Do Sports Massage Therapist, or Soft Tissue Therapist get the credit they deserve ?

Folks I have read a lot of comments in reference to Sports Massage Therapist, or Soft Tissue Therapist not being able to open just yet . In all my 30 years of being a therapist I have never known so many of my colleague’s to be so despondent and under valued and it saddens me, because I know how much work they do

 

Folks I have read a lot of comments in reference to Sports Massage Therapist, or Soft Tissue Therapist not being able to open just yet .

In all my 30 years of being a therapist I have never known so many of my colleague’s to be so despondent and under valued and it saddens me, because I know how much work they do.

As the re-opening is starting after Covid 19 ,a Soft Tissue Therapist  said “If we are waiting for them to say the words Sports Massage or Soft Tissue Therapist can re-open , then forget it they won’t “ .

The reason being they NEVER said that Sports Massage or Soft Tissue Therapist should close,  please bear with me on this , as I would like you to think back to 2012 and the Olympic Games in London, when a considerable number of Massage Therapist and such were helping out by looking after the athletes, at the end they were thanked for their work.

in fact I do think it was, Boris that thanked them, but what did he call them ? “It was Physio’s” he  like most event organisers and a lot of athletes,  just think of all therapist, that are looking after them as Physio’s.

They do not concern themselves with all the different organisations that are involved,  they just want someone to do the job, to help fix them when they are injured.

After all the term  Physiotherapist according to the Oxford dictionary is “A person qualified to treat disease, injury, or deformity by physical methods such as massage, heat treatment, and exercise,  be it after a hip replacement or injury”, there is no definition for either a Soft Tissue Therapist or Sports Massage Therapist in the dictionary, so no wonder they get confused as to what we do .

It is our own bureaucracy that has created the divisions and the discrimination, we have one word that causes us problems and that word is, MASSAGE  it is not considered by some insurance companies as a treatment, even if you are dealing with rehabilitation massage after injury, they consider massage as a preventative just for relaxing, they do not consider the beneficial out comes for a client .

The word holds so many connotations, “a massage” is considered  a source of pleasure,  ” A relaxing massage” we have all heard the term, we also know that when you add the word PARLOUR,  then bells ring in any professional therapist head.

As it has very seedy connotations and a word we need to stop using to define our business’s,  as the definition in Collins Dictionary  states “A Massage Parlour is a place where people go and pay for a massage, some places that are called Massage Parlours, are in fact places where people pay to have sex.”

As Boris is the type of person that would and does very often refer to the Dictionary Meaning, is it possible that therapist are asking the wrong question ? First should we ask “What sort of establishment  is Boris referring to when he  states Massage Parlours, are to remain closed, does he know the difference between Physiotherapists and Soft Tissue Therapist.?

We may find that neither he, or his other party ministers  understand the difference, and that we have been categorising ourselves unnecessarily, because of a word.

Please do not misunderstand me, I have agreed and adhered to the rules,  but I do feel that this is now a matter of confusion, because of how we define our businesses.

I am not a Massage Therapist, I use massage as part of the treatment process for my patients,  I am a Neuromuscular Injury Therapist and I have worked hard to achieve this.

I work with and Consultants, GPs Neurologist, Orthopaedic Consultants, I have had the privilege of being trained by an incredible Anatomist , I am able to discuss and receive advice in what I am achieving for my patients, with some very well respected consultants ,  I deal with injuries and long term rehabilitation, I have worked with  people across the social spectrum from  elite athletes to elderly folk, that have had hip or knee surgery and find they struggled with the exercises given to them by the physiotherapist and they need a more hands on approach and support, People Do Not come to me, for  a Relaxing Massage or a Happy Ending, I do not run that kind of establishment, I treat patients that need my help with trauma related pathologies and injury prevention.

We may find that neither he, or his other party ministers understand the difference, and that we have been categorising ourselves unnecessarily, because of a word. Please do not misunderstand me, I have agreed and adhered to the rules, but I do feel that this is now a matter of confusion, because of how we define our businesses. I am not a Massage Therapist, I use massage as part of the treatment process for my patients, I am a Neuromuscular Injury Therapist and I have worked hard to achieve this. I work with and Consultants, GPs Neurologist, Orthopaedic Consultants, I have had the privilege of being trained by an incredible Anatomist , I am able to discuss and receive advice in what I am achieving for my patients, with some very well respected consultants , I deal with injuries and long term rehabilitation, I have worked with people across the social spectrum from elite athletes to elderly folk, that have had hip or knee surgery and find they struggled with the exercises given to them by the physiotherapist and they need a more hands on approach and support, People Do Not come to me, for a Relaxing Massage or a Happy Ending, I do not run that kind of establishment, I treat patients that need my help with trauma related pathologies and injury prevention.

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

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.  

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 .

Three Epidural injections, did not touch the pain, but Bioneuro Sigma Q did!

Epidural injections

Trevor, Norwich born and bred  has fought all his life to be fit healthy and achieve goals in all area’s of life . 

Thirty years ago Trevor suffered a serious trauma injury to his lower back. Life had to go on and Trevor had to carry on working, But the injuries did not finish there, in 2012 suffered yet another injury whilst using a Kango hammer.

Trevor suffered a serious trauma injury to his lower back. Life had to go on and Trevor had to carry on working, But the injuries did not finish there, in 2012 suffered yet another injury whilst using a Kango hammer. Over the years this chap has attempted many interventions to restore his well being to no avail .

Over the years this chap has attempted many interventions to restore his well being to no avail .

Exercises, Treatment Looking after his family, with the demands made on him at work and all it brings, became his circle of life, whilst coping with the lower back pain.

Life and muscular pain started to compile and Trevor again took up this issue with his GP. he was referred to see a Rheumatologist they said 

“Pain relief with a epidural procedure would help him”.

“Three Epidurals later and not one had help me ” said Trevor .

 

“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.”

Unable to stand for long with out pain or enjoy shopping with his wife things were starting to really take there toll on Trevor, he started looking for other avenues to help him, then a friend of his and a recent client of Getfitstayfit Norfolk, advised him to speak to Steve.

Steve  explained what he could do for Trevor, from  a full assessment to treatment plan and an appointment was made at that first appointment Steve quickly found that Trevor’s Lumber Multifidus muscle was the main  cause of  the pain “.

“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.”

Along  with the aid of  Massage during and following the  Bioneuro Sigma Q treatment, aiding contraction and relaxation of muscles, using muscle energy techniques and exercises,  allowing the bodies natural healing process to begin.

From  Trevor

“Thank you ,Steve I am the best I’ve been in 30 years  and ready for action !”

Back To Work Again, After A Very Painful Long Journey.

Back To Work

Some times with a client you take their journey with them in so many ways.

I am always concerned  for my clients and want the best for them, I  try to get them back to fitness and I will fight their corner when they need it, some take a lot longer than others, as I have always said coming back from injury is Baby steps and we have to go a the clients pace, I won’t make false promises,  I will encourage them, and work with them, to move forward with their lives, but in the end it is down to them and the effort they also put into getting there.

Trevor has been one of those clients, his Journey has taken a long time, but his chronic muscular injuries were sustained  over a very long period of time.

Trevor first came to me back in May 2016, he has been back with me on and off since that time,  for further rehabilitation treatment, after we had got through to a level of improvement, allowing  him to be able to deal with things himself, helping him to get fit enough for working again.

I am so pleased to say Trevor has sent me this message he is a great guy and so glad he is now back working.

He has a  great reduction in pain, I know he still has the occasional bad day ,but nothing like he was suffering with and the pain no longer controls him, he is no longer suffering from depression, due to his pain, his life has improved so much and he so deserves it know what he has gone through.

I know its a very late thank you but I wanted you to know , I have got a job at Norse , my knees are still not as great as I would like, but Norse are trying to find a more suitable job for me where its not so hard on them. hope you are both ok no doubt I will see you in the future .

I’ve been involved in manual work most of my life, and for many years (having had two kidney transplants 35yrs ago) I then started experience sever muscular & joint pains. I have taken pain killers, going up the scale and tried various alternative therapies, with no joy till I met you, it was when I brought my daughter for treatment with you, as she was unable to drive due to an injury. A massive thanks Steve for all your hard work in getting me fit enough to work again, I had been off for nearly a year and not seeing any way forward, with various joint muscular and nerve problems, but you sorted them one by one and you never gave up on me.

Thank you for all you have done for me ,and hopefully this will inspire others .

I’ve been involved in manual work most of my life, and for many years (having had two kidney transplants 35yrs ago) I then started experience sever  muscular & joint pains. I have taken pain killers, going up the scale and tried various alternative therapies, with no joy till I met you, it was when I brought my daughter for treatment with you, as she was unable to drive due to an injury.

A massive thanks Steve for all your hard work in getting me fit enough to work again, I had been off for nearly a year and not seeing any way forward, with various joint muscular and nerve problems, but you sorted them one by one and you never gave up on me.

I would highly recommend such a lovely, caring, giving, dedicated person.

kind regards Trevor.

Archery Hits the Target, Keith is currently rated 17th in the UK in Archery and on his way to The Next Olympics

Archery Hits the Target, Keith is on his way to the Olympics

Keith is currently rated 17th in the UK in Archery . Needing to be continuously on top form ensuring he is able to achieve accurate aim which requires to be  physically on top form .

Here is a statement from Keith

I came to see Steve following talking to another friend at the Norwich Archer Club . Telling Steve about all the demands on my body ,pressure, potential injuries   the need for concentration ,Steve went to work . A full assessment ,noting any concerns he found .Introducing his Bioneuro machine .

Steve ,explained how it works on your Central  and Peripheral Nervous Systems . A strange feeling ,but it is doing me the power of good . The Bioneuro combined with massage fantastic ! . The increase in blood and nerve supply  to my body aids that feel good factor .

I have been able to run 10k’s with no ill effects ,train harder as well . Massage great ,getting rid of trigger points that have developed so necessary .

This is not a sales pitch ,but this works the combination of this machine and effective professional  experienced massage will help You stay on target .

Keep up the great work Steve

Keith H

Keith is currently rated 17th in the UK in Archery

Archery these days  is a  high standard competition sport including the Olympics,  but it owes it’s root’s in the necessity to form an army to protect a Kingdom.

In English culture the Long Bow and  Archery were not just in legends of Robin Hood, or in Poems like  The White Company  by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Indeed Henry III even made it compulsory with the Act of Assizes of Arms of 1252 that all men would be Armed with one of the weapons of the day , but for most they would have to also have a Long Bow they would have to train on this weapon constantly.

You may not believe this but it is true, this law is still in place as it was never repealed.

All English males over the age of 14 are to carry out two hours of longbow practice every week, supervised by the local clergy. This law dates from the middle ages when there was no army and is still in place today.

Yew  trees were commonly planted in English churchyards to make sure that there would always  have readily available longbow wood

This did actually become a bit of a double edged sword as it were, because although this made it easier for the King to raise an army,  it also meant that the bow became the  weapon that was commonly used by rebels during the Peasants Revolt.

The Yeoman class of England became extremely proficient with the longbow, As for  the nobility in England, from then on they had to be careful not to push them into open rebellion .

Anyone who has tried to shoot an Arrow from a Bow, will know it is not an easy thing to do. Good eyesight is necessary

As for the Aim, It is all about Technique , Assuming the Correct Stance , Fluidity  of Motion, Stability and Tension Strength  after all they are pulling on that Bow String to Draw Tension, the equivalent in tension of  20-30 Kilos.

Most choose  what is called a “Neutral Stance “ this term indicates that the leg furthest from the shooting line is a half to a whole foot-length from the other foot, on the ground. As Archers become more proficient they find their own position  some use a Closed Stance others like  ( Keith use an open Stance.)

With the body nearly perpendicular to the target and the shooting line, with the feet placed shoulder-width apart, the archer then raises the bow and draws the string, they will  vary the alignments for vertical versus  slightly canted bow positions. We may not see all that is going on when we watch them, as this is often one fluid motion

Competition bows such as (The Recurve Bow that Keith uses) are released almost immediately upon reaching full draw at maximum weight, whereas compound bows reach their maximum weight around the last inch and a half, dropping holding weight significantly at full draw. Compound bows are often held at full draw for a long time to achieve maximum accuracy.

To release  the arrow, the Archer will relax the fingers of the drawing hand,as does Keith ( some that use a competition bow, have a triggering mechanical release aid) at the same time still keeping the drawing arm ridged, and the Bow Hand relaxed, the arrow is moved back into position by using the Back Muscles as opposed to using arm motions  (This will become very evident when you watch the video of Keith).

They also, as with any shooting activity be aware of Recoil action, follow through of the body if this is not checked it may indicate problems with their form technique and could possibly affect their accuracy and efficiency .

Archery Hits the Target, Keith is on his way to the Olympics

To aid his performance it is vital to ensure all the skeletal muscles in his thoracic area of his back are primed for action ,  the importance of these muscles firing in the correct order to achieve the positive execution of the outcome of his shot.

This means his Rhomboids (Major and Minor ) also his Serratus Anterior, being the Antagonist to the Rhomboids is critical, also his Triceps muscles in order to sustain stability.

With the archer’s lower Trapezius muscles being used to pull the arrow to the anchor point.  This is when the archer draws the string hand towards the face, where it should rest lightly at a fixed anchor point. This point should be consistent from shot to shot, and is usually at the corner of the mouth, on the chin, to the cheek, or to the ear, depending on the archers preferred shooting style.

Because the archer has to hold the bow arm outwards, toward the target. the elbow of this arm should be rotated so that the inner elbow is perpendicular to the ground, though some archers with hyper extendable elbows will  tend to angle the inner elbow toward the ground.

These muscles need to work in unison being strong achieving full tautness that can be retained for a period of time   when in action of Adversion ,  but at the same time remaining supple .whilst the execution of his shot is in motion.

The definition of the muscles in this video and  the recruitment and firing of the muscle,  can clearly be seen. You will notice the fluidity of the muscle progression while Keith is taking the shot

 

“And for those of you who would like to know where all those arrows landed while doing this video,  this picture says it all that is why he is on his way to the Olympics  and we are proud to be looking after him and keeping him in Top Form”

 

Suddenly a bit of hope after a year, with unbearable Neuropathic foot pain in both feet and foot drop on my right side.

Neuropathic foot pain

Those who really know me ,will know that I enjoy learning everyday about the human body ,it’s functions and how to help all my patients to have the best quality of life possible .

Pain and injury free and being able to contribute to society to play a positive role !.

Here is a young man who is a work in progress.

Recently, I have been liaising with his physiotherapist  at a national spinal unit ,what a joy is was to talk about importance of us working together, to get the best for our mutual patient using exercise, massage, combined with Bioneuro Therapy to achieve a good clinical outcome, as far as possible .

Here is Joe’s story so far .

I was born with scoliosis and had a Spinal Fusion at three  years old. The operation worked very well up until the age of around 20 when I started to notice lower back pain.

This increased over the years leaving me struggling with chronic pain. I tried various things like epidural and nerve root injections but nothing seemed to work.

In June 2016 I underwent surgery to correct the curve in my spine, taking a piece out and replacing it with a metal cage as well as two metal rods either side for support.

Unfortunately during the operation The surgeon caught my spinal cord leaving me in Spinal Shock and temporally paralysed from the waist down, but within days I started being able to move my legs very slightly but I was unable to move my toes or my feet.

Its nearly a year on and I have improved a lot, but suffer I with unbearable Neuropathic foot pain in both feet and foot drop on my right side.

“I seem to have reached a plateau, my physiotherapist, decided they could no longer help me, as they had ran out of ideas, but I was not about to give up.”

 

I was born with scoliosis and had a Spinal Fusion at three years old. The operation worked very well up until the age of around 20 when I started to notice lower back pain. This increased over the years leaving me struggling with chronic pain. I tried various things like epidural and nerve root injections but nothing seemed to work. In June 2016 I underwent surgery to correct the curve in my spine, taking a piece out and replacing it with a metal cage as well as two metal rods either side for support. Unfortunately during the operation The surgeon caught my spinal cord leaving me in Spinal Shock and temporally paralysed from the waist down, but within days I started being able to move my legs very slightly but I was unable to move my toes or my feet.

Hearing about Steve from a friend I contacted him straight away he said.  “I will try my very best to help you and do all I can.”

Suddenly a bit of hope in such a hard few months! I’ve been seeing Steve for a few weeks now and although I know its going to be a long road, the improvements especially in the mornings have been a real blessing. Massage combined with Steve’s machine, we have already noticed a reduction the need of the pain killers ,feet feeling warmer and sensations all over my body in a good way .

Steve has been true to his word, even discussing tactics with my physiotherapist and together they feel there is more can be done.

“I am Feeling much more positive now and have a goal, to be back walking without crutches in the not to distant future.”