How can massage therapy relieve my pain? Part 1

Ah…The ultimate question.  It is a complex, or at least multi-layered question to answer.  In many ways it depends totally on the approach of the particular practitioner you are asking, therefore I will respond generally and in sections:

• Muscles and Fascia
• The Nervous System
• Emotional/Energetic Release

While all of these areas overlap at some point during your treatment, they are more easily understood separately at first.

Part 1:  Muscles and Fascia

First let’s consider the tissues we work on directly:  Skin, muscles, fascia (connective tissue) and joints.  Treatment massages often address all of these tissues because they all tend to be connected.  Most of us are familiar with all of them except fascia. Fascia is the web in which all of our cells are suspended. Made mostly of water Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: adhesions, anatomy, fascia, kinesiology, massage education, massage therapy, muscle, pain relief, physiology, poor posture, Rolfing, treatment work

Hip Replacement–What we want to avoid.

In my last workshop we looked at the anatomy of the hip and discussed some of the risks involved in over-opening this joint.  It is rare to think of the hips as having hypermobility, but in the case of advanced practitioners who work diligently at excessive extension and extreme external rotation in this joint, laxity is a common result.  

Too much length in the ligaments that hold the joint together, coupled with a lack of direct strengthening of stabilizer muscles may result in degeneration of cartilage tissues and eventually bone.  In the most extreme cases, hip replacement will be necessary.  The video I have inserted below illustrates the procedure in beautiful detail, showing exactly what a patient will experience in the case of an Anterior Hip Replacement.

While this is done in computer illustration, it is still a powerful representation and may be too graphic for some viewers.  I recommend caution in viewing for yourself.  I do believe, however, that a more accurate understanding of the potential consequences of our actions in practice, may guide us toward a slower, more observant practice on our mat.

I would love your feedback on this post, as I plan to use more material of this sort in my quest to open up the world of anatomy and physiology to my community of heartfelt asana practitioners.

~Namaste

Tags: anatomy, asana, graphic, hip replacement, hips, ligaments, moderation, physiology, Practice, surgery, video, yoga