Matt Long - Massage Therapy

Soft Tissue Therapy (BTEC Level 5)

 

More than just Sports Massage

​

I trained at the London School of Sports Massage (LSSM) to become a  Advanced Soft Tissue Therapist and treat people from all walks of life who have musculoskeletal injury, pain or dysfunction caused by any of life’s stresses. Although participating in a sport can be a common factor with many of my client’s symptoms, this is far from being the main issue that I deal with.

 

With Advanced Soft Tissue Therapy, I integrate three essential clinical elements:

 

• Assessment - I apply a range of assessment methods to determine whether Soft Tissue Therapy is appropriate and devise a suitable treatment plan for the individual client.

 

• Treatment - I apply a range of soft tissue techniques (including massage) to aid recovery from injury and improve soft tissue condition and joint mobility.

​

• Rehabilitation - I offer advice on a range of remedial exercises and lifestyle factors aimed at speeding up recovery, preventing injury recurrence as well as improving posture, performance and function.

 

 

Some of the Soft Tissue Therapy Techniques used:

 

• Effleurage

• Petrissage

• Tapotement

• Positional Release (PR)

• Soft Tissue Release (STR)

• Post Isometric Relaxation (PIR)

• Reciprocal Inhibition (RI)

• Myofascial Release (MR)

 

 

Kinesio Taping

 

What is Kinesio Tape?

 

Kinesio tape is a thin, stretchy, therapeutic tape that can benefit a wide variety of injuries and inflammatory conditions. It is almost identical to human skin in both thickness and elasticity, which allows it to be worn without binding, constricting or restriction of movement.

 

What Makes Kinesio Tape Different?

​

Traditional athletic tape is wrapped tightly around an injured area to provide rigid support and restrict movement.

 

It must be removed immediately after activity to restore movement and circulation.

 

Kinesio tape, on the other hand, is thin and flexible, allowing it to provide dynamic support while still allowing a safe and functional range of motion. Rather than being wrapped completely around an injured area, kinesio tape is applied directly over or around the periphery of the area. Most applications can be worn 4 to 5 days, even during intense exercise, showering, bathing or swimming.

 

Therapeutic benefits accumulate 24/7 for the entire time the tape is worn.

​

What Conditions can Kinesio Taping be used for?

 

• Joint Pain - Arthritis, bursitis, lupus, degenerative joints, poorly aligned joints, joint instability​

• Muscle Pain - Torn muscles, pulled/strained muscles, tight muscles, fibromyalgia, muscle spasms, muscle cramps, calf strain, pulled hamstring, groin strain, strained gluteal and abdominal strain​

• Soft Tissue Injuries - Tendinitis, tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis), golfers elbow (medial epicondylitis), patellar tendinitis, Achilles tendinitis, whiplash, back strain, neck strain, rotator cuff injuries and iliotibial band syndrome (ITB)​

• Joint Injuries - Joint sprains, dislocated joints, sprained ankle, sprained knee, sprained wrist, sprained elbow, degenerated meniscus, torn cartilage, unstable joints and joint hypermobility

• ​Overuse Injuries -Carpal tunnel, repetitive stress syndrome, shin splints, Iliotibial Band Syndrome, tension headaches and tennis elbow

• ​Swelling and Edema - Lymphedema, swollen joints, edema, lymphatic congestion, chronic joint or muscle inflammation

• Postural Problems - Poor posture, protracted (rounded) shoulders, scapular instability, muscle weakness, muscle imbalance, poor muscle tone and hypertonic (tight) muscles

• Recovery from Surgery - Athletic injury surgery, reconstructive surgery, joint replacement surgery, meniscus repair, ligament surgery, tendon surgery and lymph node removal

• Bruising - Bruising and contusions following injuries or surgery

• Foot Pain - Plantar fasciitis and fallen arches​

 

Reflexology

 

Reflexology is a holistic treatment based on the principle that there are areas and points on the feet, hands, and ears that map via the nervous system to corresponding parts of the body. When pressure is applied to these areas and points it stimulates the movement of energy along the nerve channels, and helps to restore homeostasis (balance) in the whole body. Reflexology is known as Zone Therapy in countries other than the UK.

 

Our bodies are very complex and are capable of healing themselves, anything from a small cut or bruise to a major injury or emotional trauma. One of the most amazing things I have experienced was my body’s ability to knit together my Achilles tendon on its own, after it had snapped. I simply had the foot set in various positions and my body did the rest of the work. Systems and organs in the body are constantly working together to heal and repair. Examples could be the brain and rest of the nervous system, which is in control of much of our activity, and the circulatory system, which transports oxygen and nutrients to body cells to be converted into energy. Energy is essential for our well-being and indeed to keep going.

 

All the systems need to be working together well to maintain a healthy balance. Stress, injury, or illness can cause the balance to be disrupted when component parts are less effective. Problems can then be compounded by the fact that the rest of the body works harder to compensate, potentially causing problems in other components.

 

There are 7,000-7,200 nerve endings in the human foot, and each of these is a reflex point that corresponds to a Body Part. Reflexology uses special finger/thumb manipulations to stimulate reflex points, which will stimulate the flow of energy to the corresponding Body Part. This gradually helps to restore homeostasis and stimulate the body’s ability to heal itself, physically and emotionally. As reflex points are minute, the movements are quite precise and care must be taken to cover all of them to ensure that the treatment is comprehensive and therefore a holistic treatment for the whole body. However, there is no reason why a specific reflex point (or points) can’t be worked on more if an imbalance is detected. Imbalances manifest themselves through crystals at the affected reflex point, which vary from being slightly crunchy like sugar to lumps of varying sizes. Dispersing these crystals is what unblocks energy channels, and this is done by applying firm pressure with the thumb (or fingers depending on where on the foot the reflex point is). Visible signs of imbalance could be hard skin, discolouration of skin (e.g. yellowing), marks on the foot (red marks can indicate acute problems), and bunions. The odour, temperature, and moistness of a foot also play a part in assessing it. It will often take several treatments to awaken the reflexes and start to see some effect.

 

Reflexologists know which area of the foot corresponds to which body part by learning maps of the feet, plantar view, dorsal view, and medial and lateral views. There are 5 longitudinal zones on each foot that run from each of the toes directly up through the body to the top of the head. Zone 1 runs from the big toe up through the centre of the body to the top of the head, zone 2 from the next toe, and so on ending with zone 5 running from the little toe up the outside of the body to the shoulders and neck.

 

There are then horizontal zones that map out which cross-section of the body corresponds to reflex points in that zone.

​

History of Reflexology

​

Reflexology has been practised in some form for thousands of years, indeed the first solid proof is to be found on a pictograph painted on an Egyptian tomb dated between 2500 and 2330 BC. The next evidence is a lot younger, in the form of a book written by two physicians called Dr Adamus and Dr Atitis on zone therapy in 1582. Another picture shows the practice in China, dated 1870.

​

In 1890 Sir Henry Head of London identified the study of zones within his neurological studies and called his findings head zones. At the same time Dr Alfons Cornelius discovered that when painful reflexes were massaged it caused the corresponding body part to heal faster.

​

In 1915 Dr Fitzgerald developed the concept of zone therapy, and claimed to ease certain symptoms and bring on numbness by applying pressure to the hands, mouth, and feet. In the 1930s Eunice Ingham developed the Ingham Reflex Method of Compression Massage, which mooted that all parts of the body could be treated by applying pressure to relevant areas of the feet. She mapped out the reflex points and developed the pressure massage moves we use to stimulate reflexes today.

​​

​

Osteopathic Articulation™ and Osteopathic Spinal Manipulation™

 

Although I am not an Osteopath, I have been highly trained by Osteopaths in Osteopathic techniques and trained in London with Osteon Manual Therapy Training to Grade 5.

 

Spinal manipulation, also called spinal manipulative therapy or manual therapy, combines moving and jolting joints, massage, exercise, and physical therapy. It is designed to relieve pressure on joints, reduce inflammation, and improve nerve function. It’s often used to treat back, neck, shoulder, and headache pain.

 

Today, spinal manipulation is used in both Western and traditional Asian medicine. In the UK, it’s usually performed by chiropractors, osteopathic physicians, physical and occupational therapists.

Could “cracking your back” be the solution for backaches and headaches? The answer is yes!

 

A Long History

​

Forms of manipulative therapy have been used for thousands of years in many parts of the world,

including Indonesia, Asia, India, Russia, and Norway. Writings from China in 2700 B.C. and from Greece in 1500 B.C. mention manipulating the spine and legs to ease back pain. The ancient Greek physician Hippocrates, who is viewed as the founder of medicine as a rational science, describes manipulative techniques in his writings.

​

What Does It Involve?

 

There are over 100 types of spinal adjustments used by chiropractors worldwide. Some use force and twisting (spinal manipulation), while others techniques are more gentle (spinal mobilisation. Most procedures are done on a padded, adjustable table where parts of the table can be dropped as an adjustment is being done, adding different forces to the movement.

​

In spinal manipulation, I use my hands to apply a controlled, sudden force to a specific joint. Patients often hear popping noises, like when you crack your knuckles. In spinal mobilisation, I use less forceful thrusts and more stretching. I will sometimes use an “activator,” which is a small metal tool that applies force directly to one vertebra.

​​

​

Medical Acupuncture (Dry Needling)

What is Medical Acupuncture?

 

Medical acupuncture is a modern treatment approach founded in concepts of neurology, anatomy and physiology. Similar to traditional Chinese acupuncture, medical acupuncture involves the strategic placement of sterile needles into various locations in the body. The major differences between the two forms of acupuncture is that medical acupuncture often uses a low frequency (2-8Hz) electrical stimulation on the needles, and the selection of acupuncture points is based both on the traditional Chinese approach as well as including points that are anatomically and neurologically connected to your specific source of pain. Medical acupuncture has been shown to have beneficial results by inducing muscle relaxation, modulating pain, altering your neuroendocrine responses and changing you autonomic activity (fight or flight response) resulting in an overall relaxation and a feeling of well-being.

​

Medical acupuncture is commonly used by medical doctors, chiropractors and physiotherapists in the treatment of chronic pain, or as an addition to their regular treatment regime.

​

What can be treated with Medical Acupuncture?

​

Recent research has found acupuncture to have positive results in the treatment of chronic low back pain, knee osteoarthritis, and management of chronic pain conditions. Other musculoskeletal conditions commonly treated with medical acupuncture include tendinitis, rotator cuff injuries, muscle strains, joint sprains, headaches and repetitive strain injuries. As previously mentioned, medical acupuncture helps to restore your body’s natural nerve and muscle tone, increases blood flow and provides pain relief for chronic conditions.

 

Typically treatments last about 20-30 minutes and the number of needles used in a treatment will vary according to the individual, duration of pain and the condition being treated. An improvement of 15% to 20% in pain sensation is often experienced after the first treatment. In general, further improvement follows within a few days; however, the effects of this technique can be immediate. Repeated treatments are necessary to see full pain relief in most cases.

​

Is the Treatment Painful?

​

Everybody has a different and unique response to acupuncture. Typically the treatment is pain-free, however, some have a heightened sympathetic response to needles which results in the sensation of being light headed, fatigue and often sweating. The application of the needle is similar to the prick of a mosquito bite with further tightness being related to the tightness of the tissue the needle is in.

 

The majority of needles are imperceptible when placed in the body. Furthermore, for a completely successful outcome, the point to be treated has to be the one that reproduces the referred pain, or be a spinal segment point located on the relevant somatic or autonomic segmental levels associated with the painful area. This means that the needle placement will often recreate the pain sensation of the condition. While undesirable, it is necessary to target the source of the pain in order to fully resolve musculoskeletal conditions. However, the end result of pain resolution is always worth the slight discomfort one might experience during the course of treatment.