Do you have pain in your body? Can you point to it? If you answered
yes to these two questions I want to talk to you about what can be done
to help move your pain scale downwards, and eventually eliminated.
As
a soft tissue specialist I see many clients who are in pain. Low back
pain, shoulder pain, foot pain, hip pain, the list goes on. Tissue
health varies with each client and how quickly they respond to direct
pressure depends on how well they take care of themselves. When my
clients ask how is it, is it bad? My response is that you are in the
place you need to be, good or bad, your health is in your hands. People
who drink more water and remain hydrated regularly tend to have
healthier tissue. People who stretch regularly tend to have less pain.
People who exercise tend to have more responsive tissue because the
muscles have more blood supply and circulation which means the tissue
will respond quicker to direct pressure and positive stimulation.
When
I refer to positive stimulation to tissue I mean by applying pressure
to force the adhesion, trigger point, tightness in the soft tissue to
release and unwind. This force can be gentle, and doesn't have to hurt.
It can be slowly applied and give the tissue ample space and time to
respond. This adaptation means the blood flow is increasing to the
tissue, circulation is improving, nerve innervation improves, and the
tissue responds by letting go and releasing. This process is not quick.
It takes hours and repetitive stimulus to get a complete restoration to
the structure.
Hopefully you are pursuing some type
of positive stimulus to your body to help alleviate the pain. We place
so much stress on our bodies both physical and mental. If we exercise,
this can be stressful specifically if we engage in repetitive activities
like running or cycling. So dynamic workouts that break these patterns
of movement engaging in the 6 primal movement patterns (push, pull,
lunge, squat, twist, and gait) can be very helpful to using your bodies
as a catalyst to relieve stress by moving out of it. Our work most
likely deposits stress. Stagnate postures at work creates stress.
Applying the fact that our bodies are 70% water, so move with that in
mind. Keep moving, even at work, don't sit still, movement, even if
slight, can be extremely beneficial. Think Stevie Wonder at the piano.
So what positive stimulus are we putting into our vessels from which we
demand so much? Yoga, foam rolling, stretching, meditation, dance,
swimming, stress-free type of activities. Playing with your children.
Try following the movements of your child, you will discover many
things, the least of which how much energy they have, or how little you
have. But to remember what is was like to move like a child. Moving pain
free is possible to achieve again. Perhaps not pain free depending on
your condition, but moving the pain scale downwards. Make it a habit to
creating a positive stimulus and your body will adapt.
I've
been exploring a concept I call fascial unwinding. It starts with
basic stretches and as you learn to feel the connections between soft
tissue structures, you begin to feel the fascial connections between the
different muscles groups. The tension patterns within these muscle
groups where you may feel pain. And within these muscles, the specific
adhesions and trigger points which are causing some of the pain. When
you can target and release these soft tissue issues, many times the pain
will diminish and disappear. This is adaptation, we forget what it
feels like to have movement and mobility within our low backs, or hips.
So our restricted, adhered, trigger point laden hips with severely
limited mobility becomes the norm. We adapt, and forget how it felt when
it was healthy, and supple.
And no, this is not necessarily the
aging process, or the injury you had when you were younger. This is
adaptation, and if you do nothing to change the pattern in the body, it
won't change on its' own. That trauma will stay with you the rest of
your life. I work with a 90 year old resident who has amazing mobility
and continues to improve. I believe she represents the norm, if we all
begin to move more, sit less, and challenge our current thoughts on how
we feel, we can all walk towards optimal health.
This is
providing regular stimulus which makes your tissue respond by releasing
tension and keeps blood flowing into the tissue. This reduces pain.
In pursuit of optimal health,
Tait
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