Therapeutic Deep Tissue Sports Massage
MUSCLE MEMORY
a much abbreviated mini Anatomy & Physiology lesson
Did you know that accidents, injuries, emotional and physical stress, repetitive movements and long term postural habits can cause muscles and nerves to become contracted and “forget to relax”? That sounds complex but the physical body is predictable. The brain tells the sensory nerves (electrical and chemical messengers) that run through a muscle to contract to protect itself from the harm of trauma and stress. When the threat is over, the brain tells sensory nerves to relax the muscle. In turn, the sensory muscles tell the brain where our body is in relation to physical space and what the muscle needs to do to keep us functioning. The process is much like when we repeat an activity over and over until we don’t even remember doing it. But sometimes, the plan doesn’t work….
WHAT SHOULD OCCUR
A muscle needs three basic things to be healthy; oxygen, hydration and nutrients.
The pumping of the heart pushes the three elements into the muscle through capillaries and blood vessels; they feed, strengthen and cleanse the cells of the muscle.
A muscle is actually a unit made up of minute muscle cells that are organized in such a way that they together give the muscle its strength and tone. A healthy muscle has more muscles cells than can be counted. Sensory nerves loop from the brain throughout the muscle and back to the brain. This feedback communication loop is a split second process. Muscles are dependent upon the communication between our brain and the sensory messengers to know when to tighten and relax. If the sensory nerves get crimped in contracted muscles, they cannot communicate with the brain and the contracted cells in the muscle get stuck.
WHAT CAN CAUSE THE DISRUPTION?
A simple explanation
A disruption in healthy muscle function may be a memorable event such as an accident or surgery. Often the origin is without fanfare or conscious memory. A few examples of how normal muscle memory can shift to impaired muscle memory are;
- holding muscles in stationary positions for extended periods of time i.e. office and desk work, driving, etc
- repetitively using one muscle group – dental assistants, hair dressers, sports, etc
- sympathetic response to a life threat (an event out of your control)
- unresolved emotional stress
- chronic poor nutrition and/or inadequate water intake
- chronic loss of sleep, six hours or less
Muscles are designed to move joints. Chronically tight muscles pull on their assigned joint which will then cause soreness and pain. As healthy muscle memory is replaced with unhealthy muscle memory, the joints that the muscles move can develop an array of problems. The brain now thinks it is normal to hold that muscle tight, even though the person feels relaxed. Brain and sensory nerve communication is blocked. When this happens, a physician may diagnosis the pain and where it hurts as sciatica, tendonitis, or plantar fasciitis (itis means inflammation) to name a few. However, where the pain is, is not always where the problem is.
How many times have you been surprised when we discover a tight muscle that you were unaware of? The problem is latent, present but not yet active. When the pain is of a muscular nature there is a strong possibility that the latent problems in the muscle cells will soon reach a level that will get your attention, much like a drip of water that finally fills a bucket and causes it to spill over.
MASSAGE CAN RESTORE CIRCULATION -
the key to all healing.
Circulation is the key to all healing, and it has been referred to as the River of Life. Healing will not take place without blood adequate blood flow. The blood brings oxygen, hydration, minerals, nutrients and vitamins to the entire body. Every living thing needs the same basic elements.
If a plant in the garden begins to show signs of stress, the first thing that is usually assessed is hydration, oxygenation and nutrition. In typical situations adjustments to food, light, location and nutrients reduce the stress. We don’t expect a plant to buck up and ignore the fact that it is dying! Muscles sending out signals of pain get less respect and care than a plant.
Now I don’t want to scare you but tissue death can result from chronically contracted muscles. It is just a fact. Atrophy means the wasting away of bodily tissues. Muscle atrophy can happen at any age. Aging moves us towards some natural muscle atrophy but aging IS NOT the cause of all chronic pain and loss of strength.
SO, WHAT TO DO?
Four manageable self-care steps
On-going inactivity does not provide the heart opportunity to maintain the strength it needs to push life giving fluids to all of the cells in the muscles and move the left over waste out into the body systems designed to flush it out. Short spurts of activity during a normal day do will not replace the sustained activity needed for the heart to “keep the house clean”.
1) Muscle warming & preparation for cardiovascular exercise When your heart rate increases too fast, the fluids are pushed into the capillaries and vessels too quickly which can increase a contraction in the muscle rather than relieve it. To adequately warm a muscle (to expand the vessels and capillaries) it must be warmed from the inside out which requires an increase in heart rate. It is the gradual increase and maintenance of the heart rate that pushes fluid into the muscles, opening the capillaries, warming the tissue and moving toxins out. A heating pad, hot shower or Jacuzzi soak is nice and relaxing but does not bring heat and expansion into the muscle’s capillaries.
To prepare muscles for your day and for an aerobic work out;
- Drink two full glasses of water at the start of very start of your day. Coffee, tea, juice or milk does not count. You must give your body the necessary fluids to expand the capillaries and vessels in the muscles.
- Maintain a heart rate of 90 beats per minute for 8-12 minutes. Then move into your day or planned exercise.
- Learn what your resting heart rate is. Maintaining a resting heart rate day in and day out maintains your body at status quo; pain, stiffness and all. If you do not provide your heart the opportunity to work above your resting heart rate in a safe and controlled manner, you can be assured that your aches and pains are with you for the long run!
2) The two-second stretch for stressed painful muscles
Many of you know that I have concerns when you say you are stretching to alleviate muscle tightness and pain. I am not at all against stretching for adequately warmed, healthy muscles. However a muscle that remains tight and painful after a reasonable length of time is not able to respond. Extended stretching could actually be contributing to the problem if there are cells locked in a contracted state. A stretch that is held too long actually triggers what is called a stretch reflex which is sort of a reverse contraction. The end result is the same, circulation is impaired. Continuing to ask a chronically contracted muscle to stretch potentially causes healthy muscle cells to tear exacerbating the problem. The memory pattern in that tight muscle needs to be changed another way. When a stretch is held for only two seconds you are actually helping to pump blood gently into the capillaries and vessels of the injured muscle. A gentle, rhythmic two-second stretch (not a bounce) will do wonders to restore circulation. Muscles that have been overused or traumatized will not benefit from an extended stretch! In this case, more is not better.
by a specifically trained MT such as me.
A deep relaxation massage is always good for you when you are hurting. Therapeutic Deep Tissue Massage treats trigger points (muscle cells locked in a contraction usually in the belly of a muscle) in the muscle and is used for a specific incident or a flare up of chronic pain. Committing to a schedule of regular massage that you can manage is very important.To experience the full potential of this method of massage requires that you and I have partnership within the sessions. I can help you assess what is happening outside of the sessions that might be contributing to your pain.
4) Replace negative self-talk with positive – we are the totality of what we think and believe. Negative self-talk reinforces stress & tension.
