• Increases flexibility; One of  stretchings main benefits is to increase length of a  muscle or the range of motion across a joint. This appears to be true, if the stretch is performed correctly. Although in my opinion most stretches aren’t specific enough to work on trigger points, or through scar tissue.  Care also needs to be taken as some research has shown that injury can happen from being too flexible, the same is true from being too inflexible.

• Reduces muscle imbalance;  This should be taken in tandem with increasing flexibility and as part of an overall balancing and flexibility program.

• Improves circulation; This is an interesting one.  I normally like to think of, and describe muscles as a sponge. Imagine taking a sponge and squeezing it in to a ball and lowering it into a bucket of water. Now take it out. No water runs out, because no water has soaked in. Now exchange the squeezed sponge for a tight muscle. Blood would have greater trouble flowing in, and through the muscle possibly resulting in increased blood pressure. When you compare that to a non squeezed sponge and how easily the water flows in and out it would seem to make sense to stretch a muscle to aid blood flow. This may also help increase recovery rates.

• Decreases anxiety and stress, relaxes muscles, can give you an overall feeling of well-being; This I believe is as part of a relaxation or meditation routine. There may be some endorphin release associated with stretching, or it could be the time-out taken from your life while stretching helps you relax and releases tension.

• Reduces risk of injury; There is actually very little evidence for this. particularly for stretching prior to exercise. Although Stretching can help improve flexibility, and better flexibility may improve your performance in physical activities or decrease your risk of injuries by helping your joints move through their full range of motion. For instance, imagine the muscles in your calf attaching to your Achilles tendon are tight and lack flexibility. If you do a lot of hill walking, your foot may not move through its full range of motion. Over time, this can increase your risk of tendonitis or tendonopathy in your Achilles tendon. Stretching the muscles that attach to your achilles tendon,  may improve the range of motion in your ankle. This, in turn, may decrease the risk of microtrauma to your tendon that can lead to overload and injury.

So here we have 5 benefits of stretching. Will they help you reduce injury, make you faster or feel better? Try it and find out. I’d be interested to hear your experiences so leave a comment. Next post will be on the muscles you can’t stretch.

When I treat people I get asked 2 questions;

1. How many treatments will I need?
2. How frequently will I  need to be treated?

The answer to how many treatment is, “It depends”. What does it depend on?

• Distances covered; The distance you cover is proportional to the trauma your muscles receive. Think of it like weight training. The heavier the weight or the more repetitions done the more effect on the muscles. The same is true of training distances. Add hills, or a lower gear if cycling  and the intensity increases (which take us to the next point).
• How often you exercise; How often, type of exercise and intensity of that exercise are important, but probably more important is the rest and recovery. Here I will be thinking about where do you fit your rest and recovery phase into your exercise routine. Do you cross-train? This again factors into the abuse or maybe overuse your body receives
• Your age; I explained in the last post about your body being the mirror of your life. Well the older you are, or the more you’ve “done” with your body the more potential problems that may need addressing
• Existing problems; Is your body adapting because an existing problem. Do I have to treat this first? Most of the time I will treat the problem you’ve asked to me to treat first (I have to try to keep you to your training or competition schedule if you have one)

So the answer is it really depends on you. I treat each patient as an individual with individual expectations and treatment needs. What you want to achieve from your osteopathic treatments may vary making your treatment plan very different from anyone elses.

How frequently do you need treatment? I normally treat weekly to start with then move to fortnightly appointments . Some patients elect to have scheduled maintenance treatments to keep their competitive edge and to try to reduce the likelihood on injury.

If you’re not sure if an osteopath can help you why not book in for a free 15 minute assessment. It will give me a chance to find out about you and what you need. It will also allow me to tell you what I think could help you.

A recent post in the NY Times reported on some good news for older runners. The results from the experiment on aging factors and running economy suggest that ‘age-related declines in running performance are associated with declines in maximal and submaximal cardiorespiratory variables and declines in strength and power, not because of declines in running economy.’

What may be confusing to a lay person is that they’re confusing economy and efficiency and muscle with muscle cells.

What they meant by this is your muscles cells  don’t lose efficiency. ie older muscles cells use oxygen as well as younger muscles.

In fact muscles that have been trained for endurance events use oxygen more efficiently. The Genetics and Molecular Biology of Muscle Adaptation (Advances in Sport and Exercise Science) highlights research that shows that mitochondria, the powerhouse of a cell, do their job better the more the muscle is used, or to put it another way, the older the muscles and the person using the muscle is, the greater the potential for speed and endurance.

So according to the experiment, the decline doesn’t come from decreases in the efficiency of the muscle cells, it comes from the decline of your heart and lungs and the decline in strength and power of your muscles. Or to put it my way the decline comes from decreases in the economy of effort used during movement.

The experiment noted that older runners had decreased upper body strength compared to younger runners and that while they both had similar leg power, the older runners had decreased leg flexibility.

While using your arms does help pump your lungs, there doesn’t appear to be any correlation between upper body muscle mass or power and respiratory efficiency. The movement of the rib cage and the diaphragm (the main respiratory muscle) were not assessed in this study, but age can and does tighten these leading to decreased flexibility there as well.

Correcting these decreases in flexibility is where an osteopath could play a crucial role in maintaining your athletic performance. How is what I’m going to talk about in Part 2 >

During your initial consultation the osteopath will spend time getting to know you and whatever problems you may have. He will ask a series of questions as he will need to know about your previous medical history, current medication and, most importantly, details of the condition that you need help with now.

The osteopath will then examine you, using various osteopathic, orthopaedic, neurologica techniques to help determine the origin of pain. The osteopath will then discuss his diagnosis with you and, if necessary,  the most effective treatment for your condition.
For the examination the osteopath may need you to ask you to undress to your underwear. If you feel uncomfortable doing this shorts and T-shirt  or even a swimming costume may be worn although it is worth remembering that to do a thorough examination any osteopath with need to be able to see your back.

If you want to bring someone to accompany you during your visit we are always very happy to have them.

In an earlier post I spoke about the reasons for injuries. Over Christmas the reasons are just as valid. Hopefully, if you follow this advice you should stay pain free. If for any reason you do have back pain I’ve also included some self help tips.

Disuse;

Sitting slumped on the sofa watching bad TV. This can stretch the muscles and ligaments at the base of the spine leading to stiffness and pain. The best way to stop this happening.

1. Make sure your low back is supported. Use a cushion to stop the curling at the bottom of your spine.
2. Take breaks from sitting. Get up and do something else. Make a cup of tea (it doesn’t have to be a long break)

Misuse;

An example of misuse that appeared in a paper a few years ago was lifting the turkey out of the oven while bent over. The tip here is  “Lift properly”  bend your knees rather than your back and keep the weight as close to your body as possible.

A quick note here. In all my years of practice I’ve never seen anyone who’s hurt themself lifting a Turkey. It may also be a good idea to say, when lifting the turkey, don’t keep the weight too close. I find burns last a lot longer than back pain.

New use, Over use and Abuse;

I’m placing these three together and aiming them at people with games consoles. With the advent of Wii and xbox kinect people may find that they are doing movements they’re not used to (New use). Or the competitive nature might find you playing on to beat your top score or get even with your partner (over use and abuse).

Advice here;

1. Take frequent breaks.
2. Vary the type of game you’re playing (different actions)
3. Don’t play winner stays on.

If it all goes wrong here are some get out if trouble tips.

The first tip is that keeping you back moving is beneficial to practically all types of back pain. Movement will reduce inflammation and stiffness. Completely resting your back will encourage stiffness, increase inflammation, and lead to muscle weakness

Feeling tight, stiff or muscle spasm

HEAT is generally the best. You can use a hot water bottle, heat sack or pack. It should be hot NOT SCALDING. Apply heat as necessary. I don’t like the heat creams and rubs. Occasionally inflammation can occur and heat can make it worse. If that happens you can easily remove the heat. It is harder to remove a cream.

Feels Inflammed, bruised, puffy or hot

COLD is generally best. An ice pack or frozen vegetables can be used. There is some debate as to the best amount of time to apply for. I advise my patients to keep in place for ten minutes in every hour. so at 1 o’clock put on for 10 minutes, then at 2 o’clock put on for ten minutes, continue throughout the day.

NEVER place the ice pack/veg directly on the skin. ALWAYS wrap in a damp cloth. This will prevent the ice burns. Please don’t be tempted to keep the cold on much longer as this can lead to more inflammation.

Stiff and Inflamed

Contrast bathing. This combines the hot and cold.

1. Always start and finish with cold
2. Use each one for 4 or 5 minutes
3. Always make sure the ice is wrapped in a damp cloth

I normally suggest a routine of cold, hot, cold. You can do more changes if required.

Medication

Being an osteopath I don’t advice on what medication you should take, but if the worst comes to the worst all of these can be bought without prescription. What I will do here is give a quick guide to what different types of medication are for.

• Anti inflammatories; Aspirin, brufen. Don’t take these if you have asthma, or ulcers

• Pain killers; paracetamol, codeine (usually comes with paracetamol)

• Muscle relaxant; syndol (a branded medication containing a muscle relaxant)

With all these medications please ask your pharmacist for guidance.

Disclaimer: All the information contained within this post should never take the place of a qualified Medical Practioner. In the Scotland  NHS24 will be available over the Christmas period. I can also be contacted through E-mail or Twitter. I am also open between on Wednesday the 29 December for emergencies. (contact for an appointment)

• General, acute & chronic backache, back pain (not arising from injury or accident)*

• Generalised aches and pains.

• Joint pains including hip and knee pain from osteoarthritis as an adjunct to core OA treatments and exercise*

• Arthritic pain.

• Uncomplicated mechanical neck pain (as opposed to neck pain following injury i.e. whiplash)*

• Headache arising from the neck (cervicogenic)*

• Frozen shoulder/ shoulder and elbow pain/ tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis) arising from associated musculoskeletal conditions of the back and neck, but not isolated occurrences*

• Circulatory problems,

• Cramp,

• Digestion problems,

• Joint pains, lumbago,

• Sciatica,

• Muscle spasms,

• Neuralgia,

• Fibromyalgia,

• Inability to relax,

• Rheumatic pain,

• Minor sports injuries and tensions

Patients of osteopaths also report improvements with other conditions. Please phone or E-mail osteopath glasgow to find out if we could help

This list is provided by the ASA’s Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP). It has recently released updated guidlines on what Osteopaths are allowed to advertise that they treat. The Guidance has a number of recent additions . (These additions have been asterisked).

What I mean by this is the preventable sports injuries.

I think that all preventable injuries (whether sports related or not) can be grouped in five categories;

1. New use
2. Over use
3. Misuse
4. Abuse
5. Dis-use

As someone starting running, or anyone starting a new or different activity, the categories that we have to consider when trying to prevent injury are the first two, new use and over use.

Part of the problem with new use is that our muscles aren’t conditioned for our new activity. Many of us have jobs that require us to sit for long periods at a desk, then we end up on a couch in front of a TV at night. With no time during the week to exercise,  a lot of use will leave putting our effort into the weekends sporting activity.

The trouble with this is that over time sitting down for long periods will shorten hamstrings, weaken buttock and abdominal musculature and tighten hip joints. This is your weekly body conditioning – you are training your body to perform tasks that enable you to do your job – not your weekend game of football, round of golf, rugby matches, or Sunday morning run. To stop us getting injuries we have to change the conditioning our body has for work, and start pre-conditioning it for exercise.

The first key step when starting a new sport is to make sure that your preconditioning is appropriate therefore preventing injury. This step  is to assess your body. Do some basic stretches to work out where your muscles are shortened making you  stiff or tight and find out how flexible you are. Also try and work out if  you have any unresolved injuries or muscle weaknesses. If you find you don’t know what to look for, most osteopaths will be more than willing to do a pre-sports musclo-skeletal assessment. They can also advise on a “pre” conditioning plan.

Once you know where your underlying problems are you can start to address them. If you find, for example, that your shins are uncomfortable when you press them, or your calves are tight when you try to stretch them, this could be you on your way to shin splints or plantar fasciitis before you’ve even got as far as buying new running shoes.

When you’re next at your workplace, look at the things that you are “conditioning” and be sure to start pre-conditioning yourself if you want to get the best out of your body and continue with your pastime with-out the frustration of a preventable injury.

My next post will be on preventing OVERuse injuries. This post is appropriate for people just starting exercise all the way to the competitive athlete.  Subscribe to find out first when it come out.

Daniel Gerber is a registered osteopath working in Glasgow, Scotland. He runs the sports injury clinic at the Natural Health Service, Glasgow. He has recently started exercising after a number of years with minimal exercise.  Daniel is trying to put all his theoretical knowledge of sports injuries into practice and get upto marathon distance without suffering from any preventable sports injuries.

Pain relief is one of the main reasons people come to osteopaths for osteopathic treatment. Osteopathy helps people of all ages who suffer from pain, tackling complaints ranging from sports and work-related injuries to arthritis and sciatica. The osteopaths role is to alleviate pain and improve the patient’s mobility in order to make life more comfortable.

What is pain?

Pain is your bodies way of telling you that something is wrong. It is often caused by swelling of tissue, which creates pressure on nerves and leads to discomfort. Pain is a useful mechanism to alert you to a problem, and stops you from damaging your body further.

It should always be taken seriously.

Pain can affect many areas of the body, but particularly the lower back, head, neck, joints and legs. It can result from injuries and arthritis, and can also manifest itself in the form of rheumatic pain and period pain.

Osteopaths diagnose the causes of pain and help to ease it by increasing movement, decreasing muscle spasm and reducing tissue inflammation.

Treatment methods range from massage and soft tissue techniques to muscles and connective tissues to manipulation and stretching of joints. This helps to reduce muscle spasm, increase mobility and to create a healthier state in which damaged tissues can heal.

The skilled techniques of an osteopath can often allow you a speedy return to normal activity. If you have had a pain for a long time, and other forms of treatment have not helped, osteopathic treatment could be beneficial.

Osteopathy is based on the following four principles:

Structure governs function (and function governs structure. the 2 are inter-related). Basically, stiff joints and tight muscles can change the way the body moves changing the alignment of joints, causing the body to adjust or compensate. If these aren’t addressed, these changes, over time may lead to pain.

Good circulation is essential to healing. Tight muscles and fascia impede blood flow. This can cause inflammation and irritation resulting in painful symptoms.

The body has its own innate ability to heal. If you’ve ever had a cut or a cold you’ve already experinced this. This healing could be through the immune system or an inflammatory response.

The whole body is inter-related; i.e. restricted movement in the foot related to an old ankle sprain can eventually affect the knee, hip, back, and even the neck and maybe also lead to headaches..

The key to successful treatment lies in the osteopaths ability to assess the position, mobility, and state of all tissues and finding what’s wrong with them.  The last part of an osteopaths skill lays in removing these barriers  so that you and your body can heal itself.

What we could work out from that is that an osteopath is concerned primary with movement. be it of the soft tissues, or of the fluids!

I’m going to be looking at these in more detail and how they apply to “modern” medical/scientific knowledge.