Massage Warsaw- Massage Therapy – Warsaw Acupuncture

Category: Videos

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Video: Shoulder Exercises for Improving Posture & Decreasing Chronic Pain

    Here is a video for some exercises for improving shoulder posture. It is definitely worth a try for people who haven’t had much luck with the traditional stretching exercises. Traditionally, to correct posture, we focus on increasing the length of shortened muscles or increasing the strength of weak muscles in an attempt to bring the body’s posture back to equilibrium. The technique proposed in this video focuses on awareness and activating. These gentle, almost effortless movements bring the participant’s attention to muscles that are often ignored. In this example, the participant activates her serratus anterior muscle, which is a small postural muscle whose weakness is often overcompensated for by larger muscle groups like the trapezius muscles. Teaching the participant to use her serratus anterior muscle results in a more evenly divided workload for the postural muscles, which in turn lead to better posture and reduced chronic pain. With the shoulder blade sitting better on the torso, the many neck muscles that originate from the torso or shoulder blade experience reduced stress.

    I tried the exercises myself on the weekend after a long bout of cycling (ie. sore neck and shoulders) and found instant relief.

    Enjoy the video.