Brittle bone conference 2009

Brittle bone society conference

The conference this year was held in Ashford  kent, last year I was invited as a guest speaker about the benefits of massage. This year I was kindly invited to run a clinic for the weekend for those who wished to experience a treatment.

Brittle bone is a genetic condition which varries in severity but some the main symptoms are frequent fractures  joint hypermobility (lax ligaments)  bone and postural irregularity.

The main aim of  being  a guest speaker  in 2008 was mainly about the 'benefits of massage' and that it it can be delivered safely without fear of the therapist causing a fracture! I was shocked to find in my early years of training that both brittle bone and osteoporosis were considered to be a 'contra indication to massage' - meaning don't treat this type of client! This still seems to be the current thinking, my aim is to change this out dated perception.

What is certainly clear is that therapists can proceed with caution, read current literature and conduct a full postural assessment however most importantly listen to your client and keep asking for feed back during a treatment. As a father of a child with OI (brittle bones) I would be happy to assist  and guide any therapist wishing more information: paul@paulskidmore-therapies.co.uk

The benefits of massage for an OI client

When I trained as a sports and remedial massage practitioner muscle balancing and postural assessment was key to injury prevention - basiscally the more times a footballer falls over due to a muscle weakness or inbalance the more likely an injury. ! Light bulb moment ! If I apply this to an OI client: greater stability equals less falls and fractures. With a possible lifetime average of 40 plus fractures even 10% less will make a huge difference.

People with OI also can suffer over tight muscle groups which if left unchecked can lead to postural deviation -  muscle pain and often stiff joints. With careful soft tissue release techniques these over tonic muscles can be relaxed and joint mobilised leading to better range of movement and improved muscle strength and greater postural stability.

The constant use of the upper body to power a wheelchair is a classic example of where the neck / arms / back muscles can become tight ( over use syndrome ) thefore soft tissue release techniques of hypertonic muscles will deliver great results interms of joint mobilisation and long term benefit for the client.

Facilitated stretching may seem cavalier given the possible fragility of the bones, with careful soft tissue relase and gentle stretching I found I was able to achive a good spinal stretch and so improve the clients respiration - better breathing, more oxygen in take and removal of carbon dioxide, less lactic acid build up in the muscles and so less muscle aches & pains.

Improved circulation is a huge benefit of massage - more oxygen / nutrients to feed the tissues with improved lymphatic drainage the immune system is able to function efficiently to deal with any attack like chest infections swine flu etc etc.

Scar tissue, may OI clients have been through surgery and the build up of tight scar tissue can lead to some loss in the range of movement. My daugher had    bi -femoral rodding a year ago, within the gluteal muscles & IT band there was scar tissue which lead  a turning out of the foot ( tight lower limb external rotators) With careful soft tissue release, I was able to work the scar tissue and release the adhesions within two treatments. Her posture was greatly improved and avoided the development of any compensatory muscle patterns.

London Marathon

The London marathon was a great event and raised a huge amount of money for charity. I was assigned to "Sparks"

A children's medical research charity. http://www.sparks.org.uk/

The "sparks" athletes returned tired and grateful of a sports massage after the event. Some minor injuries were reported, twisted ankles, runners knee ( IT band syndrome ) and the normal wear & tear, fatigue after such an event.

All of the athletes were elated just to have completed the marathon but most reported understandably the feeling of fatigue and that perhaps their training / stretching had not been enough to prepare them for the event.

Injury prevention.

It is important to stretch correctly & train well for such events however over training can also be damaging. Injury prevention is key, over training is counter productive and can lead to micro tears in the belly of the muscle, if over training continues this can become a more serious problem leading to muscle weakness and loss of power.

When the muscle is fatigued its shock absorbing qualities ( quads etc) are greatly reduced and so the impact is taken directly through the joints and bones. Bone is not a great shock absorbing material and so this can lead to stress fractures or even cartilage damage. Similarly when the muscle is fatigued it will not serve well to support the joints and so ligament sprains are common due to over training.

Posture

As part of a good training preparation posture should not be overlooked, I see may runners who have very over tight hamstrings so they stretch them well in the belief that the stretch will relieve the strain. More often it's the quads that have become shortened and tight and are stretching the hamstrings to breaking point! As the hip rotates forwards due to shortened quads it causes a postural deformation of the lumber spine and that deep curve in the lower back causing the classic lower pain.

Sports massage and full postural assessment is key and can identify these small micro tears and posture issues before they becomes a major problem. A good sports & remedial therapist will also help identify weak area and treat with muscle balancing as a method injury prevention.

Hydration

We are always told to drink plenty of water, true even if you don't exercise but vital post event to get back in the water and nutrient & mineral levels- a good sports drink will help to re balance the body to aid good recovery.

London marathon

Welcome to my blog.

If you have any questions please feel free to ask and I will do my best to respond as quickly as possible.

Over the coming months I will be talking about up coming events, general massage /different techniques, sports / work related injuries, medical conditions, contra indications and how massage can be of benefit to all.

The next big event coming up is the London marathon on the 26th of April 09. I have been selected as a sports massage therapist for pre & post event massage along with dealing with the normal running injuries.

This type of big event are always great fun however sleep is never a problem after treating athletes for 8 or more hours ( I will be in need of a good relaxing massage after that one, but who treats the therapist!! )