Gravity Fx Fitness

Deep tissue laser therapy might be a new way to relieve pain without drugs or surgery. I recently came across an interesting interview with Dr. Perry Nickelston, a chiropractor who is using a class IV laser for fast, effective pain relief.

I’ve worked in both chiropractic and physical therapy clinics and have seen a variety of treatment options for those in pain.  Personally, I think that those who combine some of the best of both these worlds will often see better results – results that last longer.

One of the things that Dr. Nickleston is doing is using deep tissue laser therapy with his patients.  The lasers are used to reduce pain and inflammation, while increasing circulation to the tissues, helping speed up the healing process.

The first chiropractor I was working for used “cold” laser treatment in his clinic about a dozen years ago.  Laser treatment seems to be popular in chiropractic clinics these days but some are designed differently than others.

This particular laser is more powerful and supposed to get faster results than some models.  The doctor says that his patients can notice a difference within 3 or 4 sessions.  Another interesting thing about his approach is that he doesn’t just treat the site of pain but examines the body as a whole to find problem areas that might be the source of the pain.

This approach includes doing different types of manual therapy, deep tissue massage and Active Isolated Stretching (AIS).  He teaches his patients how to do self massage and this unique type of stretching to maintain the results and prevent future problems.

So he is addressing the body as a whole and not just where it hurts.  He also includes this proactive approach and encourages patients to exercise in his fitness center that incorporates TRX suspension training as part of rehab.  The TRX activates your core in all exercises and helps integrate your body movements, making them more efficient.

He spends up to 30 minutes with a patient for a limited number of sessions and gets them involved in their own health with an exercise and stretching program.  I think this approach will gain strength in the coming years – fix the problem and maintain the results with exercise.

To find out more about this unique wellness program go to Pain Laser Center.

Get moving!

Brian Morgan

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I recently injured my elbow due to my own ignorance (stupidity) and have learned a few valuable lessons.

Basically, I ignored my body’s own pain signals until it was too late and had no choice but to stop what I was doing and make some changes.  In my quest to be “lean and mean” at the age of 44, I tried pushing through pain, which is never a good thing!

Yes, you may definitely have to push your body past its comfort zone to achieve great physical feats, but the adage “no pain, no gain” is a bunch of crap that usually leaves you with loads of injuries down the road.

Specifically, two weeks ago, my right elbow was throbbing after I got done playing basketball for the first time in 10 or 12 years.  I don’t like taking anything if I don’t absolutely have to, but I ended up taking some Advil to reduce swelling and inflammation.

I’ve used icepacks and soaked it in a large pan of ice and water quite a bit, too.  I’ve had restricted movement at my shoulder and shoulderblade for a while, with some nasty triggerpoints in my levator scapula and rhomboids (upper and inner areas of shoulderblade).

My pecs and lats have also been tight and contained some triggerpoints (tight bands of muscle) that haven’t responded to self-massage with a massage ball or tennis ball.  These items plus a rolling massage tool like the Stick may be great for maintenance work, but don’t always replace the hands of a skilled massage therapist.

The result of the tightness and movement dysfunction (misalignment) in these areas puts unnecessary stress on my elbow and I also have some tight bands of muscle in my triceps.  Instead of taking the time to get some quality soft tissue work, I tried to work through it – BIG mistake!

I’ve been doing weighted pushups with a sandbag on my back and single arm kettlebell presses to try and increase my upper body size and strength.  My elbow didn’t want to fully straighten so I just ignored the discomfort and shortened the movement.

Playing basketball and all the overhead movements involved was the last straw.  Two weeks later, the elbow feels much better but is definitely not 100%.  Yesterday I did some upper body strength work and partial pushups with my bodyweight is all I can do for the pushing movements, except for static pushups on the Power Plate.

Its not quite ready for much eccentric work, but the vibration platform allows some static work without causing pain – keeping the stress to the elbow minimal but still providing some maintenance strengthening to occur.  The increased blood flow probably aids the healing process, also.

This minimal joint stress would probably benefit athletes during their competitive season – helping them maintain strength when combined with some resistance training.  So I talked to a massage therapist the other day who does some quality deep tissue work and we are going to exchange services.

The stretching I received at a recent continuing ed course helped quite a bit as well, but if I don’t get the proper massage work done, my problems will only get worse over time and keep me from achieving my goals of a lean, athletic physique.

Get moving!

Brian Morgan

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This old dog recently learned some new tricks at a continuing ed course on deep tissue massage therapy.  If you think that massage needs to be painful to be effective, think again.

One of the nice things about these CEU classes is getting worked on by another professional.  In general, I prefer firm to deep pressure when getting worked on.  In the last two courses I’ve attended, the therapists that I worked with, used decent pressure, but not as much as some of the work I’ve received.

Yet, the massage was fairly precise and skillfully applied – and the results were noticeable.  As I was driving back from Chicago last weekend I noticed that I was able to breathe easier and deeper than before.

A few days later I noticed that my shoulder was moving a little better, even though there really wasn’t much work done directly to the glenohumeral (shoulder) joint – which can tell you that where it hurts isn’t necessarily where the problem is.

The next night my mother asked for some assistance for some pain she got while doing yard work over the weekend.  She had lifted some things she probably shouldn’t have and had pain around her shoulderblade that was radiating down her arm.

Instead of having her lie face down on the table, I put her on her opposite side and worked around the upper and inner edge of her shoulderblade while I used gravity to let her scapula drop down a little.

Instead of using a lot of pressure, I massaged the area while using her arm to add movement to her shoulderblade, which helped relax the tense muscles.  Besides not causing any undue pain, I didn’t work any harder than necessary, which is also a good thing.

I talked with her today and she said that the pain had disappeared after the massage work, with no more radiating pain going down her arm, either.

Deep tissue massage doesn’t always need to use the most amount of pressure from the therapist.  There are different layers of connective tissue (fascia) that can develop adhesions and they need to be unstuck.  Light, relaxing massage usually works on the superficial layers only, often leaving the deeper layers stuck together after an injury or trauma.

Moist heat prior to the work can soften the connective tissue, making it easier to manipulate.  Warming the soft tissues with lighter massage first can prepare the tissues for the work to follow.

Clients sometimes tell the therapist they can go deeper, even though the therapist is still “prepping” the tissues for the deeper pressure to follow – just like how an athlete warms up prior to playing their sport.  Be patient!

In wrapping up, I’ve had deep tissue work that didn’t get the desired results because it wasn’t as skillfully applied as it could have been.  Pressure is great, but skill is more desireable than just being heavy handed.

By the way, my Mom still needs some strengthening and posture training to prevent future problems.

Get moving!

Brian Morgan

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Does whole body vibration (WBV) offer any solutions for those suffering with fibromyalgia?  I think so.

A recent study worked with 3 groups to see what different types of exercise would do for fibro patients.  This included a control group, another that did aerobic activities, stretching, and relaxation techniques….

and the third group did the same exercises, but also included exercise on a vibration platform.  This third group saw a significant reduction in pain and fatigue, while the exercise group alone did not see any improvements.

I was talking with a client recently who came to see me because I have a vibration platform in my studio.  He said that he talked with a woman who had access to a platform at the facility where she worked.

She told him that when she uses the vibration platform that she doesn’t need to take her pain medication.  Pretty powerful stuff – that’s just one person, but I think you might see some potential, when combined with the previously mentioned study.

So how might these machines help?

WBV creates reflex muscle contractions of between 25-35 times per second, depending on the hertz setting.  For example, when you stand on a platform in a partial squat position, you stimulate muscle and joint receptors throughout your lower body, 25-35 times a second, exactly.

This is a LOT of stimulation to your nervous system, that has to process all this information.  One of the ideas is that this competes with pain signals, probably blocking some of these signals from getting through.

So this may desensitize your body to the chronic pain of fibromyalgia.

Another recent study showed that there is a miscommunication between the sensory and motor systems – basically, this communication issue can lead to inefficient movement or pain when the body is moving.

This lack of awareness is common after many injuries or having been sedentary for a long time.  This awareness is associated with balance and usually requires specific training, in the rehab process.

Because whole body vibration platforms help with balance and coordination, this is also where you would see positive results.  The multiple muscle contractions increases circulation, which might play a role in removing toxins in the body.

For every contraction you also have relaxation, before the next contraction occurs.  All this contract and relax should help with muscle stiffness, which is probably why so many pro golfers use them in their warmup process.

Stay tuned for part two of this article.

Get moving!

Brian Morgan

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Is pain a necessary evil or can deep tissue massage be unnecessarily painful?  As a massage therapist and former instructor of massage therapy, I’ve had some interesting discussions on this matter.

Recently I was talking with a fellow therapist who uses deep pressure with her massages and usually people tell her that the results are much different than light, relaxing massage.  Sometimes, the clients are amazed at how it can make them feel.

The pressure that I use and that I enjoy, is firm to deep pressure.  Sometimes this can be uncomfortable to receive and often, a little painful for a brief moment.  I’ve had some pretty good results, though, and don’t have much problem putting up with some momentary discomfort in exchange for lasting results.

I’ve also had some students tell me that they have come across people that have had bad results with deep tissue work and endured too much pain.

So this made me think about this little dilemma and I think I have some answers.  One, the therapist may have used very deep pressure without adequate skill.  I’ve had a few therapists use lots of pressure, but it wasn’t applied skillfully and the results weren’t what they could have been.

I have a very high pain threshhold and generally need plenty of pressure to make a change in my muscles.  I also push my body to its limits when I exercise, so my muscles are fairly dense and used to a lot of stress, so I can handle deep pressure very well.

My first massage was about 13 years ago.  At the time, I was doing concrete construction, which included plenty of digging and pushing a wheelbarrow full of dirt or wet concrete – a pretty demanding job.  I didn’t experience any pain, but my muscles got stiff after a while.

So I decided to try massage therapy and had a half hour session with a chiropractic student.  He used deep pressure work, along with triggerpoint and stretching.  The session left me with some bruising on my backside and some spot tenderness – lots of pressure!

But it wasn’t really painful and really loosened my hips and I felt much better – I played softball a few hours later and hit a homerun my first time up – mission accomplished.  There again, I had spent lots of time lifting weights and doing manual labor, so my body was used to being stressed.

Maybe those that don’t do anything physically demanding can’t tolerate a lot of pressure in their massage.  Those with high stress levels – your issues end up in your soft tissues – often seem to need and want more pressure.

The deep tissue massage is designed to release tension in overworked muscles or reduce or realign scar tissue, which may be restricting the muscles’ ability to stretch.  This can include cross fiber friction massage, which is frequently painful or at least, uncomfortable.

This technique is often used by physical therapists in dealing with an injury and can be used by massage therapists, as well.  I’ll finish for now and discuss this more in a second article next week.

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Can improper breathing contribute to your chronic pain?  Let’s take a look.

The last few years I have come across different experts that believe that a change in your breathing pattern can definitely decrease pain and increase your mobility.

In particular, many people are chest breathers when the majority of your breathing should occur through your diaphragm (stomach).  I recently read a newsletter from one of these experts, Dr. Evan Osar.  He talked about a client that was referred to him by a friend.

This person had hip pain for about a six year period and had seen physical therapists, chiropractors, massage therapists and personal trainers for specific hip strengthening and therapy.

No results from these various professionals.  It was discovered that she had a breathing dysfunction and after some work to help clear this up and restore proper diaphragm breathing, the strength in other muscles started to return.

So what exactly causes this breathing dysfunction?  Injuries, too much stress, poor posture – usually its an accumulation of these factors and not just one of them.

Reflexes can also play a part in this dysfunction.  In his book Somatics, Dr. Thomas Hanna discusses the role of reflexes in relation to pain and posture issues.  He believes that the stooped over look that many associate with aging, is actually more an effect of reflexes.

Today the media is constantly telling us about this recession we are in and of jobs being lost.  In stressful times, people are often worried about the future.  Hanna states that this worrying can lead the shoulders to round forward and the muscles of the neck and shoulder to contract more than necessary.

This rounded shoulder posture can interfere with your breathing and also make your muscles work over-time, as your body is now “out of alignment” with gravity.  This poor alignment can contribute to neck, shoulder, low back, and hip pain!

Inefficient movement can result in pain and loss of mobility.  It may also increase your risk of heart attack.  One study done in a Minneapolis – St. Paul hospital looked at 153 heart attack patients.  It was discovered that all were chest breathers (shallow breathing).

So if this sounds like you, I would look for a professional that can help determine if you need to change the way you breathe.  You will then likely need some additional work for both mobility and stability.

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