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So.. the post wedding blues have begun!
It has only been 2 days.. but the calls have been coming in!
Not from the actual wedding itself.. but from the aggressive dancing, pre-wedding travel, and lots of standing and transitions..(stand-up, sit down, dance, indulge)
The most recent reach out was from my cousin, who flew in from Mississippi.. stating he and his wife Jennifer had a great time.. but the dancing has got them stiff as boards.. do I have any BACK REMEDIES for them!
Now.. I am supposed to be on a mini-moon here in Miami.. but I can't stand to hear anybody dealing with pain..
So here goes! (sorry I couldn't invite everybody reading.. but if you have any tightness or stiffness.. this blog will be for you!)
Let's start with, "Why do we get tight and stiff?"
ORIGIN OF PAIN: Negative alignment, with high frequency of standing or sitting or any repetitive posture leads to muscle contracture, locking down those mis-aligned muscles, often times pressing on nerves.. causing pain.
WHY DOES PAIN GET WORSE? Increased tension, along with this contorted posture, followed by nerve compression can turn the body into a pretzel- even if you are not visually contorted, this adverse pulling in areas that are supposed to be lengthened can cause excessive discomfort and the feeling of: I can't get loose.
WHAT DO I DO TO STOP THE PAIN/ DISCOMFORT? Always start with temperature. Meaning, get into a sauna, steam-room, or preferably a hot tub or hot bath or hot shower immediately. Multiple 20 minute soaks/ bouts through the day will lead to the muscle "giving up"... (this is the same response a muscle relaxer will give as well- and it may be something to consider alongside the heat therapy).. *make sure you are over-hydrated.
Most people think to immediately massage the area.. but the reality is, the heat and muscle relaxer will allow the body "give in"..or significantly relax.. then introduce soft tissue work.. which will make it more effective.
STEP 2 OF PAIN- RELIEF: Introduce topical creams (my favorite is tiger balm) to desensitize the area.. and then begin massage of the surrounding areas and tissues.. When I am in a bind, I usually head over to a Massage Envy and have a therapist work all surrounding tissues, surrounding the pain site. Ex. Tight back = Release my glutes
STEP 3 OF PAIN-RELIEF: Stretch all surrounding tissues. So now that everything is relaxed and "WARM".. you can now stretch. Hamstrings, Glutes, Hips, and even the Arms to get the "lats" longer and free the pulling on the lower back.
FINALLY, STEP 4 OF PAIN-RELIEF: If possible, get moving. Exercise Bike, Elliptical, or Swimming. This step must include ZERO IMPACT.. This step promotes total body blood flow and allows the body to be flooded and hydrated with oxygen rich blood..
Then... repeat the above each day until the pain disappears.. you can include some anti-inflammatories as well for the first 72 hours..
The pain should decrease significantly within that time.. but remember.. when tissue and structure are at all compromised, it could actually take a few weeks to get back to normal. The above plan is designed to help you speed up your "healing curve".
Ok.. hope you enjoy!
COACH D
#buildingchampions #theycallmecoach
