Upper Valley Massage

Neuromuscular therapy to improve running

lynnewalker — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 12:15:12 +0000

So it’s marathon season. I see a lot of runners in my practice. One in particular stands out. He’s in his early 40s and has run 16 consecutive Boston marathons. This past year he started having problems with his right hip and groin which gave him a lot of discomfort and slowed him down, though didn’t keep him from running. Whenever he did speed work he would regret it.

I worked with him weekly for the past 10 months using neuromuscular techniques to work out the problem areas in his glutes, hip flexors and adductors. He just completed his second marathon in 6 weeks, coming in in the top 100 out of 3,000 runners and 4th in his age group, with a time of 3:05. Nothing to sneeze at! And his body feels great. No pain, and when I saw him post race his muscles were supple and loose.

Now I just need to get him to stay hydrated!

I worked with him weekly over the past 10 months using neuromuscular techniques to work out the problem areas in his glutes, hip flexors and adductors. He just completed his second marathon in 6 weeks, coming in in the top 100 out of 3,000 runners and 4th in his age group, with a time of 3:05. Nothing to sneeze at! And his body feels great. No pain, and when I saw him post race his muscles were supple and loose.

Now I just need to get him to stay hydrated!

8 weeks ’til the Boston Marathon

lynnewalker — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 11:41:43 +0000

If you’re planning on running, you should be getting bodywork every week between now and then!

As you step up your training you are more prone to injury. Regular bodywork will help you maintain flexibility, decrease your rate of injury, make you stronger and yes, faster.

Tight connective tissue and muscles that are full of adhesions are not at their maximum strength. Breaking down adhesions, eliminating trigger points and lengthening the muscles will improve your performance. Trust me!

Foam rolling hamstrings revisited

lynnewalker — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 16:15:14 +0000

My own personal trainer and mentor, Scott Stone, informed me that the hurdle stretch, which is illustrated in my post about foam rolling the hamstrings is contraindicated for anyone who’s had an MCL (medial collateral ligament) tear and generally not recommended for anyone else, in order to avoid such a tear. Although the position of the non-rolling leg was not meant to be in a full stretch, an alternate way to keep it out of the way is to sit on the roller as indicated in the photograph at right, and bend the other knee with the foot flat on the floor in front of you or slightly to the side. The point is to get the non-rolling leg out of the way so you can sink the other leg deeply into the foam roller to access the hamstring attachments.

Massage Covered by Health Insurance?

lynnewalker — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:07:29 +0000

Could be so. There’s an interesting article in the New York Times Health and Wellness section on getting alternative therapies covered by health insurance.

It requires more legwork on the patient’s part, but it seems that some health insurance companies will acquiesce with persistence and the right documentation.

“More often, says Linda Bourdosis, a patient advocate at the Block Center, coverage is more subtle. For instance, your insurer may pay for certain specific treatments — massage therapy for muscle strains, for instance,… prescribed by your primary physician for a diagnosed ailment and coded correctly.”

I was able to get therapeutic massage (myofascial release, to be exact) covered by my insurance when referred by a physical therapist and diagnostic codes were supplied with the invoice. So, with a little commitment and perseverance we can start to change the system. What a great day when therapeutic massage is viewed as a viable medical treatment!!

Massage as Pure Pleasure

lynnewalker — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:33:19 +0000

…for the giver, that is.

I’m currently teaching a non-academic massage course to Dartmouth students, mostly couples. I’ve tried to instill the idea that this should be fun for both parties, and what I’m seeing is the sheer pleasure of learning the skill and making their partners feel good. There is a lot of experimentation and communication between the couples and they are having a great time!

I wish that more massage therapy students could bring this attitude to their formal training. So many of them are overly concerned with whether they are doing it right, rather than exploring the body and feeling the muscles and tissues. Perhaps, unlike my Dartmouth couples, this is because they are working on classmates – people they don’t know well, or because they are putting pressure on themselves to be “good” right away.

Whatever the cause, I think they are missing the boat. Giving massage should be pleasurable to the giver as well as the receiver, and most of all, fun!

Everybody needs a vacation

lynnewalker — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 13:05:28 +0000

And I’m about to take mine. Rest and relaxation is one of the most important ways your body rejuvenates. I’ll be on a small island in a lake in New Hampshire with a number of good books, my yoga mat, foam roller and a kayak. My only challenge is to swim every day, and it WILL be a challenge! I’m not really a swimmer, despite spending a lifetime of summers on a lake. But I’ll need to get good at it if I’m ever going to do a triathlon.

What are you doing for your vacation?

Foam Rolling Hamstrings

lynnewalker — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 12:58:57 +0000

Running has created a monster in my left leg. My hamstrings have taken on a life of their own and are tighter than I ever imagined they could be, causing soreness at the knee. I’ve been stretching and using a foam roller to find the optimal method to keep these tigers under control. Here’s what I found:

The best way to access the attachments of the three hamstrings (the muscles in the back of your thigh which converge and attach to the pelvis just under your butt), is to sit on the floor with one leg bent to the side (as in a hurdle stretch) and the other leg straight out in front of you. Put one end of the roller under the straightened leg where it meets the buttock and sit on it. Make sure you are sitting on the top of your leg and not the buttock. This allows you to sink deeply into the attachment site without interference from the other leg. Just sitting on this point will work wonders — it will loosen things all the way down to the knee.

You can roll slowly down the length of the thigh, adjusting your lean forward and the foam roller as needed. When you get to the belly of the muscle (about half way down) you will likely have to adjust your position and use your other leg to brace you a bit. Make several passes down the leg to get all three hamstrings. Leaning in toward the center will get to the most medial (inside) — and difficult to reach — of the three muscles.

I’ve found that, as long as I’m running, doing this at least once a day, along with stretching, has tamed the tightness, and alleviated the knee discomfort. It’s true, active people have to stretch more than non- active people. Sigh.

The Body as Classroom

lynnewalker — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:15:08 +0000

Over the past year an uncanny phenomenon has been developing: as an active individual and someone who uses my body in my work, I develop an injury or a set of symptoms that I must then learn about and treat to regain the use of that body part. Then, incredibly, I receive calls from clients, mostly new, with identical symptoms or a similar set of issues that they need help with. I have already done all the research and work on my own body, so I am an expert in how to treat the problem!

This has most recently manifested as a set of sore tendons around my knee and foot that began when I started running again after many years. I knew it wasn’t a joint issue, but knowing so much more about the body than when I first began running 20 years ago, I wanted to know exactly what was going on and nip it in the bud.

After some research, bodywork, and alot of stretching and foam rolling, I began to see results and knew I could manage it and continue running without discomfort. Almost immediately after, I received an email from someone in – get this – North Carolina (!) who was coming to VT on vacation and had a similar set of symptoms. Of course, I didn’t know until I saw her that it was almost the identical problem, but I was able to determine quickly what needed to be done, and had her on her way to pain-free running by the time she headed back home.

I used to get very cranky when I injured myself, but now I see it as a challenge and am eager to learn what new lessons my body has to teach me!_

Straight from the Client’s Mouth

lynnewalker — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 12:49:58 +0000

The following was posted recently by a client on my Google Maps page. I really couldn’t have said it any better:

“Lynne worked with my injury in a smart way. She started with a general massage. She then highlighted how I could benefit from some additional work with her if I were willing to do some work at home and do a few focused sessions with her. Lynne was able to get me back into my running shoes within weeks. She has an incredible knowledge of “how the body works” and how to train smartly with an injury. If she had said stop–she would have lost me. Instead she worked with me and I was able to stay active throughout the process. I highly recommend her services for an injury.”

Noticeable Results in 2-3 Weeks!

lynnewalker — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:40:40 +0000

I have an enthusiastic personal training client who is in her mid 50s and recently started working with me once a week. She had been fit in her youth, but has not been getting much exercise in past years. Her goal is to regain (if not surpass!) some of her previous fitness levels.

We’ve met just three times and are working on balance, core strength and flexibility. Between our sessions I give her exercises to do on her own as well as walking and biking assignments. She has been diligent about doing her homework. (I wish all my clients were so compliant!)

Today, when I asked her if she was noticing any improvements she said, “Oh, this is funny. I went to see my chiropractor earlier this week – I see him every two weeks – and he asked, ‘Have you been exercising? Something’s different!’ So I guess I am making progress!”

Yup, just three weeks of dedicated exercise can make a difference! I love these stories as they affirm that the body is highly adaptable and is constantly responding to the demands we make on it. Noticeable results in just 2-3 weeks of a committed exercise program. Rock on!