Category: Massage

Boost Your Immune System With Massage

Boost your immune system to avoid colds and flu this winter. This is something everyone would love to do but a lot of the suggested ways aren’t as easy as they sound. Some of them involve being fit and healthy in the first place. Going to the gym or for a run isn’t easy when you’re already feeling a bit under the weather. A proven way to boost your immune system naturally and with immediate results is with a massage.

What Is The Immune System

Woman Sneezing Boost Your Immune System Massage In York
| Boost your immune system with massage to help keep you healthy and fight colds and flu

To boost your immune system means to increase your body’s ability to fight off bacteria, viruses and other microbes that could cause disease. The first line of defence is known as the innate system. It includes your skin and the mucous membranes of the nose and mouth. As well as this, the acidic juices of your stomach kill germs on food. The second line of defence is the various white blood cells, the most well known of which are the lymphocytes(1). These recognise foreign particles, attack them and remain alert for their presence in the future. It is these white blood cells that need nurturing in order to keep you healthy.

Boost Your Immune System With Massage

Studies have proven that just one massage increases the number of lymphocytes in your body. It also has a positive effect on the lymphatic system as a whole.

Boost Your Immune System Massage In York Lymphatic System Diagram
| The lymphatic system is spread throughout the body but concentrated in the armpit, groin and neck

The lymphatic system is a fluid-filled network which carries the white blood cells around your body. Lymph nodes are filters for the lymph fluid and are concentrated in the armpit, groin and neck. This is why “swollen glands” can often be felt under the chin when an infection is present. Having a massage helps move the fluid around the lymphatic system. For this reason it is an excellent way to boost your immune system.

Inflammation is another way your body uses to fight off infection. But chronic, long-term inflammation has been shown to have a negative effect on the immune system. As does the presence of the stress hormone cortisol. Massage is known to boost your immune system by reducing inflammation and cortisol levels. It also helps depression and anxiety. This in turn aids restful sleep, without which your body is unable to repair itself sufficiently.

Choose a relaxing Swedish massage or an invigorating deep tissue massage from a qualified massage therapist. Either will give a boost to your immune system that will help you fight off this year’s cold and flu bugs.

Book A Mobile Massage

If you would like to book a mobile massage in York please contact me on 07713 250352 or email david@massageinyork.co.uk. Includes sports massage, deep tissue massage and Swedish massage. For more information on booking click here

Calf Pain – What Causes It & How Massage Can Help

Calf pain can be caused by issues directly related to the muscles themselves, or it can be a symptom that is caused elsewhere in the body. Calf pain can also affect posture and movement which is made worse when exercising or playing sports.

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What Is The Calf

Muscles Of Calf Pain Massage In York
| The calf muscles are at the back of your lower leg and are used to flex your ankle

Your calf muscles are at the back of your lower leg and the two main muscles are the Gastrocnemius and the Soleus. These connect to your heel via the Achilles tendon(1). Their job is to flex your ankle joint, such as when you stand up on tip toes. Because the muscles also connect to the femur bone of your thigh they also play a part when you bend your knee. For example, when walking or running.

What Causes Calf Pain

Calf pain can have many causes but usually it involves tightness in the muscles. This is often a result of prolonged sitting, which puts them in a shortened position and reduces length. Walking can make this worse, especially wearing high heels, and jogging or sports that involve running. This leaves your calves susceptible to other causes of calf pain.

How Massage Can Help

Calf pain that is caused by tightness in the muscles can be helped with massage. It will loosen them up and increase flexibility. This will stop the problem developing into something more serious and is often all that’s needed to get rid of your calf pain.

Calf Pain From Muscle Strain Or Tear

Calf pain caused by a muscle strain or tear will come on suddenly, usually when doing something strenuous like exercise. But something as simple as using the stairs can cause injury if the muscle is already at risk. Besides sudden onset, this type of calf pain will bruise at the source and the muscle will not fully stretch until healed.

How Massage Can Help

A massage therapist can help prevent strains or tears occurring. However, if the injury has already happened, the muscle should be iced for 72 hours first. After this, massage can help to promote healing and prevent scar tissue from forming. If the injury is more serious it is best to wait a week before receiving treatment.

Calf Pain From Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS)

Woman With No Calf Pain After Massage In York
| Tight calf muscles are more likely to be sore after exercise

This type of calf pain is brought on by a level of activity the muscles are not used to. This could be starting a new exercise, suddenly increasing intensity, or going for a longer walk than normal. As the name suggests, this type of pain will not be immediate but will come on over the next 24-48 hours. After this it will start to ease off over the next few days. Unlike a strain it will be the whole muscle that is sore, rather than a specific point.

How Massage Can Help

Tight and inflexible muscles are more likely to experience delayed onset muscle soreness so massage can help prevent it. If you are already experiencing DOMS, massage improves blood flow to your calves and speeds up recovery.

Calf Pain Caused By Sciatica

Sciatica is a pain felt along the sciatic nerve, which runs from your lower back down into your lower leg. If your calf muscles are tight or inflamed they can put pressure on the nerve and cause calf pain. But it’s also possible the nerve is being affected closer to the spine. For example, lower back issues can often trap the sciatic nerve and feel like calf pain. This often leads to the symptom being treated rather than the cause.

How Massage Can Help

Many people have tightness in their calves that can be helped with massage. But the source of the pain could be the hamstrings, glutes or the lower back. If this is the case then massage in this area will treat both issues at the same time.

How Calf Pain Can Cause Other Issues

Calf pain itself could be enough to stop you doing certain activities, but if you are able to continue you could be creating other problems. For example, if you like to do squats in the gym, calf pain could affect your technique without you realising. This could mean your heels lift up off the floor as you squat, causing pain and further problems elsewhere in the body. To read more about squat technique click here.

Calf pain could also be the cause of knee pain. As mentioned earlier, your calf muscles extend behind the knee up to the femur in your thigh. So if you have pain at the back of your knee it could be caused by tight calves, which can be relieved with massage. For more on knee pain click here.

Book A Mobile Massage

If you would like to book a mobile massage in York please contact me on 07713 250352 or email david@massageinyork.co.uk. Includes sports massage, deep tissue massage and Swedish massage. For more information on booking click here

Shin Splints – How To Get Rid Of Them

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What Are Shin Splints

Anatomy For Shin Splints Massage In York
| Shin splints can be felt on the outside of your leg or the inside as a dull ache

Shin splints is a general term which usually means pain below your knee and above your ankle. If it is felt on the outside of your leg it is known as anterior shin splints. If it is the inside of your leg it is medial shin splints. Unlike a stress fracture, which is painful only at the site of the injury, shin splints are more of a dull ache which runs along the majority of your lower leg. Also it tends to feel worse the day after exercise due to inflammation. A stress fracture would feel slightly better due to being rested.

Causes Of Shin Splints

There are several potential causes of shin splints. One of the most common is an imbalance of tight and weak muscles at the front of your leg and stronger (often tight) calf muscles at the back. Beginners often develop this as they are working too hard too quickly and not allowing their body to adapt. But a seasoned runner who suddenly increases their training or includes inclines and harder surfaces can also suffer. A lack of stretching to lower leg muscles is also likely to contribute to developing shin splints.

Your running action can be a factor too(1). Tight muscles and imbalances in your body can put greater stress on one side than the other. Also a weak core and inadequate footwear, such as badly designed or worn out trainers, can contribute.

How To Get Rid Of Shin Splints

Stretch After Shin Splints Massage In York
| Stretching can help prevent problems but massage is a far more effective treatment

The best thing to do to treat shin splints is stop running. Or at least reduce training to a level where pain or throbbing is not felt. Instead try cycling, rowing, swimming or using a elliptical as an alternative for a while. Stretching your calf and anterior tibialis (shin) muscles is also an important part of helping things to heal. A lack of flexibility probably contributed to the problem and stretching will help to prevent it returning. And don’t forget to invest in some decent footwear that will lessen the impact, especially if running on hard surfaces.

How Massage Can Help

Given that muscle imbalances are likely to have some part to play in most occurrences of shin splints, finding out which areas are to blame is essential to treating them. Initially this can be done with a massage therapist doing a  postural analysis. This will identify which muscles are tight and which are contributing to issues with your running action. These can then be massaged to relax and lengthen them. Calf muscles will almost certainly benefit from massage as will the often neglected tibialis muscles of the shin.

Shin splints can start as a minor discomfort but if left untreated can develop in a debilitating long-term injury. Massage can help to speed up recovery and treat the underlying causes to prevent it returning in the future.

Book A Mobile Massage

If you would like to book a mobile massage in York please contact me on 07713 250352 or email david@massageinyork.co.uk. Includes sports massage, deep tissue massage and Swedish massage. For more information on booking click here

Knee Pain – Causes And Treatment

Knee pain can be an annoyance which interferes with playing sports or doing strenuous activity. Or it can be a constant pain that makes climbing the stairs or just walking an everyday problem. Sometimes even sitting in the same position for too long can become uncomfortable. There are numerous causes of knee pain and most of them can be treated without the need for surgery.

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What Causes Knee Pain

Many people who get knee pain assume that it’s wear and tear of cartilage. This a tissue that covers the surface of joints to prevent them rubbing against each other. Or they think it’s just something that comes with getting old, such as arthritis. But there are other causes that can be due to the ligaments around the knee, or muscles that initially don’t seem to have anything to do with it.

Knee Pain From Ligaments

Anatomy For Knee Pain Massage In York
| Knee pain can be caused by ligament damage or inflammation or the build up scar tissue

Between the bones of your upper and lower leg there is cartilage to prevent them from rubbing against each other. This means the joint has to be held in place by ligaments. There are 4 main ones. The anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments, and the medial and lateral collateral ligaments. Injuries can occur from over-extension, such as turning sharply playing sport. If this causes a major tear, surgery may well be necessary, but if less severe it can recover naturally. However, the build up of scar tissue around the injury can lead to knee pain.

How Massage Can Help

A damaged ligament should be rested and iced for the next 72 hours. After this, a minor injury can then be massaged to help promote healing and prevent the formation of scar tissue. For more serious injuries it is recommended you wait a week. If the injury is older then knee pain could well be from scar tissue that has formed, even if it is weeks or months old. Massage to the affected area can still be a benefit.

Knee Pain From Muscles

Girl Needing Knee Pain Massage In York
| There are many muscles that connect to or pass over the knee joint

Knee pain from your muscles is more common than from ligaments and often without there being an injury. The muscles of your thigh, such as the quadriceps, connect to the patella (knee cap). Other muscles, such as the sartorius, extend past it to the tibia (shin). Also the muscles at the back of your thigh, such as the hamstring, run behind the knee to the lower leg. Tension in your muscles can be caused by injury, scar tissue, heavy use such as regular running or weight training. Or it could just be lack of flexibility. This can shorten and tighten your muscles, which is often the cause of knee pain.

How Massage Can Help

If your knee pain is to do with tight muscles then a massage will help to loosen them up. It will also improve flexibility and prevent injuries in the future. As a rough guide, if the pain is at the front of your knee it is your thigh muscles that need attention, if it is on the inside it could be your sartorius or hamstrings. Pain at the back of your knee could also be your hamstrings, or it might be your calf muscles which extend up to the thigh. While pain on the outside of your knee is often due to a tight IT band.

Any pain should initially be checked by your doctor. This is especially important if it is severe, came on suddenly or there is any swelling. Once anything serious has been ruled out, a massage therapist can help speed up recovery from injury or relax tight muscles to treat or even prevent knee pain.

Knee Pain From Arthritis

Arthritis in the knee can be a debilitating condition that causes pain, stiffness, swelling and clicking or grating. It is often worse first thing on a morning or after other periods of inactivity, but too much weight-bearing work can also aggravate symptoms. Although it is degenerative condition that can require surgery, studies have shown that massage can provide many benefits(1).

How Massage Can Help

If your arthritis is severe enough to reduce your activity level, this can in turn make the associated pain and stiffness worse. Massage can increase blood flow to the knee joint which helps to cleanse the area of toxins and debris. As well as this, receiving freshly oxygenated blood helps the process of repairing the cartilage.

Pain and stiffness in general has long been shown to be reduced by massage. By over-riding the pain sensation while releasing feel-good endorphins, movement and activity levels are likely to increase. In turn this helps to improve the flexibility of muscle, tendons and ligaments around the knee already which are already directly benefiting from massage.

Book A Mobile Massage

If you would like to book a mobile massage in York please contact me on 07713 250352 or email david@massageinyork.co.uk. Includes sports massage, deep tissue massage and Swedish massage. For more information on booking click here

IT Band – Is It Causing Your Lower Back Pain

The IT band (iliotibial band) is something you are only likely to hear about when it causes problems. A thick band of connective tissue and fascia, it runs from your hip to the outside of your knee, which is where it can be the source of pain. This is known as IT band syndrome. But a tight IT band can also lead to issues in your hip that result in lower back pain.

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How Does The IT Band Cause Lower Back Pain

IT Band Anatomy
| Inflammation of the IT band causes outer knee pain and can also affect your hip

The IT band works along with other muscles to extend your hip and move your leg away from your body (abduction). It also helps to rotate your hip and therefore your leg, as well as stabilising your knee(1). Problems can develop when the IT band become inflamed from overuse. This is usually from running, cycling or any sudden increase in activity levels. The result is usually knee pain which comes on with exercise or walking. But because the IT band connects to your hip via your TFL (tensor fascia lata) muscle, it can also cause lower back pain.

As mentioned in other articles, the gluteus medius and other muscles of the buttocks can often be the undiagnosed cause of lower back pain. If they are tight or weak, other muscles will have to do more than their fair share to compensate. The result of which can be lower back pain or even injury. But this can begin further along the chain if the cause of your gluteus problems comes from a tight or inflamed IT band.

How To Treat Lower Back Pain Caused By The IT Band

Tight IT Band Before Massage In York
| The IT band runs along the outside of your upper leg

The first step is to identify the cause of your tight IT band and avoid it, or at least make some changes where possible. If running is the culprit, try  some different exercise for a while such as cycling or a cross trainer machine(2). This will help with the repetitive strain side of things that can cause and maintain inflammation.

The next step is to loosen up the IT band. Plus any other muscles along the chain that have lead to your lower back pain. A massage therapist will relieve any tightness, as well as specific areas of tension, knots or adhesions. This is also true of the gluteus (buttock) muscles and lower back muscles such as quadratus lumborum (QL). Stretching without massage can have limited benefit, such as pain relief, but the effect will only be temporary. The same goes for use of foam rollers. Things might seem better for a few hours but you will most likely wake up the next day back at square one.

Stretching and foam rollers can be a useful accompaniment to massage, but a deep-tissue massage or sports massage will be far more effective.

Book A Mobile Massage

If you would like to book a mobile massage in York please contact me on 07713 250352 or email david@massageinyork.co.uk. Includes sports massage, deep tissue massage and Swedish massage. For more information on booking click here

Tight Hamstrings And How They Cause Back Pain

Most people have suffered back pain and it will be worse at some times than others. While good posture and lifting technique will help prevent it, the cause is often left untreated. Tight hamstrings are very often neglected but can be a major reason back problems develop.

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What Causes Tight Hamstrings

Tight Hamstrings Massage In York For Back Pain
| Tight hamstrings can pull your pelvis out of position and lead to lower back pain

Hamstrings are the muscles at the back of your upper leg. They start at the base of your hips, run behind the knee and connect to the bones of your lower leg. They are primarily responsible for bending your leg. But they also play a large part in keeping your pelvis in the correct position. Spending many hours sitting down, whether at desk, driving or watching TV, causes your hamstrings to shorten and become less flexible. As do activities like jogging, lifting weights, or anything else that involves using your hamstrings to bend your leg.

In contrast, bending at the waist with your legs straight will lengthen the hamstrings. Most people do this a few times a day at most however, so it does little to undo the hours spent sitting or running.

How Tight Hamstrings Cause Back Pain

The muscles of your upper leg connect to the lower parts of your pelvis and the muscles of your back the upper parts. Together they play a major role in its alignment during certain activities. For example, your pelvis has one position it would prefer to be in while standing upright and another it would prefer to be in while sitting down. Also, as you bend forward or do squats your pelvis tilts. This is why good technique involves all of the muscles connecting to it, including your hamstrings.

Unfortunately hamstrings that are tight or considerably weaker than the muscles of your thigh can prevent this. Sitting for long periods or standing with your pelvis in a poor position can allow your hamstrings to shorten. In turn this means it becomes difficult or in some cases impossible to have good posture, making the problem worse.

The constant pulling effect from tight or weak hamstrings can also lead to pain in the lower back(1).

How To Treat Tight Hamstrings

Stretch After Tight Hamstrings Massage In York
| Stretching can help improve tight hamstrings, but only if done correctly

The ultimate goal when tight hamstrings are leading to back pain is to correct bad posture. This stars with your hamstrings becoming more flexible. There are various stretches for this which should be done every day to start with. As they loosen up the frequency can be decreased, but the best way to achieve this is with massage. In some cases back pain may prevent stretches being done at all, which is why it’s always best to consult a qualified massage therapist.

Book A Mobile Massage

If you would like to book a mobile massage in York please contact me on 07713 250352 or email david@massageinyork.co.uk. Includes sports massage, deep tissue massage and Swedish massage. For more information on booking click here