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Light Manual Muscle Relaxation as an allergy and oil free aid to lower leg circulation

Copyright 2009 Michael Gillan 1 ultra marathon recovery specialisthttp://charity.aching-legs.org/allergy_free_environmentally_friendly_option.html

An Oil and Allergy Free Eco Friendly Alternative for cold feet

• Lack of circulation

• Cold Feet

Just 2 of many reasons why someone should keep the legs moving-some people just suffer from coldfeet and it may be because of poor circulation-

I would stress that anyone involved with permanently cold feet should consult with their doctor or otherhealth professional as their may be medical conditions underlying them that have to be resolved-doing

anything without appropriate consultation and advice may make their condition worse

Many people have skin allergies

Not everyone is safe with oils being rubbed in and into the skin during massage therapies-different

people have allergic reactions to the oil being used-this is why most trained massage therapists willcheck by rubbing a little oil on the sensitive area just inside the wrist-if there is a reaction it will go red,

itch, hot, form a raised area or otherwise make the area uncomfortable

Another group of people who may be uncomfortable having oil on their legs are men-many of us have

hairy legs-if there is too much rubbing while attempting to manually increase lower leg circulation towarm the legs, the friction of sliding over the hair oil can pull the hair at the follicles allowing the oil to

penetrate causing an infection known as folliculitis

When I allowed myself to be worked on by other students I often left with sore legs from too manysliding strokes over the shin and leg hair-then when I got my pants on and the oil had not been removed

properly it felt clammy, cold and sticky-yuk!

For those people with allergies and long leg hair men like me-massage using oil is not a good option-we need something that does not involve oil so we can get warm feet

The skin

The skin is the first line of protection against bacteria invading the body, it has many bits and pieces

involved in doing this; but is too involved to discuss here as I am trying to keep things simple.

(It is easy enough to look up elsewhere on the net)

In the skin and muscle tissues underneath it are receptors for touch, pressure, pain, pleasure, heat and

cold sensors and everything else; all have the purpose of providing feedback to the brain about where

the body is in relation to our environment.

This includes leg hair

When it has the information it needs the brain decides what action to take to make the body adapt to a

particular set of circumstances presented to it-unfortunately sometimes because of circumstances the

body is unable to adapt

http://charity.aching-legs.org/allergy_free_environmentally_friendly_option.html





Movement-or the lack of it is a problem that many people face or may face in their lifetime; other than

the lack of mobility, there can be other consequences by affecting the quality of life

Some we can attempt to change, others we are stuck with, one that can affect our whole

outlook on life is COLD FEET

Cold Feet

To those who do not have them, or have them because of the weather it is not much of a problem

because they know they will warm up when the weather changes, but for the people who have thembecause of poor leg circulation they never will unless that circulation can be improved

Lack of movement may bring with it poor circulation because the blood which is taken under pressureby the heart through the arteries down to the lower legs and feet can't be returned back up the legs

through the veins

This means it just stays down there and goes cold and preventing warm fresh blood from reaching the

feet; this keeps the feet constantly cold even in the warmest weather no matter how well they arecovered up

Gravity and the weight of blood in the body

Water is subject to pressure-the deeper it is the more pressure there is at the bottom; on the surface theswimmer feels none, but the deeper he goes the more it affects his body as the pressure increases.

Blood in the body is similar, at the head, the pressure is almost non-existent, but at the feet the lowest

part of the body the pressure is higher-the term for this is Hydrostatic pressure (Hydro-water Static-standing still) and is measured in mm hg.

Head -10 mm hg






Feet +90 mm hg

In a standing person, pressure in the veins is low at the top of the head and high at the bottom; thepressure and weight that is placed on the veins in the legs is very high; the only thing preventing all the

fluid running out of the feet is the ends of the toes!When it just sits and stagnates, there is no fresh blood going to the leg muscles so they fatigue and feel

heavy; water starts to separate from the used blood into the tissues and as it can't be pumped up the legsback to the body fast enough the ankles swell

To keep the circulation in balance in the legs a similar volume of blood should come out of the legs asgoes into them

The arteries veins take blood away from the heart to the rest of the body and the veins which have one-

way valves in them take it back to the body again; the way used blood gets back up the legs so that it

can be replaced by fresh blood is by a special system called

The Calf Muscle Pump The muscle pump is made up of all the leg muscles and together they form a pump which forces usedblood against gravity up the legs back to the body for recycling.

As the muscles squeeze, they open the valves, letting blood pass through them; when the tension isreleased, they close stopping the blood flowing back down towards the feet.

Oxygen depleted blood is progressively moved from the lower legs back up to the body where it is re-

nourished with oxygen and nutrients and sent back out again to various parts of the body through the

arteries.

Movement Restriction When the movements of the legs is restricted, the calf muscles are not moving enough to work the

muscle pump-they become ineffective at what they are supposed to do

• Problems caused by calf muscle pump inefficiency include

• Varicose veins






• Poor circulation

• Lymph system inactivity

• Venous return reduced

To work efficiently, the calf muscles must be working properly

It can be Active

Active Recovery and movement means taking a pro-active role in helping the calf muscles to work the

pump at moving the fluid up the legs.

This is where the legs are helped to recover using a system that is directed at increasing the circulation

so that fresh blood can flood the muscle tissues

For most people that think of increasing the lower leg circulation, one of the first things that comes tomind is massage

Massage for cold feet and lower leg circulation

Conventional massage systems

Have their place in appropriate circumstances such as soft tissue repair and rehabilitation after injury-I

use it myself frequently out for just lower leg circulation there is nothing to fix or rehabilitate

Working deeply on the tissues in an attempt to increase the changeover of old blood for fresh by

pushing the fluid back up the legs to the body can break the superficial veins and arterioles and cause

bruising and increase pain levels

Conventional massage short comings

Cold

People with movement restriction are usually cold most of the time from immobility

Undressing or disrobing

Many people are not mobile so they cannot generate heat through movement-disrobe them and they geteven colder

Heat is lost from the body in a number of ways

Convection As cold air passes over the body it lowers the skin temperature, the body tries to compensate by

increasing the flow of warm blood to the surface-this is also colled by the air flow

Radiation

Heat is naturally radiated from the skin into the surrounding air-it does this to maintain the body'stemperature within its natural range for comfort

Conduction






When the skin is at a certain temperature and fresh clothes are put on they feel cold because they are at

a different temperature level- after a while the heat passes from the skin to the clothes and warm air istrapped between them to maintain a comfortable level

Evaporation Through water in the form of sweat bringing heat to the surface of the skin where it changes intomoisture

When using a rubbing movement on the skin heat is generated by friction so oil has to be used to

provide lubrication, this then brings warm blood to the surface where it is lost through all of the aboveOil Reaction

Skin Dermatitis and allergic reactionsPeople who have restricted movement usually have lowered immune system integrity as well; they can

have allergic reactions to oil and what is in itCaused by environmental circumstances and irritants; this can be by being in bed constantly, causing

bed sores, incontinence

Chemical reactions

Contact with the skin-anything that is put on the skin that causes a reaction in that person-it can range

from perfumes, to creams, oils to naturally occuring substances

Introduced reactions

By mechanical or introduced means

Skin integrity is very important to prevent bacteria entering but there are ways they can bypass thedefences when dealing with aching legs in the way using conventional massage

Stickiness

Have oil applied-warm oil goes cold and sticky if not removed properly-to take it off needs friction

from towel-thin skin tearing and possibly introducing infection through bacteria breeding in towels if not washed properly

Oil spills

It is difficult to work on someone who is confined to bed and prevent oil spills especially if the are

infirm and have shaking or tremors

Light Manual Muscle Relaxation

My only equipment to look after the Danish long distance running team for 24 hours consisted of thechair next to the bottles in the foreground






Because there is no equipment such as massage table, oil or towels used, the system is very cost

portable cost effective and versatile

Light Manual Muscle Relaxation can be done

• Prone-lying downIf someone is confined to bed for an extended period, they can develop deep vein thrombosis-clots in

the legs because the blood is static or not moving

Many people die from this in hospitals after having operations-in Australia it is taken very seriously so

many people being operated on have to wear special stockings, and afterwards they have a pulsatingcover over the calf muscles to work the muscle pump-this keeps the blood moving up the legs which

prevents pooling and clotting

• Self -sitting

For the elderly person who is on their own, all that is needed is a strap then they can use Light Manual

Muscle on their own

• Seated-assisted

Can be done by visitor or carer while the person remains seated

It is Light Manual Muscle Relaxation that calms them down

Ultra marathon is very long distance competition where they have to run or walk as far as possible in a

given time-they have to get up and get back on the track or road on a constant basis whether they want

to or not to achieve their objective

It can be over 6 hours-24 hours-48 hours-6 days-16 days or even around the world www.worldrun.org

The main similarity between them is that their muscles are always sore, stiff, and fatigued and themuscles are angry-this can interfere with their sleep because their muscles cannot cut off and stop

moving.

This is possible to see in ultra marathon athletes when they have been going around a track for 18-20hours-on resting the legs just keep moving and the nerve actions can be seen rippling up the calf

muscles.






Un-coordinated muscles on the runners and walkers start to show about 12 hours on the track

depending how hard they have pushed themselves they start to wander from side to side as if they aredrunk

On sitting and resting for a break, the muscles cool and stiffen making walking and standing difficultwhen it is over

The secret to a faster recovery is to reduce input/output required through-

• Simplicity

• Non invasive

• Predictability

• Consistency

These are applied through

The latest in non-technical, non-invasive 'cutting edge' solutions tofatigued aching legs relief-

Light Manual Muscle Relaxation-the green alternative

The advantages of using Light Manual Muscle Relaxation

It is Do It Yourself recovery

• No disrobing

• Works with the muscles not on them

• No oil used

• Non invasive

• User friendly

• Easy to learn

Light Manual Muscle Relaxation-the GREEN Alternative

Some References

Michael's methods of massage and blister care helped me to stay mobile throughout the race and torecover quickly afterwards. His techniques are safe and gentle.

Unlike some treatments, which put the runners and walkers at risk of muscle tears or infection,

Michael's techniques are gentle, safe, reassuring, and highly effective. They enhance comfort andflexibility, build confidence, and promote success.






This booklet will help others to learn and practice Michael's methods. It is recommended reading for

everyone who walks and runs and who wants to go further, go faster, or just to enjoy life more!!'

SANDRA BROWN 1996 Ladies 1000 Mile World Record Holder

1999 Ladies 100 mile Race walking World Record Holder"I know that your massage kept a number of competitor<>s in the event. The cold weather of Saturday

afternoon and night certainly got to many of the walkers and your prompt action had them back in the

race after a short stop.

In years past, that would have ended up as a non-finish. A number of walkers were able to keep goingfor the full 24 hours on the basis of your expert help."

Tim Ericson Secretary Australian Centurions Club

'I have known Michael Gillan for many years and have always got quick relief for my achesand pains from the stretching he performs'.

CLIFF YOUNG-75-80 24 Hour World Record Holder (150.07 kilometers) A word from Jesper Olsen World Runner about Light Manual Muscle Relaxation

"If I hadn't had the qualified help from the excellent masseur Michael Gillan, taking several thousands

of km out of my legs, I could spare myself the effort!"

"My crew for the current stages, Michael Gillan, has proven to have other talents than the quite taxing

job of taking care of all the requirements of a really tired ultra runner!He has since years back been working on a new approach to stretching and muscle-rebuilding for ultra

runners. I have the last two days tried his careful stretch and massage, and a bit to my surprise themuscles are beginning to feel like before the start back in Greenwich, London!!

Usually I doesn't take massage as the legs of an ultra runner will often be quite sore during the longtime events (and especially in an multi-year event like this...), and getting a massage can at times cause

more injury and cramping up than good. For example my last massage was some 12 000km ago when I

ran the 12-hour competition in Finland. And so far that has been the only one.

But Gillan came with best recommendations from my main contact in Australia, Phil Essam, who

besides being vice president in the Australian Ultra runners Association has heaps of good knowledge

to share. And this new kind of mild massage for ultra runners is definitely one of the good tips! There

should be a fair chance that I actually get fresh enough to do some decent running at the 6 Day Racethat I have coming up in Colac from the 21.November. I quite look forward to that, even though I can't

expect to make a top class result :-)"

He won! 756.2 kilometers (Jesper holds the record for the longest run in history over 26000 kilometers

and the first person to run around the worldTaken from www.worldrun.org

TrainingThere are not too many massage schools in poorer countries or country areas and even less teaching

how to increase circulation without using expensive drugs






Many people cannot afford the cost of ancillary modalities and the extra care needed in looking after

someone with movement that is restricted and has cold feet through the calf muscle pump not workingproperly

In the countries that do have health care systems like Australia, the money allocated does not cover thecost of hiring massage therapists, so having one work on someone in the hospital or home situations

depends on the ability to pay

I intend to use the money from this manual to set up a series of workshops in some of the poorer

countries

A workshop in Denmark

For more information see








Light Manual Muscle Relaxation is a Do-It-Yourself method based on encouragingthe muscles and tissues to assist with their own circulation

• It is not a massage system

• It is not invasive

• It is not aggressive

• It is not time consuming

• It does not need disrobing

• It does not need oil applied to the skin

• It does not need strong hands and fingers

• It does not need hand/brain coordination

• It does not need equipment

• It does not work on the muscles

• It does not work on any specific injuries

• It does not threaten the integrity of the muscles

• It does not use force on the muscles

• It does not need more than a few minutes to do

• It does not require a long course or workshop

It makes it easier for someone who has to become their own physical and muscletherapist-and they have to learn how to do this with a minimum of education andtraining






Giving a massage-lite leg workshop

Working with the muscles

You are at this website because you obviously have an interest in warm feet so if you want moreinformation on Light Manual Muscle Relaxation and you can afford it-please buy a manual

The money raised from this goes towards supporting my project on establishing classes around theworld in countries that do not have access to many health services

Michael Gillan

Long distance recovery specialist

I should point out I am not a doctor so I am not treating anything and what I say should notbe taken as a medical treatment or implied that it is-medical treatment should be sought andadvice taken about whether it is suitable for your complaintFor more information on Light Manual Muscle Relaxation go to

[email protected]


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