Lela PM Limited

01/10/2016

Case Study 42: Jane the hair stylist. Client feedback following treatment 3.

So, before I share with you the results of Jane's third treatment, I was pleasantly surprised when Jane reported this Tuesday that she is currently free of pain in her cervical spine and is aware she has a greater range of movement (ROM). Hoorah!

Jane requested that I repeated the same treatment as before concentrating on her back, shoulders, neck and upper chest which enabled a more thorough and deeper treatment due to the ground work previously done at a superficial level.
The small powerful muscles around shoulder blades are below those of the larger back and shoulder muscles, so if these are tight they can severely restrict and impair movement in the upper body. Where Jane requires complete freedom of movement in her shoulders I targeted these deep muscles, together with the Pectoralis muscles of the upper chest to release any tension.

Any deep tissue massage has to be done with great care on my part and can result in a little muscle soreness for the client during, and following treatment. If I can encourage my client to fully relax, the muscles respond better to manipulation and muscle soreness can be significantly reduced if not totally eliminated.

With any form of manual therapy treatment, some muscle soreness must be expected and is part of the normal healing process of the body as the blood cells get to work to repair muscle tissues and recycles the debris removed from the soft tissues. Your muscle fibres should feel like perfectly cooked pasta. If your muscles feel like over cook pasta, then you are likely to have reduced mobility. What you won't be aware of is that your muscle power will be significantly reduced.

Looking forward to Jane's fourth treatment:

Jane's treatment plan was to include treatment to her legs and pelvis as her work entails standing for many hours and not always in an upright position. If the client presents with any tension or muscle imbalance in the anterior muscles of the thigh (Quadriceps) and posterior muscles of the thigh (Hamstrings) can contribute and exacerbate existing lower back pain. Let me explain...

The very powerful Quadricep and Hamstring muscles attach onto the pelvic girdle, so if for example, the Quadriceps are more stronger or tighter than the Hamstrings the front of the pelvis could be pulled down in the front (Anterior tilt) which, in turn, increases the normal curvature of the lumbar spine = cause of lower back pain. However, this is not conclusive, as there are numerous other causes of lower back pain which can be determined through postural assessment.

Thank you for your interest today and for being my virtual audience.
My log may not be action packed as Star Trek's "Captains Log", but I do get exterminate Klingon's of the soft tissue 'kind' and boldly go into the deeper recesses of the Pectoralis minor! :)

24/09/2016

I would like to share with you a follow-up to my last past where I have been engaged by a new client, who we shall call Jane.

If you remember, Jane is a professional hairdresser and presented with tension and discomfort in her neck and shoulders, which corresponded with Jane's daily posture of standing with raised elbows and shoulders. I soon discovered that Jane's muscles on her right side of her back and shoulders were significantly more hypertonic (tighter) than those on the left. You guessed right, Jane is right handed when cutting hair or blow drying!

The initial bodywork treatment for any new client is always at a superficial level to assess the physical condition of the muscle groups affected, to identify the probable cause of the discomfort reported by the client, and then to use manual therapy to relax the muscles.
Jane also received Soft Tissue Release (STR) to the muscles around her cervical spine (neck) including the Levator scapula muscles which are part of the shoulder girdle which assist in raising the shoulders and stabilising the head. STR assists in resetting muscles to their original length in turn releasing the tension.

Jane responded very well to her first treatment and did not report any discomfort 48 hours after receiving treatment.

Jane received her second treatment last Tuesday and this time the manual therapy went slightly deeper into the muscle of the shoulder girdle, neck and back and for the first time included the upper chest muscles of the Pectoralis major.
While you are reading this, just raise your elbows as high as is comfortable, and feel where the tensions is. I would say you can feel the tightness below your shoulder blades. Am I right?

Watch this space as next week I will give you a further update as Jane's body begins the unwinding process over the next year.
Unlike other manual therapies, Sports and remedial massage targets specific muscles and muscle groups to encourage the bodies own healing processes and to correct any muscle imbalance. Thank you for reading!

15/09/2016

It has been some time since I have posted anything worth sharing with my clients and followers of my page, so I will correct this now...

I was reminded yesterday while I was treating a new client that our bodies adapt to the work we place upon it, and just like a new car, it will start up first time every morning and take us through our day at 100mph so long as we keep putting fuel in it.

So wind your body-clock forward 10, 20 or maybe 30 years and your body is now thoroughly worn-in. Yes, it may have a few rattles here and there but so long has nothing has dropped off along the way you can say with pride "...she is a good little runner". So my question to you would be "...so, does your body have a full service history?". Don't worry, I already know the answer....and it isn't 42!

So think of this...If we start a new career or take up a new sport or hobby, in time, our body will naturally adapt to the new demands placed upon it, or we can train our body to become stronger to accommodate the extra stress or demand. At this point I would like to express my admiration to all the Paralympic athletes in these games for their excellence in their sport and their determination to be the best that they can be despite their disability. I am in awe of these girls and guys!

My new client is a professional hair stylist of 20 years standing and in excellent physical shape, although now, her body is protesting at the thought of standing on her feet with her elbows raised busily snipping away quaffing hair for 6 to 8 hours a day 6 days a week. Try this at home...how long do you think you could keep your arms raised in front before your shoulder start to protest? I think I have made my point :) She is one tough cookie!

So the point of my story...if you don't give your body a regular service you will get a few rattles here and there and it is very likely your bum will drop off the radar. Then one day your engine will seize and then you crawl off to your GP for some sympathy and medical advice. The answer you will get is not what you want to hear, "Ahh bless...you will have to wait 6 weeks to see a physio or to get a scan".

Now the good bit....my client has tried alternative complimentary medicines from her Chinese culture which have only given her some limited respite, although the treatments she received never actually released the extreme tightness in her back and shoulder muscles.
After some months of perseverance on my part to offer her Holistic bodywork, I finally got THAT call this week!
I will keep you posted as her treatments progress each week so you can read how her body responds to the treatment. It will be fascinating reading as she begins to listen, and reconnect with each and every muscle shouting at her "...me next! I want relaxing now please".

10/05/2016

This will interest anyone who would like to keep a general level of fitness.

My clients are given specific routines between treatments as part of their rehabilitation to correct muscle imbalance, recover from injury or just to ease out tension from hypertonic muscles. Results are faster when combined with regular bodywork.

These quick and easy workout routines burn fat and build muscle, even if you’re five feet from your couch.

14/04/2016

Along with the Sports and Remedial massage I offer my clients, I am also a practitioner of Ancient Earth-based healing skills. Read on...

Shamanic Healing

The aim of shamanic healing is to restore a person to wholeness and balance. This ancient method works with the individual and the spirit of the illness to bring back a state of equilibrium to the body, mind and spirit. Working with the drum, rattle, feather and sacred herbs, the shaman becomes a ‘hollow bone’ and allows his or her spirit helpers to work through him or her. In sacred space and time, the shaman enables these healing energies tobring about the highest good for the client. The process can be extremely powerful and transformative, and at the same time nurturing and safe.

Northern Drum offers private healing sessions, including extraction work, soul retrieval, blessing ceremonies and Shamanic Counselling sessions. Distance healing can also be arranged.

For more information contact: [email protected]

28/02/2016

If you are a serious amateur athlete, you really need a serious Sports massage therapist to work with you to achieve your full potential. Even If you enjoy playing any sport, you should still be working with me for injury prevention.

Professional athletes have been reaping the benefits of massage for years. Now, amateur athletes are quickly jumping on the massage bandwagon.

16/01/2016

And these rollers are not just for athletes! I recommend all my clients to use rollers even if you have a desk job. There is nothing like treating yourself between massages to flush out the toxins.

08/01/2016

I know the athletes I look after don't where high heels, but this MRI scan will interest your friends who do wear 'killer heels' like Gok Wan suggests.

This will explain why some young professional women today go on to develop 'Killer bunions' and deformed toes which cannot be reversed!

We all know that high-heeled shoes aren't great for the feet, but what exactly are those shoes doing to wearers' bones? Orthopedic researchers are now using a 3D-scanner to get a better look inside the feet of the high heel fan.

17/12/2015

British Triathlete Royalty. Including the UK squad for 2016.

Three years ago at the Virgin London Triathlon, I was privileged to give Jodie Stimpson a post-event treatment at the Cancer Research UK Tent. Jodie has come a long way since then...just imagine where you will be after receiving a treatment from me. Faster...Stronger...injury free...
http://www.britishtriathlon.org/news/wcp-athletes-confirmed_6335

British Triathlon has confirmed squads of 21 triathletes and 15 paratriathletes making up it’s 2016 UK Sport Lottery Funded World Class Performance Programmes.

05/12/2015

Why your muscles appreciate me working on them when you train hard. Prevention is better than cure....you know it makes sense :)

Leigh Boyle tells us about the early warning signs of an Achilles injury. Learn to spot the warning signs before running overuse injuries such as Achilles Tendinopathy.