Gong Meditation for Athletes

Chris and his Gong. Western States 2010. Photo Carl Costas

Sound is the medicine of the future – Edgar Cayce

June 8th, 2011, 7 pm. 

Stay Tuned Therapeutics at 403 West Birch St., in Flagstaff, AZ, will be hosting a gong meditation for athletes on June 8th, 2011, at the clinic. Chris Thornley will be releasing the vibrations from his 36 inch Paiste Symphonic Gong upon the recipients mind, body and spirit.  Many who have witnessed this presentation come away with a feeling of grounding, peace, tranquility and clarity.  On an athletes path to events, many times there are feelings of frustration in training, diet, mission.  Set your mind at ease with fellow ultra athlete, Chris Thornley as he allows the energies of these questions come to the surface, be present, and pass.

Immerse yourself in sound with the healing vibrations of the elemental energy of OM. The Gong Meditation will both calm and inspire your spirit. The vibrations can help balance and cleanse the energy in your body. They work at a cellular level and can help with stress, fatigue, depression, anger, and blocked energy.

To Register for this Free event call Stay Tuned Therapeutics at 928-699-1999 or e mail staytunedaz@gmail.com. 

Read about Chris’  29 day solo trip in the canyon with his gong to keep him company.  Click here.

Order your Christmas TRX Today!

Click the link above to order your TRX from Stay Tuned Therapeutics. Fitness anywhere will send it right to your house!  From now til Nov. 29, 25% off and FREE shipping! Give a call and come by the Stay Tuned Therapeutics clinic to give it a try for free, 928-699-1999.

The Sleeping Flexion Addict and Low Back Pain

Ever wonder why your low back may hurt so much when you wake?

Many claim they need a new mattress while others often state, “I must have slept wrong.”  I agree most often with the latter.  Lets examine this concept through a 24 hr window.

Let’s start with the moment you wake.  Side-lying all tucked up in a ball, protecting the vital organs, staying safe from the lions that live in the bedroom.  (Stomach sleepers, that’s another post.)

You feel just fine in this side-lying position, protected, warm well rested; yet the moment you attempt to come into an upright position you feel that strain begin in the low back.  Why would this strain the low back, that’s not a stretch in the tissue.  It may feel better to go back toward that forward bent position, take the load of the low back.  Okay go pee, grab a cup a joe, and if you are like me, have a seat, get the news for the day, blog a little, fb, twitter and all that.

Okay, here, now.  While you read this, I would venture to say you are seated, as most of the people I come across find  it a new concept to stand while at the computer workstation.  Seem like a familiar position?  Are your legs crossed, or feet flat on the floor?  Lumbar curve locked in or sagging the low back?  How many hours will you maintain this position today?  Hips flexed; deep hip flexors (psoas, iliacus) shortened.  At this point many of you may get up and take out the dog, go for a run/walk or do some sun salutations, smart move!

Many people report sleeping on their stomach to be a major contributor to acute neck and low back pain.  I would agree.  Looking at the mechanics involved, sustained rotation of the cervical spine (neck) may certainly cram the facet joints either open or closed, the AA joint which is responsible for approximately 45 degrees of cervical rotation will become irritated and ask the brain for some protective muscle guarding.  The low back will also become unhappy as a result of the gut sagging forward as the head is held up by a pillow, cramming the facet joints closed on the posterior side of the spine.  With this decreased space in the length of the low back, the muscles will shorten (Davis’ Law) and hold the pattern of a “tight” low back.  Never good.

As a manual therapist I recommend these people learn to modify their sleeping behavior.  But what is the best way to sleep, where do we go from here?

Hip Treatment Part 2

A demonstration for hip pain and massage therapy/movement treatments for runners or general public in Flagstaff, Arizona.  Geoffrey Bishop of Stay Tuned Therapeutics demonstrates.

For more information or book a session at Stay Tuned Therapeutics contact Geoffrey at 928-699-1999

TAME THE PAIN WITH MASSAGE

Baby Your Back
TAME THE PAIN WITH MASSAGE

By Karrie Osborn

Download the story here..Baby_Your_Back

Anyone with recurring, unyielding back problems knows the beast that is called back pain. While most of us have experienced back pain that comes from overexertion or muscle pulls, the effects of back pain for many can be debilitating, excruciating, and life changing. Experts say back pain accounts for $100 billion in lost productivity and health-care costs each year and is one of the primary causes of work-related disability. Managing back pain can be a daunting and exhausting proposition. One natural avenue for finding relief is massage therapy.

Whether you’ve pulled a muscle in your yoga class or afternoon basketball game, or you suffer from long-term pain caused by an injury, back pain affects us all. In fact, when it comes to low-back pain specifically, researchers
say that 70–85 percent of the population will experience it at some point in their lives.
Unfortunately, the back pain numbers are growing. A recent study in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that the rate of chronic low-back pain has more than doubled in North Carolina since 1992 (from 3.9 percent in 1992 to 10.2 percent in 2006), a statistic the researchers say reflects what’s happening across the country.
Arizona-based massage therapist Geoffrey Bishop says approximately 95 percent of his clients come to him with some sort of back pain these days, while still other therapists report that nearly all of their massage clientele—from children to seniors to weekend warriors—experience this particular pain.

Obviously, the costs associated with back pain are also growing. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), Americans spend at least $50 billion each year on low-back pain alone, which is second only to headaches as the most common neurological ailment in the United States.

WHAT CAUSES THE PAIN?
Back pain is an especially debilitating condition because every movement your body makes depends on the spine functioning optimally. When back pain shows up, your whole body knows it, and sometimes exacerbates the problem by compensating in other ways to avoid the pain. It’s not unusual for sufferers to have secondary problems related to those compensation patterns.
Experts say the cause of back pain can be the result of several factors. High on the list is stress. Hunched over a keyboard, late on a deadline, bogged down in worry—many are familiar with this life. When our body is stressed, we literally begin to pull inward: the shoulders roll forward and move up to the ears, the neck disappears, and the back tightens in the new posture. “It’s an armoring effect,” says Angie Parris-Raney, a Denver-based massage therapist who specializes in deep-tissue massage and sports therapy. She says this natural response to pain can create more problems when left unchecked. “That protective mode, with the muscles in flex, can even result in visceral problems,” she says, where the pain also affects internal organs.

In addition to stress, poor posture, bad ergonomics, lack of exercise, arthritis, osteoporosis, a sedentary lifestyle, overexertion, pregnancy, kidney stones, fibromyalgia, excess weight, and more can spark back pain.
For the on-site clients Bishop sees at a manufacturing plant, the majority have some sort of back pain related to their work. While these workers have the option to sit or stand at their assembly station, Bishop says the repetitive motion they perform throughout their shift—with their arms and hands continuously extended forward—has most of them complaining of back pain. Fortunately, this employer has seen the value of massage for its employees and brought Bishop on as part of the company’s wellness program.
Bishop, who owns Stay Tuned Therapeutics in Flagstaff, says mechanics is the main cause of back pain that he sees in his practice. “It’s mechanics, including repetitive use and ignorance about preventative postures, and neglect by employers and employees to provide rest and recovery.” The past also plays a part, he says. “Old injuries and traumatic events, left untreated and unresolved, seem to dictate where stress lands in the back as well.”

View full story..Baby_Your_Back

Dalton Webinar Night, Wed. April 21.

Join us for the fun and information.  We will be broadcasting on 8 ft screen at 6 pm, at the clinic.  403 West Birch Ave, Flagstaff, AZ. Drop me an e mail if you plan to attend.

A Special Pre-Conference Broadcast as our Gift to You: (click here to preview)

The 42 Pound Head: Fixing Funky Necks

The neck is burdened with the challenging task of supporting and moving the human head. Because of tension, trauma and poor postural habits inherent in today’s workplace, it comes as no surprise that neck disorders rank high among the most common pain generators driving people into bodywork practices. In this presentation you’ll learn how to look beyond the symptoms and treat the whole to correct dysfunctional neck posture, which is key in stopping degenerative joint disease, as well as pain from headaches, rib dysfunction, TMJ, and Dowager’s Humps.

Erik Dalton, Ph.D., shares a broad therapeutic background in massage, Rolfing® and manipulative osteopathy in his entertaining and innovative pain-management workshops, books and videos. Dalton is executive director of the Freedom From Pain Institute® and developer of the Myoskeletal Alignment Techniques®. Visit www.ErikDalton.com to read internationally published articles and subscribe to free monthly “Technique” e-newsletters

“Do” not “Try” this.

I recently had the opportunity to work with a some great personal trainers, and movement educators in their domains, the gym and personal studios.  A common thread I was made aware of seemed to be a bit of an insult, looking in on the training as a non participant.  I am wondering if this is taught, or just something that some trainers fall into?

In screening movement and reeducation, it seems to be common place to use the word “try” rather than “do”.  In performing the screening of movement function, the trainers would cleverly discover a movement pattern dysfunction: ankle flexion, hip extension, trunk rotation, rib basket expansion, etc.

Moving on to the reeducation segment of the training.  The trainers, armed with the information of dysfunctional segments of movement in the kinetic chain, would use the word “try”.  “Try to bring the hip into extension.”, “Try to feel the glute max fire as you come through this portion of extension.”  With a simple reassurance that the tissue was not firing, a sideways glance, or a slight chuckle, the trainer may now has the client in the position to become a junkie, a student, a follower.

I am curious, at which phase these trainers move into saying things like “Bring the hip into extension.” or “Feel the glute max fire as you come into extension.” with some positive verbal reinforcement and kinesthetic cueing?

I can’t recall if it was my Mom, track coach, Boy Scout leader or who at some point I heard the phrase “There is no trying, only doing.”  This phrase has been ingrained in my brain and being.  If I really want something, this is how I approach it, and I share this with my clients.  I like to see my clients succeed as quickly as possible.

I invite your feedback, please help me understand this.

Americans report more stress than last year, turning to massage for relief. Doctors strongly recommending & encouraging massage.

As stress rates increase, more people are turning to massage therapy for relaxation, according to the 12th annual consumer survey conducted by the American Massage Therapy Association® (AMTA®). The survey found that 59 percent of Americans are more stressed this year than last year, and stress and relaxation are the top reasons Americans received their last massage. These survey results are announced in advance of National Massage Therapy Awareness Week, October 19-25.

“People continue to seek massage because it provides multiple therapeutic benefits, including stress relief, at an affordable price,” says M.K. Brennan, RN, AMTA president. “Massage therapy has not only been shown to reduce anxiety and depression, but it can also relieve stress symptoms like chronic migraines and high blood pressure.”

Thirty-six percent of Americans received massage for stress reduction and relaxation in the last five years, compared with just 22 percent last year. Additionally, 38 percent of Americans say they have considered regular massage to manage stress

The state of the economy has been a major stress trigger for Americans this past year. Forty-five percent of Americans say they are greatly stressed by the current economic situation, or other factors. Younger Americans and women have felt particularly affected by the economy. Fifty-five percent of those ages 25-34 say they are greatly stressed by the economic situation, and 51 percent of females agree.
Age and income impact massage therapy perceptions and usage

Young Americans and those in lower income groups are the most likely to consider massage for stress. Fifty percent of 18-24 year olds and forty-six percent of those making less than $25,000 a year say they would considered massage to manage stress.

While lower income and young Americans are more likely to seek massage for stress, people with higher incomes are more likely to discuss massage therapy with their doctors. This year, 16 percent of those making $50,000 a year or more, discussed massage with their physicians, which is nearly twice as many as those making between $25,000 and $35,000. And more than half (57 percent) of those who talked to their doctor about massage reported that their doctor strongly recommended or encouraged them to get a massage.

“As perceptions regarding the multiple benefits of massage evolve, it’s interesting to note that some of its most prevalent evangelists are doctors,” said Brennan. “This trend will continue as more doctors refer patients to massage therapists and see how it can help their patients recover from injuries, alleviate pain and ease stress.”

Despite recommendations from doctors, massage therapy is not always covered in health insurance plans. Sixty percent of Americans reported that they would like to see massage covered by their insurance plans.

Source: American Massage Therapy Association

Snowstorm 2010

I have heard from many clients about the back pain, neck and shoulder they are having from the enormous amounts of snow that fell in Norther Arizona.  It seems as if many folks still have a lot of work to do to clean up.  Use caution.  Give yourself plenty of time to do the jobs.  Take breaks and drink plenty of water.  Wishing you all the best.  We’ll see you on the table.

Piriformis as an internal rotator?

I’d like to hear from you.  What’s your take on this?

Why is it that we can stretch piriformis by externally rotating the leg as we bring the knee toward the opposite shoulder?  Or in yoga pigeon pose?

Piriformis. The piriformis muscle is a deep muscle located beneath the gluteal (butt) muscles. The piriformis muscle laterally rotates and stabilizes the hip. This muscle is important for athletes who participate in running sports that require sudden changes of direction. The piriformis works along with other hip rotators to turn the hips and upper leg outward (external rotation of the hip). Strong and flexible hip rotators keep hip and knee joints properly aligned during activity and help prevent sudden twisting of the knee during quick side-to-side movements, quick turns, lunges or squats.