Written by: Jennifer Penfold Grogan, CMT

Do you have a nagging injury or a chronic pain that you just can’t seem to get to heal?  Have you tried other sports remedies to relieve the pain with unsatisfactory results?

Maybe it is time to try massage.

Massage is not only for relaxation. With proper techniques and pressure, massage can reduce spasms and cramping in overworked muscles, relax and soften injured muscle tissue, reduce recovery time between workouts, increase joint flexibility, release endorphins ( the body’s natural painkillers), reduce post –surgery adhesions and scar tissue and increase range-of –motion.

Many people are unaware that deep tissue, neuromuscular and sports massage can be very beneficial in the healing process. Often, problems that occur during a workout are caused by tight and constricted muscle tissue. Frequently, this tissue has been damaged for a considerable time and may not have ever fully healed from a prior injury. Scar tissue forms creating tight and contracted muscle tissue that cannot function to full capacity.

Deep tissue and cross fiber techniques, massage breaks down the adhesions of scar tissue to release muscles for optimum performance. This technique is beneficial even years after a trauma, surgery or injury.

Neuromuscular massage techniques are utilized when a muscle spasms in the body. The blood flow to the area is severely decreased and sometimes ceases all together. With diminished blood flow there is not enough oxygen for the muscle to work properly, causing a buildup of lactic acid resulting in muscle soreness.

This effect can be exacerbated when a muscle spasm places pressure in a nerve of a series of nerves. This can cause numbness and tingling, which are common side effects of muscle soreness and pain.

Neuromuscular therapy locates the “trigger point” associated with the pain and through use of intense concentrated pressure alleviates the pain, sometimes in one session.  Other benefits of neuromuscular massage include increased flexibility, wider range of motion, more balanced posture and increased energy.

Sports massage techniques are used to enhance performance, reduce recovery time, and increase strength and stamina. It is used to decrease inflammation in joints and tissues due to overuse and injury as well as flush lactic acid and other waste products from tissues that accumulate during workouts.

If you have an injury or persistent, nagging issue that has not been resolved or diminished by other forms of therapy, it’s time to give massage a try. You may be surprised at the results.

Written by: Jason McKinley, CMT

Neuromuscular therapy is a technique used by massage therapists to reorganize and reset muscle fibers and muscle proprioceptors to help a muscle regain its proper function.

What exactly is a muscle proprioceptor? There are certain sensory nerves located within the belly of a muscle and at the junction between a muscle and a tendon that relay messages to the brain about how a muscle is performing.  Muscle spindle cells, found in the belly of a muscle, are responsible for monitoring the length of a muscle and controlling the smoothness of that muscle’s contraction. Golgi tendon organs, found at the junction between a muscle and a tendon, are responsible for monitoring muscle tension and help protect muscles from injury.

During a Neuromuscular technique, the therapist will apply a more than average amount of pressure to the inhibited muscle while a client performs a movement of that particular muscle through its full range of motion. This therapy helps to reestablish the relationship between the muscle spindle cells and golgi tendon organs causing a more optimal contraction within that muscle. Neuromuscular therapy is a great way to help clients rehabilitate from injuries by helping a muscle regain its optimal contraction and alleviate any areas that may have been compensating for the imbalanced muscle, creating a better balance in the body.

Written by: Jason McKinley, CMT

Remember how you felt that time you injured your elbow playing baseball?  Perhaps after running once you noticed a pain in your knee that affected how you walked afterward?  Or maybe that day, while doing bicep curls, you decided to add more reps to the normal routine.  When you realized your biceps weren’t really doing the work, how did your low back feel?  Even if you haven’t experienced any problems like these, there has been a time when you have been afflicted with muscle compensation.  Don’t worry, it’s not some virus you picked up on that trip to Africa, and it’s not contagious.

Any time a certain muscle or group of muscles may be too weak to function properly, other muscles in the body will take over for that inhibited muscle to try and bring the body back into balance.  For instance, as you do those 3 extra reps of bicep curls, your legs may bend and your back may arch since the biceps are becoming too weak to finish the set properly.  Receptors in the biceps send a signal to the brain basically asking for a little help from another area of the body because the weight has become a little too much all of a sudden.  Not only is compensation affecting the musculature, but it can also be putting unwanted stress and tension on other joints, ligaments, and tendons.  Now compensation is not always negative because it can also help prevent injured areas from becoming affected even more.  Let’s weight out some of the pros and cons of muscle compensation.

- Helps protect and guard injured or weak muscles

- Prevents muscles from further injury

- Helps bring the body back into balance

- Puts undue stress and tension on joints, ligaments, tendon etc…

- Inhibits muscle growth of a weak muscle

- Can lead to atrophy of a muscle from lack of use

- Causes postural deviations that are difficult to change

So the next time you are throwing the ball around and you may be feeling a little elbow pain, be careful when you notice you stop bending your arm because it hurts.  Either stop and consult your friendly Rebound P.T, Acupuncturist, or Massage Therapist, or just switch to your other arm.  You may look ridiculous and there may be some laughter and finger pointing, but your body will thank you for it in the long run!