7 Ways Massage Therapy Can Help After a Car Accident

 

Car accidents can cause a variety of physical problems, and many people seek chiropractic care or massage therapy for relief from issues such as whiplash and other aches and pains. Today’s medical experts are increasingly aware of massage therapy’s potential for facilitating health, wellness, and injury recovery, and research supports these benefits. Here are some reasons to find a massage therapist after being in a car accident:

1. Massage Therapy for a Concussion

People often hit their heads in car crashes, and the symptoms associated with these injuries can last long after an accident.

A researcher at the University of Washington Medical Center studied an intramural soccer player who experienced post-concussion symptoms after a fall. After only two massage sessions of 45 minutes each, the soccer player felt less pain, experienced fewer headaches, and needed less medication.

The researcher concluded massage therapy had realigned a subluxation (misalignment of the vertebrae) in the uppermost joint in the soccer player’s neck. In addition, massage improved balance, posture, and range of motion. After massage therapy, the soccer player was able to focus more clearly and engage in regular physical activities.

2. Massage Therapy Can Relieve Whiplash

Whiplash injuries are common in automobile and sports accidents. People who get whiplash may experience pain, stiffness, and poor range of motion, among other symptoms. Some people may feel mental or emotional symptoms such as loss of memory or focus, insomnia, and depression.

A team at Germany’s University of Ulm studied 70 patients with whiplash injuries. They found massage therapy helped them recover much faster than standard care alone. The researchers also pointed out the usefulness of other forms of care such as physical therapy. If you have whiplash, ask your physician about adding massage to your physical therapy regimen, as the combination could help speed up your recovery.

3. Massage Therapy Can Ease Neck Pain

At Seattle’s Group Health Center for Health Studies, a group of researchers determined massage was a safe treatment for neck pain, especially in the short term. People who received massage therapy once a week for 10 weeks reported reduced pain for at least four weeks after the end of these treatments.

4. Massage Therapy Can Help Manage Stress, Anxiety, and PTSD

Experts studied a group of patients in intensive care situations who received 45-minute massages from family members. The study participants showed improvements in blood pressure, respiration, and pulse rate up to three hours after receiving the massage. The researchers recommended intensive care units use safe and effective massage therapy to improve patients’ physical and psychological health.

A research team at the University of California, Los Angeles reported military veterans, who may experience mild to severe posttraumatic stress (PTSD), often turn to complementary therapies such as massage to get the help they need.

5. Massage Therapy for Spinal Cord Injuries

People injure their spines in automobile or motorcycle crashes more often than in any other situation. Roughly a third of people with spinal cord injuries received them in car crashes.

Researchers from Atlanta’s Shepherd Research Center conducted a case study on a middle-aged man with a chronic spinal cord injury. After receiving massage therapy for three consecutive days, the man could walk faster and take bigger steps. The study highlighted massage therapy’s potential to affect the musculoskeletal and neurological systems in positive ways, pointing to the value of further research into massage as a treatment method for those with spinal cord injuries.

6. Massage Therapy for Knee Injuries

People in automobile accidents often injure their knees (though not as often as heads, necks, and spines). Statistics show car crash victims often injure their Anterior Cruciate Ligaments (ACLs), as do many athletes. Massage therapy has been shown to provide pain relief and healing for people with a wide variety of knee problems.

In a case study of an active 29-year-old woman, a researcher with the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork found massage therapy was an effective complementary treatment for people recovering from knee injuries and surgeries. The woman underwent knee surgery for a skiing injury and returned to outdoor exercise (as a mountain/road cyclist) only 14 weeks later.

7. Massage Therapy for Immediate Emotional Trauma

If you’re in a car crash, you may suffer emotionally even if you do not sustain any physical injuries. Massage therapy, especially within several hours of an auto accident, can help people recover their emotional balance.

A research team at the Karolinska Institute for Neurobiology provided massage therapy to people who had recently experienced automobile accidents. Nurses gave gentle massages either over or under the patients’ clothing, depending on their comfort level. The study participants were given as many as eight sessions, roughly 45 minutes in length.

The researchers determined massage therapy helped patients recover their sense of self by providing an emotional anchor. Caring touch allowed them to experience pain alleviation and improved well-being.

Should You Get Massage Therapy After an Automobile Accident?

While it is important to check with your physician before adding massage to any type of medical care after a car accident, massage therapy typically has few side effects and provides a pharmaceutical-free option for pain relief. Ask your doctor to recommend a massage therapist who has training in addressing (or working around) your specific medical conditions.

If you’re in a car crash, consider the many benefits of massage therapy for any aches and pains. Massage treatments can help people restore physical function, live with less pain, and find emotional and physical relief after a traumatic event.

Top 5 Reasons People Get a Massage

 

Many people get massages to address physical and mental health symptoms. American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) researchers have shown massage is more than just a luxury. Today, most people see massage therapy as a valuable health and wellness practice. Here are the top five reasons why a person might seek a massage:

Reason 1: Stress Reduction, Relaxation

Massage for stress reduction: A team of researchers from Australia’s Orygen Research Centre found people who received daily massage therapy along with standard treatments for anxiety had more positive results than those who only received standard care. Study participants who received massages reported lower levels of anxiety, hostility, and depression than those in the other group. The research team also observed lower heart rates and cortisol levels in the massage group than in the control group.

Massage for relaxation: Massage can help people relax, even during times of high stress. One study examined 30 patients in a hospice who received slow-stroke back massages. These patients showed many common signs of relaxation, such as lower blood pressure, slower heart rate, and higher skin temperature. Massage for hospice clients can be a cost-effective, complementary treatment to increase relaxation and quality of life.

Reason 2: Pain Relief and Management

Massage for pain relief: A researcher at South Carolina’s Crocker Institute found massage had immediate positive effects on people with musculoskeletal pain. After only one hour-long massage session, 116 first-time clients felt reduced physical pain. They also reported a relief in negative emotions surrounding the pain.

Massage for pain management: In a review of many previous research papers, a team of Italian and Austrian researchers highlighted the role of massage therapy in pain relief for advanced-stage cancer patients. The researchers examined five experiments regarding massage and pain relief; in four of these studies, they found massage significantly reduced pain.

Reason 3: Soreness, Stiffness, and Spasms

Massage for soreness: Researchers at Denmark’s National Research Centre for the Working Environment studied a group of 22 healthy men to understand the effects of massage on weightlifting-related soreness. They asked the men to do 10 sets (of 10 repetitions each) of the stiff-legged deadlift, to incite muscle soreness. Study participants who received 10 minutes of roller massage experienced a significant reduction in hamstring soreness.

Massage for flexibility: In 2011, a Texas massage therapist conducted a case study of a woman with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), a rheumatic disease that causes inflammation in the spine and joints and can lead to fusion of the vertebrae. This bodyworker observed improvements in the patient’s flexibility, reductions in her pain, and lower levels of fatigue. The case study highlighted massage’s potential as a complementary treatment for AS patients.

Massage for spasms/cramps: A group of experts from the Case Western Reserve University studied a group of 26 kidney dialysis patients who suffered from leg cramps (a common side-effect of dialysis). Some study participants received 20-minute leg massages during their dialysis treatments (three days a week for two weeks); others received regular care. Those who received massages reported a reduction in cramping both during their dialysis treatments and at home.

Reason 4: Injury Recovery and Rehabilitation

Massage for muscle injury recovery: Many people use massage therapy to address muscle injuries and speed up recovery times. Research into the potential of massage therapy to promote muscle healing has yielded some promising results. A team at The Ohio State University studied a group of rabbits that received mechanical massages after over-exercising and damaging their leg muscles. These researchers found massage therapy immediately after muscle damage had the greatest positive effect on muscle torque (strength) and edema (swelling). Massage also reduced the rabbits’ immune cell count in these muscles as well as their rate of inflammation.

Massage for rehabilitation: A team at Iran’s Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences studied a group of people with multiple sclerosis who received 15 massage sessions over a five-week period. They observed significant increases in the study participants’ dynamic balance skills and walking speeds as well as substantial reductions in pain. The team discovered massage had greater benefits than exercise therapy, though they also highlighted the continuing value of exercise. The study participants fared slightly better when using the two therapies (massage and exercise) simultaneously.

Reason 5: Pampering and Indulgence

Massage for pleasure: A research team from the University of Hertfordshire and University College London found slow, gentle touch can strengthen someone’s sense of self. In a study of 52 healthy adults, they found that soft, slow touch not only created pleasurable sensations, it also produced high levels of embodiment (body ownership). Being touched strengthened study participants’ interoception signals (their inner senses of touch). These signals strengthen the body/mind relationship known as the “sense of self.”

Those who receive massage therapy for pampering, indulgence, or just to feel good still gain essential health benefits. People who enjoy the pleasurable sensations of massage therapy, without intentionally addressing any physical or mental ailments, can benefit by taking time out to relax and enjoy physical touch. Whatever your reason for seeking a massage, your body is likely to enjoy the benefits.

12 Popular Massage Techniques and How They Help You

 

Are you new to massage therapy? Whether you’re an experienced person looking to expand your self-care horizons or a massage newbie, you’ll likely be amazed by the number of available massage therapy techniques and practices and the benefits they can bring you.

For those of you trying massage therapy for the first time, or for those looking to explore new techniques for health and wellness, here’s 12 of the most popular massage and bodywork practices and some info on how they might benefit you:

Acupressure

Acupressure therapists use the same meridian system as acupuncture practitioners, but without the needles!

For more than 5,000 years, traditional Chinese medicine practitioners have developed and refined this traditional healing art. Acupressurists, as they are called, use their hands to apply pressure to trigger points throughout the body. This technique is believed to unblock “stuck” body energy and open up the pathway for healing energy to return the mind and body to a state of wellness.

Acupressure has been used to treat sexual dysfunction, stress, and for beauty purposes. Acupression, for example, may improve the skin, tone facial muscles, and help the body relieve congestions.

Aromatherapy Massage

Ancient cultures across the globe have practiced massage and aromatherapy. Chinese, Egyptian, and Indian practitioners, for example, have incorporated these modalities into many of their medicinal traditions. Ancient Greeks and Romans used these techniques not only for healing and relaxation but also for spiritual enlightenment. Massage therapists who combine massage and aromatherapy may provide clients with a deeper, more relaxing experience than a standard massage.

While you’re getting your massage, inhale your favorite scent or have your practitioner recommend one to meet your individual needs, such as lavender for stress and anxiety relief.

Chair Massage

Many people first experience the benefits of massage and bodywork in the form of chair massage. Chair massage therapists, sometimes spotted in shopping malls and airports, use special chairs that allow clients to remain fully clothed and mostly upright.

This often quick, soothing form of massage allows people to take a quick and healthful break from their busy day. Researchers have shown that even these short massage breaks reduce people’s heart rates, blood pressure, and, of course, stress and anxiety levels.

Many corporations have found that periodically offering chair massage as a benefit to their employees increases productivity, focus, and morale. In only 10-20 minutes, your staff can enjoy the stress relief, health benefits, and team-building experience of chair massage in the convenience of your workplace.

Chinese Massage

Chinese tui na massage practitioners employ rhythmic compression methods to free up and balance “qi” (body energy). These massage therapists combine energy work and meridian release elements of related practices like acupressure and acupuncture, without using any needles. Tui na also involves many of the rubbing and kneading techniques common to most Western massage styles.

Gua Sha

This ancient Chinese practice roughly translates into English as “scraping away fever.” Traditional practitioners of gua sha used bone, stone, jade, or horn implements to rub their clients’ oiled skin. Today, gua sha therapists tend to use rounded plastic tools to offer their clients a less painful and more modern hygienic experience. Gua sha practitioners use these implements to rub their clients’ backs and shoulders to increase circulation beneath the skin (often using a soothing, lubricating balm).

Medical researchers have found evidence that this simple technique encourages the body to release many powerful healing effects. As the body reabsorbs the blood from the treated areas (which often appear red and blotchy for a few days), it releases chemicals that fight infection, reduce inflammation, and protect cells.

Hot Stone Massage

Hot stone massage therapists heat special stones in a sanitary solution and place them on their clients’ backs, in their palms, and even between their toes. Like the popular Swedish style of massage, hot stone massage therapists may use oils to lubricate their clients’ surface tissues before employing deep tissue techniques.

Your hot stone massage practitioner may even rub your muscles lengthwise with the heated stones to release even more tension.

Lomi Lomi

Traditional Hawaiian healers called “kahunas” employed massage techniques in conjunction with meditation, plant-based medicine, and breath work. Also sometimes referred to as Hawaiian temple medicine, lomi lomi massage can help you activate mana (life energy) to increase well-being, increase circulation, and lower blood pressure.

Myofascial Release

Connective tissues called fascia run throughout your entire body. They surround and support your muscles, which means they can inhibit range of motion when tightened by overuse, injury, or surgical recovery.
Unlike massage therapists, who work on muscles and soft tissues, myofascial release practitioners focus on fascial lengthening and softening to reduce pain and increase mobility.

Orthopedic Massage

Orthopedic massage practitioners focus on correcting malformed bones and muscles with massage therapy techniques. These therapists help their clients manage pain, achieve better alignment and posture, and improve joint function.

Reflexology

Reflexology therapists massage their clients’ hands and feet to activate inner healing. This practice bears many similarities to acupressure and acupuncture, but, again, without using any needles. Reflexology practitioners manipulate points on their patients’ bodies that correspond with internal organs.

This healing modality can trigger your autonomous nervous system and increase hormone production.

Rolfing

Named after its founder, Ida Rolf, this massage technique involves may involved a little more discomfort than some gentler styles. Also known as structural integration, this style of massage may greatly improve your posture and range of motion.

Rolfing practitioners assist their clients in achieving moderately difficult yoga-like poses to realign their musculoskeletal systems and bear their body weight better with proper posture.

Russian Massage

Modern Russian massage, sometimes called Russian sports massage, was once only available to athletes, the ill, and the injured. Russian (and Soviet) physicians advanced the science and practice of massage on the battlefield and in the sports arena. Russia, a comparatively massage-friendly nation, has provided some of the world’s top massage researchers and therapists.

Russian bath houses, called banyas, still offer traditional Russian massage venik (or “twigging”) treatments which involve hitting clients (gently) with oak or birch branches. However, modern Russian massage practitioners use their hands to relieve pain and increase range of motion with kneading, percussive, and even vibration techniques.

And There’s More!

Some consider Reiki a form of massage; others view it as energy- or bodywork. Like massage therapists, Reiki practitioners place their hands on their clients’ bodies; however, they don’t rub and knead soft tissues. Simply by placing their hands on a patient (for up to 10 minutes a position), Reiki masters are believed to be able to transmit healing energy and clear out negative thoughts and emotion.

Massage and the Mental Health Connection

 

Massage therapy has been used as a healing method for thousands of years. Ancient civilizations all over the world utilized their own unique massage techniques to heal injuries, relieve pain, and even cure or prevent illnesses. Even today, we are well aware of the many benefits massage therapy offers – aside from an hour of peace and quiet at the end of a long week.

It is surprising, then, that we are only now beginning to really utilize massage therapy as a method of healing not only physical ailments but mental illnesses as well.

With dialogue surrounding mental illness becoming more open and supported, we are recognizing that mental illness is, unfortunately, far more prevalent within society than we knew. We need all the help we can get to fight mental illness, which is why understanding the massage and mental health connection is a big step in a positive direction.

The Growing Issue of Mental Health

Awareness surrounding mental health is growing – as we become more aware of mental health and mental illness, we think it is safe to assume that this increased societal awareness is leading to better treatment for those suffering. If that were the case, mental illness would be on downward trend – in fact it is quite surprisingly the opposite.

Mental illness is on the rise. In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that depression will actually be the most widespread global disease within by the end of the next decade.

For the purposes of this article, Let’s take a quick look at how mental health affects Canadians in particular.

MENTAL ILLNESS IN CANADA

• Each year, 1 in 5 Canadians will experience some kind of mental health problem or illness
• By age 40, close to 50% of the country’s population will have, or have had, a mental illness.
• Approximately 8% of adults will experience major depression at some point during their lives
• Anxiety disorders 5% of the household population
• 10-20% of Canadian youth are affected by mental illness or disorder
• Only 1 in 5 Canadian youth who need mental health services receive them

These are not the statistics we want to hear, so it is our responsibility as a society to work our hardest to find solutions to the mental health crisis (yes, crisis) that we are facing.

One technique that is now being used to help heal, or at least reduce symptoms in, those suffering with various mental health issues is massage therapy.

Massage therapy provides numerous benefits to those suffering physical ailments and is known to help reduce stress and rebalance our bodies – so it only makes sense that it would have the potential to provide similar benefits to those struggling with mental illness.

How Massage Therapy Can Help

In fact, massage therapy has been proven to assist those with mental illness in many ways. Different types of massage therapy have been found to have different affects, such as reducing symptoms, in individuals depending on what type of mental illness they are struggling with.

Two of the most common mental health issues, depression and anxiety, are two issues that have been found to greatly benefit from massage therapy.

MASSAGE THERAPY FOR DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY

The brain and the body are more connected than we realize.

A variety of studies have been done, along with the ongoing research that is taking place, in an attempt to understand the connection between massage therapy and mental illnesses such as depression or anxiety.

These studies have come to a number of helpful conclusions in terms of whether or not massage therapy is capable of reducing symptoms associated with these conditions, and how it does so.

• Massage activates participants’ sympathetic nervous system, which aids in reducing anxiety and improving mood
• Massage therapy activates various neurotransmitters that can decrease anxiety and lower stress hormone levels
• Massage therapy increases the amount of “feel-good” hormones in our bodies, such as serotonin and dopamine, while simultaneously reducing the amount of cortisol, the stress hormone
• Massage can alleviate many of the stress-inducers we experience, such as tension, joint and muscle pain, fatigue, insomnia, and headaches.

We already knew that massages were relaxing and stress relieving – but now we can see that they are so much more than that.

The ways in which massage therapy alters our nervous system and hormone balance in such a positive way make it hard to believe anything other than the idea that the connection between massage therapy and mental health is a strong one.

Mental illness brings us down – it creates a cloud of negative thoughts and feelings that overshadow our ability to enjoy life. The fact that a massage can trigger such positive chemical reactions within our body, reactions that are biologically intended to reduce stress and lift our moods, make massage therapy a great option to help those struggling with mental health issues.

It Can’t Hurt To Try

Many believe that massage therapy can help us to strengthen and heal our mind-body connection. This is evident in the ways in which we’ve seen massage therapy drastically reduce symptoms and improve quality of life once more for patients struggling with different mental health concerns such as depression or anxiety.

If you or someone you know is struggling with some form of mental illness, massage therapy might be the answer you are looking for.

Speak with a massage practitioner today about your concerns and open your mind to what they have to offer you.

Office Massage: Your First Step to Happier Employees

 

The ideologies behind what a workplace is and should be have undergone massive transformations over the last decade or so – especially when it comes to offices.

As much as we all may like to imagine, not every office is like The Office.

Offices are slowly steering away from the typical 9-5, suit and tie, sit at your desk all. day. long. type of workplace. People are no longer satisfied with, or settling for, that – they are starting to put more consideration into how the workplace affects both their mental and physical wellness and are encouraging work places to do something about it.

Work-life balance and workplace wellness are concepts that have taken off over the last few years, especially in the corporate world. Companies want to ensure that their employees are healthy and happy, and programs such as these are great ways to do so.

Schedules are becoming more flexible, workspaces are becoming more ergonomic and less traditional, heck – some offices even bring in puppies to cheer up their employees after a long week.

But one new office trend is taking ground, and we think it could be one of the best yet – office massages.

Yes, you read right. Office massages are the latest trend in the corporate world. If you were looking for ideas on how to boost staff moral and make wellness a focus in your office, we suggest giving office massages a go – it just might be your first step to happier (and healthier) employees.

First Things First: What Is An Office Massage?

Before you can begin to introduce this new technique into your office, you need a better understanding of what it actually is and the different ways in which you can go about implementing it.

So, firstly: office massages refer to essentially any type of massage services that are offered to your employees at their place of work (aka in the office).

This can range between short, seated massages, or to full-blown table massages. The type, length, and especially the frequency, of the massages are up to you and vary greatly between each company that offers them.

ONE TIME DEALS

One of the ways in which corporate offices are offering massages to their employees is through a one-time event. Most commonly this is as part of a bigger event, such as a company holiday party, an employee appreciation day, or even during a health and wellness fair that the company is taking part in.

This means the event may either take place on the weekend, outside of normal work hours, or during the week, instead of a typically scheduled day at the office.

In the case of the one-time event, you will need to aptly account for the number of employees who will be present to get massages so you can book the appropriate number of massage therapists for the event. The best way to ensure this event runs smoothly is to pre-schedule each employees massage.

PROGRAMS

Some offices chose to implement massage programs, making office massages a regular (or semi-regular) occurrence around the office. If you wish to create an office massage program for your office, the frequency is totally up to you (and your budget of course).

You could have a masseuse in the office one day per month offering short 15 or 30-minute massages, or you could have a masseuse or two in once per week doing the same. If you are a large office and you have the space in your budget you could even have a full-time in-office masseuse available for your employees to utilize at their own (reasonable) discretion.

How Massages Benefit Your Office

How doesn’t a massage program benefit your office?

PHYSICALLY

Sitting in a crappy office chair all day in the same position, going through the same repetitive motions over and over again is not good for our bodies (or our souls, for that matter). It creates poor posture; strains the neck, shoulders, and back; impacts the nerve impulses in our legs; and even causes our digestive enzymes to shut down.

A massage – even a short one – can help to reduce or reverse these issues by relieving tension, getting fluids moving, activating neural structures, and lengthening tissues.

MENTALLY

Aside from the obvious physical issues surrounding life at an office desk – there is also the mental factor associated with office work. Whether you are in the back taking care of paperwork all day or you are front and center dealing with clients, work can be stressful.

This stress can cause increases to your hormones, your heart rate, and even your blood pressure. Luckily, scalp massages are great for rebalancing these factors (as well as being extremely enjoyable and relaxing) – and they don’t require massage tables… just call the masseuse right over to my desk please!

OVERALL COMFORT AND CONTENTMENT

By providing your employees with access to a masseuse you are not only helping them feel better physically by taking away their aches and pains, you are also taking care of their mental health by helping them relax and shutdown for a little chunk of their work day.

This alone is enough to make any employee happier in their workplace – but on top of this you are also showing your employees that you care about their well being and value them as a team member.

Together, these are amazing ways to boost moral and create a better and happier atmosphere around the office, and also to increase productivity – because when people feel better they perform better.

Make Office Massages A Thing In Your Office Today

The benefits are obvious, the plan is simple – talk to the finance department and make room in your budget for an office massage program today.

Your employees will be happier and healthier; performance and quality of work are sure to increase; and you will be awarded boss of the year (okay, maybe that one isn’t true – but your employees will love you!).

5 Common Winter Injuries (And How to Avoid Them)

 

While winter brings with it the beauty of sparkling white surfaces and snow-crested trees, its cold and icy conditions can lead to significant injuries.

For most people, the main priority in the wintertime is to stay warm and comfortable. However, safety is also a factor that needs to be taken into consideration.

With slippery conditions come a higher risk of injury, most of which take a significantly long time to heal from.

Before you venture out into the winter wonderland this year, take note of these common winter injuries and how you can easily avoid them:

1. Slipping on Ice or Snow

The most common winter injuries occur when individuals slip and fall on ice and snow. No matter your level of caution during the colder months, anyone is susceptible to this type of injury.

Slipping on ice or snow can result in broken bones, painful bruises and sprained ankles.

To avoid hurting yourself due to a fall, give yourself extra time when it comes to walking on snow and ice – whether you are walking to work or simply walking to your car.

Another way to avoid a fall risk is to keep your steps and driveway clear of snow and ice. Using sand to create grip or salt to dissolve the ice works as well.

If your area gets particularly icy during the winter, considering buying ice-grips that slide onto the bottom of your boot.

2. Shoveling

Shoveling snow, no matter the amount, can lead to strains caused by pulled muscles or tendons. 

These injuries can occur immediately, such as pulling a muscle, or cause you significant pain and discomfort the following day. An overstrained muscle can greatly decrease your mobility.

Shoveling snow is often an unavoidable winter task, so make sure you are approaching the activity with caution. Using proper form, such as bending at the knees instead of bending your back, can help to prevent strains and pulls.

Or, think about investing in a quality snowblower to help you eliminate the need for shoveling. While there is still pushing involved, using one will limit your body’s movements and prevent injury.

3. Winter Sports

Just because the temperatures drop doesn’t mean you have to give up outdoor physical activity. However, playing sports in the wintertime puts you at higher risk of injury.

In particular, you could suffer a tear in your ACL (anterior cruciate ligament), a common knee injury that can be very painful.

A torn ACL can sometimes require surgery and physical therapy and take months to heal. 

Another common injury suffering through playing winter sports is concussions, which is a type of brain injury caused by hitting your head.

Concussions are not life-threatening injuries but, if left untreated or if experienced multiple times, can lead to serious damage.

So whether you are skiing, snowboarding, ice skating or playing hockey, take care to use properly maintained equipment and protective gear. 

4. Car Accidents

Winter can cause hazardous driving conditions, such as icy and slippery roads, which often leads to accidents and injuries.

These crashes can result in different types of injuries such as whiplash. Whiplash occurs when your head is forcefully shipped back and forth and can lead to significant neck injuries.

Recovery can take months but the pain can last for years.

The best way to avoid winter-related car accidents is to not drive during hazardous conditions unless absolutely necessary.

If you have to venture out onto snowy roads, leave early and give yourself plenty of time to drive with caution. It also helps to ensure you have good-quality winter tires installed on your vehicle.

5. Falls from Ladders

You may not think of ladder falls as a common winter injury, but consider the number of people who climb them to hang Christmas lights and decorations around their home and even on their Christmas tree.

The major risk of using ladders is climbing too high or not having someone hold the base of the ladder as you do so.

Another consideration is using ladders outside in colder temperatures. Ice can form on the steps, creating a slippery condition that could lead to a fall.

When using a ladder the wintertime, always wear proper footwear if you are outside and have some hold the ladder steady while you climb.

Stay Safe This Winter

Keeping these common injuries in mind will ensure that you enjoy a happy and healthy winter this year.

Why Do Muscles Feel Tight?

 

Why do muscles feel tight? Does that mean they are short? That they can't relax? And what can you do about it?  

Here are some of my thoughts about why muscles feel tight and what to do about it. 

Tightness is a Feeling, Not Just a Mechanical Condition  
Why do muscles feel tight if they are not actually tight?
How Can You Cure Muscle Tightness?
I think we can probably treat the feeling of tightness in the same way we treat pain - by changing one of the many "inputs" that cause the nervous system to perceive threat in the body, such as nociception, thoughts, emotions, memories, etc. 
Stretching Soft Tissue work for Tightness
Motor Control for Muscle TightnessExercise and resistance trainingConclusion 

If you say you feel “tight” in a particular area, that might mean several different things:  

• Poor range of motion.

• Or maybe range of motion is fine, but movement to the end range feels uncomfortable or takes excess effort.

• Or maybe the problem isn’t really with movement, but just that the area never reels feels relaxed.

• Or maybe the area feels basically relaxed, but has some vague sense of discomfort - a feeling that is unpleasant but too mild to be called pain.

This ambiguity means that the feeling of tightness is just that - a feeling - which is not the same thing as the physical or mechanical property of excess tension, or stiffness, or shortness. You can have one without the other. 

For example, I have many clients tell me their hamstrings feel tight, but they can easily put their palms to the floor in a forward bend. I also have clients whose hamstrings don't feel tight at all, and they can barely get their hands past their knees. So the feeling of tightness is not an accurate measurement of range of motion.

Nor is it an accurate reflection of the actual tension or hardness of a muscle, or the existence of "knots." When I palpate an area that feels tight to a client (let’s say the upper traps), they often ask - can you feel how tight that is?! 

I often say something like: 

Ummmmmm ...... no. It feels just like the surrounding tissues.

But I completely understand that it FEELS tight in this area and you don't like it.

I don't like the feeling of tightness either so I want to help you get rid of it. But the feeling of being tight isn’t the same thing as that area actually being physically tight. Make sense?

This actually does make sense to most people, and they find it mildly interesting. I want people to understand this because it might help them reconsider a misconceived plan they may have already developed for curing their tightness - such as aggressive stretching, fascia smashing, or adhesion breaking. So now they are willing to consider an approach that is a bit more subtle than driving a lacrosse ball halfway through their ribcage. 

So why would a muscle feel tight even if it physically loose? 

I think we can use pain as an analogy. Pain can exist even in the absence of tissue damage, because pain results from perception of threat, and perception does not always match reality. Pain is essentially an alarm, and alarms sometimes go off even when there is no real danger.

Perhaps a similar logic is involved in the feeling of tightness. The feeling happens when we unconsciously perceive (rightly or wrongly) that there is threatening condition in the muscles that needs a movement correction.

So what is the threatening condition that a feeling of tightness is trying to warn us about? Surely it is not just the presence of tension - muscles are made to create tension and we often feel tightness in muscles even when they are almost completely relaxed. 

So tension is not a threat, but the absence of adequate rest or blood flow is a threat, which could cause metabolic stress and activate chemical nociceptors. So the problem that a feeling of tightness is trying to warn us about is not the existence of tension, but the frequency of tension or the lack of blood flow (especially to nerves, which are very blood thirsty.) 

With this in mind, I think of the feeling of tightness as a variety of pain, perhaps a pain too mild to deserve being called pain. But it is definitely bothersome. And it has a certain flavor or character that motivates an interest in changing resting posture, or moving around or stretching. Which is different from certain pains, which often make you want to keep still. Maybe we could say that pain is warning us to not move a certain area, while tightness is warning us to get moving.  

Some pains are very obviously related to movement or postural habits. We can know this if someone says something like: "It hurts when I do this, and it hurts even more when I do more of this, and it hurts less when I do less of this." In this case, changing movement or posture is likely to help because it will reduce the main driver of the pain – mechanical nociception caused by movement.

On the other hand, there are many other cases of pain, particularly chronic pain, that are more complex – the pain doesn't correlate very much with certain movements or postures, but instead with other variables like time of day, sleep duration, emotional state, stress level, diet, general exercise, or some random unknown factors. In this event, it is unlikely that mechanical nociception caused by movement is the main driver of the pain, and more likely that peripheral or central sensitization are playing more of a role.

I think we can look at the feeling of tightness in the same way.

In most simple cases of feeling tight, the cause is obvious – we  have been stuck in the same posture or movement pattern for too long, and our muscles need a rest or change of position to reduce the ischemia or metabolic stress that is causing nociception in certain areas. For example, if we spend hours in a car, or an airplane, or behind a computer, we will instinctively feel compelled to stretch and move, and this will usually alleviate any feelings of stiffness or yuckiness.

Of course, most clients who complain of chronic tightness have already tried and failed at this simple strategy. The feeling of stiffness remains for hours and days at a time, comes and goes as it pleases, and is less related to posture and movement. 

In these cases, the driver of the discomfort may have more to do with the nervous system becoming either peripherally or centrally sensitized to the need for more blood flow in certain areas. This could happen through local inflammation, adrenosenstivity, increased sensitivity at the dorsal horn, or maybe even learned associations between certain environments (say computers) and certain sensations (e.g feeling like crap). 

So how do we reduce this sensitivity? 

There isn't an easy answer to this question, because if there was, it would solve the problem of chronic pain, and no one is figured out how to do that yet. But if I'm right that the feeling of tightness is a mild form of pain, then it should at least be easier to deal with.

Below is a list of several methods people often use to address a chronic feeling of tightness, along with some thoughts about each strategy from the above perspective. You'll notice that some of the recommendations run exactly opposite to what people often do. 

We instinctively stretch muscles that have remained in a short position for a while, and this usually makes us feel immediately better.

But, as noted above, most people who suffer from chronic tightness have already tried and failed at this strategy, which suggests the issue is less about bad mechanics and more about increased sensitivity.

The problem is that many people, and indeed many therapists, will think that the failure of a few simple stretches indicates the need for a far more aggressive program.

This would of course make sense if the root of the problem was short or adhered tissues. But if the root problem is in fact increased sensitivity, then aggressive stretching might just make the problem worse. On the other hand, stretching can often have an analgesic and relaxing effect.

So is stretching a good way to cure tightness? Like with most things, I say if it feels good do it. If it doesn't ... don't. 

There are various soft tissue treatments (deep tissue massage, foam rolling, Graston, ART, IASTM) intended to lengthen short tissues, break adhesions, or melt fascia, etc. This is very likely impossible, as I and many others have pointed out. 

But could these treatments decrease sensitivity and make someone feel less tight? For sure, by activating descending inhibition of nocicieption, which is a well-known effect of painful stimulation that is expected to bring health benefits.

But of course these treatments also create nociception, which tends to increase sensitivity. It's a fine balance that depends on the individual and many other variables. Again, if it feels good do it, but it's an option not a necessity, it's only temporary, and you should keep in mind the reason for doing it.

Many forms of movement therapy are essentially motor control approaches – they seek to change movement, postural and breathing habits so they are more efficient, eliminate parasitic tension, develop the skill of relaxation, etc.

Habits are hard to break, but this strategy is worth a shot, especially in cases where tightness seems related to certain postures or movements. Of course, where the situation is more complex, motor control shouldn't be expected to fix the problem on its own.

People tend to associate strength training with becoming tighter. During exercise, muscles of course become very tense, and they may feel stiff the next day because of delayed onset muscle soreness. There is also the (false) idea that strength training makes muscles shorter and less flexible. 

These concerns are unfounded. In fact, full range of motion strength training can increase flexibility, perhaps more than stretching. It creates local adaptations in muscle that may improve endurance and make them less likely to suffer metabolic distress. And exercise also has an analgesic effect and can lower levels of inflammation that cause nervous system sensitivity. 

Here's a personal anecdote. Back in the days when I did yoga I had much more flexibility, but my hamstrings always felt tight. Then I quit yoga and started doing a lot of kettlebell swings. My forward bend decreased a bit, but the feeling of hamstring tightness was GONE, even though I was working the hamstrings HARD. In its place was a feeling of functional strength and capacity, which I imagine decreased any perception of threat related to lengthening my hamstrings.  

Of course if you overwork your muscles from strength training and don't let them recover, they will get sensitive, stiff and sore. But if you work them the right amount - enough to create an adaptation and not too much to cause injury or prevent full recovery - then you will make them healthier, stronger, and yes - less stiff.

When you feel stiff, remember it is a feeling, and not necessarily a physical condition of shortness that needs an aggressive structural solution. Like other feelings, you feel it more when you are sensitive. And like other forms of sensitivity, it will go down if you improve your overall fitness, strength, awareness, motor control and health.