Why do I suffer from pain in my muscles following exercise?

Posted on September 21, 2020 by admin

No matter how well prepared for an activity we can often find ourselves feeling stiff or sore 1-2 days following activity. This is called delayed onset of muscle soreness (DOMS); this explained is simply the damage of muscle fibres and inflammation following unaccustomed intense exercise.

DOMS commonly occurs in sports and movements that use eccentric contractions more so than concentric contractions. Eccentric contractions occur when the muscle lengthens under load, for example, a footballer trying to change direction quickly will eccentrically contract the quadriceps to maintain stability. Eccentric contraction produces a force over a smaller cross-sectional area of the muscle, this is due to the smaller motor unit recruitment during this contraction.

Following a bout of vigorous exercise, DOMS is likely to occur unless you have developed your training programme to build up intensity over time. However, there are ways that you can help yourself. Firstly, having a sports massage can help; this increases the circulation of blood to the area, whilst an active recovery can also help. What you will find is that pain will increase 24-hours following exercise, with this pain usually peaking around 48-hours post exercise.

You can become more accustomed to the demands of your activity through training. It is key that you understand this is a natural process to occur and is actually a good sign. This muscle soreness represents the muscle becoming stronger than its previous state in response to an effective training session.

If you would like a sports massage to aid your recovery from DOMS, feel free to book in so we can help you be pain free.

The Young Athlete and Their Common Injuries

Posted on September 12, 2020 by admin

Young athletes commonly play several sports at the same time, and very often train and play matches most days of the week. The developing musculoskeletal system is placed under a repetitive sub-maximal load without adequate rest periods to allow for adaptation of the system; this leads to overuse injuries. Overuse injuries that are solely specific to the young athlete are apophyseal injuries; this an injury of the growth plate. Here we talk about two of the common apophyseal injuries that affect the young athlete.

Osgood-Schlatters Disease

This is one of the most common problems that occurs in boys aged between 11-15, this is characterised by inflammation and swelling just below the knee cap. There is a boney lump apparent below the knee, that can be tender to touch. This disease usually presents itself during growth spurts, this is because the bones and the muscles grow at different rates leading to the presence of excessive tightness. This tightness in the muscles will then lead to a greater level of irritation surrounding the patella tendon insertion site (just below the knee).

The symptoms of this will follow a pattern that is quickly picked up on by a specialist purely through the questions that they ask, these are; pain in the knee will increase during exercise and decrease with rest, there may be swelling present around the knee, an increase in heat over the knee and there will be a distinctive lump below the knee.

To be accurately diagnosed, a specialist should be sought. From there, they will put together an action plan, this will be drawn up on how best to treat the child leading on from the diagnosis. Treatment will revolve around managing the child’s weekly loading, flexibility exercises, strength exercises and the use of ice for pain relief following exercise.

Sever’s Disease

This is a problem that typically occurs in children between the ages of 7-11, with the pain being felt in the heel. It is thought that this pain will present itself when repetitive jumping and running occur, more specifically, from the pull of the achilles on the growth plate. A specialist is the best person to see to determine the problem.

To treat sever’s disease, the specialist will have a variety of treatments and exercises at their disposal. These treatments and exercises will concentrate on the flexibility of the calf muscle, appropriate use of footwear for maximal support and the use of a heel cushion in the shoe for pain relief. Furthermore, if the child is suffering from the pain felt in the heel, the use of ice can help with the pain relief by producing an analgesic effect.

If you think you know of a young athlete who may suffer from this and want to get them treated, book in and see us to see how we can help.

Further Treatment Availability From September

Posted on August 10, 2020 by admin

If you are looking to book an appointment, you will notice availability for August has been a little limited, due to a long term contract we took out earlier in the year. We are pleased to announce that from September we will be available 5 days a week, at a time that suits your busy schedule.

Whether you require a full assessment or to continue your regular treatments, the extended availability will allow you to have more options to select your preferred times. If you need to speak with us about a time slot that isn’t currently an option, please do email us and we will see if we can accommodate your preferred times slot.

We shall be updating the calendar shortly to reflect the extended days and hours available, if you do need more information urgently please do let us know.

Why Massage is Beneficial for Everyone

Posted on March 6, 2018 by admin

There have been many journals produced on the effects of different types of massage when it comes to the relief from stress or anxiety on the psychological side of things; and then the physiological effects due to massage. On the whole the majority of the journals that I have read around this topic of massage and the effects of massage have turned a positive outlook on having regular massage whether it be a sports massage or just a relaxing massage in a spa.

(Fraser & Kerr, 1993) measured the effects of a massage on the anxiety levels of elderly residents. They had three groups with one group receiving massage, one receiving conversation only and the other no intervention. They measured the anxiety levels of the patients before and after through the use of a questionnaire, electromyography readings, heart rate and blood pressure readings. They ran this test across 4 consecutive evenings and found that those patients in the group with massage had a statistically significant difference to the mean levels for anxiety in the patients. (Fraser & Kerr, 1993) recommended the use of massage when caring for elderly patients as they can promote relaxation and improve communication between patients and carers.

One of the main psychological effects that massage helps with is to lower anxiety. Anxiety is caused by a hormone in our body’s called cortisol. This hormone is used for the flight or fight mechanism; this will increase the blood pressure and heart rate when needed as an involuntary response. This higher the level of cortisol with in the body can lead to headaches, insomnia and digestive problems. By having a regular massage this can lead to a greater amount of oxytocin and serotonin being released into the body which can help with lower levels of anxiety and stress. This decrease in stress and anxiety will help to increase the mood levels a patient feel’s. Patients with high levels of stress and anxiety may suffer from psychological issues such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or depression; by increasing their mood levels may help to diminish the bad thoughts in their head from these disorders.

During a massage, the body will secrete a greater amount of endorphins. Endorphins will interact with the pain receptors in the brain; with these being secreted during a massage a patient’s level of pain is likely to be decreased. If a patient has chronic pain from an injury such as patella tendonitis, a massage can help to alleviate some of the pain that is felt during day-to-day living. This will then allow a patient more freedom due to a decrease in their pain levels. These will have a greater level of relaxation for the patient and allow them too really let go from their stresses. This will also impact the physiological responses of massage by helping to lower the heart rate and blood pressure.

On the physiological side of things there are many benefits to be taken from a massage. Firstly, post injury you are likely to have some fibrous tissue or scar tissue formation around the injury site. A massage can help to move this into a mobile tissue and help it to broken down. Secondly, a massage will increase heart rate and blood pressure; this will then help in getting more oxygen around the body and also help with getting rid of waste products. An example of this would be surrounding the gastrocnemius and the soleus. The formation of varicose veins is due to the valves preventing the back-flow of blood to cave in causing these veins to appear very prominently on the legs. By having regular massage this can aid the venous return and also draw the waste products out.

I personally feel that, with these few effects from massage mentioned in this piece it would be silly not to get a massage. With effects such as a decrease in stress and anxiety and also the removal of waste products it will be inclusive for all.