7 Marathons in 7 Days, helping the Guys that did it, Going Beyond

7 Marathons in 7 Days

This early May bank holiday was the start of an incredible week for me, I had the pleasure to be part of a team that helped two fantastic guys, that were doing,

7 in 7, Going Beyond, I mean 7 Marathons in 7 Days, these two men, I have come to admire and  truly proud to have been of help to them.

First what they were doing , this was a major challenge, some would say impossible, but they were intent on doing it so they needed to have support, their challenge was to run 7 marathons in 7 days staring on the Bank holiday Monday

The reason to raise funds, for a Community project here in Norwich, you may ask why  ? If you had met these two guys you would understand it just had to be done.

The  original building for Soul church was at Heartsease Lane it had been burnt down 13 years ago,  the intention is to rebuild and build it better, to offer more for the community of Norwich, to help with our homeless and the people that need us most in the community, it is not just about a building.

This early May bank holiday was the start of an incredible week for me, I had the pleasure to be part of a team that helped two fantastic guys,that were doing, 7 in 7, Going Beyond, I mean 7 Marathons in 7 Days, these two men, I have come to admire and truly proud to have been of help to them. First what they were doing , this was a major challenge, some would say impossible, but they were intent on doing it so they needed to have support, their challenge was to run 7 marathons in 7 days staring on the Bank holiday Monday

As a member of Soul Church Norwich, a very proactive church and with our pastor Jon Norman also a  Chaplin for Norwich City  being a very much a hands on get the job done type of guy,  when he decided that he was going to do this, his enthusiasm alone made you want to be on board with it, so Jon then got together with his fellow Chaplin for Norwich City, Lewis Blois to undertake the challenge.

We had some great people involved all brought together and under the watchful eye of Nathan French, he took on the role of coordinator arranging the route to the venues the guys were going to visit like Carrow Road on the 6th day of the challenge also the day that Norwich City, went up to Premier League , also on board, Neil Featherby  of Sports Link, Neil is know for the challenges he takes on and running is his passion, so who better to set out the target’s and regime for the guys, also the team of support staff for the guys.

The guys had to stay focused and keep ahead the goal in their mind, they had to stay positive and that alone is a challenge as any runner could tell you. My job was to keep their muscles working to the best of their ability allowing them to push through each day knowing it would be a little bit harder every day for them keeping the muscles supple, we could not afford any aches pains or niggles.

The guys had to stay focused and keep ahead the goal in their mind, they had to stay positive and that alone is a challenge as any runner could tell you.

 

My job was to keep their muscles working to the best of their ability allowing them to push through each day knowing it would be a little bit harder every day for them  keeping the muscles supple, we could not afford any aches pains or niggles.

Using Neuromuscular Techniques , Massage and when needed the input of The Bioneuro System,  the guys had been making sure they were working to a build up regime warming up before they did any runs, keeping hydrated.

Muscles will get damaged if allowed to shorten, also they risked the high possibility of Lactic acidosis build up, this is when  your body doesn’t have enough available oxygen to break down glucose in the blood,  although Lactic acid does not cause soreness in muscles and massage does not remove lactic acid, what massage does do is to allow better blood flow that will help the muscles to be  oxygenated by blood flow.

Lactic acidosi  is the condition that was so important for us to avoid , this is a condition that is caused by a build up of Lactate in the body due to the amount of exercise the guys were going to be doing the risk of build up of L-Lactate in the bloodstream was extremely high  along with the formation of an  excessively low pH in the bloodstream.

Creating  a form of metabolic acidosis,  this is when the excessive acid accumulates go on to create a problem with the body’s oxidative metabolism ,causing a burning feeling in the muscle groups they were using the most, also nausea and weakness.

Massage and hydration  allowed  their bodies to replenish their  fluids rid them of lactic acid

allow nutrients to create the  energy  they  needed, therefore , relieving  sore muscles. preventing muscle cramps and keeping  their  bodies performing at optimal levels, massage  also helped  prevent the onset of DOM’s keeping the muscles flexible .

 

The guys handled the whole 7 in 7 really well, no major issues just very tired by the end of it all, If you would like to know more about how they did and what they raised please have a look at some of the highlights 

Is There Help For Fibromyalgia a disorder characterised by widespread Musculoskeletal pain

Problems with the neck that transferred to the trapezium down through the shoulder to the arms. As I always say all muscles pull and if you have a tight muscle in the upper part of the body it will affect other areas, this was the case for Peter, the same affect as leaning over the computer at work all day, here is his testimony after being treated by Steve.

Fibromyalgia is a disorder characterised by widespread Musculoskeletal pain.

It’s not clear why some people develop Fibromyalgia. The exact cause is unknown, but it’s likely that a number of factors are involved, it is often accompanied by fatigue, sleep issues,( as sleep is often disrupted by pain,) many patients with Fibromyalgia also have other sleep disorders, such as restless legs syndrome and sleep apnoea.

 

Many people who have Fibromyalgia, also suffer from tension headaches, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders, irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety and depression. Also they may have memory and cognitive difficulties a symptom that impairs the ability to focus, to pay attention and concentrate on mental tasks this  symptom is commonly referred to as “fibro fog”  the list goes on, also affecting a persons mood, (No wonder with all that is going on )

 

All in all people with Fibromyalgia have a really rough time of it, the exact cause of Fibromyalgia is still  unknown, but it’s thought to be related to abnormal levels of certain chemicals in the brain and changes in the way the central nervous system (brain, spinal cord and nerves) processes pain messages to the neurotransmitters that are carried around the body.

Fibromyalgia amplifies painful sensations by affecting the way your brain processes the pain signals. and in many ways Fibromyalgia appears as a symptom of something else .

Fibromyalgia  as I have already said is difficult to diagnose as symptoms sometimes begin, after a physical trauma, surgery, infection  or significant psychological stress so getting to the Root Cause is not always going to be possible, women are also  more likely to develop Fibromyalgia than men

 

While we know that  there is as yet no cure that has been found, for Fibromyalgia, there are a variety of medications, that can help control symptoms, along with  Exercise, Relaxation and Stress-Reduction measures.

 

Having worked with a few patients that have been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, I will be the fist to say it is not something that can be dealt with quickly, it is all about baby steps.

Working with your patient taking time and tracking back all the time.

By Repairing the injured muscle, working into the superficial and deep Fascia , we can move on to Recovery, by this I mean getting the muscles working for themselves again gently coxing them back in to functional ability, getting the blood flowing back into them and releasing the tension in the muscles .getting all the body systems to work in a cohesive order .

So when I received this testimonial from one of my patients I was so proud of how far we had come together and for her to reach her goal

This is Kim’s Testimonial

I am a single 56 year old female who, until 9 years ago was very fit and active.  I went to see my GP with a lot of pain in my left shoulder, which I thought was a pulled muscle. Within a couple of weeks the pain spread down into the whole left side of my body. My GP, finally diagnosed me with Fibromyalgia and I was given pain killers.

After that, I feel that everything was a constant battle and felt very let down by the health system. I don’t want to bore you with details but I am sure anyone suffering from Fibromyalgia will understand.  I have had to resort paying for private treatments (acupuncture and visits to Osteopath, supplements, etc.), which when you have not been able to work due to chronic pain and fatigue, etc. etc., is an extra stress financially and emotionally.

After a terrible year, last year, physically and emotionally I was so unwell and had no choice but to stop work. My health had deteriorated and I became depressed. I had to do something, but what?! I have tried so many things from reading websites, blogs, etc., nothing was really helping.

Then I read about a place in Norwich (Getfitstayfit Norfolk) ran by Steve and his wife Jacqui and I was not only impressed by his reviews, but by a treatment he offered using ‘The Bioneuro Therapy System Sigma Q (ΣQ®)”

I read about how this works and it seemed too good to be true, but was willing to give it a try, as I had never read about this before, thought it’s new, they’ve finally found the cure for the pain!!

My first visit was a consultation and some time at the end using the BNTS for pain in my foot, ankle and calf. Just from that, the pain had gone and my ankle and calf had lost the stiffness you get with Fibromyalgia.

After two further  visits,  and I can honestly say the pain and stiffness had decreased by 70%. Remember, I had pain on L/H/S right from my head all the way  down to my feet, back and front of body for 9 whole years!

I’ve already cut my Morphine dose by a third (needs to be done gradually supervised by GP!) I have had the odd bit of pain but it subsides quicker and it’s not all over body now. I know that if, say I have  a fall or overdone things, I can call Steve and rectify instead of going back to how I was.

Needless to say, I can’t thank Steve enough, I had become desperate and very let down and felt like giving up, I was exhausted. I owed it to myself and Son to get better. I know I won’t be as fit and active as I was 9 yrs.’ ago (I’m 9 yrs.’ older!) But it’s given me the hope to get a better quality of life and eventually a job to pay my bills.

Fibromyalgia is hard to understand unless you’ve had it, you can feel extremely lonely and misunderstood.

The most important thing for me is that Steve genuinely is interested and cares.

Sometimes in Business you have to roll with the punches

Sometimes in Business you have to roll with the punches

Sometimes in Business you have to roll with the punches, well here at Getfitstayfit Norfolk we are doing a little more than that.

Some things are just meant to happen, we started looking after Torban, after meeting him and his family  at Soul Church in Norwich,  our aim is to make sure, we keep on top of any injury he may sustain, using Massage Neuromuscular techniques and of course the Bioneuro, at the same time keeping him in the best of shape for his matches.

 

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Just recently on the 28th October 2021 Torban had a match at Wisbech for a Charity event to raise awareness for Mental Health with the main guest being Frank Bruno, Torban met Frank when Torban was 15 years of age and has never forgot that meeting, then to be meeting Frank again at a match that Torban himself was to be fighting in

We were proud to have been one of his sponsors, this is a young man with a lot of potential, drive, determination and focus on his goal.

Just recently on the 28th October Torban had a match at Wisbech for a Charity event to raise awareness  for Mental Health with the main guest being Frank Bruno, Torban met Frank when Torban was 15 years of age and has never forgot that meeting, then to be meeting Frank again at a match that Torban himself was to be fighting in

Could Massage Boost Your Immune System? “Of Course It Can”

Could Massage Boost Your Immune System

While watching the TV program “Trust Me I’m A Doctor” my ears pricked up and really wanted to know about one of the sections in the program.

Could massage boost your immune system?

He went on to say “Massage is one of the oldest therapies in existence.”

Well we already knew that one , but guess what,  they should have replaced the words.

 “Could Massage with the words Massage does “

Bio Nuropulse in action

It seems that General Medicine has taken it’s time to catch up with us Massage Therapist.

When you have a patient that comes to you after an injury and you work on them using massage, you notice the difference, you are spending time with them, you notice them healing.

 We know that restoring them back to fitness is the aim.

We know Massage releases the “feel good factor” and there is a reason for that  it is not all about just relaxing, massage helps release Endorphins and  Dopamine, it is the physical input that the therapist applies to the patient  and how it is applied that makes the difference.

In the program they next , teamed up with Professor Fulvio D’Acquisto, an immunologist from the University of Roehampton and the Bodyology Massage School, to show a basic trial

Professor Fulvio had come across research which had found that massage boosted the number of white blood cells, the main interest in this case  being in the  “T cells,  a certain  type of white blood cell” and the reaction and results to massage,  for  patients suffering from HIV, this a disease that causes a reduction in the white blood cells known as T Lymphocytes.(I have added the link to the HIV Study.) there is so much to look at and take in that the links are worth a read to put things in perspective.

Professor Fulvio had come across research which had found that massage boosted the number of white blood cells, the main interest in this case being in the “T cells, a certain type of white blood cell” and the reaction and results to massage, for patients suffering from HIV, this a disease that causes a reduction in the white blood cells known as T Lymphocytes.(I have added the link to the HIV Study.) there is so much to look at and take in that the links are worth a read to put things in perspective.

There were  two different types of T Cells, helper cells (CD4 T Cells and Cytotoxic or CD8 killer cells, that they were mainly of interested  in the study. 

T cells are matured in the Thymus,(Hence the name T Cells) this is an organ situated under the breastbone, that does most of it’s work when we are children, before puberty it  then turns into fatty tissue, but  T cells are originally produced in the bone marrow, they later move to the Thymus, then when they have matured and the Thymus changes, they are on the move again, they then migrate to the lymph nodes (these are groups of immune system cells) throughout the body, where they work to aid the immune system in fighting disease, clever hardworking little guys these T Cells.

There are also Effector cells and Memory T cells these  may be either CD4+ or CD8 but work differently ( I have also added a link on T Cells to give a bit more information)

Taking blood samples from  Volunteers, before and after massage, so they could do a  T cell count this is a blood test that measures the number of T cells in your body. A T cell is a type of white blood cell they  then  analysed the blood test, for the number of T Lymphocytes present, this  became the  baseline reading, they  then checked them again,  comparing  the baseline results, to the results after an hour’s massage.

This  showed a 70 per cent boost in white blood cells after massage.

We all love to have good results

This was also a higher reading than they had from the volunteers simply relaxing, the other factor evident, was that in the group that had the massage, their T Cells remained higher after the test.

As T-lymphocytes  perform a wide array of functions in the body involved with growth and repair, both the Killer and Helper  Cells, when   “Thymosin: The Hormone of the Thymus is released,”  this will  help the killer Cells to destroy any bugs in the system, while the helper cells will then go on to then build up the immune system.

This has been of great interest to both myself when using the Bioneuro because of it’s ability to be used during massage and how it effectively  preforms  in boosting recovery, along with its ability to enhance Massage and Neuromuscular Therapy techniques used when treating a patient and the team at Biosysco in further developments of The Bioneuro.

Runners Preparation for Marathon

Norwich Rugby Football Club

Norwich Rugby Football Club

Such a great Sunday morning and enjoyed meeting some great young  folk from Norwich Rugby Football Club

Such a great Sunday morning and enjoyed meeting some great young folk from Norwich Rugby Football Club. Some fantastic guys and girls, looked after by a great coaching team, with a lot of involvement from parents a brilliant family atmosphere. The launch of the new kit and we are proud to be one of their sponsors and looking forward to being involved with them more in the future.

Some fantastic guys and girls, looked after by a great  coaching team, with a lot of involvement from parents a brilliant family  atmosphere.

The launch of the new kit and we are proud to be one of their sponsors and looking forward to being involved with them more in the future

Barney also had a great time and was thoroughly spoiled by the young ladies of the Women’s Rugby team.

Barney also had a great time and was thoroughly spoiled by the young ladies of the Women’s Rugby team.

We all love to have good results

Then from a clients wife a message he is a Iron-man competitor and triathlete she just wanted to say “Thanks for fixing her husband. He completed Vichy iron-man in 12:32:58 his best iron-man time so far. Then just to top it all a client that had been trying to get a MRI scan with not much success asked me to send a letter to her GP to see if would help, I explained in the letter my finding with the “Bioneuro Assessment tool”, they have now agreed with letting her have the MRI It is great to achieve goals, especially when it means that someone else also is, recovering or finally getting the help that they nee

I know we all love good results and not just our team on the football field, I mean in our business and a good result can make your week

The day started off with a client that I have had for a while they came to me with a sever  back injury, having gone back for their  NHS assessment to be told by the Physiotherapist that.

” The treatment they were getting with myself and the use of the Bioneuro has made a significant difference to their  recovery in an incredibly short space of time “.

 

Then from a clients wife a message he is a Iron-man competitor and triathlete she just wanted to say “Thanks for fixing her husband. He completed Vichy iron-man in 12:32:58 his best iron-man time so far. Then just to top it all a client that had been trying to get a MRI scan with not much success asked me to send a letter to her GP to see if would help, I explained in the letter my finding with the “Bioneuro Assessment tool”, they have now agreed with letting her have the MRI

Then from a clients wife a message he is a Iron-man competitor and triathlete

she just wanted to say “Thanks for fixing her husband. He completed Vichy iron-man in 12:32:58 his best iron-man time so far.

Then just to top it all a client that had been trying to get a MRI scan with not much success asked me to send a letter to her GP to see if would help, I explained in the letter my finding with the “Bioneuro Assessment tool”, they have now agreed with letting her have the MRI

It is great to achieve goals, especially when it means that someone else also is,

recovering or finally getting the help that they need.

Professional Dancing can take it’s toll

Professional Dancing

A lot of us like musicals and lets face it there are some brilliant ones out there.

 

Here at Getfitstayfit Norfolk we have had the pleasure of looking after a few Professional Dancers, but one young man, that has played the lead, in that of  Grease ,Top Hat and Singing In The  Rain, came to us with an injury that needed quite  a bit of treatment, but had a great positive clinical outcome.

 

All the parts he has been  playing were very physical parts, as a dancer these parts drew on all of Alex’s physical strength,  he could not afford to be in pain or have an injury, to do Top Hat he had to be in Top Condition.

 

Alex came to us back in 2017 after an injury causing Muscle Damage, to his lower back , sustained while playing his other passion, but due to his work commitments,  was going to be  his last game of Rugby.

 

Alex responded very well to treatment with the Bioneuro massage and Neuromuscular therapy techniques,  he was soon back on form and taking on his lead part in Grease.

 

Also he wanted to know how he could help himself and his body more, he needed to be able to sustain Fluid Motion, he was a very good student and has been working hard to keep himself in great condition.

Unfortunately  Alex had a bit of a set back at the beginning of 2018, after a very busy year, but we dealt with it quickly and Alex was back on course again, this time the lead in, Singing In The Rain.

 

In my years of treating Musculoskeletal injuries, I have learnt, that one size does not fit all, I adapt what I do so I can do the best for the patient and the injury.

Trigger points often appear, also known as trigger sites or muscle knots,( just for the record although called muscle knots a muscle can not knot as it has an origin and an insertion ) are described as hyperirritable spots sarcomeres in skeletal muscle that are associated with palpable nodules in taunt bands of muscle fibres Research has improved considerably in the knowledge of what a Trigger Point Formation is, this is when a dysfunctional endplate occurs, commonly associated with a strain or the over building of muscle tissue that can then be damaged, stored calcium is realised at the site that creates a oxygen nutrient deficit. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is needed in order to remove the excessive calcium the problem is that ATP is decreased by the tightening of the tissue this then restricts the blood supply . The persistence’s of high calcium level resumes causing Acetylcholine (ACh), release creating a viscous cycle.

It would be no use giving just standard exercises to someone like Alex, dancers are already very fit and exercise all their muscles, you have to have a different approach to their  injuries, it has to be targeted, by using Neuromuscular techniques along with the Bioneuro, allowed me to get into the deep muscle tissue/ fascia in the area that the injury had occurred, concentrating on the rehabilitation after the recovery and using Alex’s own ability as a dancer, to teach him to target his own muscles groups, allows him to keep on top of things and to avoid further injury.

Please have a look at Alex’s video to find out a lot more.

 Alex 

His first words to me were” Can we do this ? I work off shore and want to get back”

work off shore

I don’t  think I will ever regret what I do for a living, I love my job seeing people, Getting Back to Fitness And Being The Best They Can 

Then you see some people that are just incredible, their determination, drive and need to Get Back to how they were is  overpowering.

Charlie is one such person he came to me Mid March after receiving a phone call from his brother, explaining the situation.

Charlie had a very bad accident the previous December, seeing the X-rays of his injury I thought how much work his surgeon, had done to get this far And the effort,. Charlie had put in to even be able to stand let alone shuffle.

I don’t think I will ever regret what I do for a living, I love my job seeing people, Getting Back to Fitness And Being The Best They Can Then you see some people that are just incredible, their determination, drive and need to Get Back to how they were is overpowering. Charlie is one such person he came to me Mid March after receiving a phone call from his brother, explaining the situation. Charlie had a very bad accident the previous December, seeing the X-rays of his injury I thought how much work his surgeon, had done to get this far And the effort,. Charlie had put in to even be able to stand let alone shuffle.

His first words to me were” Can we do this I work off shore and want to get back”

I went on to treat Charlie with the Bioneuro and massage, getting him prepared for his back to work interview with his employers, whom did not expect him back possibly till December 2019, only then the possibility of light duties certainty not back to off shore work .

Well just recently Charlie had an interview with his employers, we still have some work to do but the progress has been amazing and with no need for painkilling medication.

“The Multifidus is a very deep muscle in the human body and an excessively hard muscle to work on manually, but with treating Trevor with The Bioneuro Sigma Q, a piece of equipment that uses electrical frequency and can reach into deep muscles without being invasive, at the same time aiding neurotransmitters and blood supply to the area.”

Charlie sent me an email, with outcome.

Hi Steve

While working on a ship early December 2017 in the North Sea in extremely rough weather, I was thrown across the deck.

I had to be taken into hospital with a bad back injury, turns out  I had crushed vertebrae, I had to have spinal compression surgery (my nerves were trapped between the discs ) I was told there was every possibility, I may not walk again.

After the surgery I had very limited movement in my Legs, feet and toes,  I was put onto a course of physiotherapy, it was working, but very slowly but it got me up onto a frame walking, but it was hard and  really slow, in January I was still in a wheel chair.

February came and I had progressed to a walking frame by mid March I had advanced to two sticks, but with the shuffle and hard to put one foot in front of the other and still wobbly.

While talking to my brother he told me about, him having treatment with Getfitstayfit Norfolk and a thing called Bioneuro therapy, which I had never heard of.

I spoke to my physiotherapist and she had not heard of it,  I then spoke to my consultant,  at the Norfolk and Norwich hospital and he had not heard about it either.

My brother convinced me to make an appointment  to meet Steve and have a consultation with him, to see if this Bioneuro therapy would work.

I first arrived on the 21st March still on two sticks, by mid April I was on one stick

Here we are  two months down the road I am not using the sticks, I am going back to work on light duties towards Mid June .

Then hopefully within a short period  I will be back to work full time and back off shore, this treatment has really made a difference, the possibilities for anyone who’s had spinal compression surgery or suffered with similar problem as myself.

I can’t thank Steve and his Bioneuro and massage treatment, enough for what he’s done for me.

Many Thanks

Charlie.

Low Back Pain and what it means to you

Chronic pain in my back

A series of papers, due to a long term trial and study have been published in the Lancet.

They make interesting and worrying reading, asking the worldwide medical profession to stop offering ineffective and potentially harmful treatments and NICE is agreeing with them

Such as Strong drugs, injections and surgery they are generally overkill, they say, with limited evidence that they help.

People may have seen the article on the BBC  “Many back pain patients are ‘getting wrong care”  if you want to have a look

The truth of the matter is, in a lot of cases they are getting the wrong care.

What we need to look at is.

Most back pain is best managed by keeping active Remember that good exercise and activity, choose the right sort of activity for you and build on it, this can reduce and prevent back pain. In most cases people have strained muscles in the back, that in itself is painful, the lower back muscles, consisting of your Extensor, Flexor and your Oblique muscles , Low back pain can feel very debilitating, when you feel in pain, you do not want to keep active and do exercise, but you need to Avoid bed rest and get moving but keep it gentle, at the same time please avoid aggravating activities, no digging the garden you need to use the principles of kinetic movement when bending or lifting, in a way that is comfortable for you, using the hips and knees. People talk about “Slipped Discs” this terminology is BAD, your discs Do not slip, they can however Herniate and there is treatment that can help with that. The thoracic spine is the longest region of the spine, it is also the most comple

“Painkillers mask pain they do not heal the damaged area, also Painkillers WILL NOT speed up your recovery

In most cases they don’t help as we think they should, but because the Doctors give them to you and the advertisers say they do,  then we believe that it is the right thing to do, when your in pain with your back you may not want to hear that, Your back is stronger than you may imagine , your spine is very strong and it is not easily damaged.

Most back pain is best managed by keeping active 

Remember that good exercise and activity, choose the right sort of activity for you and build on it, this can reduce and prevent back pain.

In most cases people have strained muscles in the back, that in itself is painful, the lower back muscles, consisting of your Extensor, Flexor and your Oblique muscles ,

Low back pain can feel very debilitating, when you feel in pain, you do not want to keep active and do exercise, but you need to Avoid bed rest and get moving but keep it gentle, at the same time please avoid aggravating activities, no digging the garden  you need to use the principles of  kinetic movement when bending or lifting,  in a way that is comfortable for you, using the hips and knees.

People talk about “Slipped Discs” this terminology is BAD, your discs Do not slip, they can however Herniate and there is treatment that can help with that.

The thoracic spine is the longest region of the spine, it is also the most complex.

It connects your cervical spine above to the lumbar spine below, the thoracic spine runs from the base of your neck down to your abdomen and It is the only spinal region that is attached to your rib cage. The type of pain in this region, is upper back pain, it is most commonly caused by muscle irritation or tension, a lot of you may have heard the term myofascial pain, in most cases this is caused mainly by poor posture, often bad workplace seating affecting , forward head posture, or any type of irritation of the large back and shoulder muscles, again muscle strain or spasms are an issue.

It connects your cervical spine above to the lumbar spine below, the thoracic spine runs from the base of your neck down to your abdomen and It is the only spinal region that is attached to your  rib cage.  The type of pain in this region,  is upper back pain, it is most commonly caused by muscle irritation or tension, a lot of you may have heard the term myofascial pain, in most cases this is  caused mainly by poor posture, often bad workplace seating affecting , forward head posture, or any type of irritation of the large back and shoulder muscles, again muscle strain or spasms are an issue.

Then we have to consider Joint dysfunction. In the  Thoracic spinal joints, this can become very painful in various ways, from cartilage tears and disc degeneration , developing in the facet joints where adjacent thoracic vertebrae articulate with each other.

It is also possible for a rib to become misaligned or displaced from the vertebrae, this is a case of a tissues muscular injury becoming a structural injury, or even  facet joint degeneration (osteoarthritis) and degenerative disc disease can happen at the same time, for these sorts of issues you would need to talk to your Doctor who would more than likely need further confirmation with a scan.

It is that step between being in pain and feeling terrible, to feeling that you can cope, then going on to feeling better.

This is the area that we here at Getfitstayfit Norfolk aim to address , getting from that point of being in so much pain, that you do not want to do anything and feeling that you need to take pain killers, only to find either none or minimal sort term relief,  so you take more pain killers and do less.

 

The cycle starts and that is the cycle we need to break or even prevent. You need to be able to get good quality sleep, if you can, because it will help you feel better overall one of the main things most of our patient’s tell us is that they have not been able to sleep, one thing they also tell us after treatment is that they have slept, this means a lot as it is the first stage of recovery.

We know that Massage  can help with low back pain, along with spinal manipulation , here at Getfitstayfit Norfolk we also use the Bioneuro, unlike a  Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Simulation (TENS) that is digital. the Bioneuro is Analogue and  works with the bodies natural ability to heal.  it is none invasive, but can get into those muscles quicker and deeper to aid in recovery .

You also need to look at the root cause of the injury.

 

Accidents, Injury and Physical Trauma how Getfitstayfit Norfolk can help with recovery in Norwich
  • Is it poor posture
  • Is it seating position on a work place chair
  • Have you not used kinetic lifting when lifting something heavy.
  • Have you overstretched
  • Have you be overdoing it in the garden or while doing DIY
  • Are you doing exercises wrong, or an injury while playing sports
  • Have you had an accident ,that may have long term implications.

Any of these things can be the cause , there are also other factors that we can look at, like a herniated disc or in some cases disc degeneration, we can work with your Doctor on a plan to help with these issues.

 What ever the reason, getting you to pain free movement, is the first step and in some cases it is all about baby steps, we work with you at your pace.

To Get You To Be The Best You Can Be.  

Do you know what the Symptoms of Prostate Cancer are ?

Symptoms of Prostate Cancer

This one is for the men, but ladies you can be the ones that make sure your man is on the ball, “pun intended” its all about Checking for sings of testicular cancer and prostrate cancer.

“Guys if you did not watch the Full Monty 2018 then you need too.”

More than that you need to understand the message.

“Check no matter what your age is start young and know all about how you tackle feels and if you have son’s then teach them, do not be embarrassed or worried, they will thank you for it as they get older.”

We men do not talk enough about things if we have a problem ignoring it will not make it go away, Cancer does not discriminate, there is a saying “Bad guys win when good guys do nothing.” Think of cancer as a real bad guy and he is out to destroy you are you going to do nothing?

I have had a couple of patients that have come to me with Hip, Back and Pelvic Pain, thankfully we have talked there were other issues and I managed to convince them to go to the doctors to get checked.

They did have problems, but things are now under control.

This one is for the men, but ladies you can be the ones that make sure your man is on the ball, “pun intended” its all about Checking for sings of testicular cancer and prostrate cancer. Guys if you did not watch the Full Monty 2018 then you need too. More than that you need to understand the message. Check no matter what your age is start young and know all about how you tackle feels and if you have son’s then teach them, do not be embarrassed or worried, they will thank you for it as they get older.

These are the signs to look out for, but guys at first you may not have any signs. The early stages of Prostate Cancer, usually have no signs or symptoms.

“Still Check better to do that, than the possibility of a sign of more advanced cancer, I can not stress enough it is important that you be tested.”

Also these symptoms can also be a signs of non-cancerous enlargement or a conditions such as BPH, Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy, or another condition known as Prostatitis, your doctor will discuss that in more detail with you.

Urinary problems – You may have a weak urine stream any changes in the flow , maybe difficulty initiating urination, stopping and starting during urination; urinating frequently, especially at night, any pain or burning with urination.

Blood – in the urine and semen, guys do not let this one go you must see doctor, I know it could also be a kidney issue, even so that still needs to be checked.

Pain – in the hips, pelvis, spine or upper legs. Again guys will put this down to all sorts of reasons, both my clients, did the same one put it down to gardening the other to much exercise at the gym.

Pain or discomfort – during ejaculation, I don’t know about you, but my wife would be marching me down to the doctors herself, guys alarm bells should be ringing if this is the case and let’s face it this is not a good thing for your love life.

Difficulty – getting an erection, again you have to be concerned if you have this symptom.

So no excuses, lets beat the bad guy and don’t let him take over your life

“Get Checked Talk Keep Talking Keep Checking.”

Don’t wait, as a Soft Tissue Injury can be as debilitating as a broken bone.

A soft tissue injury can be as debilitating as a broken bone

We have all done it,  twisted funny and hurt our back or shoulder or even the  neck.  I have heard so many times people say,

” I thought if I just took some pain killers and rested it would go away I have been too busy to deal with it “ or “I didn’t want to make a fuss, you just get on with it after all, the worst  I have done is pulled a muscle, but it is just getting worse.”

I have also heard the statement  ” I have done exercises, but they make it worse”.   The Fact Is Yes you CAN make it worse, if you have trigger points through tension on an injury point, exercise will aggravate  it Trigger Points need to be dealt with. So you can exercise productively

A Soft Tissue Injury can be as debilitating as a broken bone, So Please Do Not Underestimate The Damage that you may have done.

“As a Taxi Driver My Back was totally immobile, Steve has made such a difference , but don’t wait till your in agony “

Then  after a week  or so, it is not getting better and more things hurt,  you can’t lift something without it hurting, it is affecting your sleep and if it’s you shoulder or neck you are staring getting headaches.

 

You need to deal with it “THE LONGER YOU WAIT THE LONGER IT TAKES TO HEAL” 

I am a great believer in helping my clients to get back to fitness ASAP , having a good clinical outcome for them , not having them in pain and it dragging on and on.

Diary of a Golfer

A message from Dawn

“As a Taxi Driver My Back was totally immobile, Steve has made such a difference , but don’t wait till your in agony “

And From Jerry

Myself and my family are indebted to Steve, I have to work long hours for my business and this wouldn’t be possible without Steve’s treatments help and support ,  also love my Golf, when I do get some spare time I love to play, back issues were making this so difficult, I could not get a good swing, so not a good round of Golf it was  frustrating , being pain free was so important to my work, home and relaxation, I can now enjoy the game again and get on with my work also enjoy time with the family .

Thank you Steve

Jerry

Helping Keith getting up that grading ladder and another step, closer to the Olympics

Helping Keith getting up that grading ladder and another step, closer to the Olympics

Keith  with “Quicks” MD, Les MacPherson, at the “Crookhorn” shoot, hosted by Portsmouth’s “Forest of Bere Bowman”.

Seeing him win yet another important  competition is a great reward for all the work we have done with him 

Keith is a Dedicated  Competition  Archer,  we are proud of him and to be looking  after him  here at Getfitstayfit Norfolk

Keith is currently rated 17th in the UK in Archery

The whole of Keith’s  body requires weekly physical maintenance, he pushes it pretty hard.

Keith is currently rated 17th in the UK in Archery, he has to be on top form.

He needs to be able to run 10k clime hills and have perfect balance  so he can always hit that target.

We have to place a great deal of  emphasis on his Rhomboids ,Latissimus Dorsi, the whole of neck and shoulder region,  as this is the  area that has to  hold the  great degree of tension, that is needed to be finely  tuned in order to produce a positive physical ,physiological and psychological performance  in any competition on route to the next Olympics

This is further strong evidence that working with Bioneuro Sigma Q sending  electrical frequency deep into  Keith’s muscular skeletal system is enabling this man to execute his technique well .