Home Archives for Aches and Pains
August 21, 2012

Arggghhhh!!

Stress Sucks.  Losing your back to it is even worse.  Friday morning, my right-side back and upper glute muscles began spasming such that my mobility was greatly limited that day.  I stretched often and moved appropriately, hoping that I would be fine after a good night’s sleep.  Unfortunately, the muscles of my entire lumbo pelvic-hip complex started spasming so badly in the middle of the night that I was in a lot of pain on Saturday morning.  My softer mattress didn’t help, but that’s good for another post.  This is more about the WHAT???!!!  I don’t have time for this; and the fact that when your body is reacting like mine was, it is speaking to you.

Do you know what to do in times like this?

I’ll take you through my personal habits so that you can get a feel for how I handle stress, injuries that occur as a result and the recovery process.  Your body will be unique to you, so feel free to ask me about your specific exercise questions.

Maintenance Phase

  • Coping:  I am an internalizer.  I’d say any one of us could experience physical manifestations of stress, but the person who is most extroverted and emotionally expressive likely gets stuff out of his system before it becomes a truly physical overload.  Knowing this about myself, I do the best I can to maintain a balance between internalizing and externalizing.  My go-to at this point in my life is talking through things as soon as I know there’s an issue, and being physically active because that externalizes the stuff that can weigh me down.
  • Regular Self Care:  You already know that I train regularly, but this is something that should be noted in stress and injury care:  If you don’t have a consistent habit of nutrition, strength, cardio and flexibility training, then your body is not going to know what “normal” feels like. Without that baseline, your body is already compromised during stress.
  • Medical Care:  If you don’t have a solid list of specialists, then you might be missing a link in your maintenance chain.  No, everything shouldn’t be dealt with through drugs and care visits, but remember that well-rounded practitioners can help keep us balanced.  This might mean everything from chiropractors and general physicians to acupuncturists and massage therapists.
  • Sleeping:  Rest is absolute if we want our bodies and minds to unwind and process the crap of the day.  Without regular sleep, and during times of intensive processing, you run great risk of physical perturbation.  I do everything in my power to wall off time for good, relaxing and restorative sleep.
  • Warm Baths:  If I know that I am going to need bigger recovery after a workout or a mentally exhausting day, then I reserve time for a warm bath with Epsom salts to help relax muscle tissues.

Assessment Phase

  • Off-Kilter:  Do you know when your body is out-of-whack?  It’s important to be in tune enough with your body that you know when things are beginning to go awry.  Warning signs abound and it’s important to take action early, rather than letting things pile up until your body gives out.  I do my best to address situations, get back onto a schedule and keep my maintenance phase intact when I see things beginning to tilt off the high-wire.
  • What to address?  Do you know what is causing warning signs when they come up?  I know that if I start losing sleep regularly, feeling frustrated, not recovering from workouts, etc., then it’s time to heed the warning signs and get to the heart of the issue.  Sometimes there are several things going on.  In this instance, I have enough personal needs that I’m juggling, busy hours at work and less “pleasure” time in the last three months.  I also have some daily habit changes.  I got new shoes in the last three  weeks.  I have needed to write more and have been seated longer than I’d like.  I have clients that are progressing and need more hands-on spotting.  All of these things affect how my body works.  It’s not a perfect science because many things leave the question open for what is precipitating your physical imbalance.  But, learning the warning signs and taking time to assess will help you to cue in on the bigger issues.
  • Chicken or Egg?  Is your stress causing your physical symptoms or is your ailment causing your stress?  This stuff is cyclical.  I’m a huge advocate for “heading it off at the pass” so that it can’t spiral out of control.  If you think that your body might be what’s causing the cycle of stress and injury, see somebody who can help you locate the physical issue.  If you need help identifying the non-physical stressor, be open to seeking professional help for it as well.  We all need tune-ups in every aspect of life.  No shame in that.

Action Phase

  • Change!  I do not want this to be my everyday state, so I put my foot down.  You?  How long will you let something go on before you get to its source?  Remember complaining never makes forward headway.  It’s always lateral.
  • Pull the plug:  If I know that I’ve gone too far and my body is suffering, I’ll stop and go in another direction regardless of what it means I’m missing as a result. I don’t have time for my long term health to fall victim to the cycles of stress, anxiety, physical manifestations and limitations.  These things will happen on their own without my help.  My goal in change is to restore my maintenance phase as quickly as possible.  If that isn’t viable, then I’m going to re-direct my energies (time off work, time of personal detachment, time seeking help, time to deal) until a middle ground is reached again.
  • Professional Treatment:  We’ve already discussed this, but on Saturday I was faced with a few options and it being the weekend, wasn’t exactly sure who I’d call.  I went with a massage therapist who had timing that met my needs perfectly.  I considered a visit to my chiropractor and/or myofascial release specialist during business hours this week if I didn’t progress.
  • Foam Rolling and Stretching:  In posts (here and here) last week I described how important myofascial release is to my daily life; but in a time of injury, the priority raises.  I am not going to aim for personal records in my strength training; I’m going to aim for physical stability and mobility.  Helping spasming muscles to relax is a large part of that.
  • Stop Sitting:  Our bodies really don’t love sitting for longer periods of time and if I’m in this state I almost remove it altogether.  I will even kneel or stand in front of my computer so that I’m using my muscles to hold my body, rather than the chair.  Also, it keeps from direct pressure on the lower spine.  I change positions often.
  • Walking:  Walking is the most natural thing that we can do.  It is a very natural way to help your glutes to contract appropriately so they protect your lower back.  Walking helps your stomach to elevate your spine, so that you aren’t “crunching” down on your sacrum.  Walking stretches out your hip flexors and hamstrings, muscles that become over-tightened, compromising your spine.  I made frequent and longer walks through this weekend.  This keeps me from losing more mobility to muscles that get restricted after hours of spasms.
  • Lying:  Sometimes the best thing you can do for an over-worked body is lay it out on a fairly flat surface.  My bed is too soft.  My recliner leaves me upright enough that there is still pressure being borne into my tailbone.  Lying on the floor with my legs propped up gives my body time to relax without the burden of holding itself in any one position for very long.  I also used this time to keep a massage ball beneath my lower spine, switching sides occasionally so that I was always sending the signal to that area that it could relax.
  • Exercising:  My upcoming article will detail my exercise choices in the last several days.  Many people feel that they must stop exercising when there is a physical issue.  I disagree.  We definitely need down-time to recuperate.  A few days off training can be restorative.  But know your limits.  Often too much time without training starts that cycle downward of your body not feeling a release of tension, or a challenge to support itself better.  I know my goals, and don’t want to lose a lot of ground, so I don’t stop moving unless I really need to.  I move at a different level.  This is what’s important.  I might be at “Level 0″ in training, but I’m letting my body know I still need it functioning.  I honor its need for healing and rest a lot more, but I don’t let myself become stiffened and immobilized by a cease of exercise.  Where I would have been biking and climbing more heavily last weekend, I did a lot of walking, a lot of lying down to watch movies and two simple training sessions Friday and Monday.

This is a bit of a glimpse into my dealing with stress.  Stay tuned to see the exercises I chose for lumbar stability.  Above all, manage your stress and love your body!

Filed Under: Injuries, Stress Tagged: , , ,
August 16, 2012

Roll it Out!

Foam Rolling is the next best thing to a daily massage that you can give yourself.  If you’re like me and lacking the ability to pay for deep tissue work each day, spend some time familiarizing yourself with foam rolling or other forms of self-myofascial release.  Muscle tension isn’t something that you just have to cope with.  You can do something to change it.  Myofascial release helps the fascial system return to it’s optimal position, thus allowing the muscles to relax more.  Below, I’ll offer simple descriptions and photos to help you identify areas that you might want to target in your own body.

You’ll want to align yourself appropriately for each target muscle or muscle group.  Start at one end of the muscle and push pressure into the roller, moving slowly along the length of muscle until you find a knot.  When you do, hold as much pressure as you can tolerate for at least 20-30 seconds before releasing and moving further along the muscle.  Have you purchased a foam roller yet?  You might want both the half and full diameters, but likely only need the shorter, 12 inch length for each.

Calves

Sit with your legs out in front of you, the target leg on the roller and the opposite crossed over.  The crossed leg adds more weight (pressure) to the targeted leg.  If you find that is more than you can handle, simply let the opposite leg sit off of the roller.  Start close to your ankle with your toe pointing upward.  Gently move your body forward, so that the roller will move closer to your knee.  When you feel a tender spot, put as much weight into it as you can, relax, then roll slowly to the next spot.

Hamstrings

It’s important in this exercise that your back remains straight.  If you find that it’s hard to straighten your leg and sit upright, then sitting close to something you can press your elbows into for support is helpful.  Sit with your legs out in front of you, the target leg on the roller and the opposite leg crossed over.  If that adds too much pressure or imbalance, then place the opposite leg out to the side.  Start with the roller close to your knee and your toe pointing upward.  Gently move your body forward, so that the roller will move closer to your hip.  When you feel a tender spot, put as much weight into it as you can, relax, then roll slowly to the next spot.

Piriformis

The piriformis is a lateral (sideways) muscle that runs across the top of your hip.  For this exercise you want to sit on the upper part of your hip (you’ll feel slightly tilted backward), with the roller in the center of your butt.  Slowly roll your body from looking directly ahead, to pointing more to the side of the hip you are rolling at the time.  When you feel a tender spot, put as much weight into it as you can, relax, then roll slowly to the next spot.

IT (Iliotibial) Band/ TFL (Tensor Fascia Latae)

Lie in a “side plank” with your elbow directly beneath your shoulder and the roll under the top of your hip (the iliac crest).  You may support your body with your front arm if you feel that you need help balancing.  Move slowly toward your elbow, the roller moving further down the side of your leg until you find a tender spot.  Put pressure into it until it relaxes and then slowly roll to the next spot.

Quadriceps

Lie on your stomach with the roll just below the top of your hip bone.  Support yourself on your elbows, in a plank position and slowly “walk” forward, letting the roll move toward your knee.  When you feel a tender spot, put as much weight into it as you can, relax, then roll slowly to the next spot.

Adductors (Inner thigh)

Lie in a plank position on your stomach, with the roller diagonally run beneath the top of your inner thigh.  To roll in this position you will “walk” diagonally so that the roller starts to move toward your inner knee.  When you feel a tender spot, put as much weight into it as you can, relax, then roll slowly to the next spot.

Lats (Latissimus Dorsi)

Lie on your side with the roller pointing diagonally, just under your armpit.  Slowly roll your body from your side to your back.  When you feel a tender spot, put as much weight into it as you can, relax, then roll slowly to the next spot.

Thoracic Erector Spinae

Lie supine, with the roller (or a towel/ fluffy rolled pillow, if the roller is too dense) in the lower part of your middle back.  Rest softly with your back stretching around the roller.  Keep your knees bent so that your low back is supported.  When that area is relaxed, roll to your side to move off the roller and slide it into a position higher up your back.  Repeat as you move up along the middle back.

Chest Opener

Lie supine, with the roller vertically placed along your spine.  Make sure that your head is supported at one end and consider bending your knees/keeping your feet flat if your lower back feels unsupported.  Open your arms up into a “goal post” position and rest them as close to the ground as possible.  You should feel your chest and the front of your shoulders stretching.

Neck

Choose a roller’s diameter (cut flat on one side, or whole cylinder) depending on the length of your neck.  I have a very long neck, so I require the full.  For you, it might be the half (pictured beside me).  When focusing on tension in your neck, lie over the roller, so that it fits between the top of your shoulders and base of your skull.  If using the full roller has you propped, more like you’re on a pillow, then choose the half roller.  Lying with your hands at your sides, palms facing up, and body rested as much as possible, will be all that you need to do to target this area.  You might spend more time in one position so that your neck fully relaxes.  Most of us are hyper-tight in the neck and upper shoulders.  Roll to your side to get out of this position and slowly sit up.

Massage Ball

Massage balls come in several sizes and styles.  I order mine here.  I will use the 8cm size you see in the photographs for more finite work.  The 10cm size resembles the density of the foam roller with individual massage points.  I utilize the spiky balls to help work into knots in smaller, more bunched muscles.  If the spikes feel too hard, you can wrap a cloth around them, or use a tennis ball.  This lessens the pressure.

When working with a massage ball I will lie supine and work the ball up along my spine, one piece at a time.  I start just above my hips and slowly move it up until I get between my shoulder blades.  Because of my particular needs, I will spend a lot of time finding each position of tension around my shoulders and into my neck on the right side.  I’ll then repeat the process on the opposite side of my spine.

Flipping over to my stomach, I will utilize the ball in my upper pec and pec minor muscles, from the top of my chest to just below the collar bone.  For me, this area can become a significant problem.  Another area that I will work on is the side of my ribcage, from about my armpit to the center of my chest.  I’ll also occasionally use the ball on my piriformis muscle, sitting on it directly, if the foam roller doesn’t seem to complete the job.

How about yourself?  Are you already rolling?  Tell me more about how it helps you!
Filed Under: Flexibility Tagged: , , ,
August 15, 2012

Myofascial Release

Myofascial release in its most generalized use refers to anything that applies a constant, steady pressure on restricted fascia tissue.  Fascia is a type of connective tissue that can surround many structures in the body, binding some together, while allowing others to move smoothly over each other.  Muscle fascia refers to the dense layers of connective tissue that offer a system of support and protection.  It bundles multiple muscle fibers, keeping them resilient and working in communion, dividing specific muscles or groups of muscles.

Our lifestyles, posture, and repetitious motions imperfect as they are cause dysfunction in the connective tissue.  This results in a trauma to the body (perceived or real) that sets off inflammation.  Inflammation is the body’s response to pain, which causes the body to feel protective of itself.  Such a protective reaction incites muscles spasms, working overtime to keep the injured area from being moved or impacted.

Spasms lead to adhesions when the muscle tissue knots up, first in the spasming muscle then the surrounding muscles that are being pulled into the motion of the initial spasms.  Because of the altered movement happening in the body as muscles are spasming, we actually gain new neuromuscular responses:  compensation patterns.  Our bodies are incredible at finding new paths of motion that will leave the injured area alone.  But that, in turn leads to imbalances because our natural biomechanical movements are altered.

I’m describing what is called the Cumulative Injury Cycle, something I’m sure that you have experienced before.  You probably remember the last time your neck and shoulders or your back or a leg muscle seized up on you, whether you remember the precipitating movement or not.  The pain that you feel in response, as well as the days of finding a million different ways to sit, stand, sleep or walk are indicators that your body is seeking another, easier way to deal.  A release.

Specifically, we’re going to talk about self myofascial release done with a foam roller or a massage ball.  These instruments are used, much like a massage therapists hands, to apply enough force to the knotted areas of your muscle tissue to help realign fascia and point muscles back into their optimal arrangements.

If you’ve worked with me long, I’m sure I’ve asked you to use a foam roller or to find time to lie on top of a ball.  These tools have been paramount to my own healing and daily function.  Muscles spasms result from so many of our daily activities, whether working out, sitting or sleeping in one position for too long.  The reasons are unlimited.  For this reason, I will often advocate as much or even more significance to self-myofascial release than training itself.  I think it is also important to have an incredible massage therapist that you are comfortable working with (we can all only do so much for our own bodies).  It may be important to work with a more specialized occupational therapist (or other professional) whose main area of interest is myofascial release.

What are you looking for when you use a foam roller or massage ball?  Just like getting a deep tissue massage, you want to find tender areas—knots—where your muscle tissue is overactive.  This hypertonicity is what is pulling your body out of its natural alignment and causing you pain or discomfort.  In each area that you focus on, you will align your body to target specific muscles or muscle groups.  You’ll rest on the roller or ball, using proper postural alignment and taking care to keep your core engaged appropriately (you want maintain spinal alignment while you are decreasing muscle knots and increasing mobility…not doing so could injure your spinal alignment).

In each area that you target, spend at least 20-30 seconds putting as much pressure as you can tolerate into a tender area.  This will gradually increase the signal that the area can relax, decrease the tension in the knotted muscle and help the fascia to realign.  In every muscle group that is targeted you will find multiple adhesions (knots) and you want to take the time that you can to slowly work along the line of that muscle and find other areas of tension.

I, myself, might work on a foam roller or ball anywhere from a minute or two working on a very specific knot if I’m in a crunch during the day.  Or I might take an hour to hour-and-a-half to concentrate throughout my body.  The more injuries that we incur, the older that we get, the longer that we spend time in one position, the more fatigued we are—all of these things cause us to need more time spent caring for our physical need of myofascial release.

In the following post I’ll show you many ways that you can target major areas of the body that will be longing for your attention!

Filed Under: Flexibility Tagged: , , , ,