Journal - Massage & Fitness Magazine

Plank on four medicine balls, balance training

Balance Exercises May Not Affect Ankle Proprioception Much

Nick Ng, BA December 12, 2015

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.22″][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.29.3″ text_font=”Libre Baskerville||||||||” text_font_size=”14px” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”] Spraining your ankle may bring frustration and anxiety since it limits your ability to move and participate and perform daily activities and sports. Pain and stiffness often accompany the sprain like an

massage therapy benefits physiology cycling biking

Why Massage Make Some People Feel Better Despite Few Physiological Benefits?

Nick Ng, BA October 30, 2015

A while back, Massage & Fitness Magazine analyzed some of the claims made in a recent article from Velo Magazine about massage and muscle recovery on cyclists. While digging through various studies, I found this one small study with half-marathon runners by Dr. Peter Tiidus et al. (1) where some runners who received a massage

Analyzing the evidence of massage article on Velo Magazine

Nick Ng, BA October 18, 2015

A recent article published on Velo Magazine about massage therapy and recovery stirred a hornet’s nest among some massage therapists on social media. Some called the article “BS,” “crap,” and a host of other familiar terms we might see on some social media debates. A few said that the title is very

Client-centered care vs. ego-centered care in massage therapy

Nick Ng, BA October 15, 2015

In my early years as a personal trainer, I tended to focus a lot on the type of exercise equipment or modality that was popular at the time to market myself and to apply them to almost all of my clients. Whether it was bodyweight training, BOSU, kettlebells, or core

pain education save money adriaan louw physical therapy

Pain education may help patients recover better and save more money

Nick Ng, BA October 3, 2015

A 2014 study published in Spine — led by Dr. Adriaan Louw from the International Spine and Pain Institute — showed that patients who received pain education with a physical therapist before they undergo lumbar radiculopathy surgery had better expectations and recovery than those who received no such education. Patients who

Making sense about massage and low back pain with Dr. Christopher Moyer

Nick Ng, BA September 24, 2015

A 2015 Cochrane Review found “little confidence” in the effectiveness of massage therapy for chronic low back pain. While this had stirred some pushback from many massage therapists on social media, some therapists embraced the change of the narrative from “fixing” someone to “managing.” the condition. To sort through the

massage therapy low back pain little confidence

Researchers have “little confidence” in massage therapy for low back pain

Nick Ng, BA September 21, 2015

While many people seek massage therapy as a way to alleviate low back pain, researchers from the Institute for Work & Health in Toronto, Canada, concluded in a 2015 meta-analysis that they have “very little confidence that massage is an effective treatment for [low back pain].” Based on 25 randomized-controlled

cross education eccentric strength training injured limb

Cross Education: Eccentric Training Benefits More Than Concentric for Injured Limb

Nick Ng, BA July 14, 2015

Strength training on the uninjured limb can minimize strength loss in the injured limb. Getting a broken leg or arm can impede your workout since the injured limb is likely to be immobilized. While you can still do arm curls or leg extensions on the healthy limb, your injured one

Aging old stereotypes doing what you love

Challenging “old” stereotypes: 5 stories reframe what aging is about

Nick Ng, BA June 21, 2015

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.22″][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Intro” _builder_version=”3.29.3″ text_font=”Libre Baskerville||||||||” text_font_size=”14px” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”] Hip-hop, breakdancing, and salsa were three of my favorite types of dance in my twenties and even today. I loved them so much that I would take classes and go out

Twerking May ‘Twerk’ Your Back

Nick Ng, BA April 30, 2015

Satire: Apparently, twerking is to Millennials as the Macarena is to Generation X’ers. Thanks to pop singer Miley Cyrus in 2013 and various hip-hop artists in the 2000s, twerking has become more popular and mainstream among Millennials — at parties, clubs, and even the prom. The dance, which involves quick, thrusting

Disc bulge does not always correlate or cause back pain

A disc bulge does not always correlate to back pain, research finds

Nick Ng, BA March 27, 2015

Oregon-based Massage educator Whitney Lowe wrote on his blog that intervertebral discs can manage a high compressive load between the adjacent vertebrae. “The idea many people have when they hear about a ‘blown-out disc’ is that some acute force caused a previously normal disc to rapidly protrude to one side