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Sports Massage: Enhancing Training, Participation and Recovery for Today's Athlete, 2nd Edition: Summary
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. ZA helpful memory acronym is PInTO. Muscles work in this way: ■ Pull ■ Insertion ■ Toward ■ Orgin 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.
A self-induced form of reciprocal inhibition is called autogenic inhibition. The muscle shuts itself down under high tension after 20 to 30 seconds to avoid tearing. Why static stretching should be avoided during pre-event and during- event massages to prevent muscle relaxation. Another neurological mechanism is called Synergistic Dominance. It is a compensatory mechanism and is the tendency of synergist (helper) muscles to overcompensate if the agonist muscles aren’t functioning at full capacity. For example, very commonly in running hip flexors will be tight and inhibit the glute max; the hamstrings (synergists) will then super compensate and perform more hip extension and become overworked although the hamstrings themselves are not inherently deficient. | HEALTHCARE CONSIDERATION Sport Injuries Precautions and indications for massage with sport injuries include: • Massage is contraindicated on acute site • Massage proximal/distal to the injury is safe • Keeps the blood flow going • Brings fluid to the area • Prevents joint contracture
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