Muscle Mechanics has long held the view of being a family brand that brings people together through the love of sport and recreational fun. When we developed the toolbox of balm products it was for survival. Survival of one of the toughest times we had experienced as a family. Our son and his fight for life after we discovered he had a brain tumour was a significant turning point in our thinking of how we could be more physically capable of caring for such a vulnerable person.
Self-awareness of how we were taking care of ourselves became the spotlight for constant evaluation from all types of medical professionals. Each appointment we went to for various treatment from Chemotherapy to Neurorehabilitation, as carers we were scrutinised often. Mentally this could have a detrimental effect on the family dynamic as we had two other children to think about that needed us just as much as our seriously ill son. In hospital in the primary stage of diagnosis acceptance and acknowledgment of what had happened did not get the time it needed. The grief experienced was recorded by our physical body in a variety of aches and pains.
The shift to practise what a therapist should do for self-care became common place to remain calm in stressful situations. Each time our son went to Intensive care we had to manage a plethora of unknowns. Could he walk again? Would he talk again? How will he be as a person? No one had the answers. The uncertainty left us in this uncomfortable place of anxiety and optimism. To get sleep in an environment like this was incredibly hard. That is when I took out my inhaler that I made at home. It was the only thing that allowed a little respite.
Living at Ronald McDonald House was not easy, every family had seriously ill babies. Each night you would hear the tears in the kitchen as another parent feels the frustration of not being able to do more. Wanting to take the pain away for their child. This was us and it was brutal to sit at the bedside and not be able to hold our son as he had next to no muscle tone with a number of tubes coming out of his head and chest. He was bruised, he could not see clearly and desperately needed hope that he was going to be ok. This experience formed the basis of why we developed Pain Relief Balm, after speaking to other parents and the way they felt each day, the aches were of an emotional and physical nature. The elevated levels of stress made decision making challenging as it was heart led rather than logical. Walking around a huge hospital at speed when scans were required created a level of exhaustion unheard of. Tight back muscles, necks that would not turn and the shoulders slumped forward all needed attention. We had forgotten to take care of ourselves; the food we ate at hospital did not offer the best nutrition. It was at that moment when the dietician came round to evaluate our son’s progress that the penny dropped. We need to create a plan.
Now when we reflect on how far we have come as a family, as our son takes on his first Triathlon. We know how important self-care is and what it can offer to parents and therapists who are feeling overwhelmed.
At the time of diagnosis our son was just two years old. His body required many surgeries, and the Physiotherapy input had to be sustainable. We knew that the Physiotherapy available was not going to be enough. So, when we stepped in to assist, they welcomed the ideas we produced to enable movement. Together we created a way forward in hospital with a clear routine of the day and built in fun activities to make Jenson giggle and relax. New equipment needed to be ordered to facilitate the huge task ahead. At first the department seemed reluctant to invest in such things, but we simply said it was for all the other children too. The children that are left without the right resources to ‘just get on with it.’ We knew then that the young people in society would have to fight hard to be seen as being in pain and restricted in terms of recovery and that did not seem right to us.
After careful consideration of all the equipment and resources we needed to keep Jenson on track over the holiday, we took over what the Physio team had started and practised with him every day. We even added Yoga and massage for the muscles in the legs and back. The synergy between the two methods of functional therapy and holistic treatments made the environment more relaxed to contemplate new exercises and the pain and exhaustion that could come from each session. Using our formulas then, we had something that worked, we were communicating with Jenson through his senses.
So back to present day in 2025 and look at what we have achieved, Last month we were at The British Motor Show to support The Strongman League. These incredible athletes are at least six feet tall with muscles that could pull a truck for twenty-five metres. The biceps and calves had such tone it was a real privilege to see them warm up and prepare. So, the test, could Muscle Mechanics effect change and relax the muscles of the world’s strongest men?
After assessing the events of The World Championship Truck Pulling challenge, it was clear that the athletes would potentially need some help with:
- Calf strain as they push off the ground to initiate traction to move the truck.
- Back strain as they lean forward to use weight to move and gain momentum.
- Shoulder and neck tension as they pulled on the ropes.
- Elbow and forearm strain post event.
So, Muscle Mechanics kindly offered some samples of our products for them to try. It was a bold move since they were two feet taller than us and needed much more product to cover the surface areas of muscles.
Surprisingly, the first placed Strongman wanted to record our demonstration and share with his followers how good our product is. As we both went to apply it was clear that he was cautious and went to use the tiniest amount on a fingernail to apply on his elbows. So, with the spirit of Team Jenson, we went all in and showed him the right way to apply the product, which took Evans Nana by surprise. Strongman Chris Beetham also used the Muscle Balm on his neck and shoulders and felt the ability to move them had improved the next day for the two other events.
We will continue to collaborate with The Strongman League and see how this develops as they progress within their Championships. We were impressed by the level of response and how this also leaned into the Bodybuilding competitions. Since August we have made several connections with gym owners and athletes that are connected to the sport who would like to use the balms to soothe and assist in Recovery.
To order our Award winning balms please check out https://www.muscle-mechanics.com
Use the offer code MUSCLES20 to receive twenty percent off online orders for Physiotherapists.
We value your work and want to support your important role in recovery.
Better still give us a follow on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/musclemechanicsbalms
To connect reach out on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kim-shamtally
Our mission is to improve the lives of others with Muscle Mechanics to reduce the level of discomfort experienced in Recovery to achieve improved range of movement. We design Balms to target systems as we believe the body requires balance between stress and relaxation.
