by Kelly Marshall(Hons), BSc (Hons),Dip PT, NASM, SFS, IFS, CES

www.thebodyproject.net or email: kelly_gk@hotmail.com

KELLY MARSHALL

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The Body Project

Our bodies are in effect, the sum total of our activities over the courseof our lifetime. Injury, repetitive movements, occupational hazards, thesports we play, our exercise routines and our regular activities of dailyliving all leave their stamp upon our bodies. Sometimes the changes arepositive ones and benefit our physicality and health; alternatively changescan increase the risk of injury, cause pain or negatively impact on ourability to reach goals.

Debilitating, demotivating and downright annoying; pain is the ultimatebarrier to consistent exercising and everyday quality of life. Untreated,pain sometimes ‘goes away’ but often it returns, lingers, niggles and finallyimpacts and shrinks our comfort zone till it is impossible to ignore.Muscle pain, muscle ache, neurological pain (i.e. tingling, numbness, sharpshooting pain, burning) can in many cases have a straight forward solutionthat the individual can utilise, if only they were empowered with theknowledge and tools.

One of the biggest causes of pain is due to imbalances in, andcompensations of, the musculoskeletal system (Kendall, 2005). To put itsimply, people experience aches and pains due to either muscles notworking correctly (muscular compensations) or bones being out ofalignment (skeletal compensations). Since muscles are attached to bones,these two problems go hand-in-hand. For example, if muscles are notdoing their job(s) correctly due to postural imbalances, athletic overuseand/or neurological disorders, they can pull the skeleton out ofalignment. Alternatively, if the skeleton is out of alignment due totrauma/injury, congenital deformities and/or aging, muscle function canbe adversely affected.

A solution for pain:

Sports massage used to be a luxury of the professional athlete andcelebrity. Now it has been proven to be powerful in relieving muscletension, resetting muscle imbalances as well as reducing and preventingpain. This has repositioned sports massage as an integral solution withinthe lives of anybody and everybody who values pain-free, functionalliving and performance. We can tackle muscular compensationsourselves by targeting muscle spasm (in the same way a sportstherapist/musclularskeletal specialist would) using a tennis ball.

The benefits:

Breaks down scar tissue - Scar tissue is the result of previousinjuries or trauma and can affect muscle, tendons and ligaments. This can then lead to inflexible tissues which are prone to re-injury andlong-term pain.

Increased circulation and tissue permeability -The vacumn-effect of doing trigger point pressure with the tennis ballenables oxygen and other nutrients to reach vital muscles, tissues andorgans. The pressure causes the pores in tissue membranes to open,enabling fluids and nutrients to pass through. This helps remove wasteproducts such as lactic acid and encourages the muscles to take upoxygen and nutrients which help them recover quicker.

Reduces inflammation - decreases production of compoundscalled cytokines, which play a role in decreasing inflammation.

Releases endorphins - manual techniqes such as that of the tennisball encourage the release and flow of neurotransmitters that act asnatural painkillers.

Increases joint flexibility - prepares the joints for the greaterrange of movement and increased load that accompany more dynamicactivities, such as exercising or playing sports.

Stimulates muscle repair - increases activity in mitochondria, thepowerhouses in cells that are involved in cell repair.

An Example of Tennis Ball Techniques

1)Tennis ball under Calf

Using a tennis ball to self-massage the calves is a great way to help improve foot and ankle function and align the rest of the body.

• Place a tennis ball (or a harder ball like a baseball if you need morepressure) under the calf.

• Raise the ball up slightly by placing it on top of a book to take pressureoff the knee.

• Hold each sore spot you find for 20-30 seconds and then move the ballto another spot.

• Perform technique on each calf.

2)Tennis ball under Gluts (buttocks)

There are many muscles in the gluteal complex that help control leg, pelvis, hip and spine motion. Keeping these

muscles supple and healthy with this tennis ball technique can help alleviate knee, hip and back pain.

• Lay on the floor with your knees bent and your head supported.

• Place a tennis ball under one side of your buttocks.

• Find a sore spot and hold for 30 seconds to release tension then slightlymove ball with body or hand to find another tender spot.

• Perform technique on both sides.

3)Tennis ball under shoulder blade

Occupational hazards of sitting at a desk or in a car place enormous stress across the neck and shoulders that can contribute to both muscular and skeletal imbalances. This trigger pointtechnique can help minimise these effects.

• Place the tennis ball between a wall and a point just to the inside ofyour shoulder blade (between your shoulder blade and spine)

• Gently place your arms across you chest and lean into the ball on anarea of tension.

• Hold tender spots for 30 seconds before adjusting body slightly to findanother tender point.

• Do not roll ball vigorously during this technique and ensure the ball isnot positoned directly onto the spine.

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