Massage

The physical work of massage involves muscles, joints and fascia.  Most massage therapists (myself included) use compression, stretching, mobilization or some combination of modalities in order to relieve pain and tension. However, in order to get the relief to last, we need to go further and address the neurological framework of the body.  My approach to massage work is to calm the nervous system so the body can access its own self-healing. Systemic relaxation can allow the body to turn off its protective pain patterns and feedback loops, effectively re-educating the body on a neuromuscular level.  There are multiple ways to go about this.  One way is through a profound treatment modality called PRT, or positional release technique.  This technique is extremely gentle and easy for the body to integrate, and you can learn how to do it on yourself at home.

 

PRT is an indirect and passive form of therapy that seeks to restore homeostasis through gentle specific positioning.  In other words, the body is placed in a maximally comfortable position, in which the target muscle has no tension on it.  The body is folded around a tender point in such a way that the muscle is completely slack, so it doesn’t have to do any work and the tissues can completely relax.  PRT is essentially the opposite of stretching, because it shortens rather than lengthens the muscle.*  This is thought to reset the resting length of the muscle and turn off proprioceptive feedback loops which keep the muscle in a pain-spasm-pain cycle.  (At the moment of injury muscles tighten in order to protect the body, but the protective tension patterns can persist long after they are needed. The muscle goes into spasm, causes pain, which leads to spasm – it’s a self-perpetuating cycle).  “Simply put, PRT works to “unkink” muscle and fascia much like one would a knotted necklace, by gently twisting and pushing the tissues together to take tension off the knot. When one link in the chain is unkinked, others nearby untangle.”**

 

People are often surprised at how effective it can be, because PRT is so gentle. Many people believe they need an aggressive treatment in order to force the body to change. However, as I have mentioned, while this type of therapy produces results, it does not always produce long-term healing. Genuine healing comes from within, and the process to get the body to release and HOLD that release for an extended period of time involves respecting the body’s own pace of healing.  British osteopath Arthur Pauls says “an organism can only accept so much change at a time.”  He is referring to the continued release that happens for days after a healing session, but the opposite can also occur.  Overly aggressive treatments can put the body in a state of armoring.  The body will not always be able to hold the position if the change is too drastic – the muscles sometimes need a slower process to adapt to the release and to learn how to hold the release patterns on their own.**  (Exercises to develop the strength to support the new positions are also imperative to maintaining the healing effects.)  Pauls developed his own modality based on PRT called Ortho-Bionomy.  Luann Overmyer wrote a fantastic book, “Ortho-Bionomy: A Path to Self Care”, which illustrates techniques to be used on every part of the body that can be done by yourself at home without the use of any equipment.  This is the book I use to show my clients what they can do at home in between massages.

 

An easy example of PRT to do at home is the iliopsoas release.  This muscle is the body’s strongest hip flexor and when it is too tight it can pull the pelvis into anterior rotation and compress the spine.  In order to relax it, lie on your back on the floor, bend your knees and rest your lower legs on a chair or couch.  Your heels and lower legs will be resting at knee level or just above, so your legs will be in a ninety degree angle.  The area just below your hip bones where your legs meet your torso is the area we are targeting. The muscle should be completely relaxed; you should feel no tension there.  Hold this position for at least 90 seconds, but preferably longer.  When you get up, slide yourself back and use your arms to put your legs on the ground to avoid re-engaging the muscle immediately.

PRT is by no means the only modality that works to interrupt the pain cycle. However, it is a very effective tool that can gently encourage the body to heal at a deeper level.  By learning the concepts and applying them at home, you can empower yourself to continue your own healing.

 

*“Introduction to Positional Release Techniques for the Neck and Upper Shoulders”, Ed Buresh, LMT, MTI

**”Top 10 Positional Release Therapy Techniques to Break the Chain of Pain, Part 1”, Tim Speicher, MS, ATC, CSCS and David O. Draper, EdD, ATC.  PTHMS Faculty Publications, Sacred Heart University, 2006

***“Ortho-Bionomy:  A Path to Self Care”, Luann Overmyer

As babies, we are held close and this makes us feel safe. Comfort often comes through hugs and touch. As adults, we tend to receive less of this tactile soothing, although it is not a luxury, it is a human need.  There have been multiple studies on the effects of touch on premature babies, with consistent findings:  babies develop more quickly, gain weight faster, and have increased immune responses, if they are massaged repeatedly while in neonatal incubation.  One scientific explanation is that the massage increases vagal tone, which stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system.  In other words, the vagus nerve triggers the “rest and digest” branch of the nervous system, which promotes homeostasis in the body’s internal organs.  I believe that the true pathway to healing during massage is the nervous system; I work on muscle systems and trigger points to provide pain relief for my clients, but the true work comes from calming the nervous system so the body can continue to do its own healing.  The work is gentle, so the body never feels attacked.

On a more basic level, massage promotes well-being because touch provides a sense of security and wholeness within the body. In a beautifully written article, “Touch as Language,” Amrit Rai writes that skilled touch has a compassionate quality to it, which allows the body to feel secure and safe to exist. The trust that is established between therapist and client allows access to deeper healing.  As a massage therapist, I understand anatomical structures and how to bring the body out of pathological states, but the skill lies in getting the body to allow me passage.  It can be forced, but it will eventually revert back to armoring patterns if the healing work is not a cooperative effort.  Rai writes: “Skillful touch can encourage trust and softening. It can get into armored places in us and open doors, which may be closed or locked.”  This is always how the therapeutic touch process begins for me.  Rai also references the importance of the nervous system, stating that “in the most basic way, skillful, loving touch repatterns our nervous systems and encourages our wholeness.”  Bodies cannot heal themselves when they are in a heightened state of anxiety, and informed touch must address this first.

We generally do not receive enough touch on a daily basis, which makes regular massage (even self-massage) that much more important.   In today’s digital age, human interactions have largely become removed from the physical plane.  We communicate via text or email and we follow one another’s lives on Facebook.  Face to face meetings are increasingly rare (FaceTime doesn’t count!).  There are many conveniences that come along with this internet-based life, but a basic touch-connection with our own humanity is in danger of being lost.  We could all probably use more hugs, more hand-holding, more cat-petting.  As Rai states, “Touch is innately healing to us as human beings.  It is a primal way that we know we belong.”

A link to the full article:  https://www.abmp.com/textonlymags/article.php?article=1625

ABDOMINAL MASSAGE:

I am always surprised at how little attention the abdomen receives during a typical massage session, given the number of vital organs housed in this area. Provided the client is comfortable, I always like to incorporate just a few minutes of therapeutic touch to this area. Not only is it extremely relaxing, but focusing just a little energy onto such an important area in the body can be very impactful to overall well-being. It can be a nice way to reintegrate a part of the body that some women feel uncomfortable with, too.  However, if you prefer that your stomach not be touched …the best part about the abdominal area is that you can perform the most basic of the techniques on yourself!

Some benefits of abdominal massage are:
*increases blood flow and oxygen to organs
*can help relax the muscles surrounding the colon
*stimulates the digestive tract and helps relieve constipation
*releases emotional tension
*massaging the sides of the abdomen can release tension in the lower back

To perform a very basic abdominal massage on yourself, first add 1-2 drops of peppermint or lavender essential oils to carrier oil and rub on your hands. Peppermint is cooling and stimulating, but it is very good for calming cramps or nausea. Lavender is good for relaxation. You can use other oils but these two are very common oils most people already have, and they are safe for use in this area. Lay down in a comfortable place; I like to light candles and put on soothing music. Rub the oil in a clockwise direction over your entire abdominal area. “Clockwise” meaning is if a clock were laid on top of your belly facing up, so 3:00 would be your left side and 9:00 would be your right side. It is important to go clockwise as this is the direction of the flow in your colon. Use light to medium pressure, making large circles then smaller circles. Repeat for a few minutes or until you fall asleep 😉