Skills and Services advert.

Hi, Welcome to 2014, I hope you have all had a fantastic wee break over Christmas and New Year and are raring to get into the coming year! This post is really an advert for my services that I posted on the goodmassage facebook page. I liked it enough to think I should post it hear too 🙂

Next article due out before the end of the month…stay tuned 

This years theme is  ‘Life – Get into it’ 🙂

If you have tired sore muscles from work or just day to day life then I can help you. If you have chronic headaches, stress or muscle fatigue, then I can help YOU.

80% of my work involves relieving clients sore back, neck and shoulders. 

If you have sore or tight muscles from exercise, I can ease your pain. If you are training for an event or regularly participating in your sport, then I can cut your recovery time in half so a) You can train more effectively and b) You can get more out of your sport or recreation. 

If You have a soft tissue injury, scar tissue, or have recently had surgery, then I can help. If you are restricted in your movement or have a reduced range of motion in your joints due to soft tissue then I can help. 

My past clients include:
NZ Olympic Team – Athens 2004
All Blacks
Crusaders
PGA Golf
NZ Swimming 
Canadian Wheelchair Rugby Team
10 years in clinical practice. 

Call now to make your appointment.
0220 588 132

Mobile and Clinic

 

Tension Headaches and Massage

 What is a tension headache?

 A tension-type headache is the most common type of headache and the one we think of as a normal, everyday headache. The pain can radiate from the shoulders, neck, base of the skull, jaw, temples or eyes into the head and is responsible for 90% of all headaches.

Most people will have experienced a tension headache. They can occur at any age however they are more likely in teenagers and adults, and affect women more than men.

–         Symptoms include a dull pressure-like ache, a tight band or vice, localised pain or ache to one side or part of the head but more often all over.

 –         Duration is often only 30 minutes but can be as long as several days or even longer. A tension headache won’t normally stop you from doing everyday activities although they can be incredibly draining. Episodic tension-type headaches are defined as tension-type headaches occurring fewer than 15 days a month, whereas chronic tension headaches occur 15 days or more a month for at least 6 months

–         Triggers include:  stress, dehydration, hunger (lack of nutrients), lack of rest or sleep deprivation, poor posture, eye-strain, inactivity.

 

 How does a tension headache differ from a migraine headache?

Migraines centre a deep throbbing and sometimes severe pain on one side of the head around the eye or temple. Symptoms often include an increased sensitivity to light or noise and are made worse with physical activity. Migraines can cause vomiting and usually peak within 4 to 24 hours.

Tension headaches are usually of a less severe nature or pain, over a more generalised area usually both sides of the head. Tension headaches don’t cause vomiting or sensitivity to light/noise etc. However they can last much longer.

–         Migraine triggers: migraines can be triggered by many of the same triggers as tension headaches such as stress or sleep deprivation, with the addition of other triggers such as allergic reactions, reactions to certain foods ( e.g. red wine, chocolate, cheese, avocado), MSG, nitrates, menstrual cycle fluctuations and birth control pills. Interestingly migraines can be triggered by tension headaches!

 

 Muscles that commonly cause tension headaches and their referral patterns.

 When muscles become tight and sore by way of the causes mentioned above they often produce trigger points.  Trigger points are hyper-sensitive areas within a muscle (most people know them as ‘knots’) which, when bad enough begin referring pain to other parts of the body.

These muscles typically refer pain into the head…

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How can Goodmassage help your tension headache?

 A skilled massage therapist can reduce and/or eliminate your tension headache by effectively massaging and releasing the involved muscles and eliminating the trigger points responsible. A Good Massage therapist will show you how to safely self-manage any recurring headaches with stretching, trigger point release, improved posture and complimentary exercise. 

 Regular preventative massage insures your muscles stay in tip top condition. 🙂 

 

 

Opening Hours over the Christmas break.

🙂 Merry Christmas! Last day for booking this year will be Monday 23rd December 2013. There are still a few sessions available and of course there are both half and hour gift vouchers

– great last minute stocking fillers! 🙂

Still working on the next and last article for the year, aiming to publish this week.

 

J

 

 

 

 

Sciatica and sports massage

 

December 2013

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Are you restricted by sciatic pain? Can a Good Massage help? Here is a brief description of common causes of sciatic pain and how a good sports massage and effective stretching can relieve and manage sciatic pain for you.  

www.goodmassage.co.nz

What is sciatica?

Sciatica describes a set of symptoms that can include lower back pain, pain in the glutes (buttocks), pain shooting down the leg, and numbness or tingling in parts of the leg and foot. Often it is just experienced on one side of the body, and sciatic pain can be debilitating and exhausting to live with.

What causes sciatica?

Irritation of the sciatic nerve anywhere along its route, most commonly where it exits the spinal column and where it passes through tight muscle in the glutes (buttocks) or lower back can cause sciatic symptoms. Common causes include herniated disc (slipped disc), natural degeneration of the lumbar vertebrae, or trauma to the spine caused by accident. Muscular tightness particularly in the piriformis muscle and lower back and pregnancy are also common causes of sciatica. Less common causes include spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spinal canal) or a growth or infection.

What is piriformis syndrome?

The piriformis muscle is an external rotator of the thigh attached to the anterior sacrum and top of the femur. It is one of six muscles known as the deep six. Look at your feet, now turn your whole leg so your feet are pointing out… that’s your piriformis at work.

Piriformis syndrome is when the piriformis muscle compresses the sciatic nerve, creating sciatic pain. This can be caused by posture, or physical activity/overuse.

Good sports and deep tissue massage can ease tight muscles that cause sciatica

Does sports massage provide effective sciatica treatment?

Yes, if your sciatic pain is caused by tight or stiff muscles compressing the sciatic nerve (as in piriformis syndrome), then sports massage can be very effective. Good massage can be at its most effective when used as a preventative on a regular basis. If you suspect sciatica or piriformis syndrome, early intervention can ease muscle tightness and prevent it becoming established. If you already have chronic sciatic pain good sports massage can be very effective at returning muscles to optimal health and relieving sciatic pain.

Where one muscle becomes stiff or tight the surrounding muscles often compensate and as a result become over-loaded also. Continuing irritation of the sciatic nerve can also create a cycle of pain where-by surrounding muscle contracts in order to protect the area. This exacerbates the original tightness, further compressing the sciatic nerve. A good sports and remedial therapist can manually locate, ease and soften tight muscles, providing relief of pressure, and relief of pain.

If there are other underlying issues that created the primary irritation to the sciatic nerve (and the muscles simply reacted to try to protect the area), then sports massage can work in support of other treatment modalities. Once you have a diagnosis of sciatica, it is important to inform your sports massage therapist of the full details.

 

Care and support post-treatment with Good Massage Christchurch.  

At Good Massage Christchurch we firmly believe in education and providing you with simple tools for better health. Your therapist can demonstrate simple stretches and postural awareness for effectively managing sciatic pain and preventing further muscle tightness.

We believe in placing your health back in your hands so YOU can be involved in improving on, and maintaining the benefits that sports massage has provided.

Good Massage Piriformis Stretch link.(Youtube video)

Please note that this article is for general information purposes only. If you are suffering from sciatica, diagnosis should be carried out by your Doctor, or a medical professional. Good Massage is not liable for the content of any external websites.

© Jason MacDonald 2013. 

 

Opening Post

My first post… after a two year ‘break’ post earthqauke, I have renewed my passion for massage therapy and as of three weeks ago embarked on re-establishing myself as the leading therapist in the Christchurch area.

The story so far…My Facebook site goodmassage has trebled in three weeks…awesome! 🙂 thank you to all my friends, family and supporters, you rock! My ‘Likes’ now stand at 53.

Today I endeavoured to teach myself all about the world of blogging… for something so ‘easy’ it has been a looooong and frustrating journey today and I am still none-the-wiser on sooo much of it. Honestly I feel like I’ve gone to watch the space shuttle take off and ended up facing the wrong way!

There is a lot to learn, so expect some changes 🙂

Jason