Bad Calf Muscles=Bad Feet

I sure do see a lot of foot and calf problems. The most recent that seems to be in epidemic proportions is tibialis posterior. Almost anytime that I have a client with plantar fasciitis symptoms, they have tibialis posterior symptoms too. Tibialis posterior can manifest itself in several places, just below the knee and behind the tibia, midway down the tibia and just behind the medial ankle bone. This can become very serious if left unattended. I first learned of this by working on a client and did some internet research on treatment and rehabilitating this injury.

The main problem with this muscle is that it is a support muscle that gets weaker as all of the muscles around it get stronger. This muscle originates on the back of the tibia and goes down the back of the tibia and inserts on the medial cuneform. An easy way to spot tibialis posterior problems is to look for a little "puffy spot" on the inside of the arch.

Treatment is easy. The problem is you may have to do it for as long as you don't want to have problems as you are predisposed to it. First, take a towel and place on the floor, take your barefoot and place on the towel and scrunch your toes toward your heel thus bunching up the towel. Next, get a red or green theraband about 5 feet long, tie it in a knot, take a seat, cross one leg over the other, place your other foot on the band with one leg, (with shoes on) place the band around the inside of the crossed foot. Allow band to pull your foot down and out, now sweep your foot in and toward you and repeat 15 times. I recommend twice a day. Repeat this on the other leg/foot because the problem is lurking over there.

I'M MOVING

I'm moving my office from 157A Belle Forest Circle to 151B Belle Forest Circle. It's in the same office park but around the corner and up the hill. It's a lot bigger space and I think it will be nicer for us and the clients. Parking is going to have to be worked out but we can do that.

I look forward to seeing you in my new space. Here's some general info.

Rates
3o mins. $40.00
60 mins 70.00
90 mins 95.00

Long time no post _ I'm back!

Since my last post (I couldn't go a whole year without posting) there has been a lot going on. I've learned some new techniques, I have a new office (in addition to Bellevue). I have a new motorcycle. All of my new additions are creating much additional happiness.

This past May, I went to St. Pete Beach to learn from James Waslaski. He's a world reknown massage therapist. He's been the massage therapist for several Olympics and the New York Yankees. He teaches some really good stuff now. I went for an Orthopaedic Masssage class. He calls it "high end sports massage". I have found that it works on athletes and non-athletes alike. It makes my job easier and brings about quicker results. Of course, results are directly related to muscle memory. If you've been living with an injury for a while and it just keeps nagging, it establishes deeper memory thus making resolution longer. I advise all of my clients to take action when injury occurs and resolution will be much faster. I should listen to my own advice. We all think we'll be better tomorrow. I'll write more later about this technque.

My new office is at 2300 21st Ave S. It's inside Middle Tennessee Wellness Center. I started going as a patient seeing Dr. Jeff Lamberth. Next thing you know, I'm working there Tues and Thurs. It's a great place to be and he's a great chiropractor. In addition to helping me, he's helped several of my clients as well. Of course he does manipulative therapies, however he is different from most chiros. He's not the traditional back and neck cracker. He also uses "cold laser therapy" This is really high tech stuff that works well at healing soft tissue injuries.

My new motorcycle is a Kawasaki Ninja 650R. It's bright green for extra visibility and I'm really careful when riding it. I'm watching out for the other driver so please don't tell me "you're gonna get killed". I am REALLY careful. I rode 125 miles this morning with my neighbor Don and my old friend Russ. They have Ninja 250's. We're calling ouselves "Wild Ninja's in the Hood" after the recent movie Wild Hogs in the Hood.

Ilotibial Band Problems

What in the heck is it? The Ilotibial band or IT band as I will refer to it going forward is a long flat tendon (apneurosis) that originates at gluteus maximus and tensor fascialata (TFL) and inserts on the side of the knee. Glute max extends and abducts the leg. It is involved in every step we take. TFL is a hip flexor that is also involved in every step. It would only make sense that these two muscles might be subject to overuse especially if you are an athlete. So what is overuse? It is different for everyone. If you are very flexible and stretch regularly, over use is not as likely. If you are inflexible and seldom stretch, overuse is in your "near future". When overuse occurs, it involves glute max most frequently. The muscle tightens and thus pulls the IT band upward causing a pull at the side of the knee. It feels like the tendon is trying to pull away from the side of the knee. It burns and aches and certainly will make life miserable.

Another cause that I have found to manifest symptoms in the IT band is knots on the outside of the quadricep muscle (vastus lateralis) under the IT band. These knots can be large enough that they stretch the IT band causing symptoms. This is the easier of the causes to eliminate. It involves deep tissue work that can be painful (albeit temporary). It will make you want to use some choice language. However, symptoms can be eliminated almost immediately often times. I'll share a success story. I had a client that was doing a marathon in two days and unable to run at all the pain was so bad. He scheduled a massage with me. Ordinarily, I would never do deep work on someone that was doing an event in two days unless they were regular massage recipients. I explained to the client that the deep work would either drastically improve his chance of running or not. The second option already existed so he said "go for it". I went into vastus lateralis and worked out the knots on the side of his quad that were below the IT band. I happened to be working an aid station at the marathon and I never saw him during the race. I was affraid that I had crippled him. The following Monday I received an e mail from him thanking me. He said that he not only was able to run the entire marathon, he finished one hour faster that any previous marathon.

How do you avoid IT band problems. The first choice is to stay flexible. Stretch glutes and TFL after every workout. Check out the links on my blog for some stretching suggestions or contact me to learn about some options.

One of the most important things that I can share with you is when you start symptoms of IT band problems take action immediately. If you try to run or cycle through it, you are flirting with "long term layoff". Of course that is one of the most feared phrases in an athletes life.

Stretch, hydrate and call me if you need me. 615-596-2564.

What I do......

....with most of my clients. I have a lot of athletes as clients. Therefore people consider me a "sports massage therapist". Everything that I do may benefit everyday non athletes as well.

What can you expect from a John Minton massage? I do lots of the basic things that you have experienced in a regular massage. I can do deep pressure and I use some "energy modalities" as well like acupressure and craniosacral therapy. The one thing that seperates me from other massage therapists is stretching. I incorporate some serious stretching in my massage and all of my clients love it. They enjoy it because it feels so good and it brings about additional release from areas of tension. I even have an 83 year old client that loves the stretching.

When you come for a massage from me, I'm going to work on you and there is a good chance that I am going to find some areas that need additional work. Does that mean that I'm going to suggest that you come 2 times per week for the next three months? No, I am going to show you some stretches that are simple to perform that will help you. All of the stretches that I send my clients home with are easy to perform at home or in the office. It is my goal to help all of my clients achieve long term muscle health so they can keep "living life".

Massage is good for the mind as well as the body. It gives us a "mental break" from all of the tension and stress that we experience in our everyday life. Just the other day, I had a client say "it feels so good to do something for myself".

Remember, healthy muscles contribute to healthy joints. The body is always striving for balance. Massage is a great assist to that balance.

The Missing Link?

I just added a new link to "Links I like" on the side bar. It's the holisticonline.com link. Check it out. It tells all about the benefits of massage, types of massage, self massage, sports massage and more. I know that there are many questions about massage and you may find the answer at this site.

Call me at 596-2564 to schedule your next appointment.

No More Symptoms

Well, I am symptom free from my piriformis problem. Thank goodness I don't have to go through all of that stretching that I did to recover from the problem. NOT! I have to continue stretching so that I insure that the problem doesn't return.

This is the kind of thinking that gets us in trouble. We feel that when the problem is gone then we can eliminate stretching. I see this all of the time. A client has an injury. We work on it. It goes away. They discontinue daily maintenance and the problem reoccurs. Their response is often, " I thought that I was done with it". "Done with it" is temporary. We return to the activity that caused the problem to begin with and we quit stretching. It is sending an invitation for the injury to return.

Maintain your body with a daily stretching program that is designed around the activities that you enjoy. If you are using the traditional method of stretching (hold for 30-60 seconds) and you are not getting results, try Active Isolated Stretching. Check out my favorite links for more information on this method. It has worked for me.

Don't forget to hydrate those muscles.

"Flexibility is the Key that Unlocks Fitness"

That is a powerful quote from The Wharton Stretch Book. You can look at fitness from living everyday life to doing an Ironman Triathlon. However you look at it, flexibility is the key to movement. Movement is the most basic part of doing what we do whether it's working, exercising, eating and playing (this can be considered exercising too. I am one that cannot exercise and I'm fortunate to be able to go out and play daily and people think that I'm exercising).

I just can't quit talking about stretching and how important it is in our lives. Here's an example of what I see in my practice. I see clients daily with tight pectoralis minor, anterior deltoid and biceps. You'd think they are some kind of athlete wouldn't you. No, they are people that spend a long time daily on the computer and hairstylists. They are working with there shoulders forward and the arms lifted thus shortening those muscles the entire time. This is BAD. It can also lead to the dreaded Carpal Tunnel Syndrome or just the symptoms. The brachial plexus is a bundle of nerves that goes into the arm through pec minor. If pec minor is tight, it can squeeze those nerves causing numbness and tingling down in the hands. The solution is simple. Stretch those muscles out daily after doing that repetitive motion.

As athletes, we are constanly looking for a competitive advantage. Training more is usually always the first choice for us to get that advantage. When we go out and train more, we are shortening the muscles. It is imperative that we take time to stretch those muscles out. I hear over and over again "I just don't have time to stretch". I tell 'em you make time to do the things that are important to you. Stretching is one of those IMPORTANT things.

I have a client that is really busy. She is an athlete trying to balance workouts with work. She had gotten really tight and little injuries kept popping up. I told her that if she had 45 minutes to run, run 35 minutes and stretch ten. She has started that and she is getting amazingly loose. She didn't think it was possible.

If you want to run fast or bike fast, you have to loosen up those hips so you can create a faster turnover. Stretching the gluteal muscles and hip flexors are really important. When those things get out of balance, you'll see one hip higher than the other, the pelvis tilting one way or another and other abnormalities. When these things exist, you can still do what you do but injury is lurking in the darkness. You've gotta stretch.

So did you think that I was going to just leave you with no solutions. Here's the deal. If you have healthy muscle tissue, yoga is a great way to lengthen your muscles. If you have muscles that are severely tightened or injured, use Active Isolated Stretching for the best results. Look over to the sidebar on the right and you'll see links for The Wharton Stretch Book and Active Isolated Stretching with Aaron Mattes. These guys work with athletes and everyday people. They can help you get loose too.

Happy stretching to you.

Wear Out or Rust Out

Our bodies are absolutely incredible. They rival things like computers and jet planes yet we take them for granted. We know or expect that when we wake up everyday that it going to be there for us. Most of the time it is ready and willing to do whatever we want it to do. It is designed to move. Yes, movement is the only way to keep the body healthy. It is an absolute fact that we will rust out faster than we will wear out.

When we wake up feeling stiff and groggy, it is a signal to get out and do something. For some reason, our brain says sit down on the couch. That is a bad idea. We need to get moving. Movement gets the blood flowing. It gets the synovial fluid (lubricant for the joints) flowing. It activates the lymph system. These are the things that fight to keep our bodies healthy. We must not let the lure of the couch win. This is most important as we get older. We just can't let up. Get out and exercise. It is the absolute best way to enjoy those golden years.

Let's make some comparisons. We will begin with the benefits of exercise:
1. Weight loss
2. Healthier skin
3. Reduces blood sugar
4. Reduces blood pressure
5. Increases organ function
6. Strengthens the heart
7. Strengthens muscles
8. Improves self image
I am sure there are more but they won't come to me now. Feel free to add in the comments section.
Now let's look at the benefits of sitting on the couch. Hmmm, there aren't any. Let's look at what can happen.
1. Get fat
2. Blood pressure rises
3. Blood sugar rises
4. Joints stiffen
5. Decreased organ function
6. Arteries clog
7. Loss of muscle tissue
8. Self image declines

Get the picture? Now I'm not saying that if you exercise that none of the bad things can happen to you. I am saying that it greatly reduces the chances of premature aging and increases the chances that you will enjoy life to it's fullest.

Don't sell the furniture. Use it as a reward for a life well lived.
Summary: Stretch, exercise, eat right. Enjoy life. Wow, that sounds pretty simple huh?
We make a choice everyday. We are either living or dying. Think about it.

Piriformis syndrome

IT'S A PAIN IN THE BUTT! I know as well as anyone. I've got it. I think it's contagious. I've worked on so many people with it that I caught it. I had mine worked on yesterday and hardly slept at all last night. However, I think that I'm better today. I'm just sleepy.

What is a piriformis? It is a small pear shaped muscle that can wreak more havoc than a sunami. Well, that's what it feels like to the person with one that's inflamed. It is a lateral rotator of the thigh that we engage with every step or pedal stroke for you bikers. It get's a lot of work. Some of us will go through life and never be troubled by this little monster. Those of us that are "very active" are more prone to the symptoms and they vary in degree. Some just have the pain in the butt. Others may experience the pain in the butt, tightness in the hamstring, or pain in the hamstring all the way down and around to the shin (tibialis anterior) and into the foot or all of the above. If you're wondering how one little muscle can wreak all of this havoc? Here's the deal. The sciatic nerve (ever heard of this devil?) innervates under the piriformis so when piriformis gets inflamed and tight it squeezes the sciatic nerve causing all of this pain. Trust me, there is no pain like nerve pain. When really bad, it can involve all the muscles of the gluteal region and the SI joint.

So what do you do if this pain in the butt appears? See someone right away. If it persists long enough it becomes a syndrome which means that it is entrenched and muscle memory has changed. Yes, the body thinks that this pain is normal and it will take longer to get rid of it.

I saw client the other night and he was in terrible shape. He had been suffering for 3 months and his wife suggested that he see me. I have never felt more empathy for anyone as I did him. He had his shoulders hiked up, one hip hiked up, and walked like he absolutely dreaded the next step. His entire body was in "full armoring"(when you've hurt so long that everything locks down). I spent an hour just trying to break through and had some success. After the session, I spent another fifteen or so minutes teaching him some stretches and exercises to get him on his way to recovery. He's rescheduled and will come in on Tues for another session. I saw his wife yesterday and I was so happy to hear that he feels better already. I was concerned that he would probably get worse before getting better.

I've discovered a really easy and excellent stretch for this malady. Stand in a doorway, reach out with both arms and grasp the sides of the doorway, cross the leg of the affected piriformis over the other leg and sit down and lean back. Hold two seconds and repeat 10 to 15 times. You might as well do them both so you don't start listing to one side.

Avoid all pains in the a#! and stretch.

Knee pain solution

Patella tracking dysfunction, chrondomalacia, ow! the sound of those ailments makes me hurt. Those are a couple of the most common knee problems that athletes experience. The symptoms usually manifest themselves behind the knee cap. They are condsidered in many cases as overuse injuries. However, most knee pain is caused from one tight muscle. It is rectus femoris. This is the muscle that is right in the middle of the powerful quadricep group. The problem begins with rectus femoris originating at the anterior superior illiac spine and the others at the anterior inferior illiac spine. So what happens when we do the traditional quad stretch, rectus femoris, because it is longer doesn't get any stretch.

One of the telltale obvious signs of a tight rectus femoris is popping in the knee. This popping is usually painless but still an alarm for danger lurking. The solution for this problem is stretching. How do you stretch this muscle if the traditional way doesn't work? Go non traditional.

Here is how to do it.This stretch looks and feels kind of weird at first but it is very effective. It also gives psoas major and tensor fascialata, both hip flexors, a stretch too. Even if you have just one knee bothering you, stretch them both. Here's what you do. Lie on the floor on your side. It doesn't matter which side since you are going to stretch both. OK assume the fetal position. Take the down arm and hold the down (closest to the floor) knee, grab the ankle of the other leg with the up arm. If you are too tight to grab the ankle, use a belt or piece of rope for extension. Keeping the leg parallel to the floor, pull back til you feel a good stretch. Hold for 2 seconds and repeat 15 times. If the leg isn't parallel, you won't stretch rectus femoris. Repeat this exercise daily. Be careful when you first begin doing this stretch. Don't overstretch it. It will just delay getting to the solution.

Be well and stretch something.

Muscle Memory What's That?

When we are born our body starts remembering what muscle tissue is supposed to feel like. As we go through life and get bumps and bruises along the way our muscle memory changes. Hopefully, upon healing our muscle memory returns to normal.

Let me give an example. I'll be working with a client and discover a knot in the calf muscle. I'll ask if there is any tenderness. The response is no. What has happened is the muscle has accepted that knot as normal and turned off the pain sensors. Now because the muscle has accepted this as normal it will take longer to change. When work begins to make a change and return the muscle to the "real normal", the muscle might start feeling that tenderness again because an outside source is trying to bring about change.

The best solution is to address injury as soon as possible after it occurs. Begin the healing process and get the muscle smooth and healthy to avoid "bad" muscle memory. When changing muscle memory back to normal you have to stay after it. If you don't, the body will hold on to the "bad memory" because it will accept it as normal. Staying after it means massage and stretching. It will eventually return to the "real normal". Keep your muscles lean and healthy by stretching everyday and staying hydrated. Water is what we use to lubricate our muscles and they love lots of it.

Stay well and hydrate.

Massage and stretching

As I have mentioned in previous posts, I work with a lot of athletes. I find that incorporating stretching with my clients during massage is very beneficial to them. Warming the muscles up and then stretching them really helps to facilitate maximum release. I use bath sheets (really big towels) and weight of the bath sheets allows the client to feel that all of the important areas are covered and that their safety is paramount. I do have one client that insists on stretching at the conclusion of the massage and she is fully dressed and that's OK. That's the neat thing about massage, the client gets to call all of the shots.

The amazing thing is that my "non athletes" love the stretching too. I have many 50 and 60 year old men and women that just rave about the stretching. I'm thinking that one day someone is going to tell me how great my ephleurage and petrissage (massage strokes) is but NO, they always say " I love that stretching. I've never experienced that in a massage".

If I don't stop blogging about stretching, that may become my new nickname. It is important though and if you haven't experienced it with massage, ask your therapist if they can do it or better yet, call me.

Peace and good health.

Dealing with Inflammation

What do I do about inflammation? That's a frequent question for me. I always recommend the "Pittsburgh ice pack" It's really easy to make and is reusable time and time again. It is the coldest of cold packs so I suggest you put a couple of damp paper towels over the area that you are going to ice and put the ice pack on the paper towels. It will help prevent frost bite. This ice pack delivers instant cold so don't use it for more than 20 minutes at a time. It may be repeated every 3 hours.

The recipe is:

16 oz. of rubbing alcohol
32 oz of water
2 cup of sugar

Mix this combination in a sauce pan and heat it until the sugar melts. Let it cool and pour into a gallon sized zip lock bag (I recommend double bagging). Place it in the freezer and it will be ready too use in 24 to 36 hours. Put it back in the freezer after each use and it will provide you with years of use.

When dealing with injury that includes inflammation, use the RICE theory. That is:
Rest
Ice
Compression
Elevation

What about heat? Don't use heat where you have inflammation. It is fine to heat sore, aching muscles to warm them up before exercising or working.

Stay well and use caution when icing. Remember you can get frostbite.

Caution: You may be tempted to mix this concoction with Coke when you are better. Don't do it. It may cause blurred vision.

"Put on your high heel sneakers............

..cause we're going out tonight". Oh the words of that old song have been a blessing and a curse to many. High heels are quite fashionable and look so nice on so many. However, just like guns, they should be used with caution. High heels are responsbible for all types of foot and calf problems. A friend of mine was telling me about a woman that she knew that wore heels her entire working career and now can't wear any shoe that doesn't have a heel because her achilles tendon and calves have shortened so much

When you are in a pair of heels, it's just like casting your foot for however many hours that you wear them. I have seen many feet that look just like a pair of high heeled shoes. I mean exactly like the last (shape of shoe). The clients achilles and calves have shortened thus causing the muscles in the foot to shorten causing the bones in the foot to have to move around. In the end, they just might create a bunion that will need surgery. You don't want that surgery. I have seen it sucessful (leaving the large toe with no flexibility) and I've seen it where the client was back in the same shape in 6 months.

So what should high heel wearers do to avoid this situation. It's simple. Stretch your calves and feet everyday. Do it two times a day if necessary. It is a simple as sitting on the couch and watching TV and just pull your toes back toward you to the point of slight discomfort, hold two seconds and repeat. Do the same thing pushing them forward. To stretch your calves, go to the stairs, step up and put one foot back where it is halfway off the step. Bend the opposite leg and stretch the calf of the heel that's halfway off the step. Repeat 15 to 20 times and do the other leg. This can even reverse already bad situations but is a great preventative measure. This is a great stretch to help plantar fasciitis and hammer toes.

Stay well and stretch.

To Stretch or not to Stretch

I hear all the time " I don't have time to stretch". Well, we make time for the things that we WANT to do. If only, we were as smart as our animals. Have you ever noticed how they wake from deep slumber and stretch before they get moving. Fortunately for them they just need a little stretching in their routine.

Us humans can get by with as little as 15 minutes per day. We can stretch while watching TV, working, but most importantly after exercise. While we are working out, we are tightening up our muscles. If we continue this, we are setting ourselves up for injury. Does regular stretching eliminate the chance of injury? No, but it greatly reduces the chance. It's just like doing maintenance on our vehicle. If we do regular maintenance on our bodies, we'll get a lot more mileage from them and better quality miles.

There is some new thought on stretching. We were told to hold a stretch for 30 to 60 seconds in the past. Gosh, in yoga, they hold poses for as much as 2 or 3 minutes. Well that's great if the muscle that you are stretching is healthy and accustomed to that activity. Unfortunately, most of us aren't.

The new thought process and what has been getting excellent results is Active Isolated Stretching. It was developed by Aaron Mattes a Registered Kiniseologist and Massage Therapist. He has taught this work to thousands around the world including Jim and Phil Wharton. The Wharton's are famous among the athletic community for developing and maintaining many world class athletes.This new thought processs calls for us to hold a stretch for no more than 2 seconds and do from 10 to 20 repititions. Each muscle has a "myotatic reflex" that shuts down the muscle preventing any benefit from the stretch when held longer that 2 seconds. This reflex senses danger to the muscle especially if it is already compromised. This work can be done alone or with an assistant.

I recommend buying Aaron Mattes book, Active Isolated Stretching with Aaron Mattes or The Wharton Stretch Book. The latter is like the Cliff notes for the former. They are both really good if you use the information that you obtain from them. I have helped a lot my clients using this information.

2006 Highlights/2007 Preview

2006 proved to be a very exciting year. It started with the opening of Belle Forest Massage on April 1. Going to Atlanta for the Muscle Release workshop proved to be a very positive educational experience. The information that I learned there has helped many of my clients become pain free. I have earned 24 Continuing Education Units this year. This will go toward maintaining my Tennessee license and my National Certification. Most importantly, it will help me be a better massage therapist.

I was involved in several charity events in 2006. I made donations of my time and massage certificates at events such as the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Benefit at BMW of Nashville, Hope on Wheels Bike ride to benefit Breast Cancer at the Minnie Pearl Cancer Center, The Mental Health Association of Middle Tennessee, and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. These are all great organizations that several of my clients are involved. It made them an easy choice for me to become involved with as well. I look forward to working with them again in 2007.

In 2007, I will continue to search for the latest in educational materials and seminars that will benefit my clients. I think the next step for me is to learn some Lymphatic Drainage techniques. I have experienced this work and I think that it would benefit many of you as well. I’ll keep you posted on when that happens.

In 2007, I will be increasing my rates by $5.00 for all of my sessions. The good news is that I will still be well under the going rate for massage in Nashville. The new rates will be:
30 minutes $40.00
60 minutes $70.00
90 minutes $90.00
Ask about package pricing for 2007.

Gentle reminders:
Cancellations require 24 hours notice to avoid a charge for the session.
Your appointment begins at the scheduled time. Try to be 5 minutes early.

It has been a real pleasure for me this past year to work with all of you. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for the opportunity to help you. I look forward to another year of good times ahead. I wish you all the best for 2007.

JohnMintonMassage

I am a massage therapist in Bellevue. I work with a lot of athletes. They are mostly triathletes and runners. I do deep work and use the Muscle Release Technique for clients struggling with plantar fasciitis, neck problems, and more. I do a lot of stretching with my clients and this has proven to be very beneficial when used with massage.
I am located in Nashville, Tn at 157 Belle Forest Circle. Call me at 596-2564 to schedule an appointment