"STRETCH MY ...WHAT"???

Hello folks,

After a long week of running in the amazing setting of the French Alps, I could most certainly do with a stretch! As I was training with an amazing group of athletes, it was very difficult not to dig in and offer to stretch away any aches and pains after one of many difficult running sessions. However, I did acknowledge that I too, was on my holidays and deserved a break. To be truthful though, there have been times over the last 2 weeks when I just couldn't help myself. The title of the blog may seem a little odd - but this is how most people respond when I suggest that a particular area might need some attention.

For instance, one of the runners in my 12 week exercise programme, keeps waking up with a stiff neck and back and she feels like it takes her at least 30 minutes in the mornings to be able to lift her arms. I suggested that she stretch her chest and the response I got was "my what?....you are joking aren't you?"
However, after a quick assisted stretch of her pecs before our running session, this lovely lady said she couldn't believe how much relief this simple stretch had given her. As an accountant (lets call this lady Marie) Marie spends a lot of time at a desk and working on a computer resulting in a slightly slouched posture and a tight chest. So, relaxing the various fibres of her pectoral muscles allowed Marie to relax her shoulders and regain better posture.

Another runner with calf tightness was surprised when I suggested some more effective stretches for his hamstrings. I'm sure that sometimes people think I don't know my anatomy from my elbow.......
but anyway, after promising that he would spend the week doing both dynamic and static stretching on his legs, our very capable runner was greatly surprised at the results. In his words "while I can still feel my achilles, it doesn't feel like it is going to 'twang' and my legs feel lighter".

My point today is that any discomfort that you feel, any twinge or tightness, may be caused by tight tissue elsewhere in the body. Remember that the fascia is like a web that travels through and surrounds all soft tissue in the body, so if you pull one strand somewhere, it will tighten somewhere else. When you are stretching, even if you don't feel a stretch at the exact location of your tight hamstring/calf/pec, you should aim to feel a stretch anywhere along that line. A classic example is trying to stretch the IT Band - well, we call it stretching the ITB, but we are really targeting the soft tissue around this area. Try this stretch - standing tall, cross your right foot in front of your left - reach with both arms towards the ceiling then allow your body to lean towards the left while stretching your arms upwards towards the left . You may feel this stretch in the side of your thigh, just above your waist in the QL's or even in your lats...but wherever you feel the stretch, stay with it for a few breaths and let the tissue slowly relax.

If you want to really feel the results and benefits of an assisted fascial stretch, book into the Ballincollig or Clonakilty Clinics for July - mention this blog and get 20% off - offer ends this Friday 6th July.
Happy Stretching :)

BALLINCOLLIG CLINIC BACK UP AND RUNNING

Well, after a few months digging in here in Clonakilty, I have decided to relaunch the clinic in Ballincollig. This week, I had an editorial in the Cork Independent and the feedback I have received has been huge. The editorial seems to have hit the nail on the head when it comes to people just not feeling right in their own bodies! We all know what it feels like to pull a muscle, or to injure your shoulder or indeed to wake up after a late night in front of the computer.
Most people feel a bit silly going to their GP or Physio saying, 'Well, I just feel a bit achy when I wake up in the morning and it takes me a while to be able to move comfortably'......this complaint is so much more widespread than we would think. However, as life sees us move away from 'hunter gatherer' type rolls and more towards 'search engines and car engines', we have also become less mobile and less active. That ache between your shoulder blades when you try to lift your baby after a days work, that niggling pain that repeatedly rears its head when you try to run after the dog....these can often be caused by old neglected, tight soft tissue injuries that healed but were never fully 'ironed out'.
Not only can I stretch, lighten, relax and relieve tight muscles, but I will also show you what to do at home so that you can keep them limber.
Clinics continue on an ongoing basis in Clonakilty, and the Ballincollig clinic returns on the 18th of July at the Old Town House at the entrance to Muskerry Estate (where the Osteopathy clinic is by Cronin's Dentist). This clinic now has only 3 appointments left folks -although if these book up soon, I may put on a second day. Hope to stretch you soon ;))

STRANGE UNDERPANTS!!!

Hello All,
I'm sure you're wondering about the odd title. Please let me explain (in a very long winded way).
At a recent course for Athletics, as part of a warm up for shot put, a group of about 25 of us were playing a short game of tag. As you know, this involves lots of running, bending, twisting, reaching and finally, grabbing.As I reached for one players 'tag', he changed direction and I grabbed at whatever I could get a grip on - unfortunately for him, this happened to be the waistband of his jocks. This was also an unfortunate error on my part, as I ended up snapping a bone in my finger and causing a little bit of damage to the tendon. Thankfully, I hadn't ruptured the tendon - an injury referred to as a 'Jersey finger'.
Why, I hear you ask, is this relevant to a blog on fascial stretch therapy? Well, as I have been unable to treat any clients in the last 2 weeks, I have started devising ways to treat my own stuck joints and fascia. Having had a 'baby cast' change in the last few days, I realise that my hand has become very stiff and I can't straighten some of my fingers. I also noticed that my left arm is not extending fully as I have been guarding my injured hand and keeping my elbow bent. So, this morning, I went through a full body stretching sequence starting from the ground and focusing on trying to feel a stretch from the soles of my feet to the tips of my fingers. I worked at staying as relaxed as possible and I carried out all my slow stretches in time to my breath - I no longer 'count down' my stretches. I am amazed at what the results are. I have full range of motion back into my creaky elbow and my shoulder, which had started to ache has really loosened out and relaxed. My physio is due to start next week - at which point, I hope I will be told that there isn't much work to be done. Remember to allow a period of recovery before stretching after injury - this period will be determined by your caregiver. But once you do start to stretch, you will be amazed at how it will aid recovery. Work with the whole limb as opposed to focusing on individual muscle groups and stay relaxed. And most of all - to stay injury free, Don't go putting your hands into strange men's underpants!

STRETCH TO SLEEP

I can't believe that we have hit the end of February already. February has been my busiest month yet for FST and I have had a very satisfying few weeks of therapy delivery. A number of factors have influenced my satisfaction levels.....
1) Word of mouth has provided me with a boost in client numbers - it's always great to hear "John told me about how you helped him with his hip issue....I wonder if you could help me...."
People only spend time talking about a therapy if it has really worked for them - and it has been plain to see over the last few weeks, that Fascial Stretch Therapy has been a welcome addition to the therapies offered in West Cork.
2) I have seen a really wide range of issues over the last month from old injuries, to niggling pains, to individuals who didn't know they had anything up until they got up off the table and felt so much better - one comment was "Oh my God, I havn't been able to do that since I was a teenager....". But you will have to come for a session to find out what 'that' was!
3) I have had a huge amount of positive feedback regarding the therapy. One client, who we will name Marie, told me that she thought that the rounding of her shoulders and her bad 'shape' (referring to the position of her shoulders and upper body posture) was hereditary. After 3 sessions (2 upper body, one lower body) , Marie is standing straighter and taller than she has in her whole life. She is no longer getting pains along her shoulders and she can sleep through the night now as she no longer gets the pains in her arms and shoulders from lying on her side. Marie has been seeing me for six weeks and while I have given her a selection of exercises to do at home, she does find it difficult to find the time to do them.
This is a very common problem, and working in fitness, I hear this every day. This is why group exercise can be so productive. Find a gym that will let you block book your week of classes for a set price - that way, your schedule is planned out for the week and you are more likely to get the work done!  Remember that any therapy that you receive - be it FST, deep tissue massage, osteopathy or Active Release Technique, must be followed up with an effort on your behalf to maintain the effects. You must contribute to your own wellness!
One client has returned to me 3 weeks after his first session saying that the tightness in his calves had returned and that once again, he was having to cut down on his marathon training. Bearing in mind that this very fit gent is running in excess of 40 miles per week, I asked him if he had integrated the stretch programme I had given him, into his training week. When he sheepishly said that he hadn't, I did mention that I would be delighted to stretch him twice a week for a nominal fee..... I think he got my point after this. Of course, it would be fantastic for me if nobody took control in the management of their own mobility - but it wouldn't be so fantastic for their finances!

Finally, now that I have started therapy every Monday in the GAA complex in Ahamilla, Clonakilty, I am able to take early morning sessions and late evening sessions and everything in between, so many more will be able to benefit from a fulfilling nights sleep after a relaxing session of FST from me ;)

BALLINCOLLIG & CLONAKILTY CLINICS

Another reminder folks:
Clinic returns to Clonakilty next week, from Monday 9th of January and in Ballincollig on Monday 23rd of January. Evening appointments available. Book early to avoid disappointment.