Blog | Head to Toe Muscle Clinic

Ibuprofen for Headaches? No! Get a Massage

Headache Relief and Treatment with Massage Therapy As much as 90% of adults have a headache each year. There are 4 categories of headaches: tension headaches, vascular headaches, chemical headaches, and traction inflammatory headaches. Tension headaches are one of the most common and make up 90% of headaches. Migraines fall under vascular headaches and make up 6 - 8% of headache cases. Chemical headaches are caused by chemical exposure and traction inflammatory headaches are the rarest and indicate a more serious problem. (Werner p. 316 - 320) Causes of Tension Headaches These muscles are commonly involved in headaches Now, don't get me wrong, I take ibuprefen or whatever to take the edge off but if you get frequent or recurring headaches massage is the best thing for [...]

My Freakin’ Neck Hurts! Why?

Sometimes it is confusing as to why we feel tight or have pain in certain areas and you may ask " why the hell do I have pain there?" When dealing with chronic tension or pain it is important to eliminate as many stresors as possible and without some basic understanding of how muscles create movement that can be difficult. Hopefully this article will help you to understand the different ways a muscle may contract and help you to use your body more efficiently. Muscles are specialized to shorten toward their center and this is contraction. There are 3 ways a muscle will attempt to shorten toward it's center: concentrically, eccentrically, and isometrically. A concentric contraction is when a muscle is successful in shortening toward it's center and when this [...]

How Massage Therapy Can Help Low Back Pain

By Matt Snow, Licensed Massage Therapist serving Greenwich, Stamford, Darien, New Canaan, Wesport CT, Port Chester, Rye Brook, Rye, and White Plains NY Who hasn't had low back pain? At least 80 - 90% of Americans will experience back pain at some point in their lives and it is the number five reason why people see their doctor. It was thought at one time that most back pain stemmed from structural problems such as herniated disc but now soft tissue disorders are considered to be the most prominent cause of low back pain. One of the reasons low back pain is so common is because it is an area that allows for a great deal of movement but also has the responsibility to bear the weight of our upper body and absorb [...]

Kic It Triathlon Sports Massage Event 2013

The Triathlon Sports Massage to benefit kids in crisis was great. I met some great massge therapists and athletes and I got to massage some of the people behind the scenes who made this event happen. Of course there were many tight hamstrings and calves and glute medius. Makes sense with all of the extension of the hips and plantar flexion of the foot. Great music and fun and all the staff were very friendly and helpful. http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/sports/article/Stellwagen-busy-getting-ready-for-KIC-IT-Triathlon-4637169.php