|
Massage therapy is based on the theory that soft tissue, the muscles, tendons, ligaments
and fascia will respond to touch. Massage is a multi-system therapy that encompasses
the whole body. It has direct benefits on the muscular, circulatory, skeletal, lymphatic,
nervous, excretory, respiratory, and digestive systems. There are many different
definitions and techniques associated with massage therapy, a few of which we will give a
brief description. Some of the means of massage are stroking, kneading, rubbing, tapping,
and vibrating the tissues, usually with your hands. Occasionally different mechanical
apparatus are used. All of these modalities will promote relaxation. Swedish massage by
definition usually uses long stroking movements. Pressure is sometimes deep and sometimes
light. It is the most widely used massage modality, most other forms are based on some
form of Swedish massage. Most of the time it is used for relaxation. It has also been used
for sleep disorders and stress-related disturbances. Research on the effects of massage
therapy has been ongoing for more than 120 years. In the past 20 years, their have been
over 100 published studies that support the benefits of massage.
Benefits & Contradictions to Massage Therapy
General Benefits:
- Massage will increase your awareness of your body and emotional being
- Massage should feel good and be pleasurable
- Massage will reduce stress, and help calm the nervous system
- Massage will reduce unhealthy levels of anxiety.
- Massage will help alleviate discomfort during pregnancy
- Enhances capacity for calm thinking and creativity
Musculoskeletal Benefits:
- Increases the blood supply and nutrition to muscles
- Help the muscles recover more quickly from fatigue
- Relaxes muscles, reducing spasm and cramping
- Massage will reduce adhesions and fibrous tissue
- Stretches connective tissue, reduces myofacial strain
- Helps to reestablish proper muscle tone
- Reduces muscle and soft tissue pain
- Reduces joint strain
- Increases the ease and efficiency of movement
- Support increased work capacity
- Massage can stimulate muscle contraction
- Provides greater joint flexibility and range of motion
- Improves posture
Nervous System
- Massage stimulates touch, pressure and the receptorsof the skin and underlying tissue
- Can reduce nerve root compression
- Can reduce never entrapment throughout the soft tissue
- Massage can affect the neurotransmitters and increase endorphin and serotin levels.
- Massage will relax the muscles
- Massage reduces sympathetic stimulation
- Massage can have a sedative or stimulating effect on the nervous system
Excretory System:
- Increases excretion by way of the kidney
- Facilitates waste removal through the skin by increasingcirculation and nutrition
- Lymphatic system
- Massage will increase tissue fluid and lymphatic flowby reduces swelling and enhancing the immune response
- Massage increases venous and lymphatic flow
Respiratory System:
- Massage deepens and normalizes the breathing patternby relaxing the muscles responsible for respiration
- Massage can be used to relieve congestion
Digestive System:
- Stimulates peristalsis and can reduce spasm in the digestive tract
Swedish Massage
A classic form of Massage therapy. One of the primary goals of Swedish massage is to
speed the venous return of unoxygenated and toxic blood from the exterminates It involves
long strokes, kneading, and friction techniques on muscles. Swedish massage shorten the
recovery time from muscular strain by flushing the tissues of lactic acid, uric acid and
other metabolic wasted. It keeps muscles toned. It reduces the stress of the muscular system,
both emotional and physical. Some of the other types of massage are classified in to a few
different categories.
Medical Massage
This is a specific type of massage that addresses muscle tissues from a more standard approach.
It is used primarily to prevent muscular atrophy, reduce inflammation from sprains and strains,
Is effective for sciatica and lumbago. It helps you find the time of stillness and deep
relaxation. You can experience the physical, mental emotional and spiritual release. It is
essential to a true sense of well being. The techniques on the superficial layers of muscles
promote relaxation, improve circulation and range of motion. It will loosen muscle and connective
tissues but also greatly improve blood flow and the movement of lymph fluid thought the body.
It will allow more oxygen and nutrients to reach the cells and tissues it will stimulate the
release of endorphins, a natural painkiller.
Neuromuscular Massage
Sometimes it is labeled as trigger point therapy. NMT harmonizes two very important body systems:
the nervous system and the musculoskeletal system. It works toward a reversal of the stress-tension
pain cycle and changing long-term pain patterns. NMT is a comprehensive program of soft tissue
manipulation techniques that balance the central nervous system with the structure and form of the
musculoskeletal system. NMT is based on neurological laws that explain how the central nervous system
maintains its balance. These same laws dictate how the central nervous system initiates pain responses.
Neuromuscular Therapy considers five principles that cause pain:
- Ischemia
- Ischemia is a lack of blood supply to the soft tissues. This will cause them to be very sensitive to touch.
- Trigger Points
-
Trigger Points occur when nerves fire impulses at a rapid speed into an area of the body other than that which has been traumatized. Sometimes because the pain is removed from the
damaged area, serious pain may often be displaced. Neuromuscular
therapy applies concentrated finger pressure to “trigger Points”
painful irritated areas in muscles in order to break the cycle of
spasm and pain. This is a very specific, efficient, and precise
type of massage therapy. This form will help bring balance to the
musculoskeletal and nervous system of the body.
- Nerve compression or entrapment
-
Nerve compression or entrapment is pressure on
a nerve by bone, cartilage or soft tissue. The role of the soft
tissues in nerve compression is vital. Realigning vertebrae without
treating associated soft tissue frequently treats the symptoms and
not the cause. Spinal nerves are subject to intrusion when any of
the vertebrae are dislocated or spinal disks herniated. Treating
the surrounding soft tissues that cause or maintain the dislocation
greatly enhances rehabilitation and alleviation of pain. Whiplash
often causes nerve entrapment by the soft tissues. The nervous system
initiates tightening of the muscles to stop bleeding in the tissues
caused by violent snapping of the neck backward and forward. This
tightening results in muscular spasm. After the bleeding stops,
the spastic response, initially a curative one, will continue if
intervention is not made. this muscular spasm causes pressure on
nerves and creates its own painful condition. Nerve entrapment is
the most common type of pain and always causes ischemia. If it is
ignored, it can produce associated trigger points.
- Postural distortion
-
Postural distortion is an imbalance of the muscular
systems resulting from movement of the body off the coronal, midsagittal
and horizontal planes. Gravitational force is constantly pulling
the body toward the Earth. If there is an imbalance in the structural
system, gravity causes the body to compensate in a effort to retain
balance. Trauma, gravitational pressure of psychological patterning
causes the soft tissues to assume a weight-bearing function and
thus become thicker, denser, and harder. Muscle contraction, body
distortion and pain are the results of compensations the body makes
in order to maintain structural homeostasis. By determining why
the compensation has occurred, the distorted patterns can be eliminated,
proper posture restored, and associated pain diminished or eliminated
in most cases.
- Biomechanical dysfunction
|
