Sports Massage: Enhancing Training, Participation and Recovery for Today's Athlete, 2nd Edition: Summary 60
Active vs Passive Flexibility Active flexibility - athlete is producing the movement under the guidance of the therapist/trainer. Example: athlete reaches out to touch his toes. Passive flexibility - therapist/trainer takes the athlete’s limb to the end range of motion (within their tolerance) while the athlete relaxes. One of the key skills necessary to understand sports massage is a good command of kinesiology by identifying joint actions and matching key muscles. Kinesiology review: Rule number one muscles work like rubber bands. Tendons connect a muscle to a bone from point A to point B creating tension in the muscle. A helpful memory acronym is PInTO . Muscles work in this way: ■ P ull ■ In sertion ■ T oward ■ O rgin For example, Pectoralis Major originates on the sternum, clavicle, and ribs and inserts into the bicipital groove of the humerus. As it shortens (contracts), it draws the arm across the chest which is called adduction. During this movement the origin stays in the place while the insertion moves. To predict the muscle action, follow these steps: 1. Finding the muscle attachments (this is why you need to know the bones) 2. Identifying origin from insertion (origin is usually proximal) 3. Predicting the results of the pull (using PInTO) 4. Naming the resultant action (this is why you need to know the actions): ○ Example : The upward movement of the legs during a squat or jump involves knee extension and hip extension. Muscles can only pull! The agonist muscle is considered the prime mover while the antagonist muscle performs the opposite joint action and controls the agonist motion. Reciprocal inhibition - a reflex by which the central nervous system (CNS) decreases neural drive to antagonist muscles. It is neurological mechanism which enhances a target stretch by having the athlete activate the antagonist muscle. For example, the bicep inhibits the tricep muscle through the CNS from extending too far. While inhibited it is actively slowing down the movement of the tricep. The antagonist is very important in governing any given action of the muscle to prevent hyperextension and injury.
Flexibility of Pre-Event Massage: • Dynamic focused rather than static; to stimulate the stretch reflex full lengthened muscles should be avoided to maintain some muscle tension • Maintaining muscle tension also integrates the series elastic component that is part of the stretch shorten cycle (see diagram below) • Stretching of a muscle stimulates the muscle spindles that detect length; if a muscle is overstretched and lengthened too far it can’t snap back • Goal is to preserve some muscle tone and not over lengthen the muscle
The Stretch Reflex
During an event similar principles and massage techniques apply: • Brisk effleurage and petrissage massage • Move in centripetal direction (toward center of body) • Cross friction massage • Dynamic flexibility One of the goals of a massage during an event is to prevent the onset of blood lactate accumulation (OBLA) or lactic acid: • By product of the muscle creating motion or fuel • High concentration of hydrogen ions; hydrogen builds up in the muscle • Hydrogen binds to the actin fibers of the muscle impeding performance • To prevent lactic acid; maintain this fluid flow; keeping blood flowing to the heart • Work muscle groups proximal to distal to drain the fluid • For example, to clear the fluid in the calves, first start to clear the fluid from the quads
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