The technique learned in tonight's hands-on class is muscle mechanics. Muscle mechanics can quickly relax a muscle and is an effective technique to use on muscles that won't relax during traditional massage.
The massage therapist presses her fingertip or knuckle on one end or on the belly of a particular muscle and uses her other hand to give light resistance as the client contracts that muscle. By applying pressure to the ends or to the belly of the muscle, we stimulate muscle cells in such a way as to send a message to the central nervous system that the muscle is working too hard. The central nervous system then responds by sending impulses that cause the muscle to relax.
That's the short Chrys-just-learned-it-tonight version. The long version includes proprioceptors, annulo-spiral receptors, and afferent sensory neurons. Some of you may be interested in reading the long version (if you are, run don't walk to Irene's Myomassology Institute and sign up immediately), but my guess is that most of you want to know whether it works and how it feels.
Let's find out, shall we? Select one of the following:
1. Offer yourself upon my table.
2. Make an appointment at IMI's Student Clinic.
3. Ask your massage therapist to do muscle mechanics.
4. If your MT doesn't know muscle mechanics, then ask your MT to apply passive and active resistance, the next best thing to muscle mechanics, in my humble opinion.
The massage therapist presses her fingertip or knuckle on one end or on the belly of a particular muscle and uses her other hand to give light resistance as the client contracts that muscle. By applying pressure to the ends or to the belly of the muscle, we stimulate muscle cells in such a way as to send a message to the central nervous system that the muscle is working too hard. The central nervous system then responds by sending impulses that cause the muscle to relax.
That's the short Chrys-just-learned-it-tonight version. The long version includes proprioceptors, annulo-spiral receptors, and afferent sensory neurons. Some of you may be interested in reading the long version (if you are, run don't walk to Irene's Myomassology Institute and sign up immediately), but my guess is that most of you want to know whether it works and how it feels.
Let's find out, shall we? Select one of the following:
1. Offer yourself upon my table.
2. Make an appointment at IMI's Student Clinic.
3. Ask your massage therapist to do muscle mechanics.
4. If your MT doesn't know muscle mechanics, then ask your MT to apply passive and active resistance, the next best thing to muscle mechanics, in my humble opinion.
No comments:
Post a Comment