Balance Massage Boutique

Sciatica~The Big Pain In The...

Feeling pain that radiates from the back,through the buttocks,causing tingling in the thighs,back of the legs,loss of feeling in the feet or spasms in the calves?

Anyone of those symptoms can be caused by the sciatic nerve in the lumbar spine being compressed.

The Sciatic Nerve is the largest nerve in the spine and extends the nerve pathways into the lower back and legs.

Treatment of this pain can be done with massage,to unpinch the nerve,or you could cool the affected area with ice to get any inflammation to reduce,good old asprin works as well.

Although asprin is only a temporary relief from the sciatica through reducing inflammation at the root of the sciatica. Do not take them if you are on blood thinning medication.

Try to not lift anything or sit in a low or soft chair.

Sleeping with a pillow between the legs or under the knees may bring relief as well.

While avoiding strenuous activities,try not avoiding them more than a few days,it can actually worsen the condition from being to seditary,movement can help release the pinched nerve.

Cold packs or frozen vegetables can be massaged over the lower back and legs. Although cold therapy should be done in increments of 20 minutes and heat should be avoided until the 2nd day.

There are many women who are expecting a new edition to their family. Although this is an exciting time for the mother-to-be, we all know that she may also be a little stressed from the changes that are occurring in her everyday life and activities. Massage therapy is an excellent stress reducer and is a delightful, healthy choice in promoting overall wellness.

What is a Prenatal Massage

A prenatal massage is a technique involving deep bodywork designed to improve your circulation, take some of the strain off your muscles and joins, and generally re-energize you.⁽¹⁾ Massage will help the mother to balance body, mind, and spirit. A massage will improve overall circulation, increase blood flow, and reduce stress hormones.

Is it Safe to get a Prenatal Massage While Expecting?

The answer is yes!  However, not until after the first trimester.  After the second trimester, you shouldn't lie on your stomach unless the LMT (Licensed Massage Therapist) has a bod pillow.  This is primarily because the weight of your baby and uterus can reduce circulation to your placenta and create more problems⁽¹⁾ that can be detrimental to you and your unborn fetus.

Benefits of Prenatal Massage

There are many benefits to getting a prenatal massage.  Here are just a few:

• reduce stress/anxiety
• improve circulation
• improve muscle relaxation
• reduce preeclampsia
• improve sleep

So, if you know someone who is expecting or if you'll be welcoming in your own new bundle of joy, you should relieve stress and improve your sleeping quality by getting a prenatal massage.

1. www.whattoexpect.com

Well... we've finally reached the end of our series on running.  Hopefully, we answered some of the common questions or at least offered something entertaining to read.

Now that you have been out running you may have experienced dreadful chafing!  So... how do you prevent chafing?

Stay dry!  We skin can actually make chafing worse.  Try lubricating the worst spots such as the inner thighs, around sports bras, and, ouch, nipples!  My personal favorite lubricant is BodyGlide.  It comes in a sold form (kind of like deodorant) or it also comes in a lotion form.

Also, stay away from cotton!  It absorbs all your sweat and makes for horrible chafing.  Make sure your clothes fit properly.  Too tight or too loose can rub you the wrong way.  Compression shorts are amazing for saving your inner thighs.  And, yes, you saw correctly--nipples.  Protect those by getting NipGuards or good old-fashioned Band-Aids work well also.

Treating chafed skin is simple.  Make sure you shower as soon as you are done with your run.  You will regret rubbing it with a towel--OUCH!--so make sure you just pat the are gently until dry.  Then you can sooth it by applying ointments.  Good ones to use are Desitin or A+D zinc oxide.  Occasionally, I have put on cold aloe vera.  It just feels good to me.

Prevention, of course, is the best medicine, so please take precautions so you don't' have to deal with the pain of chafing and can just enjoy running.

Run free my friends!

This is part four in an on-going series focused on helping first time runners and racers.

Protein can be broken down into sugars for use in the body under extreme circumstances, so let's keep the focus on carbohydrates.  Carbs are stored as glycogen in the muscles and liver.  You can store around 2000 kcal as glycogen.  This gives you enough energy to run or walk around 20 miles.

Many of you may have heard of "carb-loading".  This is great to do if you are running longer than a half-marathon.  Some marathon runners will indulge in carb-loading up to three days before a race.  This simply means increasing your carb intake while cutting back on running, thereby reducing glycogen consumption.

Within six hours of the race, you should eat high glycemic index foods such as bread, raisins, and sugar to increase your blood sugar and top-off your body's glycogen.

It takes about 30 minutes for the carbs to reach your bloodstream, so during the race, you need to start eating before you feel tired!  There are these amazing gel packs that you can stick away in your pocket.  Each pack contains around 20g of carbs!  It's best to take them at water stops because they are so concentrated.  If you decide to go with the gels, make sure you try training with them on your long runs so you can make sure they don't upset your stomach.  Check the expiration date!  I had a horrible experience with old gel during a marathon!

Water and knowing how much to take in is also very important.  There is such a thing as too much water.  Taking in too much can even be dangerous!  Hyperhydration, or "water intoxication", can dilute sodium levels in your body in a condition known as hyponatremia.

So, do not drink obsessively several days before a race.  Drink when your thirsty.  During a race, again, drink when you are thirsty.  Water, sugars, and electrolytes will help you perform, but don't force yourself to drink.  If you get a sloshy feeling in your stomach or feel queasy, drink less.  Finally, you can try drinking sports drinks instead of water during a race to help with electrolytes.

Listen to your body!  Run long and health!

This is part 3 of our continuing series on running.  See also parts one and two.

Today we'll be answering these questions:

• How much time do I need to prepare myself for my first race?
• What are the best stretches to perform?

First Race Training

Five Kilometer

If you are a beginner and you want to try for your first 5k (3.1 miles), you want at least six weeks to train.  This is training only three days per week, skipping every other day.  For example, your first week should be:

On the second week, increase the time running to at least 5 extra minutes on both Monday and Wednesday.  For the long run on Friday, increase to two miles.  During the third week, add a few more minutes and distance:

You're getting the idea, right!?  Keep continuing with that pattern so on the fourth week the long run will be 3 miles and 3.5 miles on the fifth week.  The sixth week is race day!  Good luck!

Half or Full Marathon

The key to training in this case are your long run days.  Twelve weeks give you plenty of time to build up to a 10 mile long run.  The goal is to get up to a 10 mile long run every week.  You should commit to four running days per week to be able to finish your first half-marathon.  Again, keep the plan simple so you and your body know what to expect.

Once you have your first race under your belt, training should shift to focus on gaining speed for race day.  The way to gain speed is to increase distance!  For example, your long run days should be 13 or 14 miles.  They don't need to be fast.  It's the distance that is key if you want to race fast.

Stretching

After a race it is very important to stretch!  It help to remove the lactic acid that builds up in muscles during a race.  Runner's World has some amazing examples of stretches that you can perform and illustrations to make them easier to understand.

Have fun and keep hitting that pavement!