Tumgik
#fatals physio corner
fatal-blow · 15 days
Text
by the way if standing or sitting up straight causes pain in ur back, try massaging the soft area beneath your solar plexus
be gentle though because sometimes it will be truly, profoundly painful to touch. just do your best to relax and breathe through it. i promise the relief will be immediate.
296 notes · View notes
spotofimagines · 3 years
Text
About Time ~ Calum Chambers
A/N: I don’t know when this is set, I just made up a match scenario so don’t go looking for details! This is for @footballffbarbiex​‘s writing challenge based off tv and film (go check it out, it’s lasting all year!). I watched Harry Potter recently so took vague inspo from Neville and Harry about halfway into this scene. Also, a moment of silence to remember Cal’s awful cat drawing.... Enjoy :)
Warnings: injury but no detail - reader is female
Summary: Winning a match in that sort of fashion will give Calum the confidence boost with you he’s been waiting for.
Tumblr media
It was the biggest win of the season. A trophy win. A derby win. A penalty and a 30-yard screamer scored by the strikers for the team. A match saving tackle by the man of the hour. It was a big win alright.
Calum had gone down pretty hard from that tackle late on in the match and stumbled about for the last couple minutes of extra time. To keep the story short, his knee was well and truly busted up, but by god was he going to celebrate this win with his teammates.
When the hugging and jumping was over and the physio had dragged him to get sorted out properly, Calum had his mind set on one person and one person only. You. He wanted to find you in this moment like he wanted little else in his life. A congratulations from his friend was ready and waiting, but given the 90 minutes he’d just played and the confidence coursing through him, he’d had a slight change to that set of plans.
He’d tried a few times already to do what he was going to do today but he had always chickened out before he would, too scared to see anything change between you for the worse. But as he steamed through the halls of the Emirates, feet travelling without being told to, he didn’t even think once about the consequences. He was going to do this and he was going to do this now.
Speeding slightly too fast round a corner, Calum had become the focus of someone else.
“Cal, you alright?” Rob stuck his hand out to the side to catch Calum’s arm and attention at the sight of him darting his eyes around like a meerkat.
“Never better. I feel like I can spit fire.” Adrenaline was still running through Calum like crazy. There wouldn’t be anything in the world that could stop him now. Or at least for the next few minutes or so, before the joy of the win will wash away a bit and the proper pain of his injury will set in. But until then, he was a man on a mission whilst he knew it was something he could actually do instead of backing out like the last times.
“You haven’t seen Y/N have you?” The excited smile on his face shone inquisitively as he asked his friend the question, in dire need to find you as soon as possible.
“Y/N?” Rob repeated a little confused, slightly shaking his head no. What could be so urgent that he would be this desperate to find his best friend? “Why-”
“I’m mad for her. Think it’s about time I told her.”
Rob could barely register getting interrupted before he was watching Calum jog off down the corridor, a happy-go-lucky grin on his face that told Rob he really couldn’t care what else was going on in the stadium, with the fans, with the players, with anyone. It was only you. He had to find you.
Turning back around to his girlfriend, Rob just raised his eyebrows with a laugh and shook his head. “He’s done it. He’s finally lost it.”
Calum just kept searching for you amongst the miriade of people in the corridors. His knee was starting to burn a bit again, and he knew the physio would kill him if they found out he’d been jogging around.
But then he turned the corner, and he saw you, and the thought jumped right out of his mind. It felt like everything stopped for a moment; like there weren’t so many people around anymore, like all the oxygen left the air, like there was nothing or no one he’d ever wanted to come across more. He knew he was being a little silly - after all you were just stood leaning against the wall on your phone - yet it seemed like he was back at that stupid art museum a month back when he first tried to tell you his feelings because god, you looked out of this world. And all you were doing was standing there.
There was a fire in his heart he didn’t have a month ago that was willing him on now to sack it all off and get it over with. And there was a fire burning in his knee that was getting worse the longer he stayed still.
So he moved. He walked toward you, intent in every step and all focus on anything else completely lost to the background. He wasn’t going to stop himself - he didn’t want to stop himself - so he didn’t. He just kept walking until the clacking of his boots against the hard floor made you peer up over your phone.
There was an unmissable splendour in his eyes that bore into yours as you slipped you phone into you pocket with a greeting smile. You hadn’t expected to see him so soon after the match and you were on the verge of asking what had brought him to you so soon as you held your hands out, prepared for a giant bone-crushing hug from him you’d grown accustomed to.
Before you could get your mouth to say words and before you could wrap your arms around him, Calum’s hands dived straight to either side of your jaw and pushed your lips on his. Your hands landed on his waist lightly as his warm hands tilted your head up a touch so he could kiss you just that little bit deeper. If this was only happening once, it was going to be perfect.
He felt your lips start to kiss him back after the sudden shock of him on you sauntered away and he smiled to himself at the way it felt to experience this. There had been far too much time between when he first caught a crush on you and when the moment to do something about it had finally arrived.
Calum pulled away before too long and rested his forehead on yours with his eyes still closed. A breathy laugh fell from his mouth as it couldn’t help but curve into a smile. You couldn’t quite find the words you wanted to say, or any words at all for that matter, so you just gently squeezed his sides to cover up your silent spluttering that he couldn’t even see nor notice.
He slipped his hands down to your neck as he moved his head back to look at your face properly. His hair was still a little sweaty and he was definintely out of breath but his eyes gleamed as bright as his grin. He took a deep breath and tried to compose himself now that he was close up to the beautiful girl he yearned to see five minutes ago. It felt just like a dream to be in a moment like this.
Except you weren’t quite smiling like he was. And now he’s realising there are people around you. And he’s still wearing his dirty kit. And his knee is definitely going to need another check by the physio from the heat that’s searing through it. His heart is still in dreamland and his smile is still etched on his face, but his brain just dropped back to earth and hit the ground. Luckily for Calum though, he never has favoured his mind over his mood.
He watched your eyes for a second and took another breath whilst his thumb started moving up and down along your jaw. “Mate, I am sorry if that was way off what you thought of me, but I’ve been waiting to do that for a while. And I know I ain’t thinking straight right now with that win and my knee is making me go doo-lally mental, probably not the best idea to run round half the bloody stadium for you, but I needed to do that.” He sighed as all his words tumbled out of him. “I just needed to do that...”
Your eyes never left his for a second, and you hoped he had some sort of super mind-reading powers hidden in him somewhere so he could know what you felt, because your mouth was trailing years behind your brain. You wanted to tell him how right it felt, how often you’d imagined his lips on yours, how much you wanted it to happen too. But your stammering wouldn’t let you. You were counting your lucky stars that winning this trophy had washed him in so much exhileration that he hadn’t noticed your prolonged reaction, or at least he hadn’t done anything about it.
He was hopped up on the sugar of you and you were so shocked by his sudden actions that your hardwire system shut down.
His body shifted under the palms of your hands and he was about to take a step backwards away from you when your snaked your arms around his torso to stay close to him. “Well mate,” you teased, tilting your head to keep looking up at him directly with a smirk, “whatever you seem need, it works for me.”
He scoffed a laugh at the words that you managed to say and mockingly rolled his eyes at you as you giggled. Those bright blue eyes hadn’t lost a single spark since he saw you a minute ago and they didn’t look keen to be dimming any time soon either.
Calum just pulled you closer to him again for another kiss, this time shorter, and sweeter, and less system-knocking. This time it was Calum. This time it certainly wasn’t a dream.
The thumb on your jaw moved along your skin a couple more times when you looked back at each other, you smiles carved in stone on your faces. His fingers trailed over your shoulders and down your arms until his right hand found solace linked together with yours. You simply watched him, how his shoulders stood tall over you but weren’t wound as tightly as before.
When your eyes met his once more, he suddenly dropped his effervesant smile and furrowed his brows. “I’m being serious now though. If I don’t get this knee looked at in the next 30 seconds, I’ll be chopping it off.” You chuckled as his complaint and secured your hand in his before nudging his arm forward to get him to start walking back to where he’d come from.
“Oi, don’t laugh, it could be fatal! I could be facing life on bed rest for my heroics today.” As hard as Calum tried to make his words sound convincing, the cheeky grin fighting it’s way onto his face sold him out. Every time.
“Alright, superman,” it was your turn to roll your eyes as you placed your other hand on his arm whilst you walked nestled against him, “let’s get you checked on so you can fly me back home.”
23 notes · View notes
kyaranflowers · 5 years
Text
Personal Injury Lawyer Grand Junction co
What is the grand junction personal injury lawyer and a personal Harm Claim? The Grand Junction private harm attorneys at Killian Davis Richter & Mayle, P.C. An skilled private damage lawyer will assist each shopper from the Grand Junction space formulate a technique with a excessive likelihood of success. The place possible, our profiles may even embrace hyperlinks to a personal injury lawyer’s personal biography, firm web site, and other relevant data to think about. A paralegal won’t handle your case, our attorneys will! When carrying passengers, your motorcycle should be outfitted to handle them. If requested, you will need to provide a statutory declaration-a sworn assertion describing the circumstances that gave rise to your declare. A statement of Claim is generally ready by the Plaintiff’s lawyer. Contact us right now for assist understanding how knowledgeable lawyer might help. Name Peters & Nolan, LLC at 970-243-4357 or contact us online at this time to schedule your free consultation. There's currently no data obtainable about fees or if Otero Jerry D presents free initial consultation.
All fees and expenses for conducting assessments, examinations and making ready reviews are paid out of your medical and rehabilitation limits. Be alert that sometimes, though rarely, juries or courts will decree a decrease settlement than what was supplied initially out of court docket. It is predicated on a scale of three to 15, with a decrease rating usually indicating a extra severe harm. Motor vehicle Accidents: Motorcar accidents kill a whole lot of Colorado drivers yearly and injure thousands extra. Browse greater than one million listings, masking all the pieces from criminal defense to personal damage to estate planning. When an accident happens to either your self or a loved one it is best to converse with one in every of our representatives as quickly as attainable. If you find yourself injured it's crucial that you just enlist the companies of one among our Grand Junction Accident Lawyers as soon as potential. There are a number of methods one might be convicted of private injury fraud, corresponding to insurance fraud.
A talented Grand Junction private injury fraud lawyer will help defend you against these costs. Grand Junction residents can rely upon Brake Legislation for its famend status in constructing customized and guided illustration with their private harm circumstances. Evaluate 33 attorneys and 9 law corporations in Grand Junction, CO. Type by highest score and years of personal harm expertise. Pofahl Regulation Agency, Pc, an Albuquerque personal harm regulation agency, is prepared to take on your case and combat in your rights. The attorneys at our firm collectively have over 70 years of expertise helping injured individuals combat for their rights to compensation. I am so confident in my capability to press your claim that I make this promise: If I don’t obtain compensation for you, you'll owe nothing for my companies. Find a lawyer who will present free consultations, and generally don't require any fee until you obtain compensation.
The legislation states that the claims of your members of the family could also be topic to a monetary deductible, though no deductibles are applied in instances involving a fatality. Non-obligatory Benefit - Additional Benefits purchased by the Insured or in personal injury attorneys grand junction co some circumstances a family member of the Insured. In case you are injured in an vehicle, snowmobile, ATV, bike or dirt bike accident, you're entitled to certain accident advantages (usually paid by your personal insurance company), even if you're at fault for the accident. This rule delivers that in the event you are actually associated with an auto accident your insurer are going to cowl your clinical payments in addition to lost wages as much as a selected amount, regardless of that was truly at fault. The Regulation Workplaces of Robert Koenig has your back when you're up against a wall. The lawyers at the Law Workplaces of Robert Koenig know exactly how troublesome recovering from an harm is and precisely what needs to be performed to alleviate that burden. Mind harm lawyers help those who’ve suffered a critical damage pursue damage awards. If your harm was brought on by somebody else’s negligence, whether on goal or not, you’ll find help with Super Legal professionals.
For example, liability in a trucking accident may discover each truck owner and driver liable for damages to a lifeless or injured sufferer. Many harm survivors are left annoyed and missing the assets they need to cowl medical bills, ache and suffering, lost wages and different damages. Damages - The losses the plaintiff has suffered because of the defendant’s conduct. The regulation states that your declare for pain and suffering could also be topic to a monetary deductible. The law firm has caring individuals who are powerful when dealing with opponents within the court docket room or negotiations. The Legislation Workplace of Chadwick McGrady also supplies 24/7 support. Some essential steps should be take within the primary few days. Get the peace of mind you want and name Harshman, McBee & Leavitt, P.C.. Then Name Kaufman & Kaufman, LLC. Choose up the vehicle relevant data of all of the autos engageded in the incident. The information below about Houska Scot J Lawyer is non-compulsory and only seen if supplied by the proprietor. Seek to grasp the relevant authorized expertise the legal professional brings to your case. Errors can occur and paperwork may be misplaced, either of which could probably destroy your case. Why You Should Have An Injury Lawyer In almost any location, accidents sometimes happens - while travelling, on a street corner, where you live, as well as at the job - accidents tend not to pick the place and time to happen. And they may cause compensation for injuries. Even illnesses that you contracted at a place where you work is particularly category. If you don't have any fault when you get injured, there is an to file an incident for injury. Whether or not the results of the accident is severe is not going to see whether an injury suit meets your requirements. Jane Doe is shopping at her local market, once she reaches the produce isle she slips with a pool of water which includes leaked from your hole within the ceiling. An ambulance is known as and she or he is taken up the hospital. She has a broken arm as well as a badly bruised back. After a few days in the hospital she is sent home. She has been told by the doctor that they cannot work until she heals. Now Jane is faced with paying her bills without having employment checks being released. Her mother recommends that she call a nearby lawyer to ascertain if they are able to help.
Tumblr media
The obvious benefit supplied by hiring the services of legal counsel is that it brings convenience. The processing of legal documentations, the filing of lawsuits, and stuff , involving legality may be very tedious for any regular individual. If you have a personal lawyer, they will be the one who will carry out these tasks for you personally which makes it very convenient from you. • How long you are struggling with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome • The impact the situation has experienced in your everyday life • How your earnings are already affected and whether the condition is likely to prevent or minimise any future earnings • Whether or not a person has had to pay for any medical aides like wrists supports • If you are up front as a consequence of travelling to appointments e.g. physio appointments
Tumblr media
Doctors will seldom diagnose issues which is why they've no symptoms. And they get these symptoms from the patient themselves. This is where lots of people make a mistake, both using their doctor as well as their personal injury lawyer. They somehow feel it is unfair they explain every little detail of these problems. That is should somehow be obvious just what the concern is. But it isn't. You have to be your own advocate here. If your neck is within pain, mention it. If you are having spells of dizziness, mention it. Honest and thorough communication will guarantee you get the correct care.
0 notes
fatal-blow · 4 months
Text
Hey You Reading This. Are you in Pain?
Go to this website. See of you can find the thing that's bothering you (pain patterns denoted in red/shaded areas).
Massage the X shown in the diagram. See if it helps.
If you want more information on treating muscle pain, download this book off the Internet Archive:
You deserve to not be in pain. If nothing else has helped, this might.
304 notes · View notes
fatal-blow · 1 year
Text
Self-Massage and Myofascial Pain: Do You Have Low Back Pain?
"Doesn't everyone?" you say. No, actually. Yeah, I find the concept baffling too. However, you too could not have back pain for the low, low price of skimming this post.
The short story of all this is that I've been learning about trigger points, myofascial pain syndrome, and the science of good posture, and I've become so absolutely furious that this stuff isn't common knowledge--
(I have encountered ONE healthcare professional who knows SOME of what I know. FUCKING ONE. And myofascial pain is something that Every Single Human Person has experienced.)
--that I'm making little self-diagnosing guides for common pain patterns based on my own experience as well as The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook, which is now my fucking bible.
Common concerns:
"I'm pretty sure it's just my fibromyalgia." Fibromyalgia and myofascial pain have tons of overlap, so I recommend looking into this regardless!
"I do have pain, but it's carpal tunnel/stomach ulcer/tendonitis/arthritis." Myofascial pain is frequently misdiagnosed, and the treatment for it is easy and unintrusive. Even if the problem isn't myofascial, practicing myofascial release can help relieve muscles associated with these conditions.
"Will I hurt myself?" Probably not*. Self-massage can cause bruising if you're a little enthusiastic, like myself, but you won't cause long term damage. Maintaining focus and avoiding pulses are your only concerns, and they are mild.
*Some health conditions can make self-massage a bit dicey. I recommend a little research beforehand if youre worried.
"What does myofascial pain feel like?" A lot of things, to put it simply. Some signs of myofascial pain that I've come across are: areas that feel like bruises with no actual bruising, skin sensitivity (if you get pain from, say, running your hand over it in the shower), an assortment of symptoms from various things that seem unrelated, pain that doesn't go away with rest, pain with no clear cause, and more.
"Do I need massage though? Shouldn't I rest?" You also should rest, yeah, but here's the thing. Myofascial pain can be Instantly Relieved with self-massage. So why wait?
Furthermore, trigger points, the cause of these pains, don't always go away with rest. They can create positive feedback loops. If untreated, more trigger points can crop up, and the pain gets worse and spreads. Targetted massage can break that loop.
"Dude, I'm concerned by how much of a conspiracy theory this sounds like." Brother me too. Miracle cures aren't a thing, but stumbling across this information sure has felt like one, given I feel better than I have in years. Just...hear me out on this one. It won't harm you to try these techniques.
"What even ARE trigger points? What's myofascial pain syndrome??"
That's a long answer that I'll need to save for another post. You don't need to know what it is or how it works, though. Just how to treat it.
For more in depth info on self-massage, check out this post.
Disclaimer: I'm not a professional at anything except for being in pain, and constantly weaseling out ways to not be in pain. All this information can, more or less, be found in The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook by Claire and Amber Davies. I'm just organizing it into a more accessible guide for myself and others.
--
I have low back pain, and my feet, knees, and hips also hurt. I might also have widespread pain in general.
This combination of symptoms is often tied to postural issues, and usually it's Morton's Foot (not to be confused with Morton's Neuroma).
One in four people have this quirk in their anatomy. The short of it is that the foot distributes your body weight across two points instead of three--which can leave you feeling off balance.
Mortons Foot can cause widespread pain. If you have other conditions such as hypermobile joints or anxiety, watch out!
Go to www.mortonsfoot.com. They'll explain it better than I can. I can also tell you they're legit; I bought insoles from them and boy do they Work.
Other symptoms: sensitive feet, frequent sprains/rolling of ankle, bad posture, unusual worn spots in footwear.
--
The pain is in a horizontal band across my back.
The nature of trigger points is that referred pain patterns can seem nonsensical. A horizontal band of pain ANYWHERE in the back, not just the low back, can be caused by the abdominal muscles.
Can be caused by slouching, improper lifting, and overworking abs with exercises like sit ups.
Associated with the pain in your back after a hard day of work. This is the source of the "back breaking" in back breaking labour.
Massage Tips:
Do this lying down. Prop your head and shoulders on a couple pillows. Make sure you're warm, cozy, and comfy.
Lower abs should be massaged with fingertips, using your other hand to support them. Use your middle three fingers and begin by searching for tender points. Focus on the central muscle. Raise your head or legs to feel them contract.
If you find a tender point (and I do mean tender. If you're not familiar with pain, you might become concerned. Don't be--your body and mind are made so that you won't hurt yourself doing this) hang out and get to know that muscle. Seek out the spot that hurts the most.
Abdominal muscles go lower than you think. Get your fingers right down in the pelvis. Root around in there like a boar roots around for truffles.
Once you've got your guy, use short strokes from one end of the point to the other. Pain is subjective, but your goal is not to be in agony. Each stroke should cause a sensation right before you would classify it as pain. If you're grimacing, or tensing your muscles, ease off.
You only need 10-12 of these strokes. Search around for other tender points, do the same until you can't find anymore.
Your pain should have eased by now. If some, but not all, has disappeared, or you didn't find any success, try the other techniques in this post.
For more in depth info on self-massage, check out this post.
Your goal: To relax and soften the muscles as much as possible. Heat and other relaxation techniques will help. One session should be enough to bring some relief, but you should repeat this until you stop finding tender spots.
After massage, stand up and gently stretch out your abdominals three times.
--
The pain is on one side, possibly both, and I sit a lot.
The section above can also help chronic sitters, but this section is the meat of the issue for us. My experience with this pain is that it's sharper and more debilitating than typical low back pain. It can make it hard to walk.
Caused by...sitting a lot. Wheelchair users take note, I wouldn't be surprised if this one could help y'all out.
This one is more likely to cause limping. Do you sit with your knees up a lot? This muscle doesn't take kindly to that. You also might have trouble getting up from low seats
Be careful with this one. If it's active, it's gonna hurt like a bitch to poke around.
Massage Tips:
Like the previous massage, lie down with your shoulders and head slightly propped up. Have an extra pillow on hand.
Pick which side you're working on. Prop your knees up, and lay your knees AWAY from your chosen side. Use the pillow to lay them on.
Use the tips of your fingers, using the opposite hand to support them, for massage. You can also put your fingers back to back (make a T) to dig deeper.
Find the hip bone. You can easily start by poking around the inside of it, top to bottom. When you find tender spots, massage with short strokes. Look for the sensation that precedes pain.
You can go deeper by pressing down into the area between the hip bone and belly button. If you feel a pulse, move closer to the hip bone. If you can't get away from the pulse, or if you've found a pulsing mass, go to the hospital. Not joking on that one.
If you're have trouble finding the muscle, bring your knee towards you. It helps if you do this with resistance against the knee. You should feel the psoas muscles flex.
For more in depth info on self-massage, check out this post.
Your goal: Relax, again try not to elicit so much pain that you're tense or grimacing. If these muscles aren't the cause of your pain, you might not even be able to feel it. Sometimes, the psoas muscles are so sensitive that you can barely touch them. Even the lightest massage can help, though, and over time you'll be able to put more pressure.
After massage, gently stretch the leg on that side behind you three times. This is best done while standing. Be careful not to strain it if you are lying down.
--
Feels like, or has been diagnosed as, sciatica.
Sounds like you've got butt problems. Yup, you've got a pain in the ass. Different from Morton's Foot because the pain comes from the hips, and rarely refers all the way down to the feet.
Appropriately, your butt might be tender. Pain tends to extend across the hips, both above and below the belt line
We qualify this as low back pain, but if you put your hand overtop of the painful area it's more like back, upper hip, though that's not always the case.
Usually only one side, but can be both.
Massage tips:
Get yourself a tennis ball. If you're short enough, a doorknob will do in a pinch. If you have access to a Theracane, that's great too.
Brace against your tool of choice using a wall. Start on the outside of your hip, beneath the hip bone. Keep your knee bent and put your weight on the opposite foot. Look for tender areas and massage them out--look for the sensation that precedes pain.
You can also sit to get at your butt muscles easier.
Work all across the outside hip and all across the butt. Hell, get other areas of the lower back while you're here too. This will kill so many birds with one tennis ball.
For more in depth info on self-massage, check out this post.
Your goals: This massage is a bit tougher to control the pressure on, but fortunately the tool you're using is broad enough that it won't elicit the intense sensations that other trigger points can. The back of your hip should feel looser and more relaxed.
After massage, guide the hip through its range of motion. Don't force movement if it feels like the joint is "catching" or if pain intensifies--at worst the area should only be a bit sore afterwards.
--
Pain is a deep ache that feels like it's in the spine itself.
This pain is actually from your spine! Well, generally. A lot of muscle pain gets referred away from the problem point, but these guys are right where you expect them.
Admittedly I have less experience with this back pain, but typically pain is also accompanied by your back feeling stiff as a board. It's the pain typically associated with throwing out your back.
This pain often gets blamed on osteoarthritis, but even if you have signs of damage on xrays, sometimes it's muscular.
Fun fact: these muscles, which run along the spine and interconnect the vertebrae, are only relaxed in two positions: lying on your back, and standing up straight. So if they're tensed up when doing either, something is going on.
Massage Tips
Tennis balls and objects of similar size can help, but sometimes don't penetrate through the muscles well enough. For an extra boost of gravity, you can also lie on a bed, with your tool of choice on top of a paperback book.
Follow the pain, massage it until it feels better. Don't be afraid to dig in if you aren't getting results. The muscle here is thick.
Best practice is getting the tennis ball into the groove of your spine and just going to fucking town.
Theracane can also be used.
For more in depth info on self-massage, check out this post.
Your goal: Your hope is to see a release of tension in the back. Before and after massage, lie down with a heat pack and relax to help soften the muscles.
Don't worry too much about stretching out these muscles until you have more confidence in your body again. It's easy to overstretch and undo all the progress you've made.
--
And that's about it for lower back. I'm happy to add any clarification on these points if necessary, but please don't come into my inbox expecting me to diagnose you.
If you're a friend/mutual, though, feel free to hmu for more specific advice.
Final note: expect to need to work on these more than once, and don't be surprised if you only get relief once you've tried some or all of these. Experimentation is your best friend with myofascial pain, and even if it's not the source of your problems, it's good to gain familiarity with your body and the pain you experience.
151 notes · View notes
fatal-blow · 4 months
Text
An overlooked aspect of chronic pain of the muscles is the role of chronic tension, and an EVEN MORE overlooked aspect is that a lot of people maybe don't know what chronic tension looks like? So here's a short list of signs of chronic tension:
Jaw tension is the one we hear about the most, but did you know you can hold tension in your jaw without clenching your teeth? Believe me, no one is more upset than me having taught myself to stop clenching my teeth and years later diacovering that it didn't do much.
Relatedly, jaw tension is actually the least of your worries--it's most often a side effect, and will clear up when you've addressed the real problems.
Sitting in contorted positions. I like twisting myself up into a pretzel as much as the next guy, but can you actually relax yourself without falling out of that position? If so, try to find ways to maintain those positions without having to hold yourself like.
Sitting with a twist. A lot, a LOT of people sit with their dominant arm pulled forward, and non-dominant pulled back. Try experimenting with twisting your body the opposite way.
Standing with feet pointed forward at shoulder length apart should require very little effort. Try out relaxing as many muscles as you can while standing. If you want, do this in front of a mirror and see what your posture looks like--these are the areas of your body that are tensed so often, that even when you relax they pull you off balance.
Snap, crackle, pop--snapping "joints" are not usually joints, but instead the sound of your muscles releasing after holding a position for too long. In a way they're good--it means the tension is being released, but know that it's a signs of tension being there in the first place, and it can build up.
Learning to relax your body after years of muscle tension can be a long and involved process. This is especially true if you're in a lot of pain--not only do hurting muscles not want to relax, but you yourself may struggle with connecting with the sensations of your body.
Massage and heating pads are great helps. And if the muscle is locked up so tight you can't seem to do anything, take an ice pack rub it on the muscle, and give it a gentle stretch while it's numbed by the cold. Follow up with a heating pad.
If your muscles are extremely tight, you might come across cramping or involuntary flexion when you try to relax. This might be the opposing muscle (when you overuse a muscle, there's always a muscle that's getting overstretched) trying to return to its normal length. Try to relax into it and let your body pull you back into place. You'll feel better afterwards.
In general, try to ask yourself: how many muscles am I using for this activity, and how many do I actually need?
Remember: you do not need to be perfect. It just needs to be better. You'll get there.
18 notes · View notes
fatal-blow · 1 year
Text
Self-massage and Myofascial Pain: From Head to Fingers
Aka I'm going to talk about a muscle that is neither in the head or the fingers. It's a neck muscle called the sternocleidomastoid.
(STER-no-KLY-do-MAST-oid, or SCM for people who don't take joy in pronouncing long, confusing words.)
I am not a professional massage therapist, just a professional don't-wanna-be-in-pain guy.
This one is for...everyone. Or just about. The SCM can contribute to a vast, VAST variety of pains. Here's a sampling:
A variety of headaches (in the eye, above the eye, top of the head)
Jaw problems (including Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) Dysfunction, stiffness, clicking)
Neck pain
Ear aches
Toothaches
And they also contribute to and are perpetuated by a foreward head posture--something that anyone who uses a phone or computer should be familiar with. Foreward head posture can further contribute to symptoms such as:
Shoulder pain
Upper back pain
Chest pain
And arm and hand pain, including symptoms similar to tendonitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, cubital tunnel syndrome, grip weakness, and much more.
See why this one applies to everyone?
Now, full disclaimer, I'm hesitant to make this the second trigger point I talk about because neck muscles are extremely sensitive. However, I'm still reaping the benefits of having finally bitten the bullet and trying this myself, and it feels important to make this one of the first I talk about.
That said, this is your first of many warnings. Go easy on these muscles. Gentle massage is better than no massage.
Here's a quick few rules:
Don't massage the SCM more than 3 times a day. In fact, if you find they are very sensitive, I recommend once a day and right before bed or a nap.
As always, never massage a pulse.
If you feel dizzy or faint, release all pressure until you regain your bearings.
Do this massage with your eyes open and sitting up. It will help you maintain awareness.
Never use massage tools on your neck.
For those with anxiety: I know this sounds nerve-wracking. As long as you go slow and listen to your body, you won't hurt yourself. If you accidentally squeeze the wrong place, it's not the end of the world! Just release pressure, move your fingers, and try again. It's only deep and extended pressure that will get you into trouble, okay?
With all that said, let's get to the good stuff.
The SCM muscles are the ones that make that sexy little V on the neck, connecting from behind the ear down to the collarbone. For all the trouble they cause, they rarely hurt themselves, which is why they get overlooked.
You've got two on each side. One in front, and one deeper in the neck. I'll teach you how to get at both.
Tumblr media
We'll start with the guy up front. Here's a snazzy little pictogram courtesy of The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook.
The shaded areas are (some of) the pain patterns caused by this muscle. The dots are meant to represent trigger points (TrPs), but the reality is that they can occur along the full length.
As a rule of thumb, TrPs further up cause more symptoms in the head. Further down contributes to everything below. This goes for both the shallow muscle and the deeper muscle.
Find somewhere to sit straight and relax your body.
Use your fingers to find your pulse on your chosen side, between the SCM and the windpipe. If your fingers aren't sensitive enough to feel your pulse, you should not do this massage yourself.
Move to the SCM side of your pulse, replace your fingers with your thumb.
Grasp the SCM lightly with your fingers and thumb, firstly just to find where you will be working. The SCM is not large, probably around the width of your finger, so don't reach too far back. If you're having trouble grasping it, look Away from the side you're working on, then tilt your head Towards it.
Now that you're familiar, make a C with your grasp fingers so that it's the tips holding the muscle. The intent is to exert more pressure with less effort. Make sure your fingernails are short for this.
Now slowly, keeping your grip light, you want to...well, the easiest way I can describe it is that your want to milk the SCM. Use short strokes, releasing the pressure at the end of each. You can massage all the way up to the ear, and all the way down to the collarbone.
Again, go easy. If you're like me, this will be painful at first. You might even feel a little brain fucked from doing this, but as long as you aren't feeling faint or dizzy, you're good to go. Don't push yourself--take a break when you've had enough.
Afterwards, lightly stretch this muscle by turning your head to the side three times.
And now for the deeper SCM.
Tumblr media
This guy isn't any harder than the shallow one. In fact, I don't even need to give you an entire list of instructions. Follow the steps above, but when you grasp the muscle, you instead want to take a larger fingerful, closer to the width of two fingers.
To help you understand what I'm getting at, put your fingertips on the back side of your neck, a small ways down and behind your ear. Gently dig in and pull forward--everything you can grasp from this point to your windpipe comprises both SCM muscles. All you need to do is grasp this entire chunk of muscle and perform the massage as described above.
With continued massage, you should gradually feel less tension in your jaw, neck, and shoulders. Your head might feel a bit clearer, you might have fewer and less intense headaches. Keep doing this massage until you can't find any tender points in the SCM.
And as a preventative--try to find ways to keep yourself from slouching or holding your head forward. A simple exercise is to pull your head back, like you're giving yourself an extra chin.
If you're interested in more posts like this, check out these links:
Low Back Pain
Massage Tips and Techniques
25 notes · View notes
fatal-blow · 5 months
Text
every time i talk about this stuff I'm reeling with the sheer amount of knowledge and how to convey it to the average layperson
but really if i could sum up everything I've learned about muscles, myofascial pain, and hypermobile, it's this:
start practicing how to do things with the least amount of muscles as possible.
5 notes · View notes