Massage Warsaw- Massage Therapy – Warsaw Acupuncture

Year: 2009

  • Video: Pilates Glutes Routine

    Here is part 2 of the pilates video: The Glutes Routine.  Strengthening the hip muscles can add strength and stability to your  lower back area.

    Pilates is a system of exercises which targets and strengthens core muscles.  This video teaches some exercises for toning the glutes.  This is the same exercise routine that I used when I was suffering from acute back pain.  It helped me tremendously and I hope that it will help you too.  Be sure to have a look at part 1 of the video series, which focuses on the abs.

    Guidelines for performing the exercises:

    1. Check with a health care professional before you attempt these exercises to ensure that it is safe for you.  It is especially important to rule out any disc problems before you do this exercise.
    2. Do not do these exercises if you have any kind of acute low back pain or pain due to a herniated disc .
    3. Do the exercises carefully.  Failing to follow the instructions or consult with a health care professional could cause your symptoms to worsen.
    4. Pilates is a very technical exercise.  It works very well because of the finely-tuned movements.  To get the most of the exercises it is best and safest to go to a pilates class or work with a pilates instructor.
    5. Be very careful with the position of the lower back.  It should be in a neutral position for the exercises.  It should not be arched or rounded.  In some of the exercises, you may feel like you do  not have the strength to keep your lower back in a neutral position.  You may feel like you cannot stop it from arching or rounding.  In this case, do not do that particular exercise as it may do more harm than good.  Challenging and potentially dangerous exercises are the seal, the hundred and the hundred prep.
    6. You should feel a bit of a workout when doing these exercises, but you should not feel any pain.  If you do feel pain, especially sharp or intense pain, stop immediately.
    7. Do not feel like you have to do all the exercises.  Only do the ones that you are most comfortable with when you are starting.  Listen to your body.
    8. As you gain strength and confidence over the weeks, you may want to add back the exercises that you had skipped.  Only do so when you are sure that you can do the exercise safely.
    9. If you cannot find a comfortable, pain free way to do these exercises, discontinue immediately and seek the advice of a health care professional.
    10. Try to do the exercises at least twice a week to start off.   You can increase the frequency as you build up strength.

  • Video: Pilates Abs Routine

    Lower back pain, hip, gluteal or leg pain can often be caused by weakness or lack of tone in the core muscles.  The core muscles are typically the abs, glutes, lower back and leg muscles.  When these muscles are weak the body lacks stability and starts to overcompensate for the weakness by relying on other muscles and changing the natural balance of the body.  All this often leads to pain in the lower back.

    Pilates is a system of exercises which targets and strengthens core muscles. Even if you have done sit ups or crunches before you may find that this pilates workout will give you a good “burn” and work deeper muscles than you are used to.  You may feel like your stomach is tighter and more pulled in compared to before; perfect for the beach.  But most importantly, strong abs muscles contribute to a healthier body and a pain free back.

    This video teaches some exercises for toning the abs.  This is the same exercise routine that I used when I was suffering from acute back pain.  It helped me tremendously and I hope that it will help you too.

    Guidelines for performing the exercises:

    1. Check with a health care professional before you attempt these exercises to ensure that it is safe for you.  It is especially important to rule out any disc problems before you do this exercise.
    2. Do not do these exercises if you have any kind of acute low back pain or pain due to a herniated disc .
    3. Do the exercises carefully.  Failing to follow the instructions or consult with a health care professional could cause your symptoms to worsen.
    4. Pilates is a very technical exercise.  It works very well because of the finely-tuned movements.  To get the most of the exercises it is best and safest to go to a pilates class or work with a pilates instructor.
    5. Be very careful with the position of the lower back.  It should be in a neutral position for the exercises.  It should not be arched or rounded.  In some of the exercises, you may feel like you do  not have the strength to keep your lower back in a neutral position.  You may feel like you cannot stop it from arching or rounding.  In this case, do not do that particular exercise as it may do more harm than good.  Challenging and potentially dangerous exercises are the seal, the hundred and the hundred prep.
    6. You should feel a bit of a workout when doing these exercises, but you should not feel any pain.  If you do feel pain, especially sharp or intense pain, stop immediately.
    7. Do not feel like you have to do all the exercises.  Only do the ones that you are most comfortable with when you are starting.  Listen to your body.
    8. As you gain strength and confidence over the weeks, you may want to add back the exercises that you had skipped.  Only do so when you are sure that you can do the exercise safely.
    9. If you cannot find a comfortable, pain free way to do these exercises, discontinue immediately and seek the advice of a health care professional.
    10. Try to do the exercises at least twice a week to start off.   You can increase the frequency as you build up strength.

  • Inspirational Quotes

    Every now and then I wish I had something more profound to say to a client in order to help them through  a tough time.   For that reason, I collected these quotes.  They can be really useful at the right time.  I also framed a few of them to decorate my clinic.  Here are a few of them.  I hope you find them useful too.

    Love Life

    As I grow to understand life less and less, I learn to love it more and more. – Jules Renard

    A loving heart is the truest wisdom. – Charles Dickens


    Motivation

    Every ceiling, when reached, becomes a floor, upon which one walks as a matter of course and prescriptive right. – Aldous Huxley

    If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll end up someplace else. – Yogi Berra

    It is the want of diligence, rather than the want of means, that causes most failures. – Alfred Mercier

    Every artist was first an amateur.

    “The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled.  For it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our ruts, and start searching for different ways or truer answers.”

    Winning isn’t everything, but wanting to win is. – Vince Lombardi


    Failure

    Failure teaches success. – Japanese Saying

    Failure is only the opportunity to more intelligently begin again. – Henry Ford

    The greatest mistake you can make in life is to continually be afraid you will make one. – Elbert Hubbard

    Little minds are tamed and subdued by misfortunes; but great minds rise above them. – Washington Irving

    It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed. – Theodore Roosevelt

    Wherever we look upon this earth, the opportunities take shape within the problems. – Nelson A. Rockefeller

    A man’s life is interesting primarily when he has failed–I well know. For it’s a sign that he tried to surpass himself. – Georges Clemenceau

    We learn wisdom from failure much more than success. We often discover what we will do, by finding out what we will not do. – Samuel Smiles

    Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall. – Confucius


    Be Yourself

    Insist on yourself. Never imitate. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

    I cannot give you the formula for success, but I can give you the formula for failure–which is:  “Try to please everybody.”

    No man is happy who does not think himself so. – Publilius Syrus

    There is only one person who could ever make you happy, and that person is you.

    Our ideas, like orange-plants, spread out in proportion to the size of the box which imprisons the roots. – Edward Bulwer Lytton


    Carpe Diem

    It is never too late to become the person you could’ve been.

    Try to be happy in this present moment and not put it off until another time…. As if that future time could be of another make from this which has already come and is ours right now – Thomas Fuller

    “Always do what you are afraid to do.”

    If you do not hope, you will not find what is beyond your hopes. – St. Clement of Alexandra

    If you have an hour, will you not improve that hour, instead of idling it away? – Lord Chesterfield

    There is only one success–to be able to spend your life in your own way. – Christopher Morley

    Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. – Helen Keller

    We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit. – Aristotle

    Do not wait to strike till the iron is hot; but make it hot by striking. – William B. Sprague

    The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. – Eleanor Roosevelt

    The best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up. – Paul Valery

    Half of the failures in life come from pulling one’s horse when he is leaping. – Thomas Hood

    Exert your talents, and distinguish yourself, and don’t think of retiring from the world, until the world will be sorry that you retire. – Samuel Johnson

    I hope that when I die, my body will be completely used up.

    The happiest life is that which constantly exercises and educates what is best in us. – Hamerton

    What would you attempt to do if you knew you would not fail? Robert Schuller

    You’ve got to sing like you don’t need the money, love like you’ll never get hurt. You’ve got to dance like no one is watching. It’s gotta come from the heart, if you want it to work. – Susannah Clark

    Don’t be afraid your life will end; be afraid that it will never begin. – Hansen, Grace


    Stress

    Ask yourself this question: “Will this matter a year from now?” – Richard Carlson

    I never think of the future – it comes soon enough. – Albert Einstein

    It is not work that kills men, it is worry. Work is healthy; you can hardly put more on a man than he can bear. But worry is rust upon the blade. It is not movement that destroys the machinery, but friction.  – Henry Ward Beecher

    There is more to life than increasing its speed. – Mahatma Ghandi

    There is only one way to happiness, and that is to cease worrying things which are beyond the power of our will.

    In the hopes of reaching the moon men fail to see the flowers that blossom at their feet. – Albert Schweitzer

  • Video: Stretch for piriformis related low back pain or sciatica

    Most of the cases of low back pain I see are related to hip tightness. The gluteal muscles are often a source of dysfunction but less often a source of pain. That means you may rarely feel a pain in your glutes, but you will likely feel a pain in your lower back or legs that stems from the tightness in your glutes and hips. One important gluteal muscle is the piriformis muscle which crosses over the sciatic nerve. Tightness in this muscle can present in lower back pain, hip pain or gluteal pain.  In extreme cases of piriformis dysfunction you may feel pain down the back of your leg, cold feet due to poor circulation, tingling or numbness in your toes, feet, or legs.  This is referred to as pseudo sciatica or piriformis syndrome.

    If you have a tight piriformis muscle, you may find it difficult to cross your legs while seated (masculine, not feminine leg crossing).  In yoga class, you may find the pigeon poses especially difficult.

    A shortened piriformis muscle can be treated with acupuncture, massage or a series of stretches & exercises.  Here is a simple piriformis stretch that I like to recommend because it can easily be performed while sitting (eg. at the workplace).

    Guidelines for performing the stretches:

    1. Check with a health care professional before you attempt these exercises to ensure that it is safe for you.  It is especially important to rule out any disc problems before you do this exercise.
    2. Do the exercises slowly and gently.  Failing to follow the instructions or consult with a health care professional could cause your symptoms to worsen.
    3. Try to breathe  slowly and keep your body relaxed.  Do not tense up or hold your breath as this will invite muscle spasm.
    4. You should feel a gentle stretching sensation, but you should not feel any pain during the exercises.  If you do feel pain, decrease the range of movement by stopping before you get to the point of pain. Continue the exercise within the pain free range.
    5. Pay attention to the position of the lower back.  As the instructor explains, the back should be straight, not bent.  Bending at the lower back is cheating and does not stretch the piriformis muscle.  Also, if you are feeling leg pain or tingling because of true sciatica or sciatica due to a disc problem, you may cause more damage to the disc if you perform this exercise incorrectly.
    6. If you cannot find a comfortable, pain free way to do these exercises, discontinue immediately and seek the advice of a health care professional.
    7. Do the exercises in a set of 3 for a minimum of 3 times a day for best results.
    8. Hold the stretch for 15 seconds each time.

  • Video: Exercises for Neck Pain

    Here is a video that shows some really simple stretches for the neck. For those of you suffering from neck pain, these stretches are a good starting point as they are gentle and non-aggressive. The stretches can be performed in the seated or standing position and are a great way to break up the tension that is building up during your work day.

    Guidelines for performing the stretches:

    1. Check with a health care professional before you attempt these exercises to ensure that it is safe for you.
    2. Do the exercises slowly
    3. Try to breathe  slowly and keep your body relaxed.  Do not tense up or hold your breath as this will invite muscle spasm.
    4. You should feel a gentle stretching sensation, but you should not feel any pain during the exercises.  If you do feel pain, decrease the range of movement by stopping before you get to the point of pain. Continue the exercise within the pain free range.
    5. The vertebrae and muscles in the neck are very fragile and can be aggravated very easily.  Don’t try to overdo it.  You will get better results by stretching gently, but more frequently.  On the other hand, overdoing it can leave you with a really nasty neck cramp.
    6. If you cannot find a comfortable, pain free way to do these exercises, discontinue immediately and seek the advice of a health care professional.
    7. Do the exercises a minimum of 3 times a day for best results.

  • Massage Schools in Toronto

    Thinking of becoming a massage therapist?  Here are some of the massage therapy schools in Toronto.  All programs comply with the CMTO’s requirements and offer a minimum of 2200 hour programs with 150 hours of clinical practice.  Typically the Toronto massage programs offered at public provincial colleges are much more affordable but take longer.  In 2005, it was about $2,500 tuition a year for 3 years.  The private colleges will offer shorter programs but at a much higher price (around $6-9000 tuition per year for 2 years)

    Massage Schools in Toronto:

    Sutherland Chan

    Kikkawa College

    Canadian College of Massage & Hydrotherapy

    Elmcrest College

    Medix

    The CMTO has some information and questions that could help you make your choice.