spa world hot tubs image
Q. at a spa resort of some kind? Preferably in the US, if not in NY--or perhaps someplace exotic in Asia or Europe. We're looking for a hot tub where it can just be the two of us spending time alone without the massages and spa treatment packages that I see from my Google results. Thank you in advance for your help!
Answer
There are a number of places in the US and elsewhere in the world.
Here is a list we know of:
http://saunascape.com/find-sauna/?type=sauna_baths&state=&country=&metro_area=&style=&gender=6&clothing=&search=
There are a number of places in the US and elsewhere in the world.
Here is a list we know of:
http://saunascape.com/find-sauna/?type=sauna_baths&state=&country=&metro_area=&style=&gender=6&clothing=&search=
What can I do for myself to loosen tight, knotted muscles?
koyaanisqa
I have a number of knots in my legs, arms and shoulders from recent exercise. I need to constrain the scope of answers here: No videos, no chiropractors, no hot tubs (I don't own one) or spas, no pharmaceuticals and I'm not going to go buy or sign up for anything. I'm hoping to find out what I can do myself, right where I am, to help loosen tight, knotted muscles. Thank you!
If I'm doing all the things I can to loosen them up, how long does it take for them to finally relax? Hours, days, weeks?
Answer
Stretching, exercise, a warm bath, and self massage (the tennis ball) are all great ways to alleviate the pain of sore muscles. Each of the already mentioned methods of treatment are great for relieving your current symptoms, but it seems to me that you are not only looking for short term relief, but a way to prevent this problem from returning. If you are always chasing symptoms you may never resolve the issue and it will be a life long battle. It is essential that you find out why you have developed these "knots" in the first place.
The 'knots' you are referring to is calling a trigger points and are essentially a local area within a muscle that is tender to touch and has become contracted and unable to relax. Some common causes of trigger points are trauma, excessive cooling, and overuse. It seems to me from what you have described that you fit into the overuse category. Overuse is often the result of prolonged poor posture or poor movement patterns. Our bodies are terrific at adapting to demands forced upon us, but these adaptations are not always healthy ones. For example, a person that sits at a computer for 8 hours everyday with an improperly set up chair/desk might develop a posture that shows their face and head being drawn toward the computer screen with their chin jutting out in front in order to get closer to read the monitor. After a day or two, this person may not notice any problems, but the head weighs between 8-10 pounds and when its placement is shifted forward the muscles of the upper back and neck any now required to increase their work load (overuse). To think about what it may feel like to carry this 8-10 pound head in a forward position, think about carrying a bowling ball at your shoulder with your forearm directly underneath it (as if you were carrying a tray of drinks), you could probably do this for a while. But, if you were to move that ball forward a few inches and hold it there all day I think you would appreciate pretty quickly the increased stress that a forward head places on the upper back and neck as that ball would become quite heavy. The point I am trying to illustrate is that identifying any postural or movement patterns that are placing increased stress on different areas of your body and correcting them will be the key to long term elimination of your trigger points.
I know you said you wanted to do it all yourself, but sometimes it takes the knowledge and expertise of a professional to be able to identify and treat your problem areas. If we all had the ability to identify and treat every condition in the world there would be no need for health professionals, but that's not the case. We are here for a reason. There are a number of professions that assess posture and movement patterns such as physiotherapists, athletic trainers, kinesiologists, and chiropractors. However, not all off these professions treat all tissues that can become negatively affected by increased stress.
Research shows that when a joint loses some of its normal motion (due to a change in stresses applied to that joint), movement of joints above and below will also change to compensate (or adapt) to this loss of motion. This change in movement pattern will result in the brain signaling muscles in the area to tighten up to provide greater stability in the face of increased stress. If this stress and loss of movement persists, and the muscle is required to contract for a prolonged period of time, it will remain in a contracted state and will become unable to relax. Sound familiar? The end result of loss of joint movement is a trigger point. For this reason, the best mode of treatment for a person with your condition would be a chiropractor.
A knowledgeable chiropractor will treat your current trigger points to reduce pain as well as help you to retrain your postural imbalances, stretch/strengthen muscles and restore any losses of movement you may have at affected joints. There are some practicing chiropractors that are better than others, this is a reality of any profession whether it be an auto-mechanic, an athlete or a brain surgeon. I would recommend speaking to people in your community who have had a good experience with their chiropractor to find one with a good reputation.
Good luck!
Current Chiropractic Student
Stretching, exercise, a warm bath, and self massage (the tennis ball) are all great ways to alleviate the pain of sore muscles. Each of the already mentioned methods of treatment are great for relieving your current symptoms, but it seems to me that you are not only looking for short term relief, but a way to prevent this problem from returning. If you are always chasing symptoms you may never resolve the issue and it will be a life long battle. It is essential that you find out why you have developed these "knots" in the first place.
The 'knots' you are referring to is calling a trigger points and are essentially a local area within a muscle that is tender to touch and has become contracted and unable to relax. Some common causes of trigger points are trauma, excessive cooling, and overuse. It seems to me from what you have described that you fit into the overuse category. Overuse is often the result of prolonged poor posture or poor movement patterns. Our bodies are terrific at adapting to demands forced upon us, but these adaptations are not always healthy ones. For example, a person that sits at a computer for 8 hours everyday with an improperly set up chair/desk might develop a posture that shows their face and head being drawn toward the computer screen with their chin jutting out in front in order to get closer to read the monitor. After a day or two, this person may not notice any problems, but the head weighs between 8-10 pounds and when its placement is shifted forward the muscles of the upper back and neck any now required to increase their work load (overuse). To think about what it may feel like to carry this 8-10 pound head in a forward position, think about carrying a bowling ball at your shoulder with your forearm directly underneath it (as if you were carrying a tray of drinks), you could probably do this for a while. But, if you were to move that ball forward a few inches and hold it there all day I think you would appreciate pretty quickly the increased stress that a forward head places on the upper back and neck as that ball would become quite heavy. The point I am trying to illustrate is that identifying any postural or movement patterns that are placing increased stress on different areas of your body and correcting them will be the key to long term elimination of your trigger points.
I know you said you wanted to do it all yourself, but sometimes it takes the knowledge and expertise of a professional to be able to identify and treat your problem areas. If we all had the ability to identify and treat every condition in the world there would be no need for health professionals, but that's not the case. We are here for a reason. There are a number of professions that assess posture and movement patterns such as physiotherapists, athletic trainers, kinesiologists, and chiropractors. However, not all off these professions treat all tissues that can become negatively affected by increased stress.
Research shows that when a joint loses some of its normal motion (due to a change in stresses applied to that joint), movement of joints above and below will also change to compensate (or adapt) to this loss of motion. This change in movement pattern will result in the brain signaling muscles in the area to tighten up to provide greater stability in the face of increased stress. If this stress and loss of movement persists, and the muscle is required to contract for a prolonged period of time, it will remain in a contracted state and will become unable to relax. Sound familiar? The end result of loss of joint movement is a trigger point. For this reason, the best mode of treatment for a person with your condition would be a chiropractor.
A knowledgeable chiropractor will treat your current trigger points to reduce pain as well as help you to retrain your postural imbalances, stretch/strengthen muscles and restore any losses of movement you may have at affected joints. There are some practicing chiropractors that are better than others, this is a reality of any profession whether it be an auto-mechanic, an athlete or a brain surgeon. I would recommend speaking to people in your community who have had a good experience with their chiropractor to find one with a good reputation.
Good luck!
Current Chiropractic Student
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