Blog

Is your Desk Job causing your hip pain?

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I had a client recently say that their hips were hurting and felt tight, they told me that they had been sitting at their desk for a long period of time and doing a lot more driving. I explained that sitting for a long period of time is 1 of the most common causes of hip pain.

Sitting for a long period of time causes the glutes to be inactive and cause the quads and hip flexors to become tight. There is no scientific evidence of this, but it has been argued that sitting for long periods at a time physically shortens the hip flexors.

Therefore, it is so important to make sure that you take regular breaks from sitting and do some simple stretches that will prevent tight hips and prevent long term damage. Tight hips will have a knock-on effect on the lower back and glutes. So, if you have pain here you may also have tight hips, so these stretches are aimed at you too!

There are a few things you can do that will help you to reduce the tightness in the hips. One is to try and stand more during the working day, if there are standing desks in your office then try and use them for a couple of hours a day. It is a great way to break up the sitting pattern. If you do not have a standing desk area, then at least try and stand up throughout the day. For every 60minutes of work try and stand for 10.

The most effective is to do regular hip stretches, if you can do them during your breaks then that is perfect, if not then at least get them in before or after work.

  • Kneeling hip flexor stretch

Kneel on one leg, the other in front of you make sure you knee is at 90 degrees to your foot. Drive your hip forward and your knee into the ground. Your iliopsoas muscle (one of the hip flexors) requires isometric activation to stretch it.

  • Runners lunge stretch

If you cannot kneel then an adapted stretch is to position yourself as if you are about to start you race, lift the back knee off the floor. It is like a lunge but with a straight back leg (picture of how to do this stretch or see the image at the top of the blog)

  • Modified Camel Hip Stretch

Put both hands on your lower back and lean back, push your hips forward and look up to the sky.

  • Standing Quad Stretch

If you cannot balance very well then use a wall or chair for support. Lift your heel up towards your glutes (bottom) and hold the foot in your hand. To increase the stretch, push your hip forward.

Foam rolling your quads, ITB and TFL is another brilliant way to help with releasing the hips. Monthly massage is another brilliant way to help prevent tension, massage focusing on the hip flexors, quads, ITB and glutes will help to improve flexibility and reduce tightness in the hips.

 

All of these stretches will be featured on my instagram @mollysportsmassage over the next few days

 

Hamstring Stretches

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So my past few Instagram posts have shown me doing some hamstring stretches. I have torn one of my hamstrings twice – both times playing hockey, you would have thought I might have learned from my mistakes but apparently not! Therefore, I understand the importance of looking after this muscle group.

About the hamstring

The hamstring refers to a group of 3 muscles that run along the back of your thigh, from your hip to just below your knee. These are called Bicep Femoris, Semimembranosus and Semitendinosus

Your Hamstring muscles are not used much while standing or walking but are very active during activities that involves bending the knee, such as running jumping and climbing.

When does injury occur?

An injury occurs when any of the tendons or muscles are stretched beyond their limit. More often than not they occur during sprinting, lunging or jumping. More gradual slower movements can also cause the hamstring to overstretch.

Prevention 

  • Regular stretching
  1. Towel stretch
    Sit upright, loop a towel over your foot and hold each end. Pull your leg up and do NOT bend your knee, keep your other leg flat on the floor and your back straight. Hold for 20-30 seconds, relax and repeat 3 times on each leg
  2. Simple stretch
    Sit on the floor with both legs straight out in front of you. Extend the arms and reach forward by bending at the waist as far as possible. Keep your knees straight. Hold for 20-30 seconds and repeat 3 times.
  3. Hurdle Stretch
    Sit on the floor 1 leg straight out, bend the other leg at the knee and position sole of the foot against your opposite thigh. Extend arms and reach forward over the straight one by bending at the waist. Hold for 20-30 seconds, relax and repeat 3 times on each leg
  • Foam Roll
  • Massage
    If the hamstring is still tight after stretching and foam rolling then you need to book in for a Sports Massage. 30 minutes on just the hamstrings is enough to prevent an injury. You need to listen to your body otherwise you will end up with a tear like me and you will be out of training for weeks!

See my Instagram for pictures of the stretches @mollysportsmassage

Deep Tissue/ Sports Massage Myths

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In this article I will be talking about a few myths people think/assume a Sports Massage or Deep Tissue will be like.

Background on Muscles

There are two primary categories of tissue that massage therapists address. They are the superficial tissue layers which include skin, fatty layer and superficial fascia. The other is the deep tissues or structures such as muscles, ligaments, tendons and deep fascia.

Superficial layers are massaged using Swedish or relaxation massage techniques which reduce stress and relax clients.

Deep tissue simply means you work with the deeper underlying structures, a variety of massage techniques will be used, some will involve a firmer pressure, and some will be a lot lighter. It always depends on a client’s needs and pain threshold as to how much pressure I apply.

The Myths

  • Deep tissue means a lot of pressure

Pressure is a personal preference, as a therapist I will listen to clients and what they need. Sometimes only lighter pressure is needed to achieve a good result. If I need to apply more pressure I will ask and only go as far as a client wants.

  • More pressure = better result

Massage is about applying a specific technique to an area of tissue to get a particular physiological response. Different areas require different techniques and therefore different pressures, for example you would not apply the same pressure on a trigger point and an adhesion.

  • Deep tissue massage is meant to be painful 

Sports Massage can be an intense treatment and pain may be felt, however this does depend on the level of tissue damage you have.

More damage = More pain.

If too much pressure is applied the muscle may tense up and as a reaction the client can move away from a therapist. This is when I adjust the pressure and adapt the pressure to the client’s needs. A too painful massage can be counterproductive and have the opposite result to the intended outcome.

Communication is key for this – tell me when the pressure is too much, and I will stop!

  • Bruising is a good thing

As a therapist I hate bruising people and it is a rare occurrence I can promise you. If you are prone to bruising, then please tell me so that I can ease off the pressure and be more careful.

Bruising is not a good thing – but due to the nature of the massage can sometimes happen.

As a therapist we can only go on client feedback, I cannot stress enough that ‘no pain no gain’ is a key element of sports massage. Yes, some pain may need to be endured to get results, but I am not a mind reader, I don’t know if what I am applying is too much unless you tell me! I will not be offended or judge you if you tell me it is too much for you.

Not all therapists are the same – one bad experience with a painful massage does not mean we are all like that! Try one and see!

 

 

Why should I get a Sports Massage?

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A lot of people see massage as a luxury and not a necessity. When you think of a ‘massage’ you think nice music, gentle pressure and you leave feeling all relaxed. Sports Massage is not the same – it is a combination of serval massage techniques that are used to target specific muscle groups used during different activities/exercise. After a Sports Massage you will feel lighter, more powerful and more flexible. All of those nagging aches and pains will have been addressed which will help to reduce the likelihood of injury.

Injury prevention

The most important reason to get a sports massage is to help muscles, ligaments, tendons and joints to move though their full range of motion. You want your body to be able to perform at its best while you’re training, there is no point in not reaching your optimum performance just because of tight muscles.

Many injuries are brought about by overusing certain muscles. This can result in soreness, pain and inflammation. Regularly Sports Massages can help reduce the likelihood of the muscles becoming overused in the first place and can also help reduce the initial inflammation that leads to injury. Sports Massage can also reduce the chance of injury recurrence, it is most effective for treating soft-tissue injuries.

Pain reduction and relaxation

More often than not the pain you are feeling is a result of tight muscles. Sports Massage techniques will help to reduce the tension in the muscles which in turn will reduce the pain. Massage also flushes out the lactic acid and toxin in the muscles which will reduce that DOMS feeling post exercise (delayed onset muscle soreness).

Although a Sports Massage can be a bit painful and a deeper pressure, it is a great tool that you can use to reduce stress. A build-up of tension around your shoulders and neck can cause you to get headaches and makes you feel lethargic. Often after a massage you can find you are in a healthier psychological state as well as feeling physically relaxed.

 

If you want to continue training at a high intensity and be injury free, then you need to invest in yourself and get regular massage. I always say that massage every 4-6 weeks is what everyone should be doing, if you have a niggle or injury then a few massages closer together may be required.

 

Post Marathon Sports Massage

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Congratulations to everyone who ran the marathon today – I hope you are all happy with your times!

Sports Massage is vital after a marathon, the most effective time to get a massage is 1-3 days after the event.

The style of the massage will be a bit different to your pre-event ones as the post-event massage will be focused on aiding the lymphatic system. This will help remove waste products and aid recovery. Therefore, the massage techniques used will be a bit lighter and more gentle – you will thank me for this as during the marathon micro damage will have occurred in your muscle tissues and a firm massage could make these worse. Not to mention it would HURT!

Some Benefits of Sports Massage Post Marathon:

  • Helping the circulatory system deal with the waste products which, if they stay in the muscles will cause pain
  • Reducing the intensity of delayed muscle soreness (DOMS) which is usually experienced 1-3 days after a marathon
  • Stretching the muscles and improving the flexibility of the muscles
  • Helping to heal the micro damage to the muscle tissue that occurs during a long run
  • Releasing endorphins which act as a natural pain relief

If you know someone who is struggling after their marathon then I have appointments available this week. Don’t forget that they will get 20% off their first 1-hour massage at Locker 27.

Call : 07908588096               Email: mollysportsmassage@gmail.com