Trigger points are areas in a muscle that are sore and react to direct pressure, and are there to tell us that all is not well in that area.

There are two types of trigger points that include Active Trigger Points that cause muscular pain and cause “referred pain” to another area of the body when pressure is applied to them.

Then there are Latent Trigger Points that only hurt when pressure is applied.  They don’t refer pain to other areas.

Trigger Points are are also referred to as knots in the muscle and are quite common in people who lead active lives.

Trigger Points and Acupressure Points are different.

Acupressure points are blockages of the body’s energy pathways.

Trigger points are physical and an experienced therapist can feel them.

Western medicine is only beginning to understand the effects of active points stimulation.  It’s believed that stimulation of active points leads to an increase in the release of Endorphin, a natural body painkiller and muscle relaxant.

It’s possible that pain caused by Trigger Point activity may be the biggest cause of lost time in the workplace.

What do we do with them?
Trigger Point Therapy is a technique where a therapist uses direct pressure to sore muscle tissue to relieve pain in the body.  Massage and Trigger Point therapy are often performed together.

The purpose of trigger point therapy is to eliminate pain which enables us to get the muscles back to where they are supposed to be without it hurting so much.
Therapist locate and deactivate them using direct finger pressure.

Generally, muscles don’t like being moved to where they are supposed to be when they were content to be some place else.  When worked on, they probably will let you know it for a day or two, and if it took a while for the muscle into that fatigued condition, it will likely take more than one massage to make it behave.

However, when the pain is reduced, your range of motion will be enhanced, tensions eased, and your circulatory system cops a boost as well.

If you’re experiencing muscular aches and pains, call today and arrange an appointment for a Remedial Massage.  We’ll have you feeling better in no time.

Bursitis of the hip causes heaps of pain in the region.  A Bursa is a sac of Synovial Fluid that acts to reduce friction between surfaces, and this is where the problems originate.  The amount of fluid in the bursa increases and thickens, restricting movement and causing masses of inflammation.

The major bursae are found around and near the large joints including the shoulders and hips as well as the elbows and the knees.  An inflamed bursa is known as “Bursitis.”
Bursitis is not a young person’s problem and it is more common in women. Anti-inflammatory medication may… ease the pain, but this doesn’t treat the cause.

So what’s going on?
Around the hip, there are several bursae that will cause stiffness and pain around the hip joint, groin as well as in and around the Glutes.

The Trochanteric Bursa is located on the side of the hip.  It’s usually the one to become inflamed and is separated from the actual hip joint by tissue matter and bone.   Once it becomes inflamed, it’s the cause of pain around the bony projection on the side of the hip.  This is the one that will give you the most grief.

As well as local pain in this region, Trochanteric Bursitis will be the cause of pain down the outer thigh along the Iliotibial Band (aka ITB), the bum, and even into the groin.

The Ischial Bursa is located in the Gluteal region or the bum.   It can cause dull pain in this area that is most noticeable ascending stairs.  Pain often appears after sitting on hard surfaces for a while.

Another Bursa found in the hip is the Iliopsoas Bursa.  This Bursa will cause pain to the thigh and groin areas as well.

Symptoms of Trochanteric Bursitis.

Trochanteric Bursitis and causes extreme tenderness on the outer hip.  The pain will make it difficult to sleep on the affected side.

There will also be a burning painful sensation on the outer part of the thigh and into the groin.

Walking and going up stairs will tend to exacerbate the condition as will trying to perform squats.  The area will suddenly go weak also.

Sitting cross legged is difficult and applying pressure to the Trochanteric Bursa causes pain.

Hip Bursitis is sometimes referred to as Frozen Hip, and is is a condition that sneaks up on you over a period of time.  You’ll notice, for instance, that as you walk, you’ve begun to feel a slight pain in the hip.  This pain will get worse over time.  It can be the result of an injury like a fall, so a long time ago you probably don’t even remember it.

The stiffness in the region is an overreaction of the hip joint to counteract the inflammation.  Once established, this inflammation spreads into other soft-tissues and causes swelling in other bursae.

Cortisone injections are often tried.  It is usual to have up to four injections.  These may give brief periods of pain relief, but mostly, they seem to give only a few days or weeks of symbolic respite.  Cortisone, which is a steroid, is a crystalline substance and is injected into the joint capsule.  The best remedy for Hip Bursitis is Drug Free!

A massage based treatment works.

The body and the brain is tricked into healing itself by addressing the two main components of the problem … pain and stiffness. Initially the aim is to significantly reduce the pain by treating the swelling around various  tendons.

Following this, the technique moves on to rapidly ‘thaw’ and improve the range of  motion by stimulating a unique sequence of reflexes hidden within the muscles.  One reflex is triggered against another in sequence and the hip is not forced.  Instead it’s kept still whilst applying the pressure.

Patients treated in this massage based technique will notice a definite improvement with each treatment session.  These should be twice a week for twenty to thirty minutes a session and complete relief should be within twelve weeks.

Hip Bursitis can be overcome without drugs or surgery.

They provide support when we are standing, which can be a big ask if one is overweight or has been standing still for extended periods.  Walking or running, the first to feel the impact of the contact between the ground and our bodies… are our feet.

Ladies are prone to stressing out their feet more because of the fashionable but questionable desire to wear high heels.

Your feet are the most used, abused, re-used and most neglected parts of our bodies.

Although the machines that massage feet are becoming popular, there is no replacement for the real deal, and what the genuine human touch of a persons hands can achieve.

We keep our feet confined in shoes and socks or stockings for most of the day.  No wonder our feet hurt so much at the end of the day, but a good foot massage can be an exhilarating experience.

Practitioners of alternative medicine say that the nerve endings on the foot correspond to a specific organ of the body, and so massaging certain areas of the foot is like massaging that particular organ to which it is linked.

Be kind to someone close to you and give them the gift of a foot massage.

And men…  Pay attention and you’ll reap rewards!

If you send your wife for a foot massage…  you get her to pay attention to how it’s done and she can do it for  you.

It’s just a thought… but you never know.

Best of luck!

The big muscle at the back of the lower leg is called the Gastrocnemius.   It’s the muscle that’s visible from the outside of the body. Under it, and further down the leg is a smaller muscle called the Soleus.

The larger and most superficial of the two muscles, the Gastrocnemius, attaches to the heel with the Achilles Tendon and originates behind the knee on the femur, crossing two joints.  The Gastrocnemius is the main propellant in walking and running.

The Soleus is used constantly in standing to maintain an upright position, and attaches below the knee joint and also to the heel using the Achilles. The Soleus is not visible when looking at the body from the outside as it lies underneath the Gastrocnemius on the rear of the lower leg.

Either or both of these two muscles can be strained or torn.

Both muscles act to plantar flex the ankle which means it’s used to point the foot away from the body.  Attaching above the knee, the gastrocnemius also helps with bending the knee.  In this position, with the knee bent, Soleus becomes the primary plantar flexor.  A damaged Soleus will give you pain in the lower leg, and there will also be pain when you contract the muscle against resistance with the knee bent.

A calf strain may be more likely in athletes who have tight calf muscles, and the symptoms are a gradual tightening in the calf muscles which can get worse when running, or… improve while running only to tighten up later.

If you haven’t tried massage therapy for those aching muscles, make a call today.  Make an appointment and experience the many benefits that Remedial Massage has to offer and we’ll also help you with some great stretching techniques.

The Sciatic Nerve is quite large, in fact, it is the largest and longest peripheral nerve found in the body, and is as thick as a finger where it leaves in the lower spine. It extends from your lower back through your hip and under your buttock, and continues down your leg where it splits into two at the knee.

Each leg has its own Sciatic Nerve.

‘Sciatica’ simply means the Sciatic Nerve is is inflamed. The Sciatic Nerve provides information about leg movements, and transmits that information about sensations up to the brain.

Like most other nerves, the Sciatic Nerve performs two important roles.  It sends messages to the muscles of the leg from the brain, and it collects sensory information from the legs and sends it back to the brain.

Conditions such as Sciatica that affect the nerve will change these normal functions. This usually appears as either weakness of these leg muscles… pain in the legs and thighs… or both.

Symptoms of Sciatica.

• A cramping or burning sensation in the thigh.

• Shooting pains from the buttock, down the leg

• Tingling, or pins-and-needles sensations in the legs and thighs

Some with Sciatica may notice a worsening of their symptoms with actions such as squatting or coughing. These actions can increase pressure around the nerve and escalate the symptoms of Sciatica.

The pain from Sciatica is felt along the Sciatic Nerve and can be felt deep in the buttock, with pain that travels down the back of the leg, sometimes as far as the foot. There may also be tingling, ‘pins and needles’, or loss of feeling, and sometimes, weakness in the leg.

Usually, Sciatica effects one leg at a time. Occasionally, a feeling like an electric shock may be occur. The pain can range from a mild ache to severe pain.

Sciatica pain is often felt when you sneeze, cough, or when you’re sitting, and lower back pain may be present as well.

What is the cause of the pain?

A Tight Piriformis is the most common cause.

Sciatica and Piriformis Syndrome are one and the same condition.  The medical community is starting to call the condition by the muscle (Piriformis) that is involved instead of calling it by the name of the associated nerve.  So now you have a choice… a syndrome or a condition.

The Piriformis is a muscle that lies deep underneath the Gluteal muscles of the buttocks. The function of the Piriformis muscle is to externally rotate and stabilise the hip. The Sciatic Nerve passes directly underneath the Piriformis and with some people, it actually passes through it.

Sciatica (aka Piriformis Syndrome) occurs when the Piriformis muscle becomes tight, goes into spasm, or swells. When this happens it compresses the Sciatic Nerve.

Pregnancy can be a cause of pressure on the Sciatic Nerve.

Treatment:
Stretching is a good start, and Deep tissue massage is  also hard to beat in treating Sciatica (aka Piriformis Syndrome).  The best  technique is without a doubt, a darn good active release. It’s a very precise technique that’s used to remove any adhesions that might have formed within the Piriformis or between it and the Sciatic Nerve. A deep tissue massage can help if the masseur is familiar with the anatomy of the Deep Gluteal Muscles.

If you’re experiencing the pain we’ve talked about in this article, call and make an appointment today.  A Remedial Massage could be all you need to relieve the condition.

Iliotibial Band Syndrome is sometimes referred to as Runners Knee and Iliotibial Band Friction Syndrome.

The Iliotibial Band is a band of thick, fibrous tissue which attaches to both the Iliac Crest of the Pelvis (aka hip bone) and the Tensor Fascia Latae muscle. It then runs down the outside of the thigh and inserts into the outside surface of the Tibia (aka shin bone). Its function is to extend or straighten the knee joint as well as abducting the hip or moving it out sideways.

The Tensor Fascia Latae (aka TFL) muscle is a muscle that works over your hip joint. If you put your hands on your hips as if you had your hands in your trouser pockets, your palms should be sitting over the TFL.

As the Iliotibial Band (aka ITB) passes over the lateral epicondyle (a bony part of the femur of the outside of the knee) it is subject to friction. At an angle between 20˚ and 30˚ the Iliotibial Band flicks across the lateral epicondyle. When the knee is being extended or straightened, it flicks in front of the epicondyle and when it is bent, it ducks back in behind.

Iliotibial Band syndrome is frequent in runners because 20-30˚ is about  the angle the knee is at when the foot strikes the ground when running. In people who run regularly this may lead to aggravation of the ITB commonly known as Iliotibial Band Friction Syndrome.

What causes IT Band Syndrome?

Certain factors may make you more susceptible to developing Iliotibial Band syndrome:

• A naturally tight or wide IT band.

• Weak hip muscles such. as Gluteus Medius.

• 

  Trigger points within the IT band and Glute muscles.

• Over-pronation (foot rolls inward)

• Overuse.

• Excessive hill running.

• Running on an uneven surface.

• Different leg lengths.

Symptoms of Iliotibial Band Syndrome:

• There will be pain on the outside of the knee (at or around the lateral epicondyle of the femur).
• A tightness in the Iliotibial Band (ITB)
• Pain normally aggravated by running, especially running downhill.
• Pain during flexing or extending the knee, worsened by pressing in at the side of the knee over the sore area.
• Tender trigger points in the Butt region may also be present.
• Weakness in hip abduction.

What can the athlete do to prevent Runners knee?

• Rest.
• Avoid painful activities like downhill running.
• Use ice to reduce any inflammation.
• Always stretch the ITB after training.
• Massage can also be very helpful in correcting excessive ITB tightness.

Therapy:

Massage that involves specific stretching is a good start and frequent Iliotibial Band stretches should be maintained even after symptoms have ceased.

If you haven’t tried Remedial Massage and you’re experiencing pain in your Iliotinial Band… make a call today.  Arrange an appointment and experience the many benefits that Remedial Massage has to offer.