Is your posture causing your headaches?

Do you sit or stand all day? Would you say you sit up straight or do you feel you slump most of the day? This slumping could be the cause of your bodies aches and pains, especially headaches and neck pain.

The classic office posture involves hunching the shoulders up and slumping forward. When this happens the head naturally tilts backwards as the chin comes forward.

This posture then places a lot of load on the muscles that support your head and shoulders. The main muscles that become overused and then painful are the Upper Trapezius, Sternocleidomastoid, Sub-Occipitals, Levator Scapulae and the neck extensor muscles. Most of these muscles have trigger points that will then refer pain into the head. So the pain in your head is only being perceived in the head but the actual irritation to the soft tissues is in the neck and shoulders.

This irritation and overuse to the soft tissues is a gradual process. The pain may appear to be acute but it has actually been building up over time. It is always happening, sitting on the bus, slumping on the lounge, sleeping at night in a bad position. These small repetitions over a long period of time will gradually turn into a much larger problem.

In this posture the posterior soft tissues of the neck are compressed and the anterior tissues are lengthened. Greater pressure is placed on the posterior aspect of intervertebral discs than on the anterior, and the orientation of the facet joints changes. There is also compression of the fascia and skin on the posterior aspect of the neck. A bump can form at the back of the lower neck, sometimes referred to as dowager's hump, which can indicate tension in tissues of the chest.

So what can you do?

Well the first thing to do is to sit up straight. There is no magic exercise you can do or expensive chair you can buy to fix your posture. Posture involves awareness and breaking patterns that have been held for years. It sounds simple but noticing your posture and then changing it will be reprogramming your body/mind to actually change.

 Exercises that can be beneficial include:

- Chin Tucks to strengthen the opposing muscles in the front of the neck and also to stretch out the back of the head/neck.

-Stretching the chest and the upper trapezius will help to release the tightened muscle tissue.

-Thoracic foam rolling to open the chest can reverse the curved, slumped posture.

For more information or to have an assessment and treatment contact us on 07711 943615 or email info@wellnessmassagetherapy.co.uk

Updated Massage Menu

Remedial Massage

Our Remedial massages involve assessment, treatment and often include homework (stretches and exercises). Sessions can include a combination of Myofascial Release, Deep tissue & Trigger Point massage and stretching.

Sports Massage

Our sports massage focuses on recovery, rehabilitation and prevention for events and training sessions. Massage sessions include assessment and treatment.

Therapeutic Massage                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Our Therapeutic massages are recommended for those who enjoy regular massage. This massage walks the line between Relaxation and Remedial. Some parts will be beautifully relaxing while others, like you're "being fixed".

Relaxation Massage                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

Our Relaxation massages use slow and gentle strokes to help you drift off to your happy place as the stresses of life are gently massaged out of your physical body.

Hot Stones Massage                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

Our hot stones massage is a rejuvenating treatment option that uses heated stones to encourage blood flow throughout your body. This can relieve chronic pain, help de-stress your mind and body and encourage deep relaxation.                                                                                                                                       

Lymphatic Massage

Recovering from surgery? A post-surgery massage includes manual lymphatic massage to help the body in reducing swelling and inflammation. After which, a continued massage treatment plan will soften and break down scar tissue stiffness, lower pain and improve flexibility. All designed to accelerate recovery and return you to normal daily activities sooner.

Massaging the hip area to relieve low back pain

My regular clients know so well that I tend to spend quite a bit of time on the hip area, when the reason they come to see me is lower back pain, sciatica or leg pain. Trigger points or muscle knots in the gluteus medius and minimus in the hip are a common cause of stubborn and strange aches and pains both locally, as well as referring pain to surrounding muscles, and yet they are often under-diagnosed.

What is Hip Pain?

Hip pain is a common symptom that can indicate a number of different underlying conditions that may affect the joint and its surrounding structures. Because of where the hip bone is located, it’s a common place for injury and trauma to occur that can lead to several different and occasionally long lasting problems above in the lower back and below into the legs.

With so much stress placed on the hip by the body in everyday situations, the area sometimes never gets the chance to heal, meaning that symptoms can continue to present themselves for weeks or months without treatment. If you’re suffering from hip pain and it doesn’t show any sign of relenting, ascertaining the cause is crucial to helping your body recover.

The Cause of Hip Pain

Arthritis, injury, over exertion through physical activity or poor posture are the most common causes of hip pain, each affecting the joint and surrounding area in a different way. Identifying the reason for your pain is the first step to correcting and healing the problem.

Hip Pain Relief

Hip pain can start off as a dull annoyance but, if left untreated, can become a serious problem leading to a loss of mobility and severe pain. Knowing the underlying cause of your pain is the crucial first step to correcting and healing the joint.

Massage therapy is the perfect way to loosen the muscles and alleviate pain in the short term. Strengthening the area through exercise and a focus on physical fitness and wellbeing can help prevent injury from recurring and is an important final step to eliminating pain permanently.If your hip pain is persistent and affecting the way you want to lead your life, visit me and let me help you to break free from pain. I’m not just interested in short-term fixes; I’ll identify your condition and provide the appropriate care to ease your suffering permanently.

Correct – Relax – Strengthen

I believe in supporting good health and providing permanent solutions rather than temporary fixes. Through addressing muscular imbalance and dysfunction with a mix of advanced massage therapies to relax and stretch tight and painful muscles alongside a strong focus on strength and fitness training to help strengthen the body and prevent pain from returning. You will experience improved posture, an ease of suffering and achieve a healthier lifestyle. 

Contact me for a holistic approach to your well-being and break free from pain.

Why Everyone Would Benefit From A Regular Massage

Why Everyone Would Benefit from a Regular Massage

Although massage has been practiced for thousands of years, it is not until fairly recently that the general public has become aware of its many benefits. While those with muscular aches and pains often sought out a massage therapist to help them, it has now become apparent that the regular use of massage can promote both physical and mental health for everyone. Massage is not a luxury; it might almost be considered a necessary part of everyone’s lifestyle.

Dealing with Our Stressful World

The fast, often frenetic pace of the modern world leaves many of us feeling frazzled and stressed out. The elevated rate of depression and other mood related issues is reflected in the millions of prescriptions written every year for drugs to try to mitigate these mental problems. Often, people find it difficult to simply relax and enjoy life.

Stress can result in such negative effects as high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, obesity, headaches, muscle pain, and insomnia. All of these are conditions that can seriously impact health. When we are stressed, our body releases cortisol. This hormone helps us to run faster or fight better, which is of use when running from a hungry bear or when your child is in danger. Under normal circumstances, the level of cortisol in the blood drops as soon as the crisis is over. However, in today’s stressful atmosphere, often the crisis is never over. Fortunately, massage is an excellent way to counteract stress and anxiety.

Massage therapy helps to release the body’s natural stress relievers – endorphins. These neurotransmitters are instrumental in producing a feeling of calm and well-being.
Simply being under the hands of a massage therapist causes the body and mind to relax; it’s not uncommon for those experiencing a massage to actually nod off.

Massage for Handling Aches and Pains

Although stress is a great contributor to muscular pain, there are numerous other ways that our bodies can be damaged and require the services of a massage therapist. Injuries incurred while participating in sports or work can cause pain not only in the muscles, but also in the ligaments and tendons.

Sprains are damage to the ligaments holding a joint in place and result in swelling, pain, and difficult in using the affected limb. Massage helps in healing sprains by bringing more blood to the affected area to speed healing, as well as helping to drain away excess fluid that has accumulated as a result of the injury.
Strains represent damage to muscle tissue. Overworked or overstretched muscles can experience tears in the fibres, causing pain, knotting, and stiffness. Your massage therapist will apply the proper technique to loosen up tight, stiff muscles, and the endorphins released during massage will help with pain reduction.
Exercise is instrumental in keeping both the body and mind strong, but it’s also very easy to overdo it while exercising – especially in the case of those who are engaged in bodybuilding. Both regular and deep tissue massage can help relieve pain and promote healing.

Is a Regular Massage Right for You?

The nice thing about massage is that it is never wrong. Not only is massage therapy perfect for dealing with stress and assorted aches and pains, it also bolsters the immune system to keep you healthier. The flexibility of the joints increases and more oxygen is delivered to all parts of the body (including the brain) as circulation improves.

Many people will use massage once or twice when dealing with a specific problem, and will come away feeling refreshed and revitalized. But, why wait until there is a problem to see a massage therapist? Scheduling a weekly or biweekly massage can help to keep you feeling better all the time – less stressed, more alert, and less likely to suffer from painful, tight muscles.

What it basically comes down to is this – regular massage by a massage therapist is one of the best ways to promote both mental and bodily health for everyone.