Myofascial release This technique is designed to eliminate restrictions that develop in fascia; broad, thin sheaths of connective tissue that surround muscles, bones, and organs. It is thought that by loosening this connective tissue, mechanical issues such as limitations to a client’s range-of-motion (ROM) can be corrected. While deep tissue massage is usually considered a separate technique (see above), many therapists consider it a type of myofascial release as the pressure of the deep tissue technique overloads restrictions in deep layers of muscles and connective tissue until they release. For the sake of this course, however, myofascial release refers to the less invasive technique that utilizes light finger, thumb, or knuckle pressure across superficial areas of muscle and bone. Generally, massage therapists use this technique by placing the fingers, thumbs, or knuckles upon a muscle’s origin with light pressure and taking a moment to ‘sink in’ to the soft tissue. Then, therapists move in the direction of the muscle Petrissage This technique is effective for increasing blood flow, relieving chronically stressed muscles, and loosening muscles in preparation for exercise. Petrissage also assists the lymphatic system to move waste products through the body for removal. This technique is characterized by a kneading or squeezing motion with either the entire hand or between the fingers and thumbs. When performing petrissage, massage therapists apply moderate to firm pressure to a large area of skin or a muscle group such as the biceps or upper trapezius and lift away from the surface or bone, then squeeze and release in a slow, circular, rhythmic fashion. In relation to sports injuries, this technique usually targets the belly, or ‘meat,’ of a muscle. Sports massage This combination of techniques helps to facilitate athletes’ performance and recovery. Depending upon their needs, athletes may elect to receive a massage prior to an event, after an event, or during their training cycle. Often, athlete will choose to receive a pre-event massage at the site of their competition in order to prepare their muscles for competition. The pre-event massage is characterized by quickly paced strokes such as petrissage, compressions, and vibration in order to stimulate blood flow to the muscles and is usually performed with the athlete fully clothed, ready for their competition. A post-event massage may likewise be performed at the competition site or will otherwise take place within a few hours of competing. Post-event massage focuses on relaxing the body with simple, slower Stretches Stretches are used to lengthen muscles thereby increasing an athlete’s ROM and allowing the joints to move more freely. Massage therapists generally use several stretching methods during a session with an athlete; passive (or static) stretching, and two types of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (usually referred to as PNF stretches) . With passive stretching, a muscle is pushed or pulled away from its origin so that it is at a greater length than it would be at rest. Massage therapists usually hold his type of stretch for seven to ten seconds, which is the time it takes for muscle fibers to relax into a greater length using this technique. A more effective stretch can be achieved with either of the two PNF stretches. The first is called an Antagonist Contract (AC) stretch. This type of stretch utilizes the reciprocal inhibition reflex to relax a muscle. To do this stretch, first, massage therapists bring the athlete’s target muscle into its shortest length. Then, keeping the muscle at
fibers towards the insertion of the muscle, feeling for any restrictions or hardened areas within the tissue. Massage therapists should maintain light pressure at the restriction for up to five minutes until the tissue begins to feel warm to the touch and subsequently becomes softer. Finally, therapists should continue to move toward the muscle insertion until they complete the stroke and remove the fingers, thumbs, or knuckles from the skin slowly. If a restriction does not react to the initial stroke, the therapist may try softly pinning the muscle’s origin with one hand while performing the stroke with the other hand. This technique is sometimes uncomfortable for some athletes, as no lubricant is used on the skin and their bodies may generate heat in a manner they are not used to. This technique is almost always safe to use after the acute phase of the injury has passed, unless a client’s discomfort is an issue. In cases when an area of the client’s body cannot be petrissaged due to friction burns, cuts, scrapes, or other legions, therapists can apply petrissage using the first two fingers and the thumbs on smaller areas of an affected muscle. Doing petrissage in this manner is not common, but may still effectively increase blood flow and unbind tension when other techniques are ineffective. The technique is rarely contraindicated by itself, though the amount of pressure applied will depend on the athlete’s preference. strokes such as effleurage, while also stimulating blood and lymphatic flow with petrissage to reduce recovery time. Massage therapists commonly incorporate stretches into both pre- and post-event massages and will target the muscles particular to the athlete’s sport. Athletes, more than any other particular population, use massage to recover more quickly from injuries; a 2010 study cited in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research discovered that even a few moments of targeted massage can improve the range of motion through the hips. In her own studies, Margaret Jones, Ph.D. of the American College of Sports Medicine, noted a decrease in muscle soreness in athletes who received either pre- or post-event massage. its shortest length, they have the athlete actively contract the target muscle’s antagonist for three to four seconds with approximately 20 percent of the athlete’s strength. Massage therapists should have the athlete repeat the contraction eight to ten times. After this cycle of having the client contract their antagonist muscle, therapists should be able to move the target muscle into a greater passive stretch. The second type of PNF stretch is the Contract Relax Antagonist Contract (CRAC) stretch. This stretch takes an athlete through several rounds of contracting and relaxing a target muscle while the massage therapist resists the athlete’s ability to move the muscle through its full ROM. Specifically, therapists will first use a passive stretch to take a muscle to the middle of its ROM, then ask the athlete to contract the muscle with 90 percent of their strength for seven to ten seconds while therapists resist the muscle’s contraction. (Therapists should ask athletes to reduce their
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Book Code: MIL1224
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