours
• Bending over and working in the garden
• Playing baseball
• First golf game of the season

And the list goes on…

Strains take time to heal and you need to be aware of the seriousness of your strain. If you have difficulty con- tinuing with the activity and possibly hear a snapping noise, then you have at least a Grade 2 strain and you will need immediate medical attention . If you can still continue the activity with VERY little discomfort, it would be a Grade 1 strain.

For all strains, follow RICE—Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation

Grade 1 Strains

There may be slight inflammation of the injured area so ice the area as soon as possible. You will be amazed at how quickly it heals when ice has been immediately applied even though it may seem like a very minor injury. It is important to see your massage therapist within 72 hours after the injury. Why? Surrounding muscles will guard the injured area and keep it stable. However, even though this is great when you are first injured, continued muscle guarding will start compensatory patterns and those muscles need to be relaxed and let the damaged muscle move and start to heal. In addition, the scar tissue and adhesions that start to form during the healing process can reduce the muscle’s range of motion which may hinder us from doing an activity as we have before (my running gait doesn’t feel right!) Also, there is possibility of causing muscle damage elsewhere. A massage therapist will employ techniques to encourage the formation of a “functional” scar by realigning the developing connective tissue so it functions as normal muscle fibers would and ensure that adhesions do not form or if they have, begin to release them.

For the general “stiff and sore” muscles, there are probably minor tears in the muscle fibers that need to heal and a build up of toxins (by-products of activity and injury). Massage therapy can help reduce the tension in the muscle, re-align the muscle fibers, inhibit scar tissue and adhesions and provide needed circulation to the site.

For self-care after the acute stage (24 hours), contrast hydrotherapy (hot and cold compresses) of the injured site is recommended to help increase circulation. Use a ratio of 3:1 meaning 3 minutes of heat and 1 minute of cold— always ending with cold. Do this cycle for 10-15 minutes 1-2 times per day (morning and night is great.)

Using a hot pack (such as a gel pack, towel soaked in hot water, or wheat pack heated in the microwave) ensure that a towel (a tea towel works great) is a barrier between the hot pack and your skin. The heat should be comfortable, never feeling like it is burning or tingling.

To use a cold pack (such as ice in a towel, a bag of peas or a gel pack that was in the freezer) just like the hot pack, ensure there is a barrier between the cold and your skin.

Contrast therapy can be continued for 1-3 days and at this time, massage therapy will be important to reduce developing adhesions, scar tissue and decreased range of motion.

Author: Adena Mai-Jardine, B.A., PFT, CMT
Massage Therapy & Holistic Centre 780-984-4769

By Adena Mai-Jardine BA, PFT, RMT

Ideally, you want to stop back pain from developing by taking some simple steps to reduce strain to your back.

Many chairs don’t offer sufficient support for your lower back. Even well designed chairs can be used improperly. For example, most people sit in the middle of the seat and then slouch backward against the back support.

It is important to maintain the natural lordosis of your lower back (the curve in your lower back) while sitting. You can use a specially designed lumbar support that can be attached to your chair or simply roll up a medium sized towel and place it between your lower back and the backrest of your seat.

As well, stand up regularly, put your hands on the back of your hips and bend backwards five or six times.

Many activities around the home like gardening, making the bed and vacuuming cause you to stoop forward. Make sure that you stand upright occasionally and bend backwards to relieve the strain on the back ligaments. If you are doing any lifting, make sure to keep your back straight and bend from your hips and knees.

In the event that your back starts hurting be sure to see your massage therapist right away. They’ll be able to help you out or refer you to a qualified medical professional.

Here are several extension exercises you can do to recover from low back pain, specifically acute episodes of back pain  when your back “goes out.” They put the vertebrae in a position that pushes the soft centre of the disc forward so it stops pushing on the ligaments or nerves in the low back.

Before beginning, consult with your massage therapist to be sure that they are appropriate for you. Do them in the or- der outlined. When doing these exercises you should move until you just start to feel discomfort and then return to the starting position. If you do these exercises every two hours, about six to eight times per day, you should notice a significant change in pain within one to two days.

Closely observe the location and intensity of your pain. If your pain becomes less diffuse and localizes to your back or if the pain becomes less intense, you’ll know these exercises are working. If the pain intensifies or starts to spread further from your spine, especially below the knee, stop exercising and get advice from your massage therapist.

Lower Back Exercises

Printed with permission of the Author: Adena Mai-Jardine BA, PFT, RMT
Massage Therapy & Holistic Centre 780-738-4769