Massage Warsaw- Massage Therapy – Warsaw Acupuncture

Author: Admin

  • 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.

  • A Natural Cure for the Common Cold

    This year, the weather turned chilly in very dramatic fashion and one by one my clients canceled their appointments due to cold or flu.  I am pretty amazed and thankful that in my 3+ year career as an RMT I have only taken one sick day (which I suspect was due to the side effects of a detox cleanse as opposed to a genuine flu).  A couple sick days can really bring a clinical practice to its knees.  I like to think I owe my strong immune system to Angela Wang, my Traditional Chinese Medicine teacher in Sarnia.  She once explained to me the immune boosting properties of ginger and gave me a simple recipe for ginger tea.  At the time, I was prone to getting ill very easily.  Now, as soon as the weather turns colder I start my immune boosting regimen of ginger tea and forget about my hypochondriac worries.   I usually take the tea once or twice a day so it’s a good thing that it is absolutely delicious.  Normally when I feel a scratch or a tingle in my throat it is almost guaranteed that I will catch something within a day.  But now, whenever I feel that little itch, I make some extra strong ginger tea and the illness never seems to manifest.   Anyway, it seems to work well for me and I hope that it will help you get through this cold & flu season too.

    The Recipe

    It is really simple to make.  There is no hard & set recipe.  Just follow your taste buds.

    • All you need is fresh ginger root, honey and water
    • I usually peel and slice the ginger and boil it in the water until the water starts turning yellow
    • If you want stronger tea let it boil longer until the water is a darker yellow or brown colour
    • Using more ginger or less water also makes it stronger
    • When the tea is ready, pour it into a cup and add some unpasteurized honey
    • If you want, you can also try adding some fresh lemon juice

    That’s it!  So simple it didn’t feel right writing it down or calling it a recipe.

    If you try it, let me know.

  • Heaven in a Cup

    I should almost rename the site to “Massage, Acupuncture & Ken’s stomach”. Here is another blog post about the wonderful things my clients are feeding me. Not quite about healthy living, but let’s call it Customer Appreciation.

    I’d like to give a shout out to a certain client’s culinary skills. She has brought me little treats in the past, but this weekend she simply outdid herself.  This weekend, she cooked me up a cup of lobster thermidore, which was absolutely superb. I really don’t know how I was ever so lucky as to deserve such great clients. But thank you very much.

  • Video: Stretch for Tennis Elbow

    Here is a good little stretch for tennis elbow sufferers.

    Indications:

    1. Massage therapists might also find this little exercise helpful after a long day of work or in between clients.
    2. If you have an office job, doing this stretch a few times a day can help ease the discomfort in your wrists or elbows caused by computer work.
    3. Also good for musicians, crafts people or anyone that does a lot of repetitive hand work.

    The video is called “Tennis Elbow Flexor Stretch”.  Please ignore the title, it is actually an extensor stretch for tennis elbow.  Tennis elbow involves inflammation  and the development of fascial scar adhesions on the wrist extensor muscles of the forearm. Stretching the wrist extensor muscles can temporarily lengthen the muscle fibres, easing pressure on the muscle insertions and giving some pain relief. The other information on the video is accurate.

    Try to do the stretches 2-3X per day. For each set, try to do 3 repetitions of 20 seconds each.  Tennis elbow can be treated with a regimen of regular massage and/or acupuncture treatments.

    Always check with a health care professional before you try any of the exercises shown on this site. If you are feeling pain or discomfort with the exercise, decrease the intensity or range of the stretch so that you stay within the pain free range. If the discomfort does not go away, stop.