While working with customers I have become aware of the greater need to explain muscle balancing. First of all, not enough of us are aware of the great benefits of stretching, and may only think of it during injury or post workout. While both of those times are great, the exercise of stretching can be applied anytime and anywhere. Also, I’d like to go over it in regard to balancing the muscles. I have only just begun the journey of applying balancing concepts as well, so join me on an introductory level, perhaps together we will create higher awareness.

I’d like to think of stretching as a pleasurable activity designed to bring our minds in contact with our physical space, to help us prepare our bodies for movement, to help us create an assessment of our well-being and to bring ourselves into the moment. The perfect place and time for this is in our beds. We’re warm, relaxed, and consciously aware of ourselves. The application of stretching doesn’t need to be specific, but it does need to address the whole body. Two ways to accomplish this are to pay attention to each area of the body. By that I mean, everywhere we bend, create a segment of body and place it everywhere it can reach in a stretch. An example would be to lie on our back and put a foot in the air, wiggle our toes apart or scrunch them together and roll the foot around and around the ankle, feeling all the muscles across the bones stretch, then pay attention to the ankle and the lower leg and repeat, then press the foot away toward the ceiling and back toward your head. The second way is to place our parts together as a whole section working together, such as the leg extending into the air, feeling its attachment to the hips, making circles in each direction from the hip, or reaching it from left to across the body to the right. This accomplishes everything above: stretching, relaxation, awareness, and conscious connection to our bodies in this moment. When applied twice a day-getting in and out of bed-, the body develops muscle tone.

Another awareness I want brought forward is that stretching is a pleasurable activity. Exercise in general has become a “chore” to be completed when we have time, when we have no other choice, when our heads are in need of a break, when we are injured, when we are told we must or because we know better. But when put that way, we have forgotten the pleasure of our bodies, our vehicle, our life. Each time you set down to stretch, think of our animal friends, think of their grace and leisure, their full enjoyment of this element of life as they reach and roll and stay present in their moment. Remind yourselves that you too can live this way.

The second thing I want to say about stretching is that it isn’t the only answer to pain and tightness in the body. Sure, try it, but if it doesn’t resolve the pain pattern, consider adding to it. By that I mean, muscle balancing. The way the body is designed, it has a push-pull, contract-release, front-back, top-bottom, side-side, left-right, right-left counterbalancing system already in place. What that means is that for every movement there is a counter movement (or movements) to create balance and to maintain uprightness in the face of gravity and muscle tension. We don’t need to know every specific muscle name and function to do this, but we do need the body awareness that the twice daily stretching activity brings us. We can apply the above direction to the painful area and listen to what brings relief. Then, the question becomes, what do you strengthen, and what do you stretch. Based on your assessment of the pain reduction and your range of motion, you already have the answers. Then, apply your awareness and create the change. As an example that most of us suffer from, we’ll use the thumb. Because our daily activities maximize the use of the thumb, palm down, most of us aren’t aware that the natural stance is palm up with the thumbs away. Try to place your hand in this position, and if it takes work, then with the above motions applied, you’ll be able to find that the muscles are toned to place the thumb down but not to roll it open. That would mean that the muscles on the inside of the arm, the soft part are overly strong and tight, needing stretch, and the muscles on the outside of the arm are overly weak and lacking tone. To just stretch the arm wouldn’t alter this imbalance. It would take actively rolling the palm up as well. In your next massage, try to attend to this sensation as the therapist manually works to balance these muscles. Bring your conscious awareness to each area of your body and ask it (in your head) what it has to say. My promise to you is that your body will answer, and gladly. Because, as I said earlier, let us enjoy the pleasure that we are designed for.

Hi, today I was in a car accident in which I was fortunately only mildly injured, though the car sustained irreparable damage. I followed my training after first calling the doctors, (surprise, it’s Friday, they’ve gone home), I called my chiropractor,Dr. Carol Hamby, who said come on in. It was only 2 hours after I was hit, but once the shock wore off, the lactic acid started building up all over, creating soreness in my legs, abs, hips, and across my upper back. Fortunately, the range of motion tests all came out with minimal restriction, today, mind you, and after the adjustment and 10 minutes of ice, I felt significantly better. I followed up with a massage appointment this coming week and will continue to apply ice until Monday, in which the doctor asked me to call and check in.

Did I mention I was very fortunate? What it brought to mind is that although at first the pain may present minimally, soft tissue trauma can appear anytime in the next 6 weeks. Starting a body care program immediately will minimize stiffness and pain. Ice is used in the first day or two, and after that, heat will be more effective. The interesting thing about hot/cold therapy is that in essence, they both do the same thing. That is, ice after the ‘ow’ part into the ‘don’t really feel it part’ circulates new cleansing blood to the area and reduces inflammation. Heat, brings blood to the area, cleaning out any damaged cells and repairs tissue. Together, there’s less pain and better range of motion,which is what the body likes in order to heal.

So, never hesitate on receiving immediate body care to facilitate your healing! Even if you start your own with hot/cold therapy.

One way to help release tension in the front of the neck (most people feel this as tightness around the back of the skull at the base) may be to place the tongue at the roof of the mouth behind the front teeth. When I receive neck work, I like to alternate: one session trying the technique, and the next without it, to compare my body’s response to the massage.

Another sensation that may occur is tension along the clavicles. A manual application of my own hands to the muscles attaching just below the collarbone while looking up, chin tilting as well, may assist in reducing this sensation. I use it sitting or standing, and sometimes lying down. It looks like I am praying, one hand on top of the other, my thumbs touching my index fingers, with my elbows dropped in close to my ribs, and gentle pressure applied to my sternum downward toward my feet. I even try to do the tongue placement, described above, and feel the changes under my hand. When this area is really tight, it’s highly noticeable, and as things loosen, it takes more pressure.  To make the stretch noticeable again, or better, I change the tilt of my head, or turn it, to broaden the range of motion.

Both of these techniques are ‘anywhere, anytime’ things to do for self help.