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Response to "Knot in a muscle' post

 

     Mr. Gordon J. Wallis in his post “Knot in a muscle’ raised very important topic and it seems that members expressed variety of opinions. Considering the importance of the subject I decided to open separate discussion and put everything in the scientific perspective.


    There are two types of 'knots' you may experience in your practice.
First is called hypertonus and it is usually associated with active trigger point(s). The correctly used trigger point therapy protocol will be able to completely eliminate this abnormality. The second type of the 'knots'  is called myogelosis and it is irreversible degeneration of the muscle fibers you feel like 'marbles' in the tissue.


    The core of myogelosis will stay with your clients for the rest of the life if it is already formed. However by itself it is usually painless if there is no direct pressure applied to it. At the same time uncontrolled  myogelosis is very painful and responsible for a lot of tension because core is direct cause of the neighboring hypertonuses to form around it. This drives your clients crazy.

By the way incorrectly applied Trigger Point Therapy in the form of senseless application of pressure without finding the Entrance into the Trigger Point, using Compass Technique, Stop and Go Approach etc. is directly responsible for the excessive damage of the muscle fibers in the area of hypertonus and later formation of the myogelosis there.

If readers would like to learn how hypertonus, trigger point and myogelosis form, how to differentiate and diagnose them as well as how to treat them correctly using scientifically sounded protocol of Trigger Point Therapy please read our three part article on Trigger Point Therapy in 

March/April:  http://scienceofmassage.com/dnn/som/journal/0903/toc.aspx

May/June: http://scienceofmassage.com/dnn/som/journal/0905/toc.aspx    

July/August: http://scienceofmassage.com/dnn/som/journal/0907/toc.aspx

2009 issues of Journal of Massage Science. This article will answer ALL of your questions in every detail.

If you read the article and need any clarifications you may post your questions here and I will be happy to answer them.

Sincerely Dr. Ross Turchaninov

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Permalink Reply by Gary W Addis, LMT on October 29, 2011 at 10:09pm

I'd like to study cranio sacral someday. It seems to be the one modality that is barely discussed on the Net. 

As I  mentioned, I am not as skeptical of energy work as I once was.  I feel it.  I am more attuned to shiatsu, as it conjoins touch and TCM concepts.  When working the meridians, if one tsubo is "hot" then several others in the line will also be touch tender.  

But the effects of NMT are just short of miraculous.  The technique isn't difficult to learn.  Developing the sensitivity in the touch is--as I'm sure that one skilled in cranio-sacral knows.  Actually, using MFR you may have released a few TPs without knowing it, if you were working as slow as the technique calls for. 

I'm not saying that this is the best way to perform the technique, but here's how I was taught to perform MFR (as part of my NMT class, BTW):  Using a broad tool, you increase pressure till the client reports slight tenderness, then begin your sweep of the tissues.  As the tissue in front of you melts, the tool moves without any conscious effort on your part.  The movement is snail slow (if the fascia is tight, one forearm sweep might require a half hour or more from upper traps to illiac crest).  As you make the MFR sweep, hold on any trigger points/tender points the client responds to or tells you about (you probably won't sense it beneath your forearm).  Don't permit movement off the tender point until the client reports that the spot is no longer even slightly painful.  Maintaining the pressure you began with, you continue the MFR sweep until you come in contact with another tender point. 

Now, the above might not be textbook-perfect MFR, but it's the method I was taught during my NMT class-- but it works.     

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