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Thursday, December 10, 2009

Indvidualizing Yoga Practice to Relieve Neck and Back Pain

Last month I was challenged by a client to develop an active rehabilitation program that they could do at home as part of a regular Yoga practice. Finding a solution to this was important for me, the Kinesiologist and the client because doing so would mean adherence to the exercise rehabilitation program, therefore a greater chance of successful recovery from their soft-tissue injuries.

Communication, as within any Client-Kinesiologist relationship, was very important in achieving success. This client chose me mainly because I practice Yoga on a semi-regular basis and understand the basic principles, limitations and flow of Yoga within the context of soft-tissue rehabilitation.

While an excellent Yoga instructor will give participants modifications for their limitations, it is still very difficult to follow an individualized program in a class format. Our solution was for me to first teach the client the movements I wanted them to achieve and I also explained the principles of how to elongate and rebalance using the Stretch to Win method.

During each session they then demonstrated a series of poses that they thought would achieve our desired outcome. From there we developed an exercise/pose order that would flow while accomplishing our goal.

I find it rewarding to assist clients who are curious about movement, have the desire to get each movement correct, who want to learn more about their body and who diligently follow the instructions I give them. We discovered an excellent Yoga Anatomy book with illustrations showing which muscles are being strengthened and stretched during each pose. At home, the client researched and marked the poses they thought would be appropriate; during the next session we discussed the merits of each one.

By correcting each pose the client started to develop a deeper relationship with how to move properly to alleviate their back and neck pain. We succeed in reducing the intensity and frequency of their headaches, neck and mid-back pain because we ensured that we communicated clearly; the program also balanced the way they were psychologically motivated with their physiological rehabilitation needs.

Many people suffer with neck, upper-back and shoulder pain because of poor posture. Chronic tight chest, rolls the shoulder forward and up which also the head forward. There is a reflex that keeps us looking foward, so when the head-pokes forward we also get tightness just below the skull.

In our rehabilitations sessions we focused on the cause of their soft-tissue pain, rather than chasing the pain. Choose postures to open up the front of the body, bring collerbone back down and re-align the head over the shoulders. If, you sit a lot for work include stretches and postures to open the hip flexors.

Book a postural and movement assessment today by contacting Lifemoves. Discover how Fascial Stretch Therapy and Yoga will combine to give you relief from soft-tissue pain (neck, hip, knee, back) and get you moving more freely. We also have Active Rehabilitation sessions if you have an open ICBC claim.

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Sunday, September 27, 2009

Relieve Trigger Points to Overcome Soft-Tissue Pain

Disclaimer: This post is not intended as medical advice. This post is for educational purposes only. There are many factors that can produce myofascial pain, including stress. If you have numbness, tingling, headaches, dizziness or other symptoms please see your primary care provider first to determine or eliminate possible other causes.

Have you ever wondered what those sore spots are when you push your finger into a muscle or wonder why your upper-back and neck are achy after working on the computer for longer periods of time? You probably have trigger points. Whether they are latent or active, we all have them.

What are Trigger Points?
Not many people know that Trigger Points exist. Janet G. Travell and David G. Simons were the first to really discover and describe referral patterns of trigger points. They also wrote the "bible of trigger point therapy" that therapists use as a reference Trigger points are areas of the muscle's contractile unit, the sarcomeres that are not letting go. They are "knotted" and pulling on either end of the muscles. TrPs can be the size small grains of sand, big tennis ball or ropes.

Latent are ones that you can only feel when pressure is applied to them. Muscles with trigger points in them do not gain strength nor do they get bigger.

Active TrPs first tell you they are there by whispering, when ignored they shout and when ignored even more they yell so loud that it becomes disabling. When TrPs are not dealt with when they are whispering it takes longer to find relief and the muscle takes longer to heal.


You can use hands, tennis balls, Trigger Point Therapists and other tools to deactivate them. The trick here is more is not better. If they are particularly senstive, chronic or you are new to self-treatment be gentle, use short pulsing strokes. Intensity about 2-6/10. Start gently and gradually by working your way into them. When deactivated muscles won't produce pain when pressed on. Start to strengthen again when you no longer have trigger points in that area.

Be very gently with any stretching that you do. Most people tend to overstretch, which causes the fasica and muscles to contract.

Explore Vancouver Registered Massage Therapist Paul Ingraham's website for more details on trigger points and how to save yourself.

Resources:

Live in the North Vancouver area? Book a consultation with Lifemoves' Kinesiologists to help you identify your trigger points, faulty posture and movements that could be making them worse. Learn to relieve soft-tissue pain and increase freedom of movement.

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