Muscle Tightness: Do you have stiff muscles?

Do your muscles feel tight? Do you have stiffness in your body?  You're not alone, muscular stiffness and tightness is one of the most common problems we encounter..  Osteopaths unlike any other manual therapy have a very unique method in assisting your tightness. It’s called Counterstrain or Positional Release. 

"The MET method works due to the natural neurological impulse to relax the opposing muscle when one muscle contracts. Used correctly, Muscle Energy Technique can help patients to: Realign muscle groups. Re-educate muscles to restore a full range of motion." -OVCMT

When there is a strain, or tension in your muscles this sensation is transmitted to your brain as a message. Your brain will then respond to this message by adding further muscle tightness to the problem area or surrounding areas as a means of protection.  This response is not always helpful to your health.

One of the great things about Osteopaths is we have many ways of addressing muscle tightness. Techniques like Massage, or joint or muscular stretching (MET), postural correction can potentially assist you with muscle tightness but all these create a therapeutic pain to release the tension. There is however, several ways to skin a cat as they say and Counter-strain offers a very effective pain free alternative to this problem.

An Osteopath using Counter-strain will find the tight area in a region and then positions the body to take all the tension out of these tissues. This results in your nervous system feeding this change back to the brain. It will often take up to one minute for your brain to register that the area isn’t in trouble any more, and that it doesn’t need protecting.

What is the science behind how this works?

There are several nerve endings in your muscles and joints called Golgi Tendon Organs that feedback tension to your brain.  When this same area is placed in a relaxed position the Golgi Tendon Organs also feedbacks this change to the brain.  The brain then responds with feedback of its own, which will result in resetting of the muscular length and a much more relaxed muscle. The beauty of counter strain is that it is, pain free, stress free and it affect the central nervous system which results in a much more permanent and lasting change in the muscle tightness. This can potentially help you feel looser and less tense.

You may never have heard of this type of therapy so why not give [Osteopathy] a go and see if counter-strain can help you!

This article originally appeared on atune.com.au and was written by Katie Nancarrow.

Why "Stand Up Straight" isn't the Answer to Improving Posture

Stand up straight! Stop slouching! Most of us have had that yelled at us since we were kids by well meaning (and some not so well meaning) adults.

And though certainly a more annoying admonition as we get older, it seems difficult to disagree that “standing up tall” is good for us. There’s a strong market out there devoted to various devices, straps, and apps purporting to help you improve your posture.

Because frankly, it just looks better! Whether from thousands of years of social norms or other deep seated genetic factors, tall and straight forms are perceived to be better than a bent and slouched structure.

But is it really necessary? Will it help us feel better, be more successful, healthier, and make us more attractive?

The answer, like for most complicated issues, is both yes and no.

Let’s start by going over the fundamental benefits that we know are associated with what’s considered to be “good posture,” along with the myths and misinformation out there, and then give some tips on how to figure out what you need for yourself.

Primary Benefits of Good Posture

Aside from the fact that upright and plumb posture is more aesthetically appealing, there is a lot of evidence for the physiological and mental benefits of a good posture.

Physiological and Mental Benefits

This was touted several years ago in the popular press as the “Power Posture,” where the various research indicated such benefitsas:

• Inducing feelings of being more powerful
• Improved self-ratings of confidence and ability
• Being perceived as more competent and attractive by observers
• Increased hormone levels (specifically, testosterone)

And though there has been controversy about some of the research, standing taller does seem to effect mental and physiological benefits in general.

Sport-Specific Benefits

Better aligned posture is also beneficial for active movements.

An obvious example is lifting overhead. When you are slumped forward, it’s simply harder to lift your arms up, let alone a heavy weight. An elevated chest and pulled back shoulders puts you in a better position to transfer your strength and power more directly to the load.

This is why there is so much time and energy placed on proper technique in sports training.

Through years of experience and research, there’s been a quest towards the ideal form for throwing a baseball, hitting a golf ball, and lifting weights. Postural alignment is a key component for all of these movements.

Posture Mythbusting

So yes, there are a number of good proven reasons to work on your posture, that could have an immediate impact on feeling and moving better. However there are also some myths out there that we should discuss to make sure that you won’t be disappointed by the outcomes of your time and effort.

Myth #1: Everyone should aim for “ideal” posture

The first myth is that there is an ideal and optimal posture that everyone should conform to.

You can see this in a variety of sources which attempt to force a rigid positioning. A classic example is military posture, with the chest puffed out and chin tucked into the extreme, at-attention position.

And there are others (usually trademarked and with their own zealots) that purport to have justifications for their brand of posture and advocate very specific details to conform. They may stress precise angles of your spine and shoulder positioning and have their own reasoning for such, but there is no evidence that there is a set position that everyone should be in for optimal health and performance.

Our bodies are dynamic systems that can adapt well to a variety of environments, and in spite of the very many individual anatomical differences that abound, you’ll see very healthy and high performing people of distinct body types and postures.

Myth #2: Slouching = Pain

Another myth (related to the first myth) is that, if you are not in the “correct” posture, you will inevitably have pain.

But particular postures do not directly equate to pain. If it did, everyone that regularly slouches would have pain, and everyone that tends to stand straight would not. And this, of course, is not true at all.

The existence of pain (particularly chronic) is very complex and involves interrelated factors (anatomy, personal history, emotional makeup, environment), and with regards to postural factors, it’s more of a matter of abrupt change and our capacity for resilience than a particular posture itself.

Any posture that we cannot sustain because of a lack of muscular endurance and/or flexibility can result in pain, whereas another person may be able to because they have a more robust capacity for it. If you aren’t used to standing for more than a couple of hours at a time, you’ll likely experience soreness when you first have to do 8 hours of it, even if in the most perfectly aligned posture possible.

Let’s not force ourselves into holding specific positions because it’s “good for us.” That’s a recipe for burnout and really confers no significant benefit.

Instead, it’s much better to take the lessons we learn from analyzing our particular deficiencies. What do we need to work on to improve our ability to get into and maintain good alignments for our daily lives and in our recreational activities? This matters much more than working toward an arbitrary “ideal” posture that may or may not be appropriate for our individual needs.

Posture is a Habit

Clearly, posture isn’t as cut-and-dried as simply “standing up straight.”

Posture is important and necessary, but there’s no universal ideal that works for everyone. It’s a matter of working to attain the posture that’s most advantageous for you.

We can design the best exercise program, targeting your personal strength, flexibility, and control deficits, but if you default to problematic postures for the rest of your day, then the benefits won’t be fully realized.

But changing postural habits is a difficult thing, and can take a long time. It requires a lot of patience and a understanding of personal motivations and dispositions, and it can never be as simple as yelling at yourself to stand up taller and quit slumping!

As you can see, we feel the topic of posture and changing it is much more nuanced than it can appear to be on the surface.

There are physical, mental, and habitual shifts that need to occur to make sustainable changes in your life. But it is well worth it because postural change can be a vehicle for insight into your personal strength, mobility, and habit detriments, and this can affect the entirety of your being.

So What Can You Do to Improve Your Posture?

Posture is a pretty complex subject, and one we can’t cover in near enough detail within an article like this. But if you want to work on improving your posture for your own needs, you’re in luck.

Steven Low, author of the bestselling and most comprehensive bodyweight exercise training tome, Overcoming Gravity, reached out to us to collaborate on his new posture book. We, of course, accepted with great excitement.

This article originally appeared on gmb.io and was written by Jarlo

What is Stress? How Does It Affect Us?

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where your to-do list seems endless, deadlines are fast approaching and you find yourself saying ‘Eek! I feel stressed!’? But what is stress really, and how does it affect us?

Firstly, let’s debunk one myth: stress is not necessarily a ‘bad’ thing. Without this brilliant ability to feel stress, humankind wouldn’t have survived. Our cavemen ancestors, for example, used the onset of stress to alert them to a potential danger, such as a sabre-toothed tiger.

Stress is primarily a physical response. When stressed, the body thinks it is under attack and switches to ‘fight or flight’ mode, releasing a complex mix of hormones and chemicals such as adrenaline, cortisol and norepinephrine to prepare the body for physical action. This causes a number of reactions, from blood being diverted to muscles to shutting down unnecessary bodily functions such as digestion.

Through the release of hormones such as adrenaline, cortisol and norepinephrine, the caveman gained a rush of energy, which prepared him to either fight the tiger or run away. That heart pounding, fast breathing sensation is the adrenaline; as well as a boost of energy, it enables us to focus our attention so we can quickly respond to the situation.

In the modern world, the ‘fight or flight’ mode can still help us survive dangerous situations, such as reacting swiftly to a person running in front of our car by slamming on the brakes.

The challenge is when our body goes into a state of stress in inappropriate situations. When blood flow is going only to the most important muscles needed to fight or flee, brain function is minimised. This can lead to an inability to ‘think straight’; a state that is a great hindrance in both our work and home lives. If we are kept in a state of stress for long periods, it can be detrimental to our health.  The results of having elevated cortisol levels can be an increase in sugar and blood pressure levels, and a decrease in libido.

Fight

When your body goes into a state of stress, we may feel agitated and aggressive towards others; this can be due to our bodies’ natural reaction being “fight”. This can be a helpful reaction to ward off predators, but in unnecessary situations, it can negatively affect relationships and ruin reputations.

Flight

Some of us avoid our stressors, removing ourselves from the situation instead of tackling it. This can be a sign of the “flight” survival instinct; a function that can save our lives if we find ourselves in dangerous surroundings. However, in everyday life, this natural instinct can lead to a stressful situation escalating, and increase our stress levels when we realize that the stressor isn’t going away and we need to face it.

Freeze

Unknown by many, there is a third mode that stress can cause; freeze. For some people, becoming stressed sets the stage for ‘dysregulation’. The energy mobilized by the perceived threat gets “locked” into the nervous system and we ‘freeze’. This  response sometimes reveals itself when we breathe. Holding our breath and shallow breathing are both forms of freeze. The occasional deep sigh is the nervous system catching up on its oxygen intake.

Understanding Stress

Stress is a condition or feeling experienced when a person perceives that:

“Demands exceed the personal and social resources the individual is able to mobilise.”

Here at The Stress Management Society we use a bridge analogy to approach the topic of stress.

When a bridge is carrying too much weight, it will eventually collapse. It is possible to see the warning signs before this happens, the bridge would bow, buckle and creak.

The same principle can be applied to human beings, with excessive demands and challenges placed on our bridges. There may be early warning signs. However stress can creep up on some of us, resulting in an unexpected breakdown.

That ‘bridge collapse’ in a human being could take many forms:

• Mental and Emotional Breakdown
• Taking one’s own life
• Serious health issues including:
   
  • Cardiovascular disease: The heart is the first organ in the body to experience stress. The No. 1 killer on the planet today is heart disease and it’s no coincidence that as we find ourselves living under higher and higher levels of stress the instance of heart disease is increasing.
  • Stress has a profound impact on how your body’s systems function, Health experts are still sorting out whether stress actually causes cancer. Yet there’s little doubt that it promotes the growth and spread of some forms of the disease. Put simply, stress makes your body more hospitable to cancer.
  • Stress can cause a rise in blood pressure – the main cause of haemorrhagic stroke is high blood pressure, which can weaken the arteries in the brain and make them prone to split or rupture.

The key message is that if we are able to recognize when we have too much demand on our bridge then we can take action to prevent ourselves from getting anywhere near the bridge collapsing which thankfully most of us will never experience or see.

How It Affects Us

One of the difficulties with stress is that people experience stress in different ways. This contributes to stress manifesting itself differently. So it would be wrong to over generalise when giving advice on how to identify stress in others. However, what we can say is that because stress has negative effects, it will usually manifest itself one way or another.

Stress targets the weakest part of our physiology or character; if you are prone to headaches or eczema, this will flare up.  If you have low levels of patience or tolerance for others, this will be the first area to present under times of stress.

Stress isn’t avoidable but it is manageable. A key action in order to minimise risk is to identify stress-related problems as early as possible, so that action can be taken before serious stress-related illness occurs.

There will be changes in the stressed person.

These changes may be emotional, physical or behavioural, or a combination of all three. So, the key thing is to look out for negative changes of any kind. Bear in mind that the negative changes are also likely to have knock-on effects e.g. reduced performance at work.

Of course, we all experience ‘bad days’, so we are really talking about situations where people display these negative changes for a period of time (e.g. 5 days in a row).

Prolonged stress undoubtedly makes people ill. It is now known to contribute to heart disease, hypertension and high blood pressure, it affects the immune system, is linked to strokes, IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), ulcers, diabetes, muscle and joint pain, miscarriage, allergies, alopecia and even premature tooth loss.

Cognitive

• Memory Problems
• Poor Judgement
• Inability to Concentrate
• ‘Brain Fog’
• Indecision
• Starting many tasks but achieving little
• Self doubt

Emotional

• Depression
• Moodiness
• Irritability
• Fatalistic Thinking
• Panic
• Cynicism
• Anxiety
• Feeling Overwhelmed
• Frustration

Physical

• Chest Pain
• Rapid Heartbeat
• Aches and Pains
• Frequent Colds
• Skin Complaints
• Indigestion
• High Blood Pressure

Behavioral

• Increase Intake in Alcohol, Cigarettes and Caffeine to Relax
• Isolating Yourself from Others
• Sleeping too Little or too Much
• Demotivated
• Loss of sense of humour

10 Step Stress Solution

• Prioritise Your Health
• Get a Good Nights Sleep
• Practice Deep Breathing
• Stay Hydrated
• Eat for Wellbeing
• Get Moving to Combat Stress
• Adopt a Positive Mind Set
• Master Your Time
• Don’t be a Slave to Tech
• Learn to Say No

This article originally appeared on stress.org.uk

Floatation Therapy: What to Expect When You Float

About 30 minutes into my 60-minute session, I was so relaxed I couldn’t tell if I was still breathing. Every once in a while, I’d have to remind myself that I had a body. Seriously.

I’m an eager guinea pig. When it comes to wellness-related stuff, I’ll try anything. If a friend swears by it, I’m in. I always learn something – even if it it’s “ummm … this is not for me.”

(My timing can be a little off, though. Case in point: trying a neti pot for the first time on my honeymoon.)

So when my sister told me how much she loved floatation therapy, I decided to try it. I had no idea there are so many float tank centers out there! I chose one nearby, a full-service spa where I could get a microdermabrasion facial after my float. (I should have scheduled the facial after the float – I’ll explain why in a minute.)

So if you’re curious about floatation therapy, here’s what to expect. You’ll spend 30 to 60 minutes submerged up to your chin (with your ears under water) in a tank of salt water that’s exactly 98.6 degrees (the same temperature of your body). It’ll be totally dark and totally quiet (unless you decide to have gentle music piped in). The idea is to drastically reduce environmental stimulation: temperature, touch, sight, sound – even gravity.
 

MENTAL BENEFITS

My Float.

About 30 minutes into my 60-minute session, I was so relaxed I couldn’t tell if I was still breathing. Every once in a while, I’d have to remind myself that I had a body. Seriously. You know that deep, heavy, effortless relaxation that you drift into right before you fall asleep? It was like that – only I never fell asleep. I hovered in that semi-conscious, in-between space. It was delicious.

That much said, the first 30 minutes were rough. I’m not claustrophobic, but I panicked when the lid came down over me. I felt like I was being buried alive. I’m not afraid of the dark, but the darkness spooked me. I kept opening and closing my eyes in the darkness. I love being in water, but at first I was flailing. The warm salt water was pleasant, but I couldn’t tell where my body ended and the water began. I know that’s the whole idea, but it freaked me out. I couldn’t get comfortable. My neck ached. My breathing was shallow and fast. I was a mess!

The key was surrender. I reminded myself to breathe. I slowed down my breath with simple pranayama, deepening each exhale. After a while, I calmed down. Slowly, slowly, I began to feel the weightlessness that float addicts rave about … it truly was a blissful out-of-body experience.

The Science.

Float tanks screen out nearly all external stimuli, giving your nervous system a break. It’s estimated that 90% of your brain function is spent dealing with environmental stimuli: everything you see, smell, taste, touch, and hear … all that stuff that’s busying your brain without you even knowing it. Studies have shown that when sensory stimuli is removed, your senses have less to process, and your mind is free to relax in a deep state of calm. It’s a powerful setting for meditation.

Here’s where it gets interesting: when the brain is deprived of external stimuli, sometimes it creates its own. This can result in the often-reported hallucinatory effects of floatation therapy. Some people report light dancing behind their eyelids; others hear a ringing in their ears or even music.
 

PHYSICAL BENEFITS

My Float.

When I got out of the tank, I felt like an alien taking her first steps on Earth. All those sensations that had been quieted were now very loud. The dim lights in the room were glowing magically. The sound of the water sloshing in the tank was tinkling in my ears. The firm pressure of the floor beneath my feet was like a massage. As I dried off with a super-soft sheet, my skin prickled and tingled and my muscles came back awake with fresh exuberance. It astonished me. I wondered how long this high would last.

Turns out, it lasted right up until the microdermabrasion started. It was a great facial, but I was literally gritting my teeth the whole time. With all my senses on fire, the “sanding” of my skin was almost excruciating. By the time I checked out and got back on my bicycle, that blissful otherworldly feeling I had when I rose from the tank was completely gone.

The Science.

Some argue that deep muscle relaxation and other physical sensations experienced in floatation therapy is due not to the tank or the sensory deprivation but to the magnesium salt solution of the water. (Think of the way an Epsom salt bath soothes aching muscles, and then multiply that times 10.)

As a holistic health treatment, athletes and people with minor physical injuries use floatation therapy to speed up the healing process and promote tissue regeneration. There’s also evidence that transdermal magnesium absorption promotes detoxification, stimulates hydration, relieves joint pain, and improves respiration.
 

THE VERDICT

Yay or Nay?

YAY! Floating was intense – more so than I thought it would be. It was an exploratory experience. I plan to try it again – my sense is that you need to try several floats before you know if it’s for you.

Tips & Tricks.

Follow your breath to calm yourself as soon as you get in the water. Use slow, deep breaths – especially on the exhale – to ease out of any mental anxiety or physical discomfort. And don’t schedule anything after your float – give yourself plenty of peaceful, uninterrupted, sensory-soft time to enjoy the effects.

This article originally appeared on booksforbetterliving.com and was written by KIRA ROARK.