Remedial Massage Archives

Scar Tissue Therapy | Emma Simpson, Structural Integrator & Remedial Massage

October 21, 2018November 14, 2018 by Emma

War Wounds: How Scar Tissue Therapy can help you fight them

We’ve all got one or two gnarly looking scars on our body. An old injury from falling off our bike as a kid, or maybe even a bigger one from a recent surgery.

These scars tell a lot of stories and it’s not just the actual story of how they happened that I’m referring to.

For a bodyworker like myself, your scars tell me HOW to treat your body. They tell me WHY you may be experiencing pain or discomfort and WHERE.

Our bodies are so complex that the old bike scar from childhood that you may have completely forgotten about could still be affecting you today.

But before I go down that rabbit hole, let me first give you a brief explanation of scar tissue.

What is scar tissue really?

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Frozen Shoulder - stretches & exercises to treat and "thaw" your frozen shoulder!

October 2, 2018 by Emma

How to Thaw Out Your Frozen Shoulder

What if one day you woke up and you weren’t able to lift your arm above your head? No matter how hard you tried, it just won’t move.

And to make matters worse, your shoulder is swollen and you’re in a lot of pain.

These are just a few of many symptoms of a condition commonly known as Frozen Shoulder. As the medical folk like to call it — Adhesive Capsulitis. (See, that’s why most people prefer to just say ‘frozen shoulder’!)

Frozen Shoulder is a condition in which the shoulder joint experiences an extremely limited range of motion. In some severe cases, an individual with the condition will have difficulty performing basic daily tasks like getting dressed or brushing their teeth.

What is the cause of Frozen Shoulder?

The main cause of Frozen Shoulder is inflammation directly in the shoulder joint. The joint can become inflamed after an injury, illness or even chest or breast surgery.

Although Frozen Shoulder can happen to anyone, it is most common among middle-aged women and those with Diabetes or arthritis.

And now for some good news (‘cause we don’t get enough of that these days)…

SI joint pain | Why your pelvis has everything to do with your chronic low back pain

September 15, 2018November 14, 2018 by Emma

SI Joint Pain and a Wiggly Pelvis: Could This Be The Cause of Your Low Back Pain Too?

I recently had a new client in my clinic who was experiencing pain in her lower back. “Lisa” had just leaned down to pick up her toddler son, turned to grab something and…BOOM. The searing pain stopped her in her tracks.

She immediately gave me a call so we could start treating the problem and she could get back to her busy life.

After a few evaluations, I was able to determine the cause of the problem: SI Joint Dysfunction caused by Pelvic Girdle Instability.

So, my pelvis is wiggly?!

In simple terms, Lisa’s pelvis moves all over the place when she walks and therefore is unable to support her lower back and torso. And Lisa is not alone in this.

An unstable Pelvic Girdle (just think wiggly pelvis) is extremely common, especially among women who have given birth OR are currently pregnant — AND HERE’S WHY…

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Hips Have Heart: The powerful connection between your hips and your emotions

September 1, 2018November 14, 2018 by Emma

Hips That Have Heart: The Powerful Connection Between Your Hips and Your Emotions

What if I told you that that tight feeling you have across your hips (better known as cranky hips!) had more to do with your feelings than your daily activities or an old injury?

Sure, our lifestyles these days are a contributing factor:

We sit a lot.

We drive in cars a lot.

We spend time hunched over tech devices…A LOT.

And, yes these things can all cause tightness through the front of your body, including your hips.

But sometimes there’s more to the story…literally.

What if I told you that your hips are tight because of your emotions?

You might think I’m crazy, but read on, and you’ll see that there’s actually a HUGE connection between our emotional wellbeing and those chronically tight spots in your hips.

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7 Best Stretches for Chronic Pain & Discomfort | Emma Simpson Structural Integrator

June 15, 2018June 29, 2018 by Emma

In Pain? There’s a Stretch for That – 7 of Them!

I love my job. I really do.

I love that I can help people achieve pain-free routines, and sustain active healthy lives. When a client comes to see me, I consider it a sincere privilege to help them find relief and more simply – to move better.

But I do have my limitations…

Truthbomb: as a Structural Integrator and Massage Therapist, there’s only so much I can do.

There’s only so many times I can treat each individual client each week. Not to mention that I can’t follow them around all week in between our appointments to make sure they’re watching their posture or lifting that big heavy object properly.

Pain management, especially that for long-standing, chronic pain – is a joint venture between the patient and practitioner. When my clients “do their homework”, their results are much better and long-lasting.

This is why I frequently assign clients take-home strengthening exercises and stretching routines. These exercises help them manage their discomfort in between appointments AND also minimize the likelihood of an injury recurring.

Some of the most common issues I treat are:

low back pain
tight neck and shoulders
sciatica
tight pectorals
tight hips
TMJ pain (jaw pain)

And the good news is that I have an exercise or stretch to help with each and every one of these conditions.

Ready to live with less pain and move more freely? I thought so!

Here are 7 stretches for every area of your body that you might be experiencing pain in.

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June 1, 2018June 29, 2018 by Emma

Why the “No Pain, No Gain” Concept is Complete Crap!

My client was in to see me recently and told me about some knee pain she experienced in her last run.

While she was running, she felt a sharp twinge toward the outside of her knee. The twinge turned into a burn and by the time she saw me — a stabbing pain.

“Did you stop?” I asked her.

“No way. I’m training for a marathon, so I can’t. No pain, no gain, right?” she said.

I hated to differ with her, but no…wrong. All wrong.

We’ve been conditioned to think we need to push through pain in order to be successful – in so many areas of our life and of our health.

And while it’s normal to experience some strain and discomfort during exercise or even in our day-to-day life, pain should never be ignored.

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Sciatica: How to Get Rid of That Pain in Your Butt!

May 1, 2018May 3, 2018 by Emma

Sciatica: How to Get Rid of The Pain in Your Butt

Carol came to see me after returning from her most recent vacation. While she looked lovely and tanned, she was also in a great deal of pain.

She and her husband had gone on a road trip and the long hours spent sitting in the car had wreaked havoc on her back.

When I asked her about the pain, she described it as being “a sharp pain that starts at the top of her butt and goes right down her leg”.

I knew what it was right away – and it’s quite literally a pain in the butt.

SCIATICA.

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What are triggers points and myofascial pain syndrome?

April 15, 2018May 11, 2018 by Emma

Trigger Points & Myofascial Pain Syndrome

TRIGGER POINTS (TrP’s) are actually very common and can occur within any muscle of the body. Patients of mine who have trigger points often report persistent, chronic pain that results in a decreased range of motion of that particular muscle.

The most common muscles affected are in the head and neck area, which can lead to symptoms such as headaches, jaw pain, ringing in the ear(s), and even eye pain.

“The daily clinical experience of thousands of massage therapists, physical therapists, and physicians strongly indicates that most of our common aches and pains — and many other puzzling physical complaints are actually caused by trigger points, or small contraction knots, in the muscles of the body.” ~ Clair Davies

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Self Myofascial Release Techniques (SMR) with Emma Simpson

April 1, 2018April 1, 2018 by Emma

Self-Myofascial Release (SMR): What it is and Why You Need it in Your Life

Wouldn’t it be great if you could get a massage every single day? Imagine how great it would feel to get rid of all your tight knots and sore muscles on a regular basis.

Practically heaven right?

For most of us, it’s fairly unlikely that we could fit this into our busy lives. However, there is a way to get that “ohh, I just got a massage feeling” every single day! And the best part is it doesn’t take a ton of time, it’s inexpensive, and it’s really quite simple.

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