BAC MASSAGE THERAPY

  • Massage Therapy
    • Services
    • Therapeutic Massage
    • Pregnancy, Labour and Postpartum Massage
  • Aromatherapy
    • Custom Blends
    • Favourite Blends
    • Essential Kits
    • The Research
  • Contact
    • Meet Brien-Anne
    • COVID-19 Safety Measures
  • Holistic Wellness
    • Types of Meditation
    • Guided Meditations
    • Breathing exercises
    • Common Stretches
  • Shop
    • Essential Stones Jewelry
    • Essential Stones Natural
    • Essential Planner
    • Essential Art >
      • Essential Photo
      • Essential Paint
  • Blog
  • Massage Therapy
    • Services
    • Therapeutic Massage
    • Pregnancy, Labour and Postpartum Massage
  • Aromatherapy
    • Custom Blends
    • Favourite Blends
    • Essential Kits
    • The Research
  • Contact
    • Meet Brien-Anne
    • COVID-19 Safety Measures
  • Holistic Wellness
    • Types of Meditation
    • Guided Meditations
    • Breathing exercises
    • Common Stretches
  • Shop
    • Essential Stones Jewelry
    • Essential Stones Natural
    • Essential Planner
    • Essential Art >
      • Essential Photo
      • Essential Paint
  • Blog
Picture

pstural imbalance 2 | Bac massage therapy

9/30/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture

Lower Crossed Syndrome

Last blog we looked at Upper Crossed Syndrome, which looks at muscle imbalances in the neck chest & upper back.

Although I see UCS in my clinic more often than Lower Crossed Syndrome, I do still see it. And I live with it – sometimes I am just a mess lol.

It is important to note that lower crossed can cause upper crossed and vice versa We are all connected and inefficient posture and muscle imbalances are rarely isolated to one part of your body.

Lower crossed syndrome involves weak glutes and abdominal muscles combined with tight hip flexors and lower back muscles.

These imbalances cause your pelvis to tip forward causing and increased curve in your lumbar spine and your abdomen to pooch outwards.

I think this imbalance is really becoming an issue with all of the sitting we have collectively done in the last 5 months. It has been popping up in the clinic more recently.

So how can we correct the problem?

Stretch

Picture
Lower Back
  1. Lay on your back on the floor
  2. Pull one knee up to your chest and hug it towards your body
  3. Press the thigh of your straight leg down towards the floor
  4. Hold for 30+seconds, switch to the other leg and repeat
  5. Stretch both legs 3 times each
Picture
Hamstrings
  1. Still laying on your back extend one leg out along the ground and the other leg up in the air until you feel a stretch through your hamstrings
  2. Use a strap if you need (I can never do this one without a strap lol)
  3. Hold for 30+seconds, switch to other leg and repeat
  4. Repeat stretch 3 times on each leg
Picture
Twist
  1. Laying on the floor bring one knee up to your chest keeping the other leg straight
  2. Gently twist until your bent knee is as close to the floor as it will go (keeping your hips stacked, if you need to place a pillow or block under your knee so that you can relax into the stretch)
  3. Try to keep your shoulder flat to the floor, but don’t stress if you can’t
  4. Hold for 30+ seconds then switch sides
  5. Repeat 3 times each side
Picture
Quadriceps stretch
  1. Stand with feet hip width apart in front or an exercise ball or chair
  2. Place one foot across the top of the ball keeping your hips square and standing tall
  3. Roll the ball back slightly until you feel a stretch through the front of your thigh
  4. Hold for 30+ seconds, switch sides
  5. Repeat 3 times each side
Picture
Hip Flexors Stretch
  1. Start kneeling on the floor
  2. Place one foot in front so that your foot is flat on the floor and the knee is bent to slightly more than 90 degrees
  3. Lean forward slightly, keeping your hips square and keeping your upper body tall
  4. Hold for 30+ seconds, repeat 3 times each leg

Strength

Picture
Plank
  1. Lay on your stomach on a mat, elbows to your sides, palms flat on the floor
  2. Engage core and glutes then raise your body from the floor so your weight is supported on forearms and toes.
  3. Maintain a straight line through core and legs
  4. Hold for as long as you can, lower slowly to floor, rest, and repeat for a total of 45-60 seconds ​
Picture
​Glute Bridge
  1. Lay on your back, arms at sides, knees bent, feet on floor.
  2. Engage core, slowly lifting hips, forming a straight line from knees to shoulders.
  3.  Hold at the top for a moment, lower hip, and repeat for 45 seconds.

​For more of a challenge place feet on a stability ball and lift your hips in the same manner ... the trick is not to let the ball wobble.
0 Comments

postural imbalance 1 | bac massage therapy

9/16/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture

Upper Crossed Syndrome

Several years ago, I stumbled across a series of articles that looked at postural imbalances in the neck/shoulder and hip areas. I was intrigued because I had never heard of the phrase upper crossed syndrome before.

Very quickly into the series, it was like a light bulb went on and I realized that not only did it explain my own symptoms, but those of so many of my clients as well! And it changed how I approached treatment and home stretches for clients.

What exactly is upper crossed syndrome?

In a nutshell, it is an imbalance between weak and tight muscles.

Weak muscles between your shoulder blades (rhomboids & lower traps); tight through upper chest (pecs) & front of shoulders (anterior deltoid); weak neck flexors (muscles along the front of your neck); and tight neck extensors (basically from the top of your shoulder blades up to the base of your skull).

With upper crossed syndrome, you end up in a posture with your shoulders rounded forward and your head forward as well. Think about being pulled forward and down. It also makes maintaining good posture a challenge because the weak muscles can not counteract their tight counterparts, nor are they strong enough to hold neutral posture without fatiguing.
(For more on efficient neutral posture click here)

Now that we know what the problem is, what can we do about it?

Most importantly you need to stretch the tight muscles and strengthen the weak (and keep doing it!) Then, in your massage treatment we work on addressing those same tight muscles and soothing the fatigued weak muscles.

Once you start addressing the muscle imbalance, it is important to regularly check your posture. It is really easy to slide into old patterns & back into the round shoulder, head forward slouch.

​So, who’s ready for some more efficient posture??

Stretch

Chest/Anterior Shoulder Stretch No. 1
  1. ​lay on your back on the floor
  2. lay your arms on the floor at 90 degrees to your body and relax (your back should not lift off the floor, if it does decrease the angle between your body and arms)
  3. start with 1 minute and increase as needed


...for a more intense stretch, hit a doorway ... 
  1. place forearms along the door frame at 90 degrees to your body
  2. feet hip width apart and staggered one in front of the other
  3. lean into the stretch slightly until you feel it across your upper chest
  4. hold 30+ seconds and repeat
Picture
Chest/Anterior Shoulder Stretch No. 2 
  1. ​sit on the floor, with knees bent or legs extended infront of you
  2. place hands on the floor behind you, fingers pointing towards your hips
  3. lift sternum (brest bone) towards the ceiling
  4. hold for 30+ seconds then repeat
Lateral trapezius Stretch
  1. place fingertips of your right hand under your buttock
  2. shift head, moving your left ear towards the left shoulder until you feel a stretch
  3. apply extra stretch using your left hand on the side of your head if needed
  4. hold for 30+ seconds the repeat
  5. switch to the other side and repeat
Trapezius Stretch
  1. sitting on the floor, reach your arms behind you, right hand going over and reaching down, left going under and reaching up (see photo)
  2. grasp fingers in the middle if you can (use a strap if you cannot)
  3. keeping your shoulder blades on your ribs so they don't wing out
  4. hold for 30+ seconds, repeat, then switch sides

Strength

Picture
Resistance Band Row 
  1. stand with your feet on the resistance band, hip width apart, knees soft​
  2. bend forward at the hip, making sure to keep your back straight and roughly parallel to the floor
  3. hold resistance band so that it forms an X
  4. engage the muscles between your shoulder blades and pull the band up towards your body (the motion is just like when you row but bent forwards)
  5. start with one set of 10 rows and build from there
Cervical Spine Nod
  1. laying on the floor in a comfortable position
  2. nod your head ( keeping it on the ground) bringing your chin back towards your neck (the back of your neck will elongate as you nod)
  3. relax back to neutral
  4. repeat 10 times
Picture
0 Comments

A look at posture | bac massage therapy

9/2/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture

Posture

Hands up … who has ever been told they have bad posture?

Is your hand up? Because mine is, and I have to tell you, I’m not really a fan of my posture being judged as bad or good by anyone.

Posture is defined as “the position in which someone holds their body when standing or sitting”. This definition doesn’t actually give us a start point to qualify good vs bad, it’s just a position.

So maybe we need to look at posture as efficient or inefficient vs good or bad.

Efficient posture, would be the ability to hold or move your body in a way that puts the least amount of strain on supporting muscles and ligaments; as well as the ability to move into and out of any position easily and without discomfort. Efficient posture is very dynamic, allowing for minor corrections and adjustments by core supporting muscles to create balance.

Inefficient posture, would be the inability to move out of one posture into another (not being able to stand in tall neutral alignment from being hunched forward); also included in this would be the “it hurts to sit up straight” and discomfort or pain when moving into or out of a posture. Inefficient posture is often static, meaning that certain muscles don’t have to work at all to maintain the posture which in the long term means those muscles weaken.
Inefficient posture comes from a combination of weak and tight muscles, and placing your body long term in positions of great load. Weak muscles simply don’t have the strength and endurance to hold against the pull of gravity and tight muscles restrict your range of motion and flexibility.

We all fall victim to inefficient posture at one point or another, but the more time we spend in these positions, the harder it becomes to straighten up into a neutral posture and move without discomfort.

So, what exactly does neutral posture look like?

Standing, with your torso in a neutral position (neither flexed or extended), your ears sit above your shoulders, shoulders above hips; chin parallel to the ground; arms by your sides, palms facing thighs, shoulder blades retracted (flat against your ribs), elbows hanging just behind your midline; spine elongated, shoulders symmetrical, chest open; core muscles engage to form a natural corset; knees under hips, ankles under knees.

Sitting is virtually the same until you get to the hips. Ears over shoulders, shoulders over hips; chin parallel to the floor; shoulder blades retracted back (flat against your ribs) so that elbows sit at your midline or just behind; pelvis in neutral alignment, tailbone tucked under, no anterior/forward tilt; weight evenly distributed on sits bones (ischial tuberosity); knees bent at slightly greater than 90o; ankles under knees, feet flat on floor.

Remember, as soon as you shift forward or back you increase the work load on one set of muscles over another, which can lead to muscle fatigue and often pain or discomfort. Prolonged periods in these postures will ultimately lead to inefficient posture … some muscle groups having to over work to keep you upright, rather than all muscles working together in balance.

Efficient posture can take a little work and practice in the beginning, (you will most definitely find muscles you had long forgotten about) but trust me when I say that the effort is entirely worth it!

​The first step is becoming more aware of what your posture actually looks and feels like. Second is regular posture checks. And the third step is correcting the muscles imbalances that prevent you from achieving truly efficient posture.
Picture
*stay tuned for Postural Imbalances 1 and Postural Imbalances 2
0 Comments

    Brien-anne RMT, CA

    I am passionate not only about Massage Therapy & Aromatherapy, but also living a holistic lifestyle and empowering & inspiring others to do the same!

    Categories

    All
    Aromatherapy
    Conscious Simplicity
    Holistic Living
    Holistic Massage Therapy
    Meditation
    Muscle Aches & Pains
    Nature Therapy
    Posture

    Archives

    January 2023
    August 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    July 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020

    RSS Feed

contact

Brien-Anne Couse, RMT CA
​
705-768-0107
bac_rmt@gmail.com
Picture

Serving Peterborough, Ontario and surrounding area. By appointment only.