Craig Lawlor

I love my job, working with computers the whole day. In fact, I could sit at my desk for hours and days without feeling bored or tired. However, a big disadvantage of my career is that if I am not careful, I really end up not moving for hours and having a headache or back and neck pain after a long time in my chair. In fact, sometimes it becomes so bad that I couldn’t move much, or it simply hurts too much.

I got to a point when I realized that this is not normal and that I should do something about it. After all, I was not interested in changing careers just because I do not want to have neck pain. I just needed a way to balance it and find a therapy that will help reduce the aching I have when I have to work. In the end, I found my answer in the friendly massage therapist in Mildura.

Of course, I have heard about the benefits of massage on back and neck pain, and this is why I became interested in finding out if it can also help me with my issues. After all, there are not many other medical interventions that can really address stiffness of the neck. It was either going for regular massage as a non-invasive option or taking pain medication. Not only was massage the safer and healthier choice, but having someone using hand motions to relieve tension is more relaxing. At the same time, it brings a lot of advantages to the various systems of the body, including circulatory, musculoskeletal, nervous and lymphatic.

There are actually different types of massage that exist, and of these, the following have been proven to help with neck pain:

1. Swedish

This is one of the most common techniques out there, where pressure is applied to the surface muscles. This can help in releasing tension and reducing stress, both of which may make neck pain worse.

2. Deep Tissue 

This can be done with a Swedish massage, focusing on deeper muscles and at the same time, the connective tissues in these areas. The pressure applied is harder and more intense to release the tension, in the form of those knots or scar tissue causing your neck to hurt. 

3. Trigger Point Therapy

This method uses steady pressure in order to release muscle spasms in the neck. Moreover, blood flow into this area is improved so that healing begins. The therapist will also look for specific muscle knots or points, working to release them and relieving you of throbbing.

4. Shiatsu

This is known to be a Japanese massage where the therapist uses his or her body weight, pressing on acupressure points. He or she will improve the flow of energy, or Ki, in your body through feeling the network of vessels where your energy flows.

What to expect

A quick and full recovery might not happen after one session of massage. After all, some pain is more severe than others. Other factors like age, health, and history might play a part. A few sessions might be enough to get relief. The therapist will recommend how many times you need to come back. You can also learn a few movements to do it at home yourself. However, deep massage should not be done when you are experiencing inflammation in this area. Otherwise, you might end up getting an injury.

Should you continue to experience pain, it might be a sign of something more serious. You should consult a doctor in this case, just in case you happen to have some pinched nerves or other conditions that are causing the ache. He or she might have to conduct some X-rays or MRIs to pinpoint the real cause. 

How to prevent future neck pain

Although you can always visit your massage therapist, it is still better to do something to avoid from reoccurring. After all, who wants to really suffer from constant throbbing? Here are some ways to make this happen:

1. Maintain good posture

This was the best tip for someone like me, who sits for a long time every day for work. An aligned spinal position is important to maintain whether you are sitting, walking or standing. A support cushion is recommended for your seat. When sleeping, make sure your neck is also properly positioned.

2. Exercise regularly

Some stretching and neck-strengthening exercises will decrease aching and prevent re-occurrence.

3. Go to a certified massage therapist

Although there are so many spas and treatment centers that offer massage, trust only a certified one. Someone with the proper training can correctly assess what your condition is and choose the right techniques.

If you get to a point when your neck pain is too extreme and chronic, it is the sign that you should seek professional treatment. Thankfully, there are massage therapists who can offer you a way without needing any medication and other invasive methods.

A sprained ankle is a common type of injury which occurs frequently to athletes or sporty type of individuals. A lot of people sprain their ankle in the course of their lives. One common indication of a sprained ankle is swelling or bulging of the skin near the ankle area covering the ankle bone.

The ankle is made up of various structures resembling flexible bands that assist in securing the ankle bones collectively. These kinds of arrangements, referred to as ligaments, offer balance to the ankle. Whenever an ankle is sprained into an uncomfortable position, all these ligaments become overstretched allowing them to rip under extreme pressure.

The most typical form of sprained ankle is whenever the foot flips inward and thus overstretches the external ankle ligaments. A sprained ankle could lead to inflammation, redness, bruising as well as discomfort at the sprained area. In extreme situations, some individuals detect a popping sound or even sense a break in their ankle.

How to Manage a Sprained Ankle

The RICE technique must be performed right away to assist in the rapid treatment of a sprained ankle. RICE is an acronym which stands for Rest, Icing, Compression, and Elevation.

a. Rest the ankle. Never place so much weight into it. Do make use of a crutch whenever needed to lessen the load on your ankle while going for walks.

b. Icing the ankle is essential, particularly throughout the initial 48 to 72 hours. Just about every two hours put on a cold compresses pack for approximately 20 minutes onto the inflamed and disturbing region. Constantly position a cloth between the cold compress pack as well as skin to shield you from frostbite. The cold compress pack will assist with the discomfort, inflammation as well as bruising.

c. Compression of your ankle with an expandable bandage enables you to decrease the inflammation. Do maintain the bandage on until the ankle inflammation resolves. Ensure that the bandage is not excessively tight, shutting down the circulation of blood.

d. Elevation of the ankle above the cardiac level could help with an inflamed ankle.
When the ankle inflammation has subsided in most cases, it is typical for the ankle to sense stiffness. You can begin with a number of basic mild physical exercises which should not trigger discomfort to recover ankle flexibility. A standard activity could be shifting the ankle to write the alphabet with your toes. Keep in mind not to ever overstretch the ankle as it can certainly lead to additional injury.

When to Consult a Doctor

You must seek advice from Complete Balance Physiotherapy at the soonest time possible. Signs that you need to see doctor are the following: when pain is felt on the ankle area, when your feet, ankle or even leg is warped at an unusual angle, when you cannot sense or perhaps shift your feet, ankle or even leg. Seek advice from a physician when you have extreme feet or ankle tenderness and when you feel an abrupt coldness or prickling discomfort in your feet or ankle just after spraining the ankle.

You must seek the advice of a healthcare professional if you find yourself struggling to move around on your ankle or perhaps feel anxious while going for walks on it or when there is absolutely no positive change in the ankle regardless of implementing the RICE technique.
You come across a popping or maybe snapping sound whenever you sprained the ankle. It may not be the first time you get a sprained ankle.

Possible issues of Ankle Sprain:

After an ankle sprain, the muscle tissues around the ankle could get weaker. These kinds of muscle groups are essential for ankle balance. Hence when a sprained ankle is not addressed correctly, it might lead to additional ankle sprains in the long term. Proper treatment methods are essential in reducing recurrence.

The Role of Physiotherapy

A physiotherapist may give you a personalized therapy program allowing you to go back to the pre-injury functional stage. Physiotherapy rehabilitation consists of flexibility exercise sessions for the ankle, ankle muscle-strengthening workouts, balancing workout routines to develop the ankle proprioception (capability to feel the location as well as movement of the ankle), and recommendation on taping as well as the utilization of ankle braces throughout the activities.