Tag Archives: menhealth

MLD and Surgery

Wound of a knee post surgery

A surgery, even the most minor cut, is a big deal for the body. And a robust Lymphatic System can help you recover faster from this type of intervention. The lymphatic system is a body system that collects, moves and cleans the excess water and substances, like bacteria, viruses, dirt, tattoos, ink and more, from below the skin and then passes it to the bloodstream. Lymphatic System and Surgery. 80% of the Lymphatic System seats below the skin, and 20% sits with the deep fascia. When going for surgery and the skin gets cut, the superficial layer of the lymphatic system gets interrupted and so damaged. Unless we intervene, the lymphatic system will have a hard time regenerating. Indeed the lymphatic system can regenerate if stimulated. The stimulation of the lymphatic system happens through the touch, like with MLD or through the movement of the body, like exercises, even as simple as muscle contraction. How MLD can help the pre and post-surgery. Indeed, before or after surgery, it is recommended to stay active. This would allow the Lymphatic System to stay active and robust and regenerate quickly. On the other hand, being active post-surgery is not always an option. In fact, during the post-surgery, being active in the area that got stitches can be a contraindication, as the stitches could brake. A cast may be present in other cases, and the muscle near the surgery can’t be moved. That’s where MLD can help the lymphatic system to be stimulated. By doing so, we can guarantee the circulation of liquids in the body. But not only that. Reducing the swell around the cutting area or below the area affected by the operation would guarantee a fast recovery. This is because the oxygen released from the blood capillary, which would initially be too far from the swollen skin, can now reach the wound and help recover the skin cut. But if the area is puffed or swollen, that oxygen can’t travel as far, and the healing will not be as fast. So MLD, by boosting the lymphatic system, reduces the swelling and allows the body’s natural healing process. What to do if I have to go for surgery then? If you are up for surgery soon and you have no contraindication to MLD, what you can do to guarantee a faster recovery is, keep moving as much as you can, stay active, and book yourself in for a few MLD treatments just for the days before your surgery is due. That would help with the Lymphatic System recovery, as a more robust and healthier Lymphatic System would recover faster. And as the risk of infection and post-surgery are under control, and your blood pressure is within the acceptable range (this depends on what type of surgery you did), get moving as possible and come back for a few more sessions of MLD. Whit, what type of intervention can MLD help with? C-section (preeclampsia) bone fracture liposuction carpal tunnel knee reconstruction hip replacement day hospital intervention I went for surgery, and I got Lymph Nodes removed. As often can happen for cancer surgery, lymph nodes get removed if they are contaminated by the cancerogenic cells. Lymph node removal prevents the cancer cell from spreading along the rest of the body. If that’s the case, I may not be the practitioner that does this for you, as my qualification for MLD are up to a level where I can work with a patient who has an entire lymphatic system. Said so, I can still refer you to a practitioner who would be able to look after yourself. Do you have any questions about this topic? Or would you like to book in now your next session? Get in touch now through the contact page or place a booking by clicking here.

I did my back

“I was lifting the box from the floor, and then, ouch I did my back”! How often have you heard this? What’s going on here? Lower back pain is a common presentation that affects many people all around the world. But hurting your back when picking a box, or even a lightweight as the key, or tightening the shoes, is an injury that doesn’t affect only those with lower back pain. So to explain the mechanism behind these incidents, we have to look into what we call “proprioceptors”, specifically “muscle spindle”. Proprioceptors are body receptors within the skin, muscles and joints that reveal information about the body’s movement and send this information to the brain. How that information is transmitted to the brain is by different types of a pathway that we will see in a future post. In specific, today, we are going to look at the “muscle spindle”. So muscle spindles are proprioceptors that can tell the brain how the body is moving, specifically a muscle, and a proprioceptor that can tell a muscle to relax and change to stretch. Indeed, muscle spindles are different from other proprioceptors, as they can alter their sensitivity as needed. What did Muscle Spindles have to do with my back then? As mentioned above, a muscle spindle can alter muscle consistency. So, when banding forward to pick up the key or do the shoes lase, the back muscle must relax, as they have to stretch. But, if the muscle spindle doesn’t tell the back muscle to relax as you bend, those muscles will stay contracted, and guess what happens next? “Ouch, I did my back.” How to prevent the injury then? To prevent an injury as such, movement is the answer. Movement, as simple as a cat and cow exercise, would create that feedback response between your lower back area and the brain that, in the long term, would ensure your brain knows that when bending, the posterior portion of the body needs to be told to relax. Said so simple movement can prevent the injury, but further exercises, like a deadlift, can help your entire posterior chain to get stronger and get you to the next level of strengthening. But before lifting heavy weights, let’s not forget the importance of looking into mobility. In conclusion, to prevent this injury from happening, start moving. Incorporate regular breaks from your seating at the desk. Have a timer on your desk that, every 45 minutes, remind you to stand up, have a stretch and short walk, a water sip and get back to work. Book your next massage session at Melbourne Massage and Treatment if this post talks to you. How can Massage help? Massage therapy can help in different ways. First, it can help reduce the muscular tension within the lower back area. Second, the massage touch can help increase that body awareness, preventing further injury. The recovery process from an injury does depend from person to person. But within a few sessions within 1 to 2 months, using a mix of techniques, like MLD, Myotherapy and or Thai Massage, there is a good chance of good recovery and injury prevention. Exercises play an important role too in this recovery phase. How Many Sessions would I need? As already mentioned, everyone is different. Based on my experience, to help someone recover from an injury, initially, it can take up to 5 sessions spread over two months to achieve a good result. And again, this is not only about Massage but also about corrective exercises. Therefore, I offer a treatment plan allowing you to uptake five sessions of any treatment type at a discount rate of 10%. This offer is valid for returning clients who already had an initial consultation. This would allow me, as a therapist, to ensure I am the right therapist for you and that we can create a treatment plan that works for you and that you can use for your benefit.  

Muscle Tear

Muscle Tear

A muscle tear is an acute injury caused by a laceration of the muscle cells/fibres and or tendon to which the muscle is attached to. How can happen a muscle tear? A muscle tear happens when a muscle is weak and don’t activate at the right time. Weak muscles are common in repetitive movement or when a muscle overcompensates due to a fragile pattern.  For example, tearing a hamstring is expected when the Gluteal Firing pattern is incorrect. This type of injury is common in sports activities. Still, it can also happen within a home environment by lifting a box incorrectly or during garden activities. The three grades of muscle tear. Grade 1 muscle tear is the mildest one. As per this case, only a few muscle cells have been torn. Symptoms are like: mild pain,  moderate swelling, none or light bruising. In grade 2, a moderate amount of muscle cells have been damaged. Symptoms are like: Bruising is now more evident as per the swelling You must luckily hear a sound as the tear happens More severe pain, especially when trying to use that muscle. Grade 3 is the worst-case scenario. In grade 3 muscle tear, the muscle has fully torn.  Still, a pop or a sound would happen as the tear happens. On the opposite side of where the muscle did lacerate, you will notice a bulge as the muscle coiled up after tearing.  Weakness in using the limb where the muscle got torn. In case of a Grade 3 muscle tear, surgery is needed to reattach the muscle. How to treat a muscle tear? The immediate appliance of heat or cold packs is highly debated. A cold pack would numb the area and help with the pain symptoms. As mentioned in the “Ice Pack” blog post, that is actually recommended. On the other hand, a heat pack would help stimulate blood circulation in the affected area, reduce swelling, and boost recovery. It’s important to note that applying a heat pack too soon after an injury can actually make things worse. It’s best to wait until the acute phase has passed, which typically takes around 48 hours. At that point, heat therapy can be a helpful way to alleviate pain and promote healing. Regarding massage treatments, MLD can be the only technique used as soon as the tear happens. Indeed MLD would be highly recommended for boosting the recovery, especially in case of a tear in 3rd grade, where operation is needed. In case of a 3rd-grade muscle tear, the first thing to do is see a doctor. Other massage techniques, such as Myotherapy, Remedial Massage and Thai Massage, are still valuable for muscle tears. On the other hand, either Myotherapy, Remedial or Thai Massage can only be practised after 48 hours of rest are passed after the incidents. Indeed that 48 h is considered the acute phase of the muscle tear. How to prevent a muscle tear? More the body moves, the less the chance of injury.  Making sure to do simple exercises involving basic body movement can help in muscle tear prevention. but not only. Keeping the joint moving is another essential aspect of injury prevention. How can massage help? Along with a massage treatment, the area of focus will be the torn muscle and surrounding area. Initially, the technique used with a massage treatment, especially for the injured area, would be MFTT and passive movement/mobilisation.  That would help muscle recovery and facilitate joint mobility, reducing the muscle’s load. Going ahead with the treatments, techniques such as MET, a resisted muscle force technique, can be used. This would allow the muscle to gain elasticity. Book your next session by clicking here if you are suspicious of a muscle tear and need treatment.

Lymph Nodes

lymph node

Lymph nodes (or lymph glands) are small lumps of tissue containing white blood cells that fight infection. They are part of the body’s immune system and filter lymph fluid, composed of water and waste products from body tissues. Introduction to Lymph Nodes Lymph nodes are located in different body areas. On average, we have approx 600 LN. In the neck area only, we find 160 LN itself. LN can vary in size and go from 2 to 30 mm. Lymph Nodes are connected by vessels, better known as afferent and efferent vessels. The afferent vessels carry the lymph to the lymph node, and the efferent vessels take the lymph away from the lymph nodes. So, the lymph nodes are also connected directly to the blood system, veins, and arteria. What is a lymph node made of? Despite the structures that enter and leave the lymph node, these cleaning stations are made of: Connective tissue capsule Supporting strands of connective tissue inside Below the marginal sinus, there are clusters of lymphocytes lymphoid follicles Artery, vein and nerve As for the filtering station, the lymph node is essential to ensure that no bacteria, viruses or dirt can access the blood system. Where we find no lymph nodes in the brain. Indeed, the lymph fluid around this area gets drained by the Optic and Olfactory nerve. Following then the position of the lymph nodes, we can define the watershed. MLD and Lymph Nodes. Lymph Nodes can occasionally be swollen, which happens when the body fights an infection. In my practitioner experience, I often have to refer to the lymph node concept to introduce the client to MLD treatment. Not many clients know about this technique; they are more familiar with Myotherapy or Thai Massage and Remedial Massage. Said so, the client who tried MLD are all well impressed with its benefit. During an MLD session, what happens is that with a gentle stretch and recoil of the skin, I help your lymphatic system to work faster. Consequently, that’s how swollen area gets reduced. In pushing your lymphatic system to work harder, the lymph node would receive more liquid to process. On the other hand, knowing where the lymph nodes are, is essential to ensure we push the lymph liquid in the right direction. If you haven’t booked your appointment yet and wish to set a goal for MLD, please follow this link.

Calf Muscles

Calf muscles make up the lower posterior portion of the leg. Calf Muscles are: 2 are the calf muscles, the Gastrocnemius and Soleus. Below is a table with Gastrocnemius and Soleus’s Origin, Insertion and Action. Gastrocnemius Origin The posterior surface of the lateral and medial condyle of the femurs Insertion Calcaneus via calcaneus tendon Action Flex the knee Plantar flex the ankle Soleus Origin Soleal line; the proximal posterior surface of the tibia and posterior aspect of the head of the fibula Insertion Action Plantar flex the ankle So, due to their origins and insertions, we can clearly understand how the Gastrocnemius is involved in knee flexion and how the Soleus is not. The Gastrocnemius does across the knee, as it originates from the femur itself. On the other hand, the Soleus doesn’t cross the knee, so it doesn’t play any role at the knee level. This aspect is so important to differentiate what of these 2 muscles are involved in the restrictive movement at the ankle, and or in calf pain. Calf Muscles testing Firstly the patient is lying down in a supine position (face up)  doing active dorsiflexion. Secondly, we will ask the patient to lie in a prone position (face down), and we knee bend (passively), they would go in ankle dorsiflexion again. What happens there is when the knee is flexed passively, the Gastrocnemius is deactivated, and so the ankle dorsiflexion is happening by pulling the soleus only. Now, 2 are the case scenarios that could happen: Still a limited range of motion at ankle dorsiflexion with or without pain A better quality of ROM with a greater angle in dorsiflexion. In the first case, the tension muscles could still be both. In the second case, the Gastrocnemius is clearly the muscle limiting the ROM. For ankle ROM in dorsiflexion, we are looking for a minimum of 20° to up to 30°. It is not all about Muscle Pain. But can calf pain be related to something else and not just to muscle pain? The answer is YES. Calf muscle pain can be a RED FLEG for Deep Veins Thrombosis (DVT), especially after a flight. DVT Symptoms: Sharp pain; Heat at the touch; Soreness at the touch; Redness on the skin. In this case, you want to contact your GP immediately. Massages are absolute contraindications. In conclusion, for a full calf or muscle recovery, we want to look in too some exercises. Remedial Massage, Myotherapy, and Thai Massage are great ways to reduce pain and manage symptoms, but exercises are essential actually to heal a muscle. Indeed, when we talked about plantar fasciitis, those exercises are something that we can look at for calf strengthening.  

Headache and Massage

SCM trigger point referal pattern

When experiencing pain around the head, we talk about Headaches. Headache is a common condition, and for most cases, is not considered a serious illness. Migraine and headache. 4.9 million Australians experience migraine. Migraine is a specific type of headache, so consider that the number stated above is still a small figure. Headache and muscle. If you ever experience a headache, you may notice that the pain sensation does start from your cervical area. Or, by confronting yourself with who is around you, your headache pain pattern, is consistent, but it is different from the one of someone else. On the other hand, you may associate headaches to the result of a heavy drinking night, or of lack of water (which is why you get headaches after a heavy drinking night, by the way), but often headaches are there because of cervical muscle tightness. Wait, what? Yes, you did read right. How can we define then if the headaches come from muscle tension? So in order for this to happen, the muscle responsible for referring its pain up to the head must be tight or stretched out, and loaded with trigger points. As massage therapists, especially in the first consultation session, we would ask about headaches and if there are any, “where about do you feel the headache”? Indeed, the answer to this question is most luckily the giveaway to know which muscle is may responsible for your headaches. To confirm the suspicions, we would then assess your posture, looking for any muscular-skeletal unbalance, and then we would assess the Range of Motion (ROM). If the ROM show up to be limited on the muscle that we believe is responsible for the pain in the head, then most luckily we are halfway through the solution. I do say halfway through, a single massage session either Myotherapy, Remedial Massage, Thai Massage, or MLD is maybe not enough to release all the tension that is in needs to be alleviated to eradicate the headache. Said so, no journey starts, without doing the first step, isn’t it? When a headache is a Red Flag? For red flags, we refer to symptoms that may be present due to serious illness or condition. Some example includes clients who had a clinical history of stroke and or brain cancer, a recent car accident or recent head trauma, or blurred vision. If that’s the case, the next step is referring the client to a GP immediately for further investigation. What about the cervical muscle tension headaches type of presentation? As already mentioned in another blog post, the Occipital muscle can have headache type of pain in the lower section of the posterior side of the skull. If we then look into the area of the skull that seat above the ear, could be more tension from the Upper trap or Levator Scapulae. By keep moving more medially and above the head, Splenius cervis can refer to the medial superior side of the head and Splenius capitis to the middle top side of the head. Sternocleidomastoid, indeed, can refer to the frontal lobe of the skull. Now, all these muscles are sitting on the neck and throat and from above the shoulder. So, ensuring that those areas are free or not overloaded with tension can help in staying headache-free. Now, in this blog post, we are keeping the headache presentation type of pain to its simple aspects. On the other hand, the topic can be further discussed in person with Giovanni during your next massage appointment. Book now your next massage session, if you are trying to get to sort out your headache presentation. Other approaches to a headache-free life, out of massage therapy. There is a series of things that complimentary massage can help with to relieve headache pain. Exercises Keep yourself hydrated Good posture when seating and standing Good variety of food as diet intake Wearing glasses if needed. Meditation for stress management In conclusion, headache is a really common problem for all Australians, for both women and men. Don’t wait for your symptoms to get worse; you may not need to take medicine all the time if you have a headache, as the medicine will just numb the symptom but will not sort out the problem. If you are keen to learn more about where your headache may be coming from, book your next Massage Session today.

Massage History

Egyptian Massage History

Massage History. Massage history dates back many centuries ago. The association between touch and healing is longer than what you may expect. In fact, the history of massage goes back to 5000 years ago. As per the result of the first finding, the first appearance of massage as a healing technique is founded in India. Is the Ayurveda history then that can be pushed so far. Along the millennia and centuries, this healing technique gets spread all around. Firstly the massage approach spreads to China ( 2700BCE ) and is here that the technique starts to be mixed with martial arts and spiritual yoga. Indeed, this will create the base for Chinese Medicine. From China then, the massage techniques and knowledge moved to Japan, and that’s when Shiatsu was born. Shiatsu is a technique that regulates and strengthens organs by moving energy levels through the stimulation of pressure points aiming to bring natural resistance to illness. If this post is talking to you, book your next massage session by clicking here. Along with the eastern culture, let’s not forget the Thai Massage. About this specific technique, I did dedicate a full blog post. In regards to the western culture were Egyptians the first who start practising massage then influence the Greeks and the Romans (800BCE). As per result, the Greeks put the base for western medicine. Thanks to the passion and devotion to sports (Olympics game) figures like Hippocrates start to associate facts with time in nature, music, rest, good food, and massage as a good practice for the body and essential for healing. Hippocrates can be considered the father of modern medicine. In regards to the Romans, made massage was a popular practice. The reach people could get a massage as a private service, whereas, everybody else would have a massage at the public bath. The Roman public bath is the precursor of the modern SPA. Timepass by and massage lose its popularity, especially in the western world. We have to wait till the 19th century. Is then when a Swedish doctor Per Henrik Ling, developed the base for the Sweedish massage or better known as relaxation massage. From this time onward than all the modern medicine techniques start developing. Remedial Massage (19th century) Myotherapy (1970) Osteopathy (1874) MLD (1930) In conclusion, several are the technique of massage available today. There is a massage that works better than others? Possibly yes, like some massage techniques can work more deeply than others. Said so, depending on the need of the person and the body conditions that may a specific technique is recommended more than others.      

Cupping

Dynamic Cupping

Quietly often I still get asked what is cupping and how does cupping work? Firstly, Cupping is a type of alternative therapy based on placing cups on the skin to create suction. Indeed, the suction would pull the skin up from the muscle layer, drugging back the fascia layer seating below it. Cupping is gentle work on the body, not invasive and at the same time is an amazing technique to stimulate and facilitate the fascia. We did look into the fascia in a previous blog post. If you have missed it, you may wanna click here.   On the other hand, there are different types of beliefs and methodologies about cupping’s functionality. Some of those can be a bit more invasive, and dangerous too. Said so, I guarantee my clients that these are not practices that are available at Melbourne Massage and Treatment. For how I got trained in giving cupping, my aiming as giving cupping is: – Leave no marks – No cutting the skin – Painfree – No blood stagnation Now, by following the order of the action listed here above: Marks are a sign of blood stagnation. Accidentally can happen to leave a mark on someone’s skin, and many are factors involved in it: Skin type is one and another one is if the area that received cup was already massaged or not. As Remedial Massage therapists or Thai Massage Therapists, we are NOT trained to cut anyone’s skin. Furthermore, you have to think that when this practice is involved there is a great risk of skin infection. Why do some practitioners do so?! None of my business. I just don’t believe it is necessary, and I don’t believe it has any benefit. As per many detox diets and detox programs, the body is your best allay and best detoxer of itself. If this post is talking to you, and you are in need of a massage, book your next session by clicking here. In regards to pain, Cupping must be pain-free. Along a cupping session, you may feel a strong pull along the skin, but no sharp, ache or pinch sensation should be present at any moment. Indeed, to help the cup slide easily oil or cream oil-based get used. When happens that a mark gets left behind, doesn’t necessarily create pain or discomfort. Another cupping precaution is to avoid over-pass a cup on joints and or tendons. The cupping force could rip or damage those areas, resulting in permanent damage and pain. Lastly, no blood stagnation. Cupping’s desired result as per many massage modalities is to generate a physiological response that would reduce tissue stress. Through the gentle tissue stress, muscles relaxed and the chain of manual therapy benefits starts.      

The importance of Manual Lymphatic Drainage

Giovanni giving MLD on patient's calf

Manual Lymphatic Drainage if used along the correct type of condition, is a safe and well utile manual therapy. In the previous two blogs (Link 1, Link 2) I described how the Lymphatic System works and its relation to MLD. What body find benefit from Manual Lymphatic Drainage? As previously mentioned, the lymphatic system is so important to keep the homoeostasis of the body. Indeed, along with the following conditions, homoeostasis is compromised: Skin Burn Chronic Inflammation (plantar fascitis, tendinitis…) Lymphodema Oedema Scar reduction and prevention Pre and post-operation body rehabilitation Improving the bell function Head-each Skin puffiness and or Acne and more… How can Manual Lymphatic Drainage help with these conditions? Firstly, what all those conditions have in common, is that they are related to how the Lymphatic System deal with them. So again, the healthier and more vital is the lymphatic system, the better the body’s homoeostasis. If we look into oedema due to a hammered hand, we need a responsive and well-functioning lymphatic system to absorb that swelling. The stronger the lymphatic system, the quicker the healing process will be. Even a scar from a post-operation could heal faster if the lymphatic system gets adequately stimulated. More nutrients and less dangerous components will float around the wound if the lymphatic system works stronger. Secondly, some of these conditions are so painful that a massage is not applicable. As we applied MLD, we would not increase the pain, thanks to the light touch. If this post is talking to you, and you need a massage, book your next session by clicking here. Why should MLD not be painful? When we apply the different strokes by dragging the skin gently around, we will stimulate the lymph vessels to collect the obligatory lymph load. Still, we will not generate pain by stimulating pain receptors. Furthermore, the repetitive mechanical stimulation would activate what in science is called the gate theory. The gate theory looks into the interneurons’ inhibitory response, which reduces the pain signal reaching the brain, consequently decreasing the pain response. MLD and coontroindications. MLD can’t be applied to Acute infection, Untreated Cancers, Untreated Thrombus, Congestive heart failure, or intoxicated persons. Minor contraindications include Hypertension/Diabetes n1, Autoimmune disease, Asthma, Hypo/Hyperthyroidism, pregnancy, and a history of tuberculosis. In conclusion, I am honoured to have the knowledge and the skill to use and apply such a technique. Even though, for now, I can’t yet treat people with Lymphodema and or clients who had lymph nodes removed or are looking for a post-cancer treatment. What I got to offer to this patient, anyway, is a reference for other practitioners. So if this is you, please get in touch with me, and I can refer you to your nearest practitioner.      

Watersheds and Body Quadrant in MLD

watersheds quadrant

A Watershed is an imaginary line that divides the body and the Lymphatic System into quadrants. Each quadrant has its lymphatic liquid collection canal, and the lower quadrant, as per the two legs, sends the liquid to the cisterna kili, a gland that sits deep behind the belly button that is connected to the upper left duct within the upper left quadrant. What the watershed division looks like? The main watersheds are four. A vertical one divides the body into two equal vertical halves. The other three lines are horizontal and parallel to each other. The top runs along the clavicle, the second runs through the belly button, and the third and last runs on top of the iliac crest. In doing so, we have six quadrants, two uppers, two medial and two lower. The importance of watersheds. As we dig more and more within the functionality of the Lymphatic System and MLD as a Lymphatic Drainage technique, we can see that in these specific quadrants, there are bundles of Lymph nodes that get loaded from the lymph vessels connected to it. So the watershed division allows having the liquid directed to a specific body area where lymph nodes are found. Indeed, the lymph nodes are the ones that do the cleanup of the lymph liquid, also called obligatory lymph load. When we do a treatment, we have to make sure where we direct the liquid because we want to ensure that the lymph liquid gets sent to the lymph nodes, to be processed and then transferred to the lymph/vein duct at the high of the cervical area. If this post is talking to you, and you need an MLD treatment, book your next session by clicking here. The upper watershed and the duct. After the obligatory lymph load reaches the upper watershed (the one running along the clavicle), it gets passed to the venous system. This happens after the obligatory lymph load travels with the trunk collector and passes through the duct. The duct is the last portion of the lymph trunk that connects to the venous system. In conclusion, we want to specify that the lower quadrants (R leg and L leg) and the upper L quadrant drain in the L thoracic duct within the L subclavian vein. Where the R upper quadrant does drain in the R duct connected to the R subclavian vein. Below here, is a list of blog posts that talk about conditions where MLD can be beneficial: Bone fracture Sunburn Preeclampsia TMJ Chronic Pain Fibromyalgia


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