Aching legs-your health
Aching legs They are your legs-look after them because aching legs are like bad teeth-they can affect your health if you neglect them Fortunately aching legs unless they are medically related (in which case see your doctor) are cheaper easier to fix than bad teeth if you catch them before they become chronic or long term Some problems that may develop if they are not addressed include •
Varicose veins
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Venous insufficiency
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Lower back ache
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Sleeplessness
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Angry muscles
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Spider veins
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Foot problems
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Swollen ankles
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Fatigue
There are many more areas of concern and to check some of these out I refer you to www.hazards.org/standing The reason for aching legs Too much standing walking or running can contribute to them The body is basically a column of blood and other fluids held upright by the body structures which is subject to pressure from gravity and air pressure-left to its own devices it all tries to accumulate in the lowest part it can find The lower legs and feet The only thing that stops it running out all over the ground it the ends of the toes-this is why whenever a cut happens that is quite deep, one of the main strategies to slow and stop the bleeding is to elevate the part higher than the heart-this reduces the pressure and hopefully the bleeding by reversing gravity and pressure
What happens when the legs are not working properly-swollen ankles as the fluid builds up
2009 Copyright Michael Gillan
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Aching legs-your health How can gravity and atmospheric pressure be utilized to help the legs to stop aching?
We could simply use the recommended way of doing it-and reverse the flow so that some of the weight of fluid flows back up the legs to the body
This way reverses the flow from the feet This is known as passive recovery because it relies on the blood and fluid to leave the legs and then the legs can recover themselves- because of the time it takes for all this to work (unknown), the legs which may be sore, stiffen up and on standing, walking may be difficult to do As the old blood and fluids have left the legs through the veins, new blood will have been pumped there by the heart through the arteries, but it too will have gone cold All this fluid from the legs has to go somewhere so it goes again to the lowest part of the body, this time towards the head-on standing many people will go dizzy and disoriented for a few minutes, they may even fall over or trip-this lasts until everything equalises and they regain equilibrium If You Don’t Move It You Lose It This also goes for the legs and the muscles While you have been lying with the legs elevated the muscles also stiffen up and they may go too light-the muscles in the legs forget how to move because they are not getting any feedback from pressure and stretch receptors located in the skin, muscle tissues and joints about their environment and position in relation to the rest of the body All the feedback goes back to a part of the brain called the Cerebellum in latin this means small brain-with all the information supplied to it, it compares where the muscles are now, and where they should be-this information is sent to the brain which organises the smooth movement of the body part to where it is going to
In these runners who have been on the track for 3 days, the legs have stopped moving, they could not get up and walk in a straight line if they tried
2009 Copyright Michael Gillan
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Aching legs-your health Using an ‘active’ recovery method would both increase the removal of used blood from the lower legs and help the Cerebellum regain its use as a comparator so the legs can work smoothly again
This is an ‘active’ method of leg recovery What happens here that is different to the ‘passive’ version? Basically while we are still letting the body heal itself, we are helping it to do this which can help by-pass the waiting period that exists while using the ‘passive’ system
What is Light manual Musle Relaxation? It is a Do-It-Yourself method based on encouraging the muscles and tissues to assist in their own recovery •
It is not a massage system
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It is not invasive
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It is not aggressive
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It is not time consuming
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It does not need disrobing
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It does not need oil applied to the skin
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It does not need strong hands and fingers
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It does not need hand/brain coordination
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It does not need equipment
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It does not work on the muscles
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It does not work on any specific injuries
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It does not threaten the integrity of the muscles
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It does not use force on the muscles
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It does not need more than a few minutes to do
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It does not require a long course or workshop
2009 Copyright Michael Gillan
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Aching legs-your health Below is a chart from when I discovered working with the muscles rather than on them shows how much things did improve for the runners and walkers If these figures are translated into recovery speed for the person with aching legs they would be very happy Results from 1995 Coburg 6 day footrace Name A Krouglikov
Day 1 237.2 539
Day 2 113.6 284
Day 3 130 325
Day 4 106 365
Day 5 126 315
Day 6 108 Kilometers 270 Laps
T Rusek
215.2 538
98.8 247
98 245
139.6 349
138.4 346
122.4 Kilometers 306 Laps
M T aylor
174.4 436
128.8 322
143.6 359
123.6 309
138.4 302
122.4 Kilometers 223 Laps
B Beauchamp
180.4 451
133.2 333
124 310
117.6 294
110 275
93.2 Kilometers 233 Laps
150 375
134 335
105.2 263
94.8 237
111.6 279
106 Kilometers 265 Laps
138.4 346
108.4 271
106.8 267
116.4 274
106 265
107.2 Kilometers 268 Laps
168 420
119.2 298
90 225
116.4 291
106 180
107.2 Kilometers 247 Laps
G Watts
132.2 328
96.4 241
99.2 248
104.4 261
92.8 232
133.6 Kilometers 334 Laps
C Young
142 355
91.2 228
90 225
97.6 244
88 220
92 Kilometers 230 Laps
D Kettle
138.2 332
86.8 217
90.8 227
95.2 238
94.4 236
84.4 Kilometers 212 Laps
R H ill
128 320
80.8 202
99.2 248
70 175
95.6 239
96.6 Kilometers 241 Laps
K Fisher
164 410
91.6 229
50 125
115.2 288
49.6 124
81.2 Kilometers 203 Laps
P Gray
D Parri s
I Davis
G Pollard
T Rafferty
120 74.8 73.6 68.4 69.6 61.2 Kilometers 300 187 184 171 174 153 Laps The above group came in for Light Manual Muscle Rel axation The below group did not or had their own recovery people 141.6 112.8 104.8 101.6 98 96.4 Kilometers 354 282 262 254 245 241 Laps
G McConnel
145.6 363
110.8 277
126.4 287
113.6 284
108.4 271
106 ki lometers 265 Laps
G Audley
152.8
110.8
126.4
113.6
114.8
95.2 ki lometers
S Scanlon
140.8 352
82 205
84 210
J Timms
127.2
98.4
74.8
2009 Copyright Michael Gillan
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34 0 85 pulled out-bli sters 0
0
0 Kilometers Laps 0 ki lometers
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Aching legs-your health
What does it do? It is a fully self contained non-technical, non-invasive 'cutting edge' recovery system It’s not what you do but the way you do it that counts
Quickly-easily and in an environmentally friendly way! The World Run Recovery System is a simple system that is easy to use without the need for equipment other than the hands Resource Box
Michael Gillan is an Ultra Marathon Recovery Specialist who has been a masseur around many ultra long distance events both in Australia and internationally since he was a student in 1993 In 1995 while working at a 6 day run, he changed the approach to recovery of the athletes from the conventional way of working on the muscles using the hands and fingers to increase muscle blood circulation, to working with the muscles and making them work on themselves The results from this changeover can be seen on the Coburg result sheet on page 5 In 1996 Michael went to the Nanango 1000 Mile 16 day event where it was tested and helped the worlds 4-5 and 11th to achieve their distances Other notable events the World Run Recovery System was tested on was World Run 1 with Jesper Olsen www.worldrun.org and the World Run 2 training camp in Denmark in 2007 How can someone with aching legs benefit?
Because the muscles are being worked with they are actually doing the work-this means that the skills needed to do the recovery after training and competition do not have to be as great or as complicated as when they are being worked on Nothing is being fixed nor is any attempt being made to repair anything All that is happening is that the body is repairing itself-we are just facilitating it’s ability to do that by increasing circulation to the muscles
Aching legs should always be checked out by a medical professional before doing anything to and with them because there are many medical reasons why they may be aching-see a physician first If you want more details on Light Manual Muscle Relaxation go to my website at http://www.aching-legs.org 2009 Copyright Michael Gillan
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Aching legs-your health or google me Michael Gillan ultra marathon masseur Books I have used in my research
Travell S.G. Simons D.G. Myofascial Pain & Dysfunction: The Trigger Point Manual Williams & Williams 1983 Travell J. Rinzler S.H. The Myofascial Genesis of Pain Post Grad Med. 1952 Modern Treatment for Lymphoedema Casley-smith Judith & Casley-Smith J.R. 5th edition Touching Montague Ashley Harper & Row ‘Guyton-Textbook of Medical Physiology eighth edition-1991 W.B. Saunders Company-ISBN 0726-3994-0 Essentials of Anatomy and Physiology-Seeley Stephens and Tate-Mosby Year Book ISBN 0-80160227-0 ‘Textbook of medical Physiology” (Physiology- fourth edition-Robert M. Berne, Mathew N. Levy, Bruce M. Koeppen, Bruce A. Stanton-Mosby ISBN 0-8151-0952-0) What they say about Light Manual Muscle Relaxation
Michael’s methods of massage and blister care helped me to stay mobile throughout the race and to recover 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 light, safe, reassuring, and highly effective. They enhance comfort and flexibility, 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 competitors 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 going for 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 aches and pains from the stretching he performs'. CLIFF YOUNG-Ultra marathon runner
2009 Copyright Michael Gillan
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