As a massage therapist I often recommend that clients attend yoga or pilates in order to improve flexibility, mobility, improve core stability and to combat stress. So surely it was time to practice what I preach.

I have been struck by just how much yoga and massage practice complement each other. I apply specific massage techniques in my work to provide deep stretching for muscles, and to create space and encourage mobility in joints. As in yoga, massage works to improve muscle condition and tone, promote good posture, and stimulate and aid the functioning of all the body’s systems.

However, through working with sports people, I am also aware that my clients often (not always) fall into the category that believes yoga is not active or dynamic enough when compared to high intensity activities like running, cycling, rugby etc. Some feel that they would not have the patience for it, that they would not see the same results or get the same natural high.

There are various forms of yoga, but essentially it is a practical philosophy and system of postures that promote physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing. It is by no means the soft option and those who practice yoga will know how intense it can be, that it requires strength and focus, and also that it produces a strong sense of welbeing. As with all exercise, yoga practice releases endorphins, and other chemicals, which all work together to enhance your mood.

It is worth noting here how well massage complements physical exercise by  countering the negative effects of adrenalin and encouraging the production of pain-relieving endorphins and the calming and nurturing hormone oxytocin.

So, lucky is the client who has a massage booked with me on a Saturday morning after yoga. I leave the class feeling refreshed, calm and full of positive energy - an ideal physical state and frame of mind to be in for giving massage. I am pretty sure that the baby likes it too.

Yoga classes:

Kelly’s Feel Good Association
Dúrcal, Granada
www.bienestarkelly.org

Having trained and worked in London as a sports massage therapist, I recently made the move to Spain and I am now working in Dúrcal in the Lecrín Valley, just south of Granada. Where else would I get the chance to treat flamenco dancers?

If you would like to book an appointment, arrange a home visit or would simply like more information on the treatments I offer please click here to fill out the contact form and I will be in touch shortly.

I specialise in sports, holistic and pregnancy massage and I am currently working out of the therapy rooms at Vitazahar the health food shop on Avenida del Sur 7, Dúrcal, Granada. Click here for a location map. You can also check out the Body Blog to learn about some of the interesting cases that I have worked on and see what some of my clients have to say.

So, from one who should know better, here are my 10 reasons why you should book a massage today

1. Stress relief. Whatever your occupation, life today can bring many challenges - physical, mental or emotional - and they can take their toll on your body. Massage encourages you to take some deep breaths and helps to work the daily grind out of your system.
2. Doing something good for yourself for a change. Grab a little bit of ‘me’ time on the massage couch. It’s amazing how you can drift away.
   
3. Sort out that injury or that niggling pain in your shoulders, neck, knee or wherever. You’d be amazed at how a sports massage can target and address your own specific issues.
4. Regain a sense of balance. Massage counters the negative effects of adrenalin, caused by stress, and encourages the production of pain-relieving endorphins and the calming and nurturing hormone oxytocin.
5. Detox. Massage encourages the elimination of the body’s waste products and toxins from the blood. Make sure you drink plenty of water after a treatment to help promote this process.
6. Boost your body’s immunity. Massage stimulates the production of white blood cells that protect the body from infection.
7. Improve your posture. Many of us spend our lives in front of a computer, which is not what we were originally designed for. Massage can help open up the chest by releasing tight muscles and help improve the condition of weak muscles involved in the way we carry ourselves.
8. Reduce your blood pressure and improve blood circulation.
9. Stay fit and prevent injury. Regular massage helps to maintain flexibility and the condition of muscles, thereby keeping you fit for sport and everyday life and helping to avoid injury.
10. Do something lovely for someone you love. Book a massage today for your mum or dad, your partner, brother, sister or a friend.

Well done to everyone who ran in the London Marathon on Sunday. I take my hat off to you all and hope that your muscles are not too sore today. I was there along with some other therapists working for TouchiS, who are down there every year offering massage for competitors running on behalf of Action for Children.

It was a beautiful sunny day in London – although I heard that the there wasn’t much shade for the last ten miles – and the atmosphere in the centre of town was great, with everyone out on the street cheering on loved ones, and complete strangers. All greatly appreciated by those taking part I know – the key is to have your name on your shirt, I heard from some ladies in the taxi queue at Charing Cross on my way home.

Despite a bad start to my day’s adventure – my taxi at complete loss as to how to get me past the crowds and anywhere near the venue, the dawning realisation that I should be at Great Scotland Yard not New Scotland Yard, two bus rides (Westminster/Waterloo then Waterloo/Trafalgar Square), and all carrying a very heavy massage couch – I really enjoyed the experience.

The organisation was brilliant. Runners arrived at the Civil Service Club where they could get a shower followed by a massage and then join their family and friends downstairs for food and drinks. The atmosphere was great.

We saw a few injuries: one torn calf muscle, a medial collateral knee sprain, blisters, muscle cramps, various chaffing, some toe nails that were on the way out and some sun burnt shoulders. Yet spirits were high (endorphins anyone?) and people chatted away about the ups and downs of the race while waiting for their treatments.

After really strenuous physical activity, such as a marathon, the aim of massage is to facilitate recovery by relaxing tight muscles, relieving cramps, aiding lymphatic drainage and the removal of waste products in the muscles, as well as encouraging rehydration. Massage should be carried out within two hours of activity but not within the first twenty minutes as endorphins and opiates, produced by the body, may mask pain and disguise injuries to bone and soft tissues. Although it is not scientifically proven that massage prevents delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), anecdotal evidence from sports people suggests that post-event massage really does aid recovery.

The feedback that we received from the runners was great and I think we all just wished that we could spend just a little more time with each of them. Many had come from far and had to get home to places like Darlington and Bristol. The majority had work in the morning (I wonder if they all made it), so again I would like to congratulate them for their commitment and sheer drive. My advice to you all is to be good to yourselves this week and to invest in a massage to soothe those aching muscles and to speed up recovery from any injuries.

Thanks again to TouchiS and Action for Children for the opportunity to get involved. Maybe I will run next year…

Photo by Mark Andrew Kent

Aimee Mullins is an American athlete, actress, model and motivational speaker. She is best known for her athletic accomplishments against able-bodied competitors at collegiate level and her paralympic record setting achievements in 1996 in Atlanta, despite having both of her legs amputated at the age of one as a result of being born with no fibula bones (fibular hemimelia).

Plantar fasciitis is an inflammation caused by excessive stretching of the plantar fascia – the broad band of fibrous tissue which acts as a sheath covering the muscles of the sole (plantar surface) of the foo. This fascia attaches at the bottom of the heel bone (calcaneus) and extends to the bones at the base of the toes and is one of the primary stabilising structures of the (longditudinal) arches on the underside of the foot. The fascia keeps the arch of the foot from flattening completely when the foot is bearing weight, thus providing cushioning and shock absorption when you’re walking, running or standing.

During the ‘toe-off’ phase of gait, when walking or running, the plantar fascia becomes taut. This causes the foot act as a lever and to push off with force. Every time the foot strikes the ground, the plantar fascia is stretched.

Plantar fasciitis - inflammation of the plantar fascia - usually occurs at the point where it attaches to the heel bone, and can cause heel pain, aching arches and heel spurs. It is quite a common complaint for older people who may be prone to stiff joints and restricted mobility, which will put extra strain on the plantar fascia. It can also be the result of overuse in people who do a lot of standing, walking or sporting activities - waiters, hairdressers, runners etc. It tends to be more common in women and in people who are overweight and also in pregnant women.

Key symptom: pain in the morning when taking firsts steps out of bed.

There may be a number of causes including:

* Over-pronation (flat feet) which results in the arch collapsing upon weight bearing

* A foot with an unusually high arch

* A sudden increase in physical activity

* Excessive weight on the foot, usually attributed to obesity or pregnancy

* Improperly fitting footwear

Case study profile

* Female in early 20s
* Sales Exec and part-time waitress
* Generally fit with healthy diet
* Currently not doing any sport
* However, leads very active life holding down two jobs
* Takes brisk walk to and from station everyday

The client presented with pain in the instep of both feet (worse on the left), which was acute first thing in the morning when taking her first steps out of bed. She also experienced pain after a period of rest such as her morning commute. These are classic symptoms of plantar fasciitis. During rest the plantar fascia contracts back to its original shape. Throughout the day it stretches and the pain is likely to subside.

What makes this client’s case less common is that the pain was located in the mid-foot rather than at the point of attachment of the plantar fascia at the heel bone.

A postural assessment did not reveal overpronation of the feet, a leading cause of plantar fasciitis. In fact she has fairly high arches. However, the left foot is slightly longer than the right and the toes are more splayed suggesting a loss of integrity in the medial longditudial and anterior tranverse arches. She has relatively small feet which may also be a contributing factor as the weight bearing surface of the foot is small. As a result the plantar fascia on the left side may be under more stress.

Treatment required

As always, the key to treatment is to determine the cause. In this case: what is causing the excessive stretching of the plantar fascia. In cases of overpronation or unusually high arches orthotics can be very effective.

This client can be treated effectively through massage, stretching and strengthening exercises, and ice therapy.

* Full leg massage to encourage movement of lymph - removal of waste products from the tissues

* Focus on the calf muscles (gastrocnemius and soleus) in particular using stripping techniques and soft tissue release (STR).  Releasing tension in this area will take some of the pressure off the plantar fascia which has a fascial connection with the calf muscles via the achilles (calcaneal) tendon.

* Working into the plantar surface - taking care at the muscle attachment site on the heel

* Passive mobilisations to the ankles and tarsels

* Ice therapy for 5-10 minutes eg. crushed ice in a bag, bag of frozen peas, use of small frozen water bottle as a foot roller/massager

* Stretches to calf muscles to take pressure off achilles tendon and plantar surface. This is a good to do before even stepping out of bed in the morning.

* Strengthening exercises could include picking up pencil with the toes

NOTE: Do not apply ice directly to the skin. Stop if skin becomes numb. Keep foot moving slightly while applying ice.

Conclusions

The main cause of the condition in this client’s case was a recent dramatic increase in intense weightbearing activity. Ideally I would like to recommend that she give up the second job. This kind of advice is not always useful. Massage did help to bring recovery in this case. However, self management - through massage, stretches and exercises, plus the application of ice - seems to be the key to keeping this client on her feet.

Poor running technique means that you are not using your body efficiently. Biomechanical inefficiencies lead to repetitive motions which put unnecessary strain on bone, joints, ligaments and muscles and increase the likelihood of injury.

1.    Above all, run tall and keep your body relaxed.  And stay alert and aware of your surroundings.

2.    Hold your head erect and don’t stick your chin out – this will create tension in your shoulders. Look ahead, scanning the horizon, not at your feet. Keep the back of your neck and spine in a straight line, perpendicular to the ground. Leaning forward may lead to lower back strain.  Leaning back will cause pronounced heal strike (see below), which will put your joints at risk.

3.    Watch out for rounded or hunched shoulders and for ‘shrugging’ when you run. Keep them square and relaxed. Tense, raised shoulders will slow you down, waste energy and prevent your lungs from expanding to their fullest range, thereby depriving your muscles of oxygen.

4.    Keep your arms relaxed at your sides with elbows flexed at 90º. Let your arms swing freely in a forwards/backwards motion ie. in the direction you are running and not laterally across your body. Don’t exaggerate the arm swing - as you bring one foot forward, swing the opposite hand forward and up just below sternum (mid-chest) level.

5.    Try to keep your hands in a relaxed fist, letting the thumbs rest on your index fingers and your finger tips gently connecting with your palms – clenched fists will create unnecessary tension throughout your whole body.

6.    Don’t twist in your midriff from side-to-side – this causes imbalances in your body, which place stress on all the major joint areas. This is also extremely inefficient as it displaces your forward momentum sideways. The same goes for a bouncing gait – it displaces your momentum upwards.

7.    The knees and feet should be aligned generally in a straight-ahead direction.

8.    Take short steps and land your feet approximately under your body/hips with each stride. If your lower leg lands ahead of the knee, you are over striding and increasing your risk of injuries. Keep your knees slightly bent at all times and do not lift them too high.

9.    Don’t strike the ground with your toes. Instead, strike softly with your midfoot and roll through to your forefoot smoothly.  A heel to toe foot strike means that the leg is straight when the heel makes contact with the floor sending the shock directly into your back and causing you to lose speed as you literally brake each time your foot lands. This is bad for your joints and affects your speed.

10.    Reduce your times by increasing pace/cadence (number of steps per minute) rather than stride length. As mentioned above overstriding increases the likelihood of injury.

These are general guidelines. For individual training programmes and recommendations, consult a personal trainer or physiotherapist.

Generally, however, a treatment will last an hour. Your first session will include a consultation, to discuss and assess any existing conditions, and so an extra 15 minutes should be allowed.

Treatments are tailored to the specific needs of the client.

There are some general contraindications that rule out massage altogether, for example massage should not be carried out on someone who has a fever. More commonly conditions are local, such as cuts and bruises or varicose veins, and can be avoided by the therapist. In these cases massage can be very beneficial and often aid the healing process.

When you book your first treatment with Vita Therapies your consultation will include a case history when possible contraindications will be discussed and an appropriate treatment plan will be devised.

In some cases, for example during pregnancy, the therapist may want to consult your GP before embarking on a treatment programme. If you have any questions regarding the suitability of massage for you, please contact Sophie and she will be happy to discuss any issues with you.

• knee pain – ITB syndrome, runners knee, meniscus tears, collateral and cruciate ligament tears
• hip and thigh - piriformis syndrome, strains to hamstrings, quads and adductors
• lower leg - achilles tendonosis, shin splints
• feet & ankles– plantar fasciitis, sprains
  
• back problems – lower back pain, kyphosis, sciatica
• shoulder issues – rotator cuff, bursitis, frozen shoulder, shoulder impingement
• arms & forearms – tennis elbow, golfer’s elbow
• neck pain - whiplash
• general – muscle strains, joint sprains
• symptoms of stress – tight chest, high blood pressure,
• work related injuries – RSI, poor posture