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Myofascial Pain Syndrome

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Massage

Different Types of Massage Offer Different Massage Benefits

August 19, 2012 by Patrick

Massage benefits involves the manipulation of both superficial and deep muscles, and body tissues. Designed to aid healing, enhance function and promote relaxation, the word is 300px-Massage_Frankfurtderived from various languages including the Greek verb “masso” meaning to handle, work or touch with the hands. Targeted areas include the muscles, skin and joints and massage can be applied using the hand, knees and elbows as well as mechanical aids.

Deep tissue Massage Benefits

Deep tissue massage is a therapy focusing on the muscles located below the top muscle layer, performed to relieve severe muscle tension. It concentrates on realigning the deeper muscle layer and the connective tissue by breaking down adhesions, bands of rigid tissue, which cause pain, inflammation and limited movement. Using pressure and often creating some discomfort, this is not a relaxing massage yet effective for the job it was created for.  It is often used for those in constant pain, athletes and others with a heavy physical workload, and those who have sustained physical injury. Deep tissue massage is used in cases of injury recovery, fibromyalgia, limited mobility and pain from osteoarthritis and carpal tunnel syndrome are some of the health benefits of therapeutic massage.

Benefits of Swedish Massage

In contrast, Swedish massage is mainly performed to create relaxation and a feeling of well-being. Using five styles of massage strokes to glide, knead, tap, create friction and vibrate it can be useful in reducing some pain and joint stiffness, especially that which has evolved from osteoarthritis. Some strokes will release tension and break up muscle adhesions. It is especially useful for increasing circulation thus improving blood flow and oxygen carrying capacity. It can be gentle and performed slowly or a more rigorous massage involving firmer strokes and tapping, depending on the therapists style and patient requirements. It is not as intense as deep tissue massage and should not cause discomfort. The massage benefits of Swedish have been well established over many years and is the preferred choice for first timers.

Trigger-point Massage Benefits

Trigger-point massage is designed to alleviate the pain and discomfort created by knots or nodules in the muscle, or ‘trigger points’, which cause both localized pain and ‘refer’ pain, the latter being pain found in an area separate from the trigger point area. Refer pain can include headaches and migraines, neck stiffness and back pain. The therapy involves finding, compressing and applying pressure to these points to deactivate them. It may also involve massaging the points or using stretching techniques. Once the points have been deactivated both the affected area and the surrounding tissues may be treated with myofascial release to prevent the muscles returning to the original position and trigger points reforming.

Benefits of Cranial-sacral therapy

Cranial-sacral therapy evolved from cranial osteopathy, a gentle and subtle treatment encouraging stress and tension release. It is a non-invasive alternative medicine therapy used by osteopaths, chiropractors and physiotherapists and is performed by placing the hands on the patient and ‘tuning in’ to the rhythmic activity found between the bones in the skull. Therapists believe that movements between these bones come from the brain and spinal cord membrane. and concentrate on the area from the skull to the sacrum, identifying disturbance in the flow of energy running through this region and dissolving points of resistance.

 

Filed Under: Living with Myofascial Pain Syndrome, Myofascial Pain Relief, Myofascial Pain Syndrome Treatment Tagged With: Carpal tunnel syndrome, Craniosacral therapy, health benefits of therapeutic massage, Massage, Muscle, muscle adhesions, myofascial release, Pain, Tissue (biology), Trigger point

The Diamond Method of Active Myofascial Therapy

August 18, 2012 by Patrick

myofascial release techniqueReal Time Pain ReliefThe Diamond Method™ of Active Myofascial Therapy is an adaptation of an existing therapy, myofascial release therapy, and has been developed over the past 30 years by Irene Diamond, owner and creator of the Diamond and Massage & Wellness Center. After an accident as a teenager left her paralyzed resulting in months in cervical traction, she consulted various massage therapists to restore muscle strength and deal with chronic neck pain. Having them hold specific points, which she now knows to be trigger points, she learned to move her head and shoulders in certain patterns, which would alleviate pain. This gave her instant relief and she went on to study physical therapy and rehabilitation before opening the Center in 1998 and developing her findings into The Diamond Method™ of Active Myofascial Therapy (AMT).

Benefits of Myofascial Release Therapy

Myofascial release therapy is a form of soft tissue therapy, aimed towards releasing muscle knots or ‘trigger points’, found in the soft tissue component of connective tissue. Using pressure to release these points, the soft tissue or fascia is then stretched by subtle movements used by the therapist. The Diamond method has incorporated myofascial therapy into a combination of methods and requires the patient to be active throughout the process, moving in prescribed ways, pushing muscles into the pressure and performing the ‘Actions’. These involve gentle stretches and corrective actions as directed by the therapist and complement the release therapy.  It also involves a 7step formula devised to develop joint flexibility, improved posture and ‘re-education’ of the neuromuscular system.

Neuromuscular Disorders And Myofascial Release Therapy

The first step of the Diamond formula is ‘Discovery’ – evaluating the patient and sourcing the area causing the pain. ‘Inspect/Investigate’, literally inspecting the site of pain and investigating the reasons for the pain, whether it is muscle strain, a trigger point or another cause, follows this. Step 3, ‘Assessment’ determines what therapy approach will suit the patient needs and then ‘Manual therapy/Manipulation’ follows. Steps 5 to 7 ‘Optimize’, ‘Neuromuscular Reeducation’ and ‘Design Future Plan’, involve relaxation techniques, movement patterns and manual therapy to increase efficiency of the neuromuscular system, plus an individualized program of Actions is created for use at home.

Throughout the steps and the follow-up therapy plan, the patient is supported by a team of therapists offering massage therapy, rehabilitation and pain management, weight loss programs and ergonomics. The Diamond Method™ aims to provide long term results so not only is the original problem (pain, injury) resolved, but an assessment is made of life style, work/desk set-up, sleeping position and everyday actions which may be creating poor posture habits, muscle tension and strain. The aim is to maximize body efficiency, develop joint flexibility and function, create body awareness and ‘remind’ the nervous system how to function correctly.

The Diamond Method™ of Active Myofascial Therapy is not just a soft tissue massage method but also a holistic approach to eradication of pain and prevention of a future occurrence. It aims to produce long term results for a pain free life.

Filed Under: Myofascial Release Therapy Tagged With: Flexibility, Irene Diamond, Massage, Muscle, myofascial pain syndrome, Myofascial release therapy, neuromuscular system, Physical therapy, Trigger point

Will A Nontraditional Approach To Wellness Work For You?

June 28, 2012 by Myofascial Pain - Google News

Reiki written in Shinjitai Japanese.As more and more mainstream physicians are accepting non-traditional approaches to wellness, many major medical centers are incorporating integrative medicine as a treatment option, but with an added twist.

Your body has a natural ability to heal itself. It is this natural ability that many medical professionals feel could be enhanced with a combination of the natural and conventional approaches.

“The world is moving on from this idea that you either take the conventional approach or you take the CAM (complementary and alternative medicine) approach,” says Brent Bauer, medical editor for “The Mayo Clinic Book of Alternative Medicine” (Oxmoor House). “Now it’s a both/and. Patients and physicians are embracing the best of the two worlds and bringing them together.”

As quoted in a recent article in the Chicago Tribune, about 38% of American adults use some form of alternative medicine.

The four most common natural treatments include acupuncture, massage, Reiki, and meditation.

Acupuncture

Over 2,500 years old, acupuncture is being used from conditions such as nausea and vomiting to treatment of back pain. In fact, the National Institutes of Health released a statement in 1997 concluding that:

acupuncture is effective in treating adult postoperative and chemotherapy nausea and vomiting, postoperative dental pain, stroke rehab, headaches, menstrual cramps, fibromyalgia, myofascial pain, osteoarthritis, low back pain and carpal tunnel syndrome.

The World Health Organization add other medical conditions to that list, including drug and alcohol addictions, bronchitis and asthma.

Massage

 “Massage has a million applications,” says Bauer. “We know that stress suppresses the immune system, stresses the heart, exacerbates chronic illnesses. Anything that helps you deal better with stress — massage fits that bill nicely — is beneficial.”

Different types of massage offer different benefits. The types of massage include deep tissue massage, Swedish massage, trigger-point massage and cranial-sacral  therapy.

The benefits of massage can reduce swelling and joint pain, lessen muscle spasms and improve circulation. But perhaps the biggest health benefit of massage is relief of stress.

According to J. David Forbes, director of Nashville Integrated Medicine,

“Stress is one of the most central players in our day-to-day health and development of disease. An enormous amount of scientific data demonstrates that the capacity for the body to deeply relax and settle into a deep connection with oneself has profound health effects.”

Reiki

Another gift of healing from Eastern Asia, Japanese Reiki works to raise the “ki,” or life-force energy, in and around you as the Reiki master positions his hands above your body in different formations.

The benefit of Reiki appears to be its promotion of relaxation.

“Like healing touch, reiki can promote relaxation,” says Bauer. “One study suggests it may positively affect blood pressure and heart and respiration rates.” Reiki has been researched far less than acupuncture, Bauer says, but it can offer some of the same benefits. “Both purport to impact energy at some level — acupuncture via chi that travels in meridians and through the use of needles inserted in the skin; Reiki via energy that is more diffuse and that can be manipulated by the practitioner, even without touching the patient.”

Meditation

The health benefits of meditation have been know for years but only recently has it been given more respect.  Forms of meditation you may be familiar with include yoga, tai chi and Qi gong. These forms of meditation combine physical movement with breathing exercises.

Meditation such as mantra, transcendental and mindfulness attempt to achieve total stillness while focusing on awareness of the present.

Meditation helps with:

  • allergies
  • anxiety
  • asthma
  • binge eating
  • depression
  • fatigue
  • high blood pressure
  • pain
  • insomnia
  • substance abuse
David Miller, a medical doctor and licensed acupuncturist who is dual certified in pediatrics and traditional Chinese medicine, has this to say about the mind-body connection that is at the root of the health benefits of meditation…
“One of the things we know about human physiology is that a firm split between mind and body is incorrect to make. We know there are many different types of neurological pathways — endocrine, adrenal, thyroid, gonadal axes — that get strong input from our higher brain centers. So an individual’s ability to control their mind vastly improves their ability to self-regulate their bodies as well.”
 To read the article in its entirety, click here.

Filed Under: Allternative Treatments for MPS, Latest Research and News Tagged With: Alternative medicine, Chicago Tribune, Health, Massage, National Institutes of Health, Reiki, Traditional Chinese medicine, World Health Organization

Myofascial Massage

December 10, 2011 by Patrick

Real Time Pain Relief - Rub It On and The Pain Is Gone!
Best Myofascial Pain Relief Ever

myofascial massageMyofascial massage is one of thirty different types of massage. The different types of massage work best for different issues- no one massage type is better than any other overall.

For musculoskeletal issues such as myofascial pain syndrome, myofascial massage therapy may be the most effective. With myofascial massage, the massage works on the deep tissues and connective tissue to relax contracted muscles and increase the circulation of the blood and lymph fluids. It is a step further than your typical massage, which focuses on muscles.

There is a difference between myofascial release massage and myofascial release therapy. Myofascial release therapy is not simply massage. Myofascial release therapy may also be referred to as trigger point therapy. That is important to note if you are seeking relief from myofascial pain.

Benefits of Myofascial Massage

One of the benefits of myofascial massage is the management of pain felt in a variety of conditions. This massage has become a part of pain management programs for fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and chronic, debilitating back pain. It is also effective in helping the pain felt with severe anxiety and tension.

Another use for myofascial massage has been in treating repetitive stress injuries in the musculoskeletal system. These are injuries such as:

  • Trigger finger
  • Carpal tunnel syndrome
  • Tenosynovitis
  • Bursitis
  • Tennis elbow
  • Tendinitis

Actually, there are more than 100 different kinds of repetitive stress injuries. Most of them affect the elbows, shoulders, knees and heels.

How to Do Myofascial Massage

Myofascial massage is effective for loosening tight muscles and tissues. Tight muscles and tissues are thought to be the cause behind the pain of conditions such as fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.

As with routine massage, myofascial massage promotes relaxation and elevates your mood. There is also some anecdotal evidence that myofascial massage can lower the heart rate, blood pressure and cortisol hormone levels.

If you are considering myofascial massage to relieve your myofascial pain or the pain you may have from other medical conditions, look for a therapist who is certified to perform myofascial massage. Most states have licensing requirements for massage therapists. If you can’t find a certified myofascial massage therapist in your area, you can check with the state’s licensing board for a list of certified therapists close to you.

 

Filed Under: Myofascial Pain Syndrome Treatment, Myofascial Release Therapy Tagged With: Carpal tunnel syndrome, Massage, Muscle, myofascial massage, myofascial pain, myofascial pain syndrome, myofascial pain therapy, myofascial pain treatment, myofascial release, Repetitive strain injury, Tissue (biology), Trigger point

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