Welcome to my website. I’d like to take a few minutes to discuss massage therapy, and how it works with our bodies.
Ultimately, the body is the true therapist; massage is merely a tool to communicate with the nervous system and in turn the soft tissue (muscle, tendon, and ligament).
Our movements are directed by the nervous system, the soft tissue make the movement(s) happens. When we are healthy, the nervous system and soft tissue communicate freely and we are relatively pain free. When injuries occur, the nervous systems first line of defense is to, as much as possible, immobilize the injured area, so as to limit further injury. This causes muscle tissue to shorten and limits range of motion (ROM). When muscle tissue is in a shortened state the surrounding tissue is affected, because it now requires additional tissue to make movement happen. The longer tissue remains in a shortened state the, more likely it is to develop adhesions and trigger points.
Tissue adhesions, trigger points and reflex arcs are easily addressed through massage. The stretch reflex, in all muscle tissue is controlled by the nervous system through proprioceptors, also known as Golgi tendon organs, located in the tendon, which is were muscle attaches to bone and spindle cells, which are located in the muscle tissue itself. There are many modalities available to use, however, the goal of each is to coax the nervous system into allowing the muscle to return to its normal resting length.
How does this happen? Muscle tissue has memory and therefore remembers how it is to be healthy; likewise, it also remembers injuries. For example, studies show that persons who have sustained whiplash injuries and recovered have reported the exact same pain/stiffness re-occurring, after only hearing another auto crash. They did not actually see it, just the sound of tires screeching and metal bending, immediately sent the soft tissue in the neck, back to the whiplash injury memory state. Only for a few moments did the neck feel injured before returning to its healthy state but this is a good example of how our bodies work.
So think about what you do all day. Sitting in front of a computer for 8 hours is not what our body was designed to do and affects many muscles throughout the body. Poor posture only adds to the issue and over time chronic issues are the result. What happens is the soft tissue registers the seated position as normal and therefore is shortened, so when we stand we are unable to fully extend. An example of this would be shoulders rolled forward. This is known as Upper Cross Syndrome and/or Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. This condition contributes to shoulder/neck pain, headaches and numbness/tingling down the arms. Interestingly enough Thoracic Outlet Syndrome is sometimes misdiagnosed as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and results in unnecessary surgery.
I have mentioned only a few instances where massage is a very effective treatment and there are countless more. If given the opportunity our bodies can and will correct itself without medication and/or surgery and without side effects.
If you are experiencing chronic pain or perhaps suffering from injury please contact me. Massage therapy can make a positive change in your life and I would be more than happy to help facilitate those changes.
