John Aaron Wellness

Our muscular system is a beautiful thing. Wouldn't you agree? It's what holds the body together and gives it a sexy shape. The bones are just support structures, but muscles; well - they have to constantly adjust length and tension just to make you stand still. It's a muscular symphony to simply kick a ball while playing soccer. Amazing! All the muscles do their part as the brain conducts: you run, you kick, and you jump - just like Cristiano Ronaldo, or that kid in your neighborhood. ;-) But what if just one (or more) of the muscles supporting you are not fully neurologically activated? Well, that's when joint's get worn, nerves get compressed and ligaments & tendons get stretched in ways they shouldn't. In short: PAIN is what results. Deactivated muscles don't hold up their end of the deal! We need to resuscitate them in order to prevent re-injury. That's where massage can help. Although most massage therapists focus on treating tense, ...

One of the most interesting things I've learned in my career as a massage therapist is the phenomenon of a muscle becoming hypo-tonic (turned off). It usually happens as a response to injury. Here the brain recognizes the strain, and dials down the nerves in that muscle in order to protect the body from further injury. Unfortunately, when this occurs, the muscle does not participate in normal joint movement, and other muscles in the area compensate to take up the slack. This is never perfect because it's a short-term fix. Ideally, that injured muscle heals quickly and gets back into action. The brain restores nerve signals to the muscle and it is again able to support it's correlating joint(s) through full range of motion. In short - you feel better and get back to "roller-disco-dancing" without a hitch. ;-) Sometimes, however, the body is never able to reactivate the hypo-tonic muscle. Commonly, it's a case of nutritional shortage. Because the body ap...

Since my previous post, I received a few questions from some clients who are new to “deep tissue” massage techniques. So, I thought perhaps writing a follow-up on how to prepare for, and what to expect from, your first deep tissue massage treatment. First, it’s always a good thing to be well hydrated, and have eaten a small meal (just a little something), to arrive warm from a workout or from stretching. All this can help ensure you get the most out of your deep tissue treatment. Always let your therapist know all the issues and symptoms you may be facing right up front and before you begin — after all, stiffness and chronic pain can sometimes result from other injuries, poor posture, etc. The more your massage therapist knows, the more he/she can assist you during the session. Do your best to arrive a bit early for your first appointment. A good and professional therapist will have forms for you to fill out and questions to ask you before beginning your treatment. The Experi...

I’ll admit, I’m not a big fan of Swedish Massage. I prefer a firmer, “heavy handed” touch. This is especially true whenever I am experiencing joint stiffness, muscle tension, or any time I find myself “knotted” up by stress. It seems most of my clients feel the same way, too. Muscular overuse, trauma and repetitive stress can cause muscles to form a band of rigid inflexible tissues called adhesions (known colloquially as “knots”). While most adhesions are seldom dangerous (they’re mostly painful annoyances), I know that extreme cases can sometimes hinder blood circulation, limit movement and flexibility, and be extremely painful. Often, the only way to address these adhesions is through deep tissue massage treatments. Adhesions, tension and stiffness can be related to a range of chronic conditions, and I have found that using a combination of techniques with particular emphasis on the use of deep tissue massage to be particularly effective in easing client pain from: Chronic...

I hope you had a wonderfully relaxing (and pain free) Labor day Holiday. I spent my weekend celebrating my birthday with my family and friends. I ate way too much food and WAY too much chocolate birthday cake. So I was glad to get back in the gym today for some much needed exercise. Exercise is how I've managed to maintain relatively pain free movement despite having a couple of ruptured disks and some spinal arthritis. I'll admit it, exercise is sort of a Catch-22: You're hurting, so you don't exercise; but let me say that without exercise, you may lose muscle tone, balance and strength, thereby making pain worse in the long run. Fortunately, even mild exercise releases endorphins, the feel-good brain chemicals that lift mood and block pain. If you're interested in learning more about exercise for lower back pain, here's a link to a great post on the subject: 4 Lower Back Exercises To Help Relieve Back Pain It's an old article written by a gue...