PAIN IN THE COCCYX

Pain in the Coccyx! Last week I had a client who had hurt his Coccyx in a marshal arts session. The pain was slow to diminish and was then aggregated by a long haul flight. Working firstly on the surrounding muscles, I was able to deep friction the source of pain and - Hey Presto - my client was amazed at the pain relief!

Massage brings relief to hip pain

Phew, so pleased the weather has broken.  Well my 80 year old lady came again yesterday and she's feeling much more comfortable.  We both agree that this is an excellent way to help relieve the symptoms of her hip pain/sciatica and is certainly not a cure.  However she is sleeping better which is a great relief.  I suggested that she looked into taking the anti inflammatory supplement Devils Claw.  I have read that it may be beneficial in arthritic pain to the hip and back.  She is not on any medication from her doctor so I wouldn't have thought there would be any contra indications.  I have suggested a couple of reputable suppliers and she is going to try it.

sciatic pain

An 80 year old client presented with pain down leg and in hip with difficulty walking.  Her osteopath diagnosed sciatica. MRI showed up slight degeneration of L4/L5. Her GP offered injection which since she was not exactly in agony, she didn't want.  So she thought she might try me.

Sacral, lumber and gluteal area all very tight and massage was causing pins and needles.  I decided to look to the anterior aspect.  By massaging the very tight rectus femoris up into the psoas and hip flexors I was able to loosen off the area with out the unpleasant pins and needles.  She has just phoned to say that her osteopath commented on how much looser the area was and she commented on how his treatment was considerably less painful this visit.  Oh - and the walking is much more comfortable.  This goes to show how successfully osteopathy and deep tissue, sports and remedial massage can work together.

Probiotic may protect against colds

Those training for the marathon might benefit from taking a probiotic supplement.  Trials have suggested that people engaged in endurance-based physical activities were less likely to contract upper respiratory-tract infection if taking daily probiotic supplements over a four months period.  So those currently training for the London may not feel the full benefit but worth a try and should help ward off those cold and flu viruses for next winter.

Massage brings relief for Piriformis Syndrome

Celia's doctor has been diagnosed with piriformis syndrome.  Celia visited me complaining of sore hips and pain in her left buttock, down the back of her leg and an ache in her big toe. These are common symptoms of piriformis syndrome which is usually felt only affects one side. Increased discomfort may be felt when sitting for long periods, climbing stairs or walking uphill.

I worked on the Celia's lateral rotators, which are the muscles around the buttock area. Lateral rotation of the hip was tight and as is common in piriformis syndrome, the tight muscles were restricting the sciatic nerve and causing the pain.  The massage incorporated the lower back and leg.  Celia felt a pleasant kind of pins and needles in her big toe as I released the soft tissue in the hip area.  She remarked that the whole area felt much freer and more comfortable.  By working together, I'm confident that we can help bring relief to Celia's painful condition.

I suggested a few easy exercises including rotation of the hip by circling the upper leg whilst side lying.  I also showed her a helpful stretch: lying on her back, bending one knee with foot on the floor and taking the ankle of the affected leg on to the bent thigh, then by leaning forward and pulling the bent thigh towards her she could achieve a lovely stretch across the buttock.

Echinacea doesn't with cold symptoms

On reading Health.com, I found that tests have been carried out using a placebo and echinacea to verify whether the latter helps us recover quicker from symptoms of the common cold.  As an advocate for echinacea, I was quite surprised that the tests saw little benefit in taking echinacea.  it is possible that it does stem off the cold if taken in time but the general conclusion was that, although not harmful, taking echinacea is a waste of money.  I'd be grateful to hear what others think.

linseed and pumpkin seeds for good nutrition

I braved it to my local health food store to restock with linseed and pumpkin seeds and they'd run out! Presumably many more people are now aware of the high content of omega 3 found in these seeds.  May be not as much as oily fish but an excellent source for vegetarians.  Both these seeds are also a useful aid to healthy bowel movements.  Hopefully more will be delivered tomorrow.