Piriformis Muscle

The Piriformis Muscle is a small, pear-shaped muscle in the back of the hip area and is our deep sitting muscle.  This muscle creates a powerful compressive force that prevents the femoral neck from fracturing.  It reinforces the femoral neck and prevents it from bending while we walk and run.  Certain exercises increase activity in the piriformis muscle allowing it to compress the sciatic nerve with so much force that the nerve becomes damaged.

This muscle sits directly on top of the sciatic nerve, so it can be responsible for sciatic nerve pain.  To treat piriformis syndrome one should incorporate stretching with massaging of the piriformis to soften the muscle and reduce tension on the sciatic nerve.  This muscle is thickest at the sacrum area so its important to massage and loosen this specific area before stretching.

The most effective method to lengthen the piriformis is with the dynamic stretch technique.

There is a difference between piriformis syndrome and sciatic syndrome, let your massage therapist help you figure out what you suffering from.

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Muscle Fibers!

Muscle knots, which are muscle fibers that stick to each other and become adhered, are common in most people but it’s not normal to have them and they can lead to further damage.  If too much stress is placed on our muscles, tearing of the tissue can eventually leave scar tissue.  If this issue is left untreated the muscle will continue to lose elasticity and eventually cause postural stress that will cause further difficulties in the body.

Knots in the muscles can be caused by the posture we find ourselves in every day with work, like sitting a lot or working on a computer for hours and daily chores, or if we injure ourselves or become dehydrated.  Our muscles should be strong, pliable and challenged but this can be lost if we lose the mobility and flexibility in them.

We need to remember that our muscle fibers run in different directions in the body and a lot of our muscles are layered on top of each other and this is the reason why we can challenge our bodies the way we do with, sports, posture positions etc.

Massage can keep our muscles oxygenated, healthy and pliable relieving muscle pain and breaking up any adhesions.

So choose a lifestyle that will allow you take care of yourself - find time to relax and unwind.

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Latissimus Dorsi

This muscle gives the back its beautiful V shape from behind, its a pretty big muscle and covers a large amount of the surface on the back.  It consists of 3 parts that all run into the same direction/attachment points.

• starts at the hip
• starts at the ribs
• starts at the shoulder blades   

All 3 points run to the tuberculum minor at the humerus which is located at the upper front of the upper arm.

However if the muscle is tight or contains trigger/tender points, it may cause mid-back & lower shoulder blade pain.  If a trigger point is present in your Lats it can give pain at its location or send the pain to some unrelated area of the body. 

The Lats can contribute to pain in the following areas:

Forearm Muscle Pain

Between Shoulder Blades

In Front Of Shoulder

In The Shoulder

It’s function is to adduct the arm, extend your shoulder and rotate it inwardly.

Using the pressure point technique can be very successful by placing pressure directly on the knot (tense muscle tissue that is stuck in a spasm like state) while relaxing the muscles surrounding it. Muscle knots can cause pain as well as mobility difficulties.  If pain radiates to another area, ensure to massage that area as well.  Massaging the muscle (with trigger point pressure) can be painful at times but it can help the muscle release.

Alternating hot & cold, can help alleviate pain of muscle knots but will unlikely take the knots away.

Book a therapeutic massage that will no doubt work on this large are of muscle and the affected areas!

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Wintergreen Essential Oil

WINTERGREEN ESSENTIAL OIL

WIntergreen essential oil is extracted from the low growing shrub called Gaultheria Procumbens, which is from the Ericaceae plant, please don't ask me to pronounce this!!   This plant originates from North America mainly Northeast United States & Canada.  It’s the leaves that are used to make this essential oil, that has a minty scent.

It’s medical uses have been widely know for many centuries, used by the Native Americans to treat respiratory tract infections. They also chewed the leaves to increase endurance and respiratory capacity for long distance activities.

Wintergreen oil can be very toxic in its pure form, so diluting it with a carrier oil or cream is highly recommended.  Diluted it can be applied topically or diffused in a diffuser.

When used in a diffuser, it helps relax and uplift ones mood, as well as having a stimulating effect that will increase attentiveness and vibrations of the body.  Its strong aroma will have positive influence on your sensory system.

It’s most popular benefit is known as a pain reliever, alleviating headaches, muscle cramps, joint pain, tendonitis & skeletal issues. However it can give relief to rheumatism & arthritis as it stimulates blood circulation around the affected tissues and muscles, helping clear blood obstructions, which is one of the major causes of these two conditions.  It reaches the bloodstream, where is helps stimulate and increase urination, speeding up the removal of uric acid and other toxins. This can reduce the effects of rheumatism.

It can help prevent infections but its not advisable to take the oil orally to fight internal infections, apply it on open wounds sparingly and preferably diluted.  Wintergreen is said to help tone the skin and prevent acne (used in a very diluted form), as well as prevents dandruff and tones the hair roots, helping prevent hair loss.

Wintergreen Essential Oil is extremely beneficial using it in massage treatments but be sure to do your research on this remarkable healing oil before making use of its many benefits.

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Why Foot Massage

Massage is believed to relieve pain, reduce stress & anxiety,  rehabilitate injuries and boost general health; and in today society is considered an alternative to medicine.

Foot massage has been practiced for centuries to promote health and well-being.  Applying pressure to specific points on the feet during a massage can affect various parts of the body.  Your whole body will reap the benefits of a foot massage due to healing and relaxation through stimulation of the reflexes.  The less stress we allow our bodies to absorb the better health we will have.

The solar plexus point on the foot, can release stress and renew the body by placing pressure on this point.  Blood flow can become affected when the body is stressed, so massaging the feet decreased stress and allows blood circulation to flow unimpeded which can encourage homeostasis helping obtain good health & balance in the body.

When one lacks energy a foot massage gives back that energy as all elements come together through massage by unblocking any blockages.

Using essential oils can add extra relaxation by affecting multiple senses. Reflexology massage seeks to improve internal organ functions by massaging specific areas of the feet.

When a massage is combined with strengthening and stretching if can prevent injuries as well as speed up existing injuries.

People with flat feet and plantar fasciitis can benefit from a foot massage, where the pain can be lessened and sometimes even cure the conditions.

Massaging the feet can greatly help people who suffer with edema, especially pregnant woman.  Helping with circulation, massage can reduce the fluid retention and pain that comes along with edema.

Take extra care of your feet, they have a load of work to do with everything they carry.

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LEVATOR SCAPULAE

You have trouble turning your head to look behind you, feel a burning on the top of your shoulder blade or perhaps you wake up in the morning with a crick in your neck! It could very well be your;

LEVATOR SCAPULAE (levator in Latin means to lift) which is situated at the back and side of the neck and its function is to life the scapulae, such as shrugging the shoulders.  It originates from the cervical 1-4 vertebrae as 4 little muscles joining into one and inserts into the medial border of the scapula. There is a levator scapulae muscle on both sides of your neck.  Its not the biggest muscles on the neck but it sure does a whole lot of work there.

This muscle also turns your neck on the same side, in other words if you want to look over your right shoulder, your right LS is engaged. It often works in combination with other muscles in the neck allowing for elevating and rotating the shoulders, as well as stabilizing the neck. When  you look down, the LS prevents your head from flopping forward onto your chest.

Most of us spend long hours engaging this muscle then wonder why our neck and shoulders are so tight.  One of the most common causes of LS pain is working on a keyboard that is positioned too  high. Other pain causes are in correct posture while working on laptops, driving, or working with your arms raised.

This neck muscle is frequently responsible for a stiff neck!

With massage techniques, stretching along with some PNF stretching, range of motion of the neck can be increased considerably and pain reduced.

Take time and figure out what you doing wrong if you have a stiff and painful neck.

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Sacroiliac Joint (SI Joint)

The SI joint is the bony pelvis between the sacrum and the ilium of the pelvis which are joined by strong ligaments.  This joint does not have much motion and transmits all the forces of the upper body to the pelvis (hips) and legs.  It acts as a shock absorbing structure.

As with any joint, the SI joint can become arthritic or its support ligaments can become loose or injured. Dysfunction in the SI joint is thought to cause low back and/or leg/buttock pain, numbness, tingling & weakness. It can cause unilateral leg instability, disturbed sitting patterns as well as pain going from sitting to standing.  Many people have tight hamstrings as a result from SI joint pain.

Possible causes of SI pain or dysfunction are: degeneration of the SI joint, disruption or laxity of the joint, congenital problems, inflammation of the SI joint, fracture, acute/chronic infection, bone disease, tumor - benign or malignant.

Massaging this area will help relieve any soft tissue tension that exists, as well as break down adhesions and scar tissue.  Improving blood circulation and relaxing the muscles around this area can reduce and relieve pain associated with this joint.  Some passive stretches can be done as a preliminary assessment to determine if there is any SI joint dysfunction.

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Quadratus Lumborum

After recently having many clients with tight Quadratus Lumborum Muscles, along with back & hip pain,  I thought it would make sense to cover this muscle on my next blog.  So here is some information you may find interesting!

This QL muscle is found, buried deep, in the lower back and is irregular & quadrilateral in shape.  It originates from the lower border of the last rib (for about half its length) and connects the ribs to the pelvis (hip area) attaching alongside the spine with its medial muscle fibers. It’s role is to stabilize your torso in the frontal plane, acts as a prime mover, a postural & respiratory muscle, with the overall goal of the QL is to provide lumbar stability.

The QL is a common source of lower back pain, constant contraction while seated can overuse the QL, resulting in muscle fatigue.  A constantly contracted QL will experience decreased blood flow and over time can develop adhesions in the muscle & fascia which at the end is muscle spasm.  When you lean to the side, the QL must lengthen and then contract to pull you back up. This muscle can become a key player in the subsequent onset of sciatica symptoms and hip pain. 

One key point to remember, if you have a weak Gluteus Medius muscle the chances are your QL muscle will be excessively over used and strained possibly causing a lot of pain around the lower back or hip area. Answer keep your Gluts and QL muscles is good condition.

How to check if you have a weak QL muscle, perform a side plank and see how long you can hold it. Then compare it to the other side. If you perform 60 seconds on the right side and only hold the left side for 30 seconds, your left side is weak and you need to strengthen it.

Massaging and stretching this muscle will help relieve any pain you are experiencing in this area.

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Pectoralis Major Muscle

It’s the large muscle in the chest that fans from the shoulder to the breastbone.  It is commonly referred to as the “pecs” and create the bulk of the chest area.  This muscle along with the pectoralis minor, which lies beneath the major, is predominantly used to control the movement of the arm.  Its also plays a part in deep inhalation, pulling the rib cage to create room for the lungs to expand.

If this muscle is too tight it fosters a round shoulder posture. Tightness in this area may give you pain in your chest or shoulder.  Massage is great for decreasing muscle spasms, tenderness  and referral pain. Massage will increase the flexibility & integrity of the muscle, which will decrease pain in the neck, back and shoulder area.  Massage brings  more blood to the area and reduces edema around the muscle, with increased flexibility & range of motion.  When a knot is worked on in the muscle it may radiate pain but many people feel better within a few treatments.

Strectching can enhance treatment especially if continued at home.

So if you believe massaging these muscles will contribute to your healing of pain and tightness consider finding yourself a certified massage therapist who can perform her skills.

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