What soft tissue structures does massage therapy affect?
Anyone who answered "muscle" is correct. Anyone who said "Muscle and dense connective tissue such as tendons and ligaments, and irregular or loose tissue such as fascia, articular capsules and aponeuroses" is also correct plus they score bonus points.
How many other soft tissue structures are there other than muscles?
The primary connective tissue structures treated are regular or dense tissues such as tendons and ligaments, and irregular tissue such as fascia, intrinsic elements of muscle, articular capsules, and aponeuroses.
Now take these structures and add in an injury which results in adherent and inextensible scar tissue which resulted from abnormal remodeling stimuli eg. inactivity. This 'tight' scar tissue can result in chronic inflammation and my interfere with nerve conduction and fluid movement. With abnormal fluid movement you get a build up of waste products in the area.
How do you remodel this scare tissue and get the fluid moving and increase the health of the nervous tissue you ask? Soft Tissue work my friends, also known as massage! More specifically, fascial techniques. It's truly amazing.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Six Reasons Why Massage Manages Your Pain
Massage Therapy works by addressing the following SIX physiological factors which can intensify pain patterns.
Myofascial Trigger Points
Highly irritable points in the soft tissue system. Travell, a doctor who specialized in myofascial trigger points, defined a TrP as "a hyperirritable spot in skeletal muscle that is associated with a hypersensitive palpable nodule in a taut band. The spot is tender when pressed and can give rise to characteristic referred pain, motor dysfunction, and autonomic phenomena. The taut band of muscle is best characterized as a palpable, ropy structure."
Nerve Entrapment/Compression
When a nerve gets pressed constantly or occasionly by surrounding tight and adhesed tissue, it can lead to pain, weakness, numbness and/or tingling in the path of the nerve.
Postural Distortions
Postural distortions result in underdevelopment of the supporting muscles causing misalignment. This results in the whole kinetic chain of the human body to be unbalanced. This leads to the body wanting to compensate which ultimately leads to more stress on the supporting structures.
Nutrition
Lack of adequate nutrition to the cells leads to an over all weakening of the health and integrity of the cell. Great cellular nutrition is needed for great health. Healthy, well nourished cells supply an abundance of natural energy, resistance to stress and degenerative diseases and an overall experience of vitality. Muscle cramps from insufficient oxygen not being able to oxidize lactic acid, which would otherwise get rid of it from muscle.
Ischemia
Ischemia is a lack of blood supply to the tissue cells. This results in the cells becoming under-nourished. Partial ischemia can result in a depression of cellular transmembrane potential difference. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/4075507
Membrane potentials are nessessary for muscle contraction.
Stress
Stress plays havoc with the functioning of the nervous and musculoskeletal system.
Myofascial Trigger Points
Highly irritable points in the soft tissue system. Travell, a doctor who specialized in myofascial trigger points, defined a TrP as "a hyperirritable spot in skeletal muscle that is associated with a hypersensitive palpable nodule in a taut band. The spot is tender when pressed and can give rise to characteristic referred pain, motor dysfunction, and autonomic phenomena. The taut band of muscle is best characterized as a palpable, ropy structure."
Nerve Entrapment/Compression
When a nerve gets pressed constantly or occasionly by surrounding tight and adhesed tissue, it can lead to pain, weakness, numbness and/or tingling in the path of the nerve.
Postural Distortions
Postural distortions result in underdevelopment of the supporting muscles causing misalignment. This results in the whole kinetic chain of the human body to be unbalanced. This leads to the body wanting to compensate which ultimately leads to more stress on the supporting structures.
Nutrition
Lack of adequate nutrition to the cells leads to an over all weakening of the health and integrity of the cell. Great cellular nutrition is needed for great health. Healthy, well nourished cells supply an abundance of natural energy, resistance to stress and degenerative diseases and an overall experience of vitality. Muscle cramps from insufficient oxygen not being able to oxidize lactic acid, which would otherwise get rid of it from muscle.
Ischemia
Ischemia is a lack of blood supply to the tissue cells. This results in the cells becoming under-nourished. Partial ischemia can result in a depression of cellular transmembrane potential difference. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/4075507
Membrane potentials are nessessary for muscle contraction.
Stress
Stress plays havoc with the functioning of the nervous and musculoskeletal system.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Sprains vs. Strains
Strain (Tendon or Muscle)
A strain is an injury to a muscle or tendon in which the muscle fibers are damaged as a result of overstretching. Strains are also known as pulled muscles. The equivalent injury to a ligament is a sprain. The patient is usually very aware of the strain as soon as it happens. There are different levels of strains ranging from mild to severe.
They can happen while doing everyday tasks and are not restricted to athletes. Nevertheless, people who play sports are more at risk of developing a strain due to increased muscle use.
The first-line treatment for a muscular strain in the acute phase include four steps commonly known as
R.I.C.E.
Rest: Stop all unnecessary activities, especially those that cause pain, to prevent the strain from progressing.
Ice: Apply ice to reduce swelling by restricting blood flow to the injury site. Never ice for more than 10–15 minutes at a time. Place a layer of fabric or paper between the ice and the injury to avoid freezing the skin.
Compression: Wrap the strained area to reduce swelling.
Elevation: Keep the strained area as close to the level of the heart as is conveniently possible to keep blood from pooling in the injured area.
Sprain
A sprain is an injury to ligaments that is caused by being stretched beyond their normal capacity and possibly torn.
Ligaments are tough, fibrous tissues that connect bone to bone across the joints. Sprains can occur in any joint but are most common in the ankle.
Massage
Massage is great for sprains and strains. It can reduce adhesion and influence the direction of new collagen fibers in the healing process. it can address edema and toxic accumulations from secondary muscle spasm. Massage will also help with stiffness from the temporary loss of joint function. But most massage must be done after the acute stage has subsided. Make sure you see an experienced registered massage therapist because this is a highly technical field and not for casual experimentation.
Werner, Ruth. A Massage Therapist's Guide to Pathology. Third Edition. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Baltimore. 2005.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
What to expect from a massage therapy treatment
Where have you had massage in the past? Was it in a doctors office, alternative health care clinic or gym facility? Or was it in a therapists house or in a spa? Massage therapy has for years, been thought of as a relaxation treat utilized mostly by women. In recent history however, it has taken off in popularity as a form of alternative health care for pain management because of the many benefits and very few negative side-effects.
When you go to see a massage therapist you have to fill out a health history form on your initial visit. They may ask you to up-date your old form if you haven't been in a while. The therapist should then great you and the two of you will go to their treatment room.
The therapist will ask you why you're coming in and go over your health history form. Once they understand your complaint they will begin their assessment. You will be asked to stand for a postural assessment and move for a range of motion of your neck, back and limbs. Special orthopedic tests may follow. Once the therapist gains a good understanding of the structures involved and your condition, they will then explain to you how to get on the table and leave the room. There is a very strict protocol that every therapist learns about how these assessments and informed consent takes place. Everything must be very professional.
The treatment should be within your pain tolerance. Sometimes when you have an area that is very "tight", the pressure can seem like a bit much. Keep in mind that this pressure is necessary for changing the tissue and eradicating pain. However, communicate with the therapist your pain tolerance because there is such thing as too much pressure. I try my best to gauge how much pressure a client can take based on more than just what they tell me. I don't want them to clench their muscles in response to the pain because that would be counter-productive.
As a therapist it is very important to be focused on your client from the time they come in the door to the time they leave. As the treatment finished up, expect the therapist to clearly state what to expect in the next couple hours to the next few days in accordance with the massage.
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask away!
When you go to see a massage therapist you have to fill out a health history form on your initial visit. They may ask you to up-date your old form if you haven't been in a while. The therapist should then great you and the two of you will go to their treatment room.
The therapist will ask you why you're coming in and go over your health history form. Once they understand your complaint they will begin their assessment. You will be asked to stand for a postural assessment and move for a range of motion of your neck, back and limbs. Special orthopedic tests may follow. Once the therapist gains a good understanding of the structures involved and your condition, they will then explain to you how to get on the table and leave the room. There is a very strict protocol that every therapist learns about how these assessments and informed consent takes place. Everything must be very professional.
The treatment should be within your pain tolerance. Sometimes when you have an area that is very "tight", the pressure can seem like a bit much. Keep in mind that this pressure is necessary for changing the tissue and eradicating pain. However, communicate with the therapist your pain tolerance because there is such thing as too much pressure. I try my best to gauge how much pressure a client can take based on more than just what they tell me. I don't want them to clench their muscles in response to the pain because that would be counter-productive.
As a therapist it is very important to be focused on your client from the time they come in the door to the time they leave. As the treatment finished up, expect the therapist to clearly state what to expect in the next couple hours to the next few days in accordance with the massage.
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask away!
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Sports Massage
The weather has been gorgeous and people are increasing their physical activity to lose weight, increase cardiovascular endurance and get healthy. Athletes looking for that extra edge and weekend warriors looking to avoid injuries should implement massage therapy into their routines. Massage used as a preventative measure is ideal, the treatments are monthly and much less painful. Massage used to reverse soft tissue dysfunction should be done more consistently, 1-2 times a week, until the problem is fixed, approximately 3 weeks. These treatments are honestly, painful, but always within client tolerance. I aim for what my clients like to call, "a good pain." It hurts during the treatment but feels so much better after. Let massage therapy take care of you.
Here are some more reasons to love massage...
Sports Massage
A comprehensive Review
A. Moraska
http://www.massagetherapyfoundation.org/pdf/Moraska%20(2005)%20Sports%20massage.pdf
I came across an article that featured many studies on the effects of sports massage therapy on athletes. Sports massage is different from regular massage therapy in the fact that it is done pre and post event. The massage can be done quickly and specifically to increase nerve stimulation and prepare the muscle for activation. The post-event massage is done slower and is focused on flushing fluids through the body to feed the cells and remove waste. I have gathered the supportive highlights from the article. Although only a few studies have been done, the research of massage on soft tissue dysfunction is promising.
The article can be read in whole by clicking on the link above.
In the near future there will be more and more research done in the field of massage therapy. Stay tuned for the latest information!
Here are some more reasons to love massage...
Sports Massage
A comprehensive Review
A. Moraska
http://www.massagetherapyfoundation.org/pdf/Moraska%20(2005)%20Sports%20massage.pdf
I came across an article that featured many studies on the effects of sports massage therapy on athletes. Sports massage is different from regular massage therapy in the fact that it is done pre and post event. The massage can be done quickly and specifically to increase nerve stimulation and prepare the muscle for activation. The post-event massage is done slower and is focused on flushing fluids through the body to feed the cells and remove waste. I have gathered the supportive highlights from the article. Although only a few studies have been done, the research of massage on soft tissue dysfunction is promising.
The article can be read in whole by clicking on the link above.
- Massage and DOMS (Delayed On-set Muscle Soreness). Peak force deficits occur 24-48 hours post activity. A reduction in eccentric, concentric and isometric force is present in people with DOMS. Muscle cells after eccentric contraction indicate structural damage and discharge of cellular components
- Massage influences tissue fluid movement which may reduce the concentration of noxious chemicals and therefore decrease soreness after exercise
- Massage increases nutrient delivery and therefor increases the repair process and strength recovery.
- 4 out of 6 studies showed soreness in muscle was lower with massage
- 3 out of 5 studies showed lower blood lactate levels following massage
- On smaller drainage veins, massage appeared to effectively increase movement of chemicals
- Punching force in boxers was not increased after massage, but the participants perceived elevated recovery and fatigue perception was reduced following 20 min massage
- Range of motion at the hip with regard to hamstring tightness was increased by 10 degrees
- Increase in fibroblast activity in massaged tendons
- Runners diagnosed with anterior compartment syndome (shin splints) of the lower leg reported significant less pain after exercise as well as greater total work done to onset of pain with 5 weeks of massage (6 30minute treatments)
In the near future there will be more and more research done in the field of massage therapy. Stay tuned for the latest information!
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Knots! aka Trigger points
Okay, we've all heard of a 'knot' in the muscle. To a registered massage therapist we learn that this 'knot' is called a trigger point or also myofascial pain syndrome. Chances are if you take your left hand and squeeze your right trapezius muscle between your neck and your shoulder you will feel your very own trigger point! Easy..it will hurt just a bit.
What is it?
Myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) is a situation that develops when muscles undergo injury or trauma, sometimes on a microscopic level, that never goes through a standard healing process. Instead, the injured area gets locked into a repeating pain-spasm cycle. The trigger point may refer pain into surrounding tissues. The infraspinatus muscle for example is one of the rotator cuff muscles and it can refer pain into the shoulder joint and down the arm, in some clients going as far down the arm into their hand.
Who gets it?
It affects men and women more or less equally; MPS or trigger points, affect people of all ages. Both sedentary people are vulnerable to this condition as well as physically active people.
The incidence of MPS is difficult to estimate. Among one group of patients with chronic pain, 35% of them had active trigger points.5 Even people with no symptoms can show signs of latent trigger points, however, which may develop into active myofascial pain syndrome with little provocation.
Massage?
MPS indicates massage, both for its effectiveness at interrupting the pain-spasm cycle and for its ability to help clean up the debris left behind from chronic muscle tightness. When muscle cells are working and contracting, they cannot exchange nutrients for waste products. Irritating metabolic wastes accumulate in the tissues, perpetuating soreness and fatigue. Massage is an excellent mechanism to help flush the waste away, with the precaution that someone in this condition is easy to over treat. There is a fine line with treating and over treating these trigger points.
Sources:
5 Fomby EW, Mellion MB. Identifying and Treating Myofascial Pain Syndrome. The physician and Sportsmedicine 1997;25(2).
Werner, Ruth. A Massage Therapists Guide to Pathology. Third edition. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. 2005.
What is it?
Myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) is a situation that develops when muscles undergo injury or trauma, sometimes on a microscopic level, that never goes through a standard healing process. Instead, the injured area gets locked into a repeating pain-spasm cycle. The trigger point may refer pain into surrounding tissues. The infraspinatus muscle for example is one of the rotator cuff muscles and it can refer pain into the shoulder joint and down the arm, in some clients going as far down the arm into their hand.
Who gets it?
It affects men and women more or less equally; MPS or trigger points, affect people of all ages. Both sedentary people are vulnerable to this condition as well as physically active people.
The incidence of MPS is difficult to estimate. Among one group of patients with chronic pain, 35% of them had active trigger points.5 Even people with no symptoms can show signs of latent trigger points, however, which may develop into active myofascial pain syndrome with little provocation.
Massage?
MPS indicates massage, both for its effectiveness at interrupting the pain-spasm cycle and for its ability to help clean up the debris left behind from chronic muscle tightness. When muscle cells are working and contracting, they cannot exchange nutrients for waste products. Irritating metabolic wastes accumulate in the tissues, perpetuating soreness and fatigue. Massage is an excellent mechanism to help flush the waste away, with the precaution that someone in this condition is easy to over treat. There is a fine line with treating and over treating these trigger points.
Sources:
5 Fomby EW, Mellion MB. Identifying and Treating Myofascial Pain Syndrome. The physician and Sportsmedicine 1997;25(2).
Werner, Ruth. A Massage Therapists Guide to Pathology. Third edition. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. 2005.
Dynamic Therapeutic Massage Blog Launch
The team at Dynamic Training & Rehabilitation have been working hard on many goals and we are pleased to have our Massage Blog up and running! This is the first one of many to come. This is very exciting for Dynamic to be able to bring you the best up-to-date information out there surrounding massage therapy.
The purpose of this blog is to educate. We will focus on the benefits of therapeutic massage, helping clients achieve their goals with massage, educate the public about soft tissue dysfunction, and pain management just to name a few. This blog is for anyone because let's face it, there is not one person in the world who doesn't have a trigger point! What is a trigger point? Hmmm, I think we have our first topic. Soft tissue dysfunction affects us all unfortunetly.
This is an interactive blog so feel free to leave your comments. If you have a topic you would like us to tackle suggest it!
At Dynamic Training and Rehabilitation we get a lot of satisfaction being the leaders in everything we do. This blog is another way of helping you, the reader learn valuable information that will enhance the way you see massage as a therapy!
The purpose of this blog is to educate. We will focus on the benefits of therapeutic massage, helping clients achieve their goals with massage, educate the public about soft tissue dysfunction, and pain management just to name a few. This blog is for anyone because let's face it, there is not one person in the world who doesn't have a trigger point! What is a trigger point? Hmmm, I think we have our first topic. Soft tissue dysfunction affects us all unfortunetly.
This is an interactive blog so feel free to leave your comments. If you have a topic you would like us to tackle suggest it!
At Dynamic Training and Rehabilitation we get a lot of satisfaction being the leaders in everything we do. This blog is another way of helping you, the reader learn valuable information that will enhance the way you see massage as a therapy!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)