Hairdresser’s aching legs relief using Light Manual Muscle Relaxation1Copyright Michael Gillan Long Distance Recovery Specialisthttp://aching-legs.org/lab_workers_leg_relief.html

Hairdressers Aching Legs

Aching legs caused by being on them for long periods is an occupational health and safety issuebecause the long term effect of them on people’s health is very real(

see www.hazards.org/standing

)

'Flat Floor Syndrome'

Salon floors are flat areas with very little contrast in their surfaces; this is good for safety andcleanliness but they are not people friendly to those who have to work and walk on them for hoursSome salons have rubber mats next to the chairs to make it easier on legs and to make standing alittle more comfortable and they are soft on the feet-but unless you actually move, it makes nodifference no matter how many breaks or sitting down you may get-the legs still acheTaking care of your tired heavy legs can be as simple as having better foot and shoe comfort; goodshoes can prevent ankle and foot pain.No matter how much you take care of the feet, it still cannot take care of the aching legs after theday's work and the legs have developed that aching throbbing feeling when the legs are filling upwith fluid.

While the health hazards are well known, the most general practical suggestion on relieving them isusually related to elevating the legs to let gravity drain the fluid out of them so that fresh blood canflow into the muscle tissues to help them recoverWhat someone who relies on their legs to stay in their occupation and who needs to maintain thehealth of their legs is a simple practical recovery solution they can do during a break and after theyhave finished working

Gravity and the weight of fluid in the body

Water is subject to pressure-the deeper it is the more pressure there is at the bottom; on the surfacethe swimmer feels none, but the deeper he goes the more it affects his body as the pressureincreases.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 allthe fluid running out of the feet is the ends of the toes!Blood in the body is similar, at the head, the pressure is almost non-existent, but at the feet thelowest part of the body the pressure is higher-the term for this is Hydrostatic pressure (Hydro-waterStatic-standing still) and is measured in mm hg.Head -10 mm hgFeet +90 MM hg

Hairdresser’s aching legs relief using Light Manual Muscle Relaxation2Copyright Michael Gillan Long Distance Recovery Specialisthttp://aching-legs.org/lab_workers_leg_relief.htmlThis means there is a lot of weight in a column of fluid with all the pressure at the bottom-a majorcontributor to aching legs is when the calf muscles are not working properly and the fluid whichcollects in the lower legs is not being pumped away from that areaWhen used blood sits and stagnates, it not only prevents fresh blood going to the leg muscles; water(lymphatic fluid) starts to separate from it and seeps into the tissues and as it can't be pumped up thelegs back to the body fast enough the ankles swell.On subsequent days it may be harder to get the shoes on because the feet are still swollenWith that column of bodily fluids bearing down on the feet in and all that weight in the veins on aconsistent basis it comes as no surprise that over the long term, varicose veins develop.These are caused by the pressure from the weight of the blood widening the diameter of the veinand allowing gaps in the one-way valves to open allowing blood to flow back towards the feet(

www.hazards.org/standing

)

How to reverse the fluid build up in the legs?

To keep the circulation in balance in the legs and reduce muscle fatigue, the same volume of bloodshould come out of the legs as goes into themThe most advised way of helping the legs recover from a day on the stands it lie with the legselevated higher than the body to let the used blood and fluid in the ankles flow back; it took the legshours to get like this-how long is it going to take for gravity to drain it all back?This consumes too much time and is difficult to do in the salon on busy days

First aid needed for fatigued leg muscles

The faster the legs receive help during or after a long day, the faster they recover but it is importantthey get it as soon as possible before soreness and stiffness limits what can be done with themElevation is too ‘passive’ and obviously not too efficient as there are so many lost days off work still through industrially caused diseases-(seewww.hazards.org/standing

)

Hairdresser’s aching legs relief using Light Manual Muscle Relaxation3Copyright Michael Gillan Long Distance Recovery Specialisthttp://aching-legs.org/lab_workers_leg_relief.html

Problems caused by calf muscle pump inefficiency include

•

Poor circulation

•

Lymph system inactivity

•

Venous return reduced

The Calf Muscle Pump

The arteries 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 thatit can be replaced by fresh bloodThe calf muscle pump is made up of all the muscles in the legs, but the prime movers, or motorsthat provide the power for the pump are the calf musclesThe calf muscle pump forces used blood against gravity up the legs back to the body for recyclingby alternately putting pressure on the venous system and releasing itAs 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 isre-nourished with oxygen and nutrients and sent back out again to various parts of the body throughthe arteries

Active Recovery means taking a pro-active role in helping the calf muscles towork the pump at moving the fluid up the legs

This is applied through

The latest in non-technical, non-invasive 'cutting edge' solutions to fatiguedaching legs relief-Light Manual Muscle Relaxation