The term Fibromyalgia means pain in the 'fibrous, connective and tendinous  tissue' and it is very similar to trigger point pain. Both conditions do not involve the joints and are linked to depression. Fibromyalgia is however systemic and it is a central nervous system dysfunction which is responsible for amplification of the pain pathway.

Trigger points cause a localised and reproducible pattern of pain where as Fibromyalgia is often described as a ache all over but with some tender spots.
The muscles feel pulled or overworked and burn, to the touch the muscles feel soft and doughy where as trigger points are tight and warm. 
The Fibromyalgia condition seems to affect more women than men.

Massage has been shown to help with the condition, due to the chronic over tension  in the fascia & connective tissue it also  causes tension & compression of muscle fibres, nerve tissue and blood vessels. 

This chronic irritation creates fibromyositis, the  constant muscle tension creates a strain and overload on muscles and tendons and connective tissue. Constant Strain always leads to the development of inflammation.

Massage for my Fibromyalgia has shown to help because it stimulates the supply of  oxygen  to the cells  and  release of toxic metabolic waste products from the tissues into the circulatory system. 

Due to the chronic nature of the condition It is recommended that a initial sessions focus on the head neck and shoulders and later sessions include the whole body. The  recommendations are to initially have two treatments per week and then begin an exercise and stretching programme after the first ten sessions.

The massage treatment plan should be cumulative to prevent re-accumulation of tension in muscles.

If you suffer from Fibromyalgia, sports and remedial massage techniques would be recommended . If you would like to know more about how I could help with Fibromyalgia please contact me>>



    

Rugby injuries

It is just about the end of the season and and time for a rest at Chipping Norton rugby club  who I sponsor and run a sports injury clinic each Thursday evening during training sessions.

Each week I see many different injuries in clinic from the common impact injuries, over training issues, strains, sprains, bruising and chronic joint problems after dislocations etc. I use of all available techniques each week, rugby injuries respond well to sports massage, ultrasound, injury rehabilitation therapy and exercise correction for posture, nutrition etc. I have even have persuaded some of the Lads to use aromatherapy to treat muscle soreness and fatigue.  

The Club will close for a short time to give the Lads time to recover before training begins again during warmer summer months ready for the start of the new season in September.


 

Trigger point therapy - headaches & migraine - Oxford

Trigger points are localised hyper-irritable spots - lumps or nodules beneath the skin and within the belly of a muscle which can be palpated. They can be very painful and reproduce patterns of referred and radiating pain.

Myofascial trigger points are implicated in all types of musculo-skeletal and mechanical pain. 
Evidence shows that when a muscle is relaxed state & not contracted its electrical signal is silent, however when a  trigger point is present within a muscle that trigger point generates and receives minute electrical currents causing a localised spike in electrical activity.


Evidence shows within a triggerpoint there is localised tissue hypoxia ( deprived of adequate oxygen supply), increased acute inflammatory  cascade and lowered pH levels called acidosis ( increased acidity in the blood and other body tissue) 
Both of these are serious states for the body as cells require oxygen and the correct pH levels as anything outside the normal range result in irreversible cell damage. 
It is therefore not surprising that muscle function is compromised, compensatory muscle patterns occur and the patient feels a  warning massage in the form of pain.


Acupuncture, acupressure and trigger points could be said to overlap, Chinese and western acupuncture  points are said to be localised concentrations points of energy.

Trigger points are more common in postural slow twitch type 1 aerobic muscle fibres and tend to respond to overuse and stress by shortening and becoming hypertonic, they often take longer to treat because of the need for postural correction programme to deal with the original reason for the overuse syndrome. Type 2 are anaerobic and respond  quicker to treatment.

It is shown that bad posture  leads to muscle overuse and the build up of trigger points, given our desk culture and stress levels these points often are in the upper back and neck reproducing sharp pain on touch. The  referred pain often leads a path over the top of head and around the eye and consistent with the production headaches and migraines.

Our bodies will adapt to what we do most and postural patterns are learnt, we are not well suited to spend hours at a desk or in a driving position. Over time our muscles adapt shorten and are susceptible to overuse syndromes to produce these occupational mal-adaptations. The end result is our body complains and produces pain and we generally reach for the painkillers to silence the messenger  relieve the  symptoms as a quick fix.

If you  would like to know more about postural pain or desk ergonomics give me a call >>


 
   
  

Oxford is a relatively cycle friendly city  with many students & commuters choosing to use the bike as a preferred method of transport.  
Cycling is a considered a low impact sport however depending on how the bike set up a badly fitted bike  can lead to knee pain and longer term injuries such as chronic Tendonitis & Osteoarthritis. 

Generally, most people are not frequent riders and given the additional expense don't normally get measured and fitted for a cycle when purchasing a new machine. Realistically given their relatively low mileage per year it is less important to have a professional set up the bike for you however it should be said that some consideration should be given to bike suitability, frame size, seat height & handle bar position etc. There are some great cycle shops in Oxford and who will help with general set up advice but some others are just happy to flog you a bike in a box!

Cycling In the last few years has seen a fantastic and huge increase in interest, from  cyclo cross county/ mountain / family trail riding, to road race and Sportive riding, with many different events across the country. Given this type of rider is generally riding for longer periods with  high levels of endurance intensity and repetitive leg movements it is important to have a good bike set up to try to prevent injuries.

It can also be said that inadequate training is also a common cause for this type of knee injury, endurance event cyclist doing too much, often too hard a ride and much too soon between events. Overuse knee injuries and the motion of pedalling can lead to a variety of knee injuries, cumulative tissue micro trauma and consequent symptoms, acute tissue inflammation, and also long term degeneration.
 

 A common cause of knee pain Iliotibial Band Syndrome  (ITBS).  It is often caused through a cycle being badly adjusted this is often frequent amongst recreational cyclists and runners ( often known as runners knee). Pain is reported on the outside of the knee due to the over tightness of the Iliotibial Band ( a huge knee stabiliser) or over tension of the gluteal and tensor fascia latae muscle. 
If you suffer with knee pain a postural assessment, sports massage and ultrasound would assist in finding and treating the problem.

Sports massage in Oxford
Our main clinic for sports massage in Oxford is held at the Ferry Sports Centre and access is very good  however many people don't know that I also offer home visits with some reduced concession rates. So if you have a lack of mobility or just transport issues I can help as Massage is especially helpful for the elderly and disabled to assist with Osteoporosis,  Arthritis  joint pain & stiffness etc. 

I have a portable massage couch and also a specially designed massage chair which can be used should mobility be an issue, it also has the advantage that clients may also have  back, neck & shoulder treatments without removing any clothes.

I have also developed techniques including ultrasound which can be used for those in a wheelchair or in a normal chair or bed.

Today people do seem to have very busy lives, so if you have run tight schedule and need training or treatment at home or  workplace in or  around the Oxford area  drop me a line and  I can come to you.
If you would  help with massage, postural pain or personal training contact Paul
    



 

I first heard about 'El Gancho' from my Spanish brother-in- law who came with me  to  Chipping Norton Rugby Club .
 I sponsor the club and work for them every Thursday evening dealing with all the current weeks sports injuries. 

As a keen football player in Spain he was interested in how we deal with sports injuries, healing / recovery time, techniques etc here in the UK. He introduced me to' El gancho' which literally means 'hooked', he explained that he had  suffered problems with his calf muscle and the team physio in Zaragoza had used this hook to pull around the muscle with great success. Within a week he had no further pain or problems.

A few months later I saw 'El gancho' being used by a sports massage therapist at mountain bike race called the Calcenada, a 104 Km hard endurance ride over huge mountains.


The technique used was to pull and stretch the muscle tissue,  as an observer it really looked as though it would be quite uncomfortable but the recipient made no signs of discomfort
and was grateful of the treatment.

I ran & swam each day over the Xmas holidays in Zaragoza so I decided to treat myself and go for a sports massage and try some Spanish treatment style. During the session the sports therapist used 'El gancho' on my calf and hamstrings and it was surprisingly good at loosening  soft tissue & stretching the myofacia  ( clear wrapping which surrounds or encapsulate a muscle) without the need to dig in with the thumb really deeply as the calf muscle can be a painful area to treat.

Myofacial adhesions are responsible localized pain and low range of movement leading to muscle fatigue imbalance and pain. The 'El gancho' technique is definitely another useful tool in the bag to assist in soft tissue release, restricted movement, trigger point therapy and Myofacial pain. 

I will be looking for a  (CPD)* 'EL gancho' course this summer  and bring it back to the UK.
Paul

If you want more info on 'El gancho' 
drop me a line>>



*CPD- Continual professional development - Annual requirement of the ISRM & REPS to work in professional sports