The low-down on Plantars

Have you ever got out of bed to find that all you can manage is a hobble for a walk?  When every step you take is pure agony for the first few minutes of walking around.  You may find that you have a condition called Plantar fasciitis.  Needle-like pain is often felt near the heel, on the sole of the foot.  I suffered terribly from Plantars for a number of years.  In fact, I only realised that I had it when I was studying for my Sports Massage Therapy Diploma.  I had to bring it to my medical practitioner’s attention before I was officially diagnosed.  The good news is that for such a shockingly painful condition, it can be alleviated pretty quickly and effortlessly.

The Plantar fascia is a band of connective tissue that runs from the heel to the ball of the foot.  It has limited flexibility and a limited blood supply.  As the name suggests, Plantar fasciitis involves inflammation of this tough fibrous tissue.  It can even involve microscopic tears and bleeding of the fascia.  The healing process then creates scar tissue, which unfortunately is inelastic and can cause further problems.  So, don’t delay getting it treated.

What causes Plantars?  Tight calf muscles, excessive pronation (foot rolling inwards), sudden take-offs, a change of shoes and changing to a new sport can all attribute to this condition.  So what can you do to treat it?  Stretch and gently stretch, and then stretch those calf muscles – that’s the Gastrocnemius and the Soleus (see my Calf Muscle Blog for a reminder of these muscles and stretching protocols). 

  

Buy a spikey ball, or use a rolling pin, or tennis ball to stretch out the fascia by rolling either of them underfoot.  Go gently – you don’t want to create more inflammation, I learnt the hard way and created a huge lump under my foot from excessive pressure.  Ice the sole of the foot for 5-10 minutes – frozen peas wrapped in a wet tea towel, or a cold bottle of beer is good for this.  Roll the bottle under your foot (protect the floor first).  Drinking the beer after is optional – our Coach recommends a corn-based beer for good running carbs! 

Ask your Medical Practitioner to prescribe a plantarflexion foot splint for wearing in bed – not the most attractive item, but needs must…  Don’t try and walk to the loo in the night with one of these boys on!  Get your partner some good ear plugs for when you unfasten the industrial velcro tabs in the middle of the night so you don’t become too unpopular!

The prognosis is good, but left untreated pain proliferates and a predisposition to tears of the plantar fascia can occur.

Please contact me for more information and special offers at LSM.  Bye for now!

Marathon Massaging

Post event massage is administered as soon as an athlete has adequately warmed down after competition, or athletic activity.  I have performed post-event massage at the London Marathon since 2009.  My services were provided for some particularly hard working (through fund-raising and of course running 26.2 miles!) and well-deserving charity runners.

This type of massage is light, free-flowing and gentle in all respects.  It utilises sweeping and pumping techniques that help rid the muscle fibres of waste material, and bring fresh oxygenated blood to facilitate healing.  It helps recovery and to restore regular muscle function.  It can also be used to facilitate warming-down, to help check for injuries and to monitor the athlete’s health.   Post competition and training, muscle fibres tend to suffer from microscopic tears.  Deep massage would aggravate the trauma to the tissues.  Any inflammation and bleeding could be increased.  Always tell your Massage Therapist if you have been training hard, have a competition coming up soon, or have just finished a competition – it is imperative that your treatment is adjusted accordingly.

Post event marathon massage is a very interesting part of a Sports Massage Therapist’s job.  You get to meet lots of different athletes from different cities and countries, hear about their training regimes, their personal ambitions and their achievements.  Everyone has a ‘running story’ – what brought them to running in the first instance and what led them to run a Marathon.  Some of the people you meet make a profound mark on you.  Our bodies are wonderful machines that we can train to perform remarkable feats – training for a Marathon involves great mental and physical preparation.

I was taught to look out for a variety of injuries and to monitor the runner’s physical health in general.  The most common injuries tended to be blisters, swollen limbs, exacerbation of pre-existing, or ‘chronic’ injuries/conditions, heat exhaustion, dehydration, cramps and hypo-glycaemia (low blood sugars). 

I was particularly interested in exploring the muscle tissue condition.  I was amazed by the runners who had prepared very thoroughly for the Marathon, in particular how little the miles seemed to affect their muscles.  The bodies of those who had adopted a less structured training approach told a different story – one of pain, tightness, tenderness, inflammation and general trauma.

One particular year, I met a runner who had completed 44 Marathons and was aiming for 50 – meeting him touched me deeply.  His well-conditioned body, with soft fluid strong muscle was inspirational to me, for his body was so well prepared and conditioned that it did not seem to be affected by the activity at all.

Preparing well allows our bodies to become acclimatised and cope with the excessive demands placed upon the body.  It allows us to stand a better chance of being injury free and to have a longer ‘running life expectancy’.

If you, or your club, are interested in Post-Event Sports Massage in Cyprus, please get in touch.

What is a Sports Massage?

Who is it for?
It is for athletes and non-athletic people alike, as everyone can benefit from this form of massage therapy.

What does it do?Sports massage utilises a variety of specialist techniques in order to help restore healthy function to muscle tissue.  This in turn can help reduce the likelihood of sporting injuries, help the athlete to perform at their optimum, prepare the athlete for events, help support recovery from events and assist with the healing of injuries.

What can I expect from a Sports Massage?
The Sports Massage Therapist should begin the session with a thorough consultation, looking at previous or current injuries, and medical conditions.  The Therapist then assesses the client and devises a plan for treatment.  Treatment is usually beneficial as a course of sessions.  Thereafter, monthly maintenance treatments are recommended to keep muscle tissue healthy.  The treatments that I offer, once the consultation is completed, last for 45minutes.  However, sometimes it is more useful for smaller more frequent sessions to be administered, but this depends on the area of focus and the client’s needs.

Will the treatment be painful?
The Therapist will work closely with the client in order to monitor how effective techniques are.  You’ll find that the pain perceived in a Sports Massage is usually described as a ‘gainful’ or ‘grateful’ pain, and that this diminishes rapidly to give way to feeling much more comfortable.

What are these special Sports Massage Techniques?
Sports Massage Techniques include things like NMT (Neuro Muscular Technique), STR (Soft Tissue Release), MET (Muscle Energy technique) and CTR (Connective Tissue Release).  These vary in their benefits – from overriding nerve pain responses to stretching out muscles in a specialised manner.

In addition to the specialist techniques, you will recognise some moves from regular massage, but these will mainly be used in a deeper and firmer manner. 

You will also find that Sports Massage focuses on specific areas and is not usually performed as an ‘entire body’ treatment. 

The benefits?

Regular treatments can result in a reduction of sporting injuries.  Having provided Sports Massage to a team of athletes in the UK on a weekly and bi-weekly basis for three years, the Coach was adamant that there were less injuries as a result of my input.  The athletes were also better prepared mentally, as they could rest assured that muscles were soft, pliable and primed for the demands that were about to be made on them.  

Any further questions?  Please don’t hesitate to ask me at evacyprus@me.com 

Bye for now!

Top Ten Stretching Tips

1.       Make sure you warm up first.  Runners can try light jogging on the spot before slowly moving forward, and jumping up and down.  The aim is to get your heart rate up and wake those muscles up.

2.       Pre-sport stretches are best kept to dynamic (moving) stretches.  Runners will benefit from leg swings, knee and ankle rotations, and pointing the toes down and then up.

3.       Never stretch prior to warming-up adequately.

4.       Do not ‘bounce’ during a stretch.

5.       Always stretch slightly less than you are capable of.

6.       Use static (non-moving) stretching after exercise to help you cool down.  Runners will benefit from calf, quadriceps, hamstring, gluteal and quadratus lumborum stretches.  I shall cover these soon.

7.       Do not stretch out traumatised muscles or ligaments.  Be guided by pain, swelling and heat and if you feel like you might be aggravating an existing condition, seek medical help.

8.       Start and exit a stretch gently.

9.       Aim to perform a static stretch for 10 to 20 seconds and then build up to 2 sets.

10.   If one side, or limb, is stiffer than the other, repeat the stretch an extra time on the stiffer side until symmetry is obtained.

Do listen to your body and seek medical advice for new or persistent injuries - you’re going to need your body to keep performing miracles for you for a long time to come!

Catch you all soon with some information about what Sports Massage is!  Don't forget you can subscribe to LSM updates and special offers at LSM.

Stretching tips for the Marathon Race Day

Brought to you by Eva Cyprus ITEC Dip Sports Massage

Stretching is a huge topic indeed.  The recommended approach to stretching has altered dramatically over the years.  However, there are some factors that we need to be mindful of regardless of the latest developments in the vast field of Sports Science. 

Stretching don’ts:

Never ever bounce (previously in vogue and known as ballistic stretching).  Never stretch cold or injured muscles.  Never stretch beyond what feels pleasant and comfortable.  It is also important to adopt and utilise a stretching routine during your running regime and within your Marathon training programme.  

Why stretch?

In brief, stretching maintains healthy muscle function.  It ensures that the muscle fibres slide fluidly together and apart.  It helps prevent injuries, muscle cramping and forms part of the important cool down – which helps to reduce muscle soreness after activity.  Think of your muscles as guy ropes.  These guy ropes help anchor our bones and give us our posture.  If muscles are overly tight, the body is thrown out of alignment.  The impact of this can be aches and pains, injuries and reduced sporting performance.  Many painful sporting injuries/conditions can be successfully treated via simple stretching techniques.

Stretching pre-race

Warm up first.  An effective way to warm up is jog lightly on the spot and to jump up and down.  Ensure movements are mindful and controlled.  Dynamic stretching (moving stretching) can then be employed.  This involves moving a limb/the body through its range of motion, which in turn warms up the muscles further and loosens off your joints.  A good dynamic stretch for the legs involves gently swinging an extended leg forwards and backwards from the hip.  Arm, trunk, ankle and knee rotations are also useful.  By observing this practise, you will reap the benefits at the start of the race, as your muscles will use less energy to produce these movements.  You can then move on to light static (non-moving) stretches.  Static stretches prior to a race have carried the most controversy.  Your own preference will dictate whether you wish to practise these.  Personally, I find them useful as they seem to prep my muscles very effectively.  Keep it light and easy.  Stretch well within what is comfortable and achievable.  Muscle groups to target include the calves (stretch the gastrocnemius and the soleus separately), the hamstrings (at the back of the thigh), the quadriceps (at the front of the thigh), the iliotibial band (it spans from the side of the knee towards the hip) and the hip flexors.  In future articles, we will explore good practice for these stretches.

Stretching post race

Make sure you walk around for a while after the race.  Walking for a mile or so will help to prevent your muscles from going in to spasm.  Grab food and drink during this time. Ensure you replace your electrolyte balance.  Good foods to eat include bananas and water melon.  Foods rich in magnesium (the most important electrolyte) will help prevent cramps, and these include spinach, nuts and whole grains.  Before you cool down, it may be possible for you to perform extremely gentle static stretches.  This depends on how well conditioned your muscles are to the activity performed.  If your muscles are painfully sore, even the most gentle of stretches are probably best to be avoided as greater muscle tears may be present.  If light stretches are possible for you, try and perform at least one set before you cool down as this will help reduce muscle soreness and the risk of injury.  Keep moving, keep mobile, keep hydrated and refuel.

Remember

When it comes to stretching, no pain gives you the greatest gain!  Make time to maintain healthy muscle function; you really will gain more running mileage over the years.

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Eva’s lifelong enthusiasm for Sport and the human body led her to specialise in Sports Massage.  She has been the Redbridge Swimming Club’s Official Sports Masseuse since 2008, where her presence has led to the reduction of sporting injuries amongst the London-based County and National Swimmers.  She has performed post event massage at the Flora London Marathon since 2009. She believes that maintaining healthy muscles is key to preventing injuries.  Eva’s main sporting disciplines include running, martial arts, swimming and horse-riding. 

Calf talk…Do you know your Soleus from your Gastrocnemius?

Did you know that you have two calf muscles, the Soleus and the Gastrocnemius?  They are both serviced by the same tendon – the calcaneal tendon.  This tendon is the strongest and thickest tendon in the entire body! 

Were you aware that the two muscles need to be stretched separately for optimum function?  The Soleus tends to be neglected as many people are aware of the classic Gastrocnemius calf muscle stretch.  To stretch the Gastrocnemius, one foot is placed behind the body with a straight knee, whilst the forward leg adopts a bent knee position.  To stretch the Soleus, adopt this pose and then bend the back knee by 5 degrees (play about with the position until you feel a gentle stretch).  I will cover best practice for stretching in another article.

The Soleus muscle is larger than the Gastrocnemius.  You can feel the Soleus’ sides bulging out just behind the Gastrocnemius.  Tightness in these two muscles can contribute to a whole host of problems developing – including tightness in the connective tissue under the foot (the plantar fascia), tendonitis in the Achilles tendon, muscle tears and Achilles tendon rupture. 

As a Marathon runner, one should keep these two calf muscles happy by ensuring they are adequately warmed up pre activity, stretched adequately and appropriately post activity, that running shoes do not dig in to the heels (Achilles tendon region), that training runs build up in intensity and mileage gradually, that terrain changes are factored in gradually and that competition terrain is incorporated during training where possible.   Adding steep hills suddenly in to your running programme could aggravate the Achilles tendon severely.

The main job of these two muscles is to point the toes downward from the heel (plantar flex the foot).  The Gastrocnemius also helps flex the knee.  If you can keep these guys happy, your running will benefit greatly! 

It’s bye from me for now, but I’ll be catching you soon with some Marathon Stretching Tips. Don't forget to join me at LSM for updates and special offers.