FAQs About Massages and Myotherapy Treatments and COVID-19 Safety

This pandemic has been so stressful! It’s no wonder you are considering relaxing with a
massage or treating yourself to a Myotherapy session. While dedicating time to
self-care can help tame some of your pandemic stress and anxiety, your health and safety
should always be a top priority. Northern Sports and Remedial Myotherapy invites to consider
these best practices for COVID safety and stress relief before you make an appointment.

How Can Massage and Myotherapy be Safe During A Pandemic?

You can’t practice social-distancing and get a massage at the same time, but there are
precautions you and your therapist can take to keep each other safe during treatments:

● First, you should know that most experts agree that unless it’s for a serious health issue,
getting a massage or indulging in other self-care services isn’t worth it right now

● If you need pain relief right away, ask the experts at Northern Sports and Remedial
Myotherapy about their COVID-19 practices.

● You should also ask your therapist or beauty technician about cleaning procedures used
to sanitize surfaces and any tools used in-between clients.

● Last but certainly not least, if you have a pre-existing condition that puts you at a higher
risk for COVID-19 complications, you should think twice before booking a treatment.

Are There Other Ways to Practice Self-Care?

If you don’t feel comfortable getting a massage, know that there are alternative ways
to get the stress relief you need:
● You can save yourself a lot of worry and stress by recognizing the importance of self-
care during this crisis and knowing that self-care is never selfish.

● Negative energy in your home can lead to increased feelings of stress, so begin your
self-care routine by decluttering and cleaning to clear that bad energy out.

● Once you have your home under control, it’s time to turn your attention to the basic self-
care practices you need to thrive and survive during the pandemic.

● As part of your self-care routines, you should make it a point to stay physically active by
following along with online yoga and exercise videos.

● Finally, you can add tension-reducing supplements like CBD to ease pain and anxiety or you can use these products to relax your muscles if you do get a massage.

Whether you book a massage or wait until things calm down again is totally up to you. The most
important thing is that you stay safe and healthy. So weigh the pros and cons of professional
services carefully, ask plenty of questions before you book, and when in doubt, stick to
practicing the self-care you need in the comfort of your own home.

If you have questions or concerns please contact us.  Contact Northern Sports Myotherapy today to book a session!

Myotherapy is gaining traction in the health industry and is even starting to get accepted as an alternative treatment for mental health conditions. Some types of myotherapy can work alongside traditional therapies for mental health issues like anxiety, depression. They have even proven to have astounding benefits, especially in improving a person’s mental state and mood. 

Human contact is vital to one’s well-being. From childhood development to overall wellness, human touch stimulates the release of oxytocin, which is a love and bonding hormone that gives one the sense of sociability, belonging, and, more importantly, trust. 

So, without further ado, let’s dive into the mental health issue that Myotherapy can help treat as well as the kinds of myotherapy that can help achieve this goal.

1. Stress

While today’s social norms would have you believe that there’s no way of escaping stress, the truth is that stress can take a toll on the body as well as the nervous system. 

If you don’t figure out a way to deal with stress soon, symptoms may culminate into frequent migraines, stomach cramps, muscle spasms, joint pain, high blood pressure, and fatigue. Cortisol, which is the body’s stress hormone, is produced in surplus when we’re under pressure (for instance, when you’re juggling multiple tasks at the same time or rushing to beat a deadline). And excess cortisol inhibits the production of dopamine – the happy hormone. Myotherapy can help you relax both mentally and physically, which in turn prompts the increase of dopamine levels and enhances the mind’s ability to stay focussed and calm.

2. Anxiety

Myotherapy can alleviate the symptoms of panic disorder and anxiety since it helps the body relax, which helps in the eradication of negative and fearful thoughts. Massage therapy, in essence, is a relaxation technique that induces a relaxing effect that helps lower the heart rate, calms one’s nervous system, and reduces the symptoms of worry. As a result, the body can better manage its flight-or-fight response. 

According to a study conducted by the Psychological Bulletin, reduction of depression and anxiety were pointed out as the most significant effects of massage therapy. 

3. Depression

Depression is perhaps the most notorious mental health condition, and it has a massive impact on people’s lives and can even make it next to impossible for one to cope with day-to-day tasks.  Myotherapy has been found to aid in reducing the symptoms of depression by stimulating the production of dopamine and inducing a calmer and more focussed mental state. Myotherapy also helps activate neurotransmitters such as serotonin, which is vital in promoting sleep and improving mood. 

If you are struggling with mental health, getting a massage may just help you feel better. Contact Northern Sports Myotherapy today to book a session!

If there’s one thing everyone does a lot of in our modern society, it’s sitting down.  Whether it’s all day in a classroom or office, or at night watching television or tapping away on smartphones, people spend more of their waking hours sitting. And that’s not even including the commute to and from work or school.

In fact, most people spend the vast majority of their waking hours sitting down.  This is not a good thing. Sitting too much has been shown to be bad for your back, your heart, increases the risk of dementia and is just bad for your health overall.

This means if you are like most people and sit a lot, you’ll want to learn some simple things you can do to counteract all that sitting and improve your overall health.  There are many health problems you can’t do much about. Fortunately, you can help fix all that sitting.  

1. Walk at Regular Times.

Set a timer to go off every hour.  Get up from your desk and take a walk around the office.  You can even do this at home when you’re watching television or using your phone or tablet.  When you sit for too long at one time, this causes problems with muscle groups like the hip flexors.  Tight high flexors cause a variety of problems. Sitting also can cause activation problems for the glute muscles.

By utilising walking breaks, you can re-activate the glutes while also lengthening the hip flexors, which can counteract many of the harmful side effects of prolonged sitting.

2. Stretch Daily!

Everyone wants to relax after a long day of work.  However, before you plop down on that couch, be sure and get in some stretching.  There are some good exercises for the hip flexors, such as the popular lunge stretch, or the standing quadriceps stretch.  Try holding each stretch for about 30 seconds on each side. You may want to repeat for a few rounds. Like the walking tip, you can also try to do a little stretching throughout the day to stay loose.

3. Find An Active Hobby

The human body was designed to move, not sit around.  Don’t go from sitting all day at work to sitting all evening at home. Find something active you might enjoy.  The first two tips can help out a lot, but they are no match for daily activity such as going to the gym, playing tennis, or heading to the basketball court.  You don’t need to spend two hours at the gym or tennis courts. Even a good 15 minutes a day of brisk activity will do wonders to counteract all that sitting down.  But you need to make sure you are consistent. 15 minutes a day is a lot better than 2 hours at one time, once per month.

4. Change Your Work Environment

If at all possible, try making positive changes in your work environment.  There are some popular “standing” desks out there now so you can stand and do your office work on the computer.  

In terms of a good chair, be sure it supports your back and that your hips are above your knees. The feet should be able to be firmly on the ground and keep you stable.

By implementing these four simple tips you can greatly reduce the possible negative consequences of too much sitting. You’ll feel better and healthier, too.

Feeling stiff and in need of a massage? Contact Northern Sports Myotherapy today!

Myotherapy adopts a few tactics to assist with shoulder and neck pain. Typically, Myotherapy reaches deep into the muscles of your shoulders, neck, and the back and front of your upper spine that we identify as tight.

When it comes to the myotherapy neck massage, the therapist pay’s more attention to the deeper layers of your muscle tissue, working deeper sections of thick muscles, particularly individual muscle fibres. Deep tissue’s primary role is to unstick the muscles’ fibres, as well as to release deeply held tension points and toxins. 

To create a response to different tissues, there is the implementation of certain strokes and hand positions. What’s more, there is the utilisation of a combination of movement and breathing tactics to release muscular congestion. 

In general, here are some of the ways deep tissue massages can be helpful:

– Loosening muscle tissues

– Ensuring oxygen and blood are circulating properly

– Releasing toxins from muscles

The effectiveness of deep tissue massage in reducing neck pain

You end up breaking up tiny adhesions as you work along a particular muscle, and this can contribute to tightness. Furthermore, you are dealing with the fascia around that muscle, which, if shortened, results in the muscles feeling tight. Usually, necks respond well to this sort of treatment. All of the nerves that work to innervate your arms are around your upper back and neck. Therefore, it can be an effective addition to loosen off these muscles during a remedial massage treatment for shoulders and neck. 

Other Additions with Myotherapy Techniques

– Trigger point therapy. It mainly focuses on finding certain points in the muscle of your shoulders and neck that have a strong, palpable node. To loosen the muscle, we put pressure onto these specific areas. 

– Joint Mobilisation. Your neck and upper back’s joints can often be stiff. Moving these underlying structures can not only assist in improving how you feel but can also improve your neck’s overall range of motion.

– Assisted Stretching & Muscle Energy Techniques (METs). It’s a requirement to train remedial massage therapists in effective stretching and MET’s of the shoulders and neck. They can also help in muscle tightness and improving joints’ range of motion.

A myotherapy session is essentially an effective tool in the treatment of shoulder and neck tightness. The first step is to know the reason why your shoulders and neck are getting tight, then addressing those underlying factors and giving you short-term relief. 

If you’re looking to get a massage yourself, call Northern Sports Myotherapy now to book a session!

Have sore muscles or a kink in your neck that you want massaged out?

If you’re an athlete, you probably get massages often to help with your performance. But even if you’re not, a regular old back massage wouldn’t be too bad. You’ll be able to relax your body from the stress of work, school, kids, or even life in general.

But what’s the difference between a normal and a sports massage?

Here are 3 reasons why your body would need a sports massage over normal massage

#1. You’re injured

If your body has suffered soft-tissue injuries due to strenuous physical activity and you have sprains or strains — you need a professional sports massage.

The benefits of a sports massage include physical and physiological effects. It helps with blood flow and lymphatic fluids, improves scar tissue, and speeds up the recovery of any injured part of your body.

#2. You’re an athlete

Is intense physical activity a part of your daily life? 

Want to increase your performance, endurance, and flexibility?

A sports massage will help increase your range of motion and improve your performance in many other aspects related to sports.

If you are preparing for a competition and want to perform at your best — a sports massage will help reduce fatigue before the competition and relieve tension and muscle swelling. This means, it’ll be easier for you to do your best and crush the competition.

#3. You want a combination of techniques to be applied

A sports massage combines Swedish, Shiatsu, and multiple other techniques to bring you the best performance boosts possible.

These techniques are then concentrated on areas that are related to your sport.

Sessions vary depending on the individual, the sports you participate in, and the physiology of your body. 

Regular sessions of sports massages will compound the benefits you see.

When you should get a regular massage:

Do you want a way to relax and relieve anxiety?

For most people, a regular massage is the right choice. A normal massage will help you with relaxation and can involve scented candles, aromatherapy, and relaxation music.

The main goal of a normal massage is to relax and loosen up your body.

Looking for a sports massage to enhance your performance?
Or even just a regular massage to relax?

Get in touch with us today.

Call us at 0400772681
mattfraser.remedial@gmail.com

Never received a sports massage in your life? 

Or just looking for an excuse to book your next one?

Here are the top 5 reasons why you should get a sports massage

#1. You’re an athlete

As an athlete you need to keep your body in top condition. A sports massage may protect your body from pain and injuries.

It prepares you for your workouts and allows you to perform better in action.

After intense training, your muscle will be tense and possibly even inflamed. By being treated with a sports massage, your blood flow will increase to that area and hasten your recovery time.

Having frequent massages will also help increase your joint mobility and flexibility, which are vital factors for any athlete.

#2. You have an injury

Recently injured yourself playing sport or just messing around?

A sports massage speeds the recovery time of an injury. By massaging the deeper parts of your muscles, blood flow will increase and the toxins can wash away.

And apart from speeding up your recovery time, regular sports massages can help to reduce the risk of future injury.

#3. Feeling tense, fatigued, and anxious?

Even if you’re not an athlete, you’re constantly competing in the sport of life.

This means sitting with poor posture at work for long hours at your desk, doing heavy lifting at your job, or even feeling sore after playing tennis for fun.

A sports massage will help you relax your muscles, fight fatigue, reduce your heart rate and blood pressure, and increase blood and lymph flow.

As a result your immune system is boosted and your body will heal faster. 24 to 48 hours later you’ll feel even more relaxed and have minimal muscle tension remaining.

#4. Need a boost in concentration?

A sports massage really allows you to have better awareness of your body and your surroundings.

The feelings of discomfort or pain can cloud your mind and make it hard to concentrate.

#5. Decrease delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS)

Dread the painful, stiff feeling in your muscles the day or two after working out?

Having constant sports massages allows your body to flush out the lactic acid and reduce soreness when it does come.

 So, if you want to get rid of your muscle tension after a long day at work or prevent an injury from occurring, a sports massage is the right massage for you.

Looking for a sports massage to enhance your performance? 

Get in touch with us today.

Call us at 0400772681
mattfraser.remedial@gmail.com

Use these desk and office stretches and exercises while sitting at your desk or in the office.

If you’re sitting for long periods of time in the office, behind a desk or computer (or even a steering wheel) the muscles in your shoulders, neck and upper back can really tighten up and cause you a lot of pain.

The following information, and desk stretches, will help you stay loose, supple and tension free while putting in those long hours at the office.

Why is Stretching Important?

By placing particular parts of your body in certain positions, you’re able to increase the length of your muscles. As a result, a reduction in general muscle tension is achieved and your normal range of movement is increased. The benefits of an extended range of movement includes:

Increased comfort;

Greater ability to move freely; and
A lessening of your susceptibility to muscle and tendon strain injuries.
Along with an extended range of movement, regular desk stretches will also help to:

Improve posture;
Develop body awareness;
Improve co-ordination;
Promote circulation;
Increase energy; and
Improve relaxation and stress relief.

What else can you do?

Before we move onto the specific desk and office stretches that will help you relieve pain and tension from sitting for long periods of time, let’s have a look at some other techniques you can use.

Move around: Get up and move around at least every hour. This will help to promote circulation and get the blood flowing to the muscles that need it most.

Drink plenty of water: Water is an important component of just about every function that takes place within your body. It helps your body eliminate toxins and waste products; it helps to maintain proper muscle tone; it cushions joints; and it helps transport nutrients and oxygen throughout the body.

Deep breathing: Many people unconsciously hold their breath, which causes tension in our muscles. To avoid this, remember to breathe slowly and deeply throughout the day. This helps to relax our muscles, promotes blood flow and increases the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to our muscles.

How to perform the following desk stretches?

To follow are a few rules and guidelines to help you get the most from the desk stretches below, and ensure you stay safe and injury free.

Firstly,
Make a general review of the area to be stretched. If the muscle group being stretched isn’t 100% healthy avoid stretching this area altogether. For example, if you have a neck injury, don’t do neck stretches.

Secondly,
Perform these desk stretches gently and slowly, and avoid bouncing or any jerky movements. This will help to reduce muscle tears and strains that can be caused by rapid, jerky movements.

And lastly,
Stretch ONLY to the point of tension. Stretching is not an activity that was meant to be painful; it should be pleasurable, relaxing and very beneficial. Although many people believe that to get the most from their stretching they need to be in constant pain. This is one of the greatest mistakes you can make when stretching.

The 5 Best Desk Stretches

Below are 5 of the best desk stretches for office workers; obviously there are a lot more, but these are a great place to start. Please make special note of the instructions with each stretch, and if you currently have any chronic or recurring muscle or joint pain please take extra care when performing the stretches below, or consult with your physician or physical therapist before performing any of the following stretches.

Instructions: Slowly move into the stretch position until you feel a tension of about 7 out of 10. If you feel pain or discomfort you’ve pushed the stretch too far; back out of the stretch immediately. Hold the stretch position for 20 to 30 seconds while relaxing and breathing deeply. Come out of the stretch carefully and perform the stretch on the opposite side if necessary. Repeat 2 or 3 times.

Above Head Chest Stretch: Sit upright and interlock your fingers. Bend your arms and place them above your head while forcing your elbows and hands backwards.

Reverse Shoulder Stretch: Stand upright and clasp your hands together behind your back. Keep your arms straight and slowly lift your hands upwards.

Sitting Upper Back and Neck Flexion Stretch: While sitting on a chair, cross your arms over and hang on to the edge of the chair between your legs. Let your head fall forward and then lean backwards.

Lateral Neck Stretch: Look forward while keeping your head up. Slowly move your ear towards your shoulder while keeping your hands behind your back.

Rotating Neck Stretch: Keep your shoulders still and your head up. Slowly rotate your chin towards your shoulder.

Final Thoughts

Before starting any of these exercises, you need to realise that everyone is different, and you may require different exercises than these ones.

But if you feel tightness in your neck and shoulders, doing these stretches regularly, will help improve your overall flexibility and neck mobility.

Want a professional massage to relieve your neck and shoulder tension?
Book a massage with us today.

Call us at 0400772681

mattfraser.remedial@gmail.com
 

Head feeling like it’s about to fall off every time you look over your shoulder?

Your posture, your daily lifestyle, and past injuries you’ve experienced are all factors that contribute to you experiencing tightness in your shoulders and neck. 

But what can you do about it?

Here are 4 stretches for neck and shoulder tightness that can help relieve the pain

These are so easy that you can do them anywhere. Even at your desk in the office or in your bed at home!

#1. Back of the neck stretch

You can do this one while sitting up or lying on your back.

Slowly bend your head forward and bring your chin towards your chest. Touch your chest with your chin if you can. If it hurts or feels uncomfortable, don’t push too far.

When you begin to feel a stretch in the back of your neck, stop. Now hold it in that position for a few moments.

Repeat this for a total of 5 repetitions. 

Whenever you have time, repeat this exercise. Aim to get in 4 sessions of this a day.

#2. Front of the neck stretch

This exercise involves looking up. It is a cervical extension that helps relieve pain from herniated and bulging discs in your neck.

Slowly and gently bend your head backward so that your eyes are looking up to the sky.

You should feel a stretch in the front of your neck. Remember to be gentle!

Now, hold that position for 20 seconds (stop if it becomes too uncomfortable). Then return to your starting position.

Repeat this 4 more times and stop if it becomes painful.

In your spare time, try to get in another 3 sets of these.

#3. Look over your shoulder

Gently and slowly turn your head to look over your left shoulder.

When you feel a stretch in the right side of your neck, stop.

Now hold position for 20 seconds…

Return back to your starting position.

For best results, repeat this stretch four times on both sides.

#4. Bring your ear to your shoulder

Gently and slowly bend your neck like you want to touch your ear to your shoulder.

Stop when you feel a stretch in the side of your neck.

Hold that position for 20 seconds…

Now return to your starting position.

Repeat this stretch four more times on both sides.

Final Thoughts

Before starting any of these exercises, you need to realise that everyone is different, and you may require different exercises than these ones.

But if you feel tightness in your neck and shoulders, doing these stretches regularly, will help improve your overall flexibility and neck mobility.

Want a professional massage to relieve your neck and shoulder tension?
Book a massage with us today.

Call us at 0400772681

mattfraser.remedial@gmail.com