Are you in a constant state of stress? With everything that has been happening in the world right now, I cannot blame you. Several things can trigger stress, such as sudden changes in your environment, feeling pressure, and anxiety. There is such a thing as ‘good’ stress, which can help us when trying to meet deadlines, or when our body acts on instinct when we are in danger. However, too much stress can be quite draining emotionally and physically. One physical aspect it triggers significantly is our breathing.
Breathing is usually an involuntary act, which means that your body does it even without conscious effort. This is important because our entire body needs oxygen to function properly. Proper breathing has multiple benefits such as mental clarity, better cognition, improved posture, helps the quality of our sleep and even aid in proper digestion.
But when our body is experiencing stress, it hinders our effective breathing. Everyone experiences stress occasionally, so when that happens, we will need to work on our conscious breathing. This requires the use of the cortex of the brain. Stimulating the motor cortex helps the brain stem to work with up and down regulators to improve things such as posture, pain regulation and overall oxygen efficiency.
Two Breathing Techniques
To help with that, I recommend using your diaphragm when breathing. This is also called belly breathing. I have two techniques for you to practice being able to get a feel for diaphragmatic breathing.
Lie face up, with your knees bent and your feet flat on the ground.
Place a book of your choice on your belly.
Breathe in deeply and visualize the muscles of your lower regions of your thorax activating whilst taking the air in through the nose.
Exhale through the mouth. Repeat this process at least ten times.
You should be able to see the book on your belly rise and down as you use your diaphragm to breathe. However, if you are still having trouble, I will share with you another technique which involves locking down your upper ribcage. Doing so will restrict the top end of the breathing cycle and will consequently work the lower end of the breathing cycle. To do this technique, you will begin as you did the with the first exercise, lying face up with the knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
From this position, take one hand and place it underneath your buttocks.
Then, take the opposite hand, reach across your chest and wrap it halfway down your upper arm.
Again mindfully taking each breathe in through your nose.
Exhale through the mouth. Repeat this exercise ten times.
Both techniques are truly helpful to stimulate oxygen throughout the body. I ask my patients to do this each morning when they wake up or whenever they are feeling stressed and have a place they can stop for 2 minutes. Firstly I make sure they have stimulated their neuro lymphatic points aka Chapmans Reflexes, you can literally do this anywhere at all.
For a better view of this exercise, have a look at this Youtube video.
We see lack of movement caused by so many different things now. The usual sedentary lifestyle from poor motivation, restrictions in where and how to get exercise AS WELL AS the increase in working from home. This has all amassed to increases in sitting, both on the computer and then in front of the television.
The outcome is restriction and stiffness in the full spine and specifically poor thoracic spine mobility.
We also need to consider those people who have recently experienced violent trauma as which includes motor vehicle accidents, bad falls, sporting injuries etc. These insults also induce pain and immobility on our thoracic vertebrae.
Other precursors to a stiff and painful thoracic spine include people suffering from Osteoporosis in jobs requiring strenuous lifting, patients with a history of cancer, drug abuse, HIV, or partial or complete suppression of the immune response/prolonged use of corticosteroids. These are just a few of those I see in my clinic complaining of “a bad upper back”.
Muscles Involved
The muscles involved in Thoracic Rotations are:
“During rotation, the external oblique (EO), rectus abdominis (RA) and lumbar multifidus (MF) muscles act contralaterally, whereas the latissimus dorsi (LD), internal oblique (IO), and transversus abdominis (TrA) muscle act ipsilaterally3,4,5,6). Trunk rotation is a motion involving both thoracic and lumbar vertebrae.1”
Some of the most commonly known treatments for pain in the thoracic region include stretching, massage, and some other counter (OTC) medicines. Others, also try heat and/or cold therapy which helps lessen the muscle pain and stiffness in the short term but have little evidence around the long-term benefits.
So what can YOU do to help if you have a stiff, painful back? If you struggle to get up in the morning, find it difficult to twist to look over your shoulder when driving or simply turning in seated or standing positions.
Here is a quick exercise you can do just about anywhere to help relieve this tension and limited thoracic rotations. Stretch twists of the torso can help improve rib mobility, muscle restrictions, and ultimately diaphragm integrity which is probably the biggest benefit when we consider the need for blood enriched with oxygen.
I want to offer you the feeling of length/balance of the spinal segments, feeling taller or straighter, and the overall state of postural strength of the core. This is also a very good practice to strengthen your Diaphragm & Upper Torso.
In the first sequence, put one hand underneath your leg locking your sit bones securely onto the table or chair, while your other hand is across your body and grabbing the chair to be able to start you on your way to twisting your spine.
Twist as far as you can go and then try to return to the midline using the muscles of your trunk but use that second hand to hold on and resist.
Hold that position for about 10 seconds and return back to the centre position so your back is in neutral.
Take a deep cleansing breath in/out and then relax.
In the second sequence, repeat the twist to as far as you can turn the spine. Then include a head/neck turn in the same direction to apply a small amount of overpressure to the stretch.
Hold this position for 10 seconds, return to centre and take another full breath in and out.
The third and the most important of the three sequences are including ocular or eye movement. This encourages the motor cortex to add more rotation via the descending pathways and usually assists in further changes in the nervous system along with the muscles and fascia.
Rotate both the head and body as far as possible and hold again for 10 seconds.
Now, make your eyes look as far around as you can possibly can and add a bit more stretch.
Watch this 2-minute video for a more visual presentation of this Twisting Exercise.
How long do you sit in front of your monitor every day?
Whether you're in a work-from-home or office setup, we can't deny the fact that sitting for a long time is a struggle for us. And I know how hard it is to find a comfortable position for your hips, butts, and legs. Here’s a DIY for your clients during Lockdown - the Myofascial Release and Stretching Technique for ITB Region and Adductors.Can’t access your regular massage therapist or can't afford one? No problem. Grab a tennis ball and get a cheap foam roller (simply bind two pool noodles together) and let's hit that trigger point one more time!
Myofascial Release
We talked about Myofascial Release in my previous blog, but for those who are new, let me describe it for you. Also called the trigger point release or active release technique. Myofascial Release is a technique used for treating skeletal muscle immobility. It involves applying continuous slow and deep pressure to the network of muscle/s that are stiff, restricted, or showing referral pain patterns.
Self-Myofascial Release
The fitness industry, businesses, and experts have embraced this technique because it's effective. Moreover, aside from being effective, this technique is easy-to-do and accessible.Why? Because you will do it yourself. And yes, we will be using trigger balls and foam rollers for that. Who would have thought of that, right?But first, let's know what trigger points that we will be hitting.
Iliotibial Band Track Region
The Iliotibial band tract (ITB) is also sometimes known as Maissiat's band. ITB Region is a dense group of fibers that extends from the outside of your hips and knees to the tip of your shin. The ITB serves as an important structure involved in lower extremity stability and in some instances motion.
Hip Adductors
In addition to ITB, we will be targeting your hip adductors as well. The adductors are a group of muscles that function to adduct the femur at the hip joint. Most of them are thin muscles. This group of muscles assists the equilibrium and coordination in your inner thighs.
Let's Begin! Below are the step-by-step procedures that you should follow:
Trigger Ball for Gluteal Muscles:
On your yoga mat or soft flooring, lie sideways. Make sure you are in a comfortable position. See to it that you are taking most of your weight on your elbows rather than having the ball leaving bruises on your buttocks.
Place the trigger ball onto the belly of your buttock muscle and locate the points that are probably exquisitely tender. Focus on the parts that cause a referral pain. When you feel that there is a referring pain down to your legs, that's when you know that you are in the right spot.
Inhale and exhale slowly and deeply and wait for the tightness in the muscle to start to soften off. You will feel like you are starting to have the tennis ball sink deeper into your buttock muscle.
Repeat the process until you feel that the pain is relieving bit-by-bit. You can find up to 4 or 5 areas that may be tender.
Foam Rollers for lateral thighs/ITB:
In the same sideways positions, find your lateral thigh right in the ITB Region and vastus lateralis.
Do the same thing, Slide the roller up and down. Apply an amount of pressure that equals your own pain scale. I usually suggest 7/10 as a maximum because we want to be firm enough to relax and loosen the area but not too hard as to create unwanted inflammatory responses.
Run the full length of those muscles and band until you feel like you are releasing some tensions on your lateral thighs.
Stretching Techniques for Adductors and Lower Back:
Since your inner thighs affect your lower back, let's do some stretching of the adductors and lateral trunk. Start by sitting on the ground and widening your legs till you feel a good stretch along the inner thigh.
Reach your arm overhead and then out to the side of the trunk to reach down to the ankle or lower limb. You will feel the right arm glide down the left leg and vice versa. This will improve cross patterning stretches and locking the “sit bones” down to keep the pelvis stabilized.
Hold each side-bend for a minimum of 10 seconds.
Go as downward as possible. In that way, we open up the hip and the pelvis.
Repeat 3 times on both sides.
These are the few techniques that you can use to treat yourself without the help of anyone. If you have aches and pains and want some easy to watch advice, then flick over and subscribe to my YouTube channel.Stay happy and safe folks! 😉
How can you shoulder a burden if the burden is your shoulder?
Admit it, your shoulders were designed to make every action possible, they adduct, abduct, flex, extend both vertically and horizontally and circumduct which means they can perform tasks as simple as lifting a pen through to carrying loads that can be as much as your weight or even greater. However, despite their versatility, shoulders are not well designed and are prone to injuries when overworked. And that explains the hassle of being unproductive when experiencing mild to intolerable shoulder pain. In today's article, we are to learn the Best Pain-Free Subscapularis Massage for Shoulder Pain.Whatever kind of pain it is, many therapists elect to focus on massaging the region of the complaint without looking further into the mechanisms of the shoulder. Massaging the local region is an effective solution if we are working towards increasing our mild inflammatory response when we work on the tissues, the general increase of fresh blood to your muscle and oxygen-rich nutrients purportedly assisting in tissue health BUT, a deep tissue massage could worsen the situation. The American Massage Therapy Association defines the shoulder as the interlocking of bones, cartilage, tendons, and fluid. It comprises muscles including the upper trapezius and levator scapula above, the rhomboids and lower trapezius medially, and the latissimus dorsi posterior and laterally. It also contains the rotator cuff which includes supra and infraspinatus, teres major and minor, and the subscapularis which is the largest and strongest muscle of the four rotator cuff muscles. A tricky muscle to access but necessary if you want good outcomes.Despite that, not a lot of people do work on the subscapularis when treating shoulder pain and when they do, it is painful and uncomfortable. In this article let me unravel a way for you to treat the pain without pain.
Here is how to apply the Best Pain-Free Subscapularis Massage for Shoulder Pain:
Standing - Check the range of internal rotation (medial rotation).
We should always get a benchmark of ROM when treating. It is for the patient as well as us to understand the before and after of treatment.FABRE for internal and external mobility is a great way to start. By this I mean to have them bend their elbow at a 90-degree angle, swing it inward reaching behind the back, and touch the inferior aspect of the opposite scapula. By doing this, you and your client can get an understanding of the quality and amount of mobility through the range, how stiff the shoulder is, where they feel the pain and or restrictions, and post-treatment, you can get a comparison and more ideas on what extra work needs doing or what exercise prescription is required.
Supine - Lay down on a table.
A massage table is perfect but NOT completely necessary. If you don’t have one you can look for a flat surface that is comfortable i.e., the carpeted floor or a mat, or even a very firm mattress. They need to be able to relax their shoulders. Laying down will also make it easier for you to locate the muscles to work on.
Exercise/treatment - Do low-load muscle activations.
What is low load muscle activation???If I ask you to perform a task such as raise your arm, you will recruit many muscles to perform that action. If I ONLY want ONE muscle to work then I need to get you to perform the EXACT movement that this muscle is required to do BEFORE the synergists turn on to assist in the action.So a low load action is one that is very small and very gentle. It required the therapist to know what the action of the muscle is and to have the client in the exact position for that muscle to fire first.https://www.yourmusculoskeletalspecialist.com/chapmans-reflexes-virtual-workshopsOur subscapularis performs two movement patterns for long and short-range so we need to improve the firing sequence of the muscle at these two ranges for effective treatment gains. When the action or strength of contraction of the muscle returns, so too does the resting length improve. This means the stronger the muscle the longer it sits at rest. When it is at a better resting length there is far less compression into the joint capsule and therefore less work for the other muscles working in the rotator cuff.Before we start this best pain-free Subscapularis Massage for shoulder pain, let’s consider draping and privacy issues. Both males and females should have appropriate covers for the breast tissue (wear appropriate crop tops) before you do the low-load muscle activation. If your client has lower back pain, put a pillow or bolster under the knees to keep the back flat.
Start in short-range as it’s easier for the shoulder if there are signs of impingement through end range.
As the therapist slide your fingers along the rib line and drop in behind the anterior part of the scapula and until you can palpate the muscles of subscapularis.Pop your fingers down to that area and link in so that you can feel the movement when the patient is doing a contraction.For Short Range
The subscapularis is going to adduct the arm, so the elbow comes in towards the body at the same time as the forearm medially rotates. This is a very gentle contraction for a few seconds only and then FULLY relax and repeat for approximately 20 repetitions. You will start to feel your palpating fingers sliding and gliding down between the spaces of the ribs and under the scapula as the muscle starts to soften and lengthen.
For Long-Range
Do an isometric contraction. Take your client's arm into their overhead end range and hold it there, have them perform the similar to “spiking” a volleyball. That is returning the straight arm down to their side by using the armpit muscles to perform the action. The subscapularis is now drawing the arm forward and down. Repeat the “up, down, relax” contraction until you see that the arm is starting to go further into extension without impingement.
Stand and repeat to see the results.
Do the FABRE or Apley’s scratch position again to measure your range of internal rotation once done and compare it with the previous one.As you can see, treating shoulder pain doesn’t need to be as painful as you believed. This is really one of the simplest ways to apply a treatment for improving a weakened or damaged muscle for the client and removes the pain and fear response attached to the treatment.
Don't forget to watch this Best Pain-Free Subscapularis Massage for Shoulder Pain video
CLICK ON THE VIDEO (Best Pain-Free Subscapularis Massage for Shoulder Pain) for the best way to see them in action and remember what I’ve taught you, take note of these processes so that you’ll never worry about painfully treating the shoulder. If you want to know more, visit my YouTube channel where I teach you how to do treat related concerns.
