Evidence based massage therapy group

210 members

Description

This page is no longer maintained.
Please visit us at:

https://www.facebook.com/massage.evidence

http://facebook.com/massage.research

http://twitter.com/massagetherapy

This community fosters healthy exchange of knowledge and information and encourages the practice of evidence-based massage therapy based on credible research. Persons interested in higher education in this area might also benefit from being a member.

Comments Discussions Members

Is muscle tension the enemy?

by Serge Rivest

Apr 15, 2010

Hi All,

I'd like to start a discussion about muscle tension. As a massage therapist, it often seems like the aim is to seek soft tissue tension and eliminate it. I would like to challenge this view and start a talk about the use of soft tissue tension. For instance:

1. Back muscles could be tense "splinting" the low back area to avoid a joint subluxating.

2. An athlete may have a tense calf which helps him absorb and release kinetic energy efficiently.

3. An office worker may have tense erector spinea muscles, which allow her to maintain her sitting posture for 8 hours straight.

Another questions is: What would be the consequence of releasing that tension? Without tense erectors, would the office worker fall face first onto her keyboard? Would the athlete lose performance?

I'd like your opinions. Anyone can comment, any idea appreciated.

Cheers




Load Previous Replies
  • up

    Paul Clifford

    Hi Serge:

    This is a really important question, and a lot more complicated than it first looks! For a long time, I had vague ideas about the nature of "muscle tension" and "muscle tone" -- the terms have to be carefully defined. Some of the physiology I had been taught in school was inaccurate or incomplete.

    The firmness to palpation of resting muscle has contractile and non-contractile components. The contractile part relates to activity of myosin and actin and can have several causes (spasm, trigger points, 'holding'). The non-contractile part is due to the different physical substances that make up muscle tissue (water, connective tissue, myofibril, and embedded fat).

    There is a concise description of resting muscle tension (resting muscle tone) in:

    Andrade CK, Clifford P. Outcome-Based Massage 2nd ed. Baltimore, MD; Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, 2008: 126-128.

    Also useful are:

    Mense P, Simons DG. Muscle Pain. Philadelphia, PA; Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, 2001:99-112.

    Masi AT, Hannon JC, Human resting muscle tone (HRMT): Narrative introduction and modern concepts. Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies. 2008;12:320–332.

    In light of these readings, your questions become even more interesting! I would say that in most circumstances (including #2 and #3 above) it is a worthwhile goal to make hard muscles more pliable. Spasm is neurologically controlled, and probably can't be affected manually more than minimally. However, it might be possible to increase the pliability of connective tissue associated with a muscle that is spasm -- which might not always be a smart move. Regardless, any local change in hardness of myofascia will have consequences for local muscle performance and for the myofascial 'tensegrity web' which should be considered...the bigger the local change, the bigger the consequences.

    Paul

    Aug 16, 2010

  • up

    Megan Lazaruk

    I have recently been thinking about this too... because of my latest experience with chiropractic treatments. I went to a Chiro for my ulnar/triquetral joint pain from a motion in karate class, that was getting worse due to using it, and the need to correct it before more massage schooling. So, he did some brisk joint maneuvers of yanking my arm while holding the carpals.. and it did improve the wrist pain and lack of motion, but I opted for two of those treatments and then just to immobilize it as much as possible to see if it will heal on its own. As I do not regularly get Chiro treatment, I opted to trust in having a spinal treatment too. Now this is coming to the point... The spinal mobilization "stirred up the pot" of my muscles and imbalance in my back and hips, and gave me some sciatica for a few days, but, took away completely my regular upper trap and levator tension that just never goes away regardless of how much massage I get. So, I was newly impressed with this vertebral mobilizations that seemed to allow or facilitate for my muscles to go into a naturally relaxed state, which is something I rarely have ever experienced. As I'm sure many can relate. ...It's been a few weeks now and the regular Pain is back in the exact same location as usual. hmmmmm do I go back to the Chiro?

    Sep 2, 2010

  • up

    Stephen Jeffrey

    Hi Bodhi, thanks for this abstract the sentence

    " It is also conceivable that TrPs provide a nociceptive barrage to the dorsal horn neurons and facilitate joint hypomobility" .

    Helps me understand how scar tissue could also trigger hypomobility via a nociceptive barrage hmmmm interesting.
    Clients can turn their ankle time and time again = more scar tissue, more strengthening execises from the physio,.......only when you break the bonds of scar tissue will you restore full function to the joint and stop the nociceptive barrage.

    I would really appreciate the groups comments here

    http://www.massageprofessionals.com/forum/topics/when-scar-tissue-i...

    Thanks


    Bodhi Haraldsson said:
    Here are 2 papers I would like to add to this discussion.
    Both discuss muscle "tension" from different perspectives. Increased trapezius pain sensitivity is not associated with increased tissue hardness.: abstract

    Interaction between trigger points and joint hypomobility: a clinical perspective -abstract

    Sep 3, 2010