Author: Phila Massages
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Stretching and Self-massage of the Pectoral muscles
When your parents told you to stop slouching and stand up straight what did you do? Other than mutter a smart remark under your breath? You PULLED both shoulders backwards and felt a tight sensation around the front of your chest. Those muscles that feel tight are the pectorals. This two muscle group is responsible…
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Potassium
At the end of every race, there is the big table of bananas and water. It is common knowledge that bananas are a good source of potassium that helps keep muscle cramps away, especially after a race or a long training session. But what does the potassium actually do for the body and how much…
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Tennis Elbow: overview and self-care
A repetitive stress injury that is becoming more and more prevalent is tennis elbow. Not only limited to those playing tennis, recently it has become more common to those who do a lot of computer work. Plumbers, carpenters, hairdressers, weight lifters, and cooks; anyone that does a lot of repetitive wrist and forearm activity is…
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The Levator Scapulae – what a pain in the neck!
When you wake up in the morning with a crick in your neck, or feel a burning on the top of your shoulder blade, or have trouble turning your head to look behind you when you’re driving, the culprit may be your Levator Scapulae! Anatomy fig 1 Origin: Transverse Processes of the Cervical Vertebrae (Upper…
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IT band syndrome or Why is my IT band sore and what can I do about it !?
Many athletes, especially endurance athletes, suffer from Ilio-Tibial Syndrome (ITBS). ITBS is an inflammation of the Ilio-Tibial band (ITB) at the knee, causing outer knee pain. The causes of ITBS can be varied but the treatment options are usually the same: massage, stretching and strengthening. What causes ITBS? The IT band is a fibrous band…
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The Mysterious Side Stitch
We’ve all been there at one point or another. Heading out for a daily run or walk feeling relatively fine just to be greeted shortly after by that sudden, sucker punch of a sharp pain along the side of the lower ribs taunting you to pull over and curl into a ball on the side…
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Ice Versus Heat – Or To Ice Or Not to Ice? That is the Question.
Injuries, both old and new, can keep us from preforming at our best. Clients ask what they can do to recover from injury quickly and prevent further injuries. One of the best things that someone can do is to apply ice or heat but it is important to choose the right therapy and then use…
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Yoga for Athletes
Whether you’re a runner, cyclist, swimmer, CrossFit aficionado, weight lifter, weekend warrior, or just consider yourself the athletic type, we All have areas of tightness. Workouts that emphasize running, lifting, repetitive and swinging movements leave the telltale signs of tight hamstrings, quads, hips and shoulders. Over time these tight areas can cause imbalances. A great…
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Cold, Flu and Massage?
kleenex The temperature is dropping, the days are getting shorter, and outdoor activities are slowing down. Winter is slowly creeping in, which means that cold and flu season is also upon us. But surely massage and illness are unrelated, right? Wrong! Unfortunately, receiving bodywork when you are run down with a cold or flu,…
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Should I Stretch Before Exercising?
Stretching has been common practice promoted for years by our coaches, personal trainers, fitness instructors, physical therapists, sports physicians, massage therapists… However, there is currently a lot of debate surrounding the benefits of stretching and the whole view of stretching is slowly shifting. Here is an update with some key questions. Should I stretch before…