Pain can be debilitating and disabling. Quite simply, pain hurts. If you’ve been working tirelessly to fight chronic fatigue or pain to no avail, it’s time to explore massage therapy as a possible solution. Neuromuscular massage is the latest innovation in pain rehabilitation. Find out how it dives deep to the cause of your soreness or muscle fatigue and kneads the kinks right out, leaving you relaxed, unwound, and, best of all, pain-free.
So What Is Neuromuscular Massage and How Does It Work?
Glad you asked! Neuromuscular massage is both scientific and surprisingly simple. The body’s nervous system is linked to the muscular and skeletal system: it shuttles messages back and forth, relaying sensory data throughout the body. The nervous system lets you know how something feels at any given time, and whether it should move or lie still. Neuromuscular massage works on soft tissue, namely skin, muscles, and nerves, to identify, localize, and alleviate pain in the body.
It starts with a thorough, hands-on examination of the body by a trained therapist to identify the regions of pain. Once identified, incremental pressure is applied to the specific regions: alternating levels of focused pressure allow the body to release tension. Coupled with knowledge of the body’s nervous, muscular, and skeletal systems, the therapist is even able to soothe hypersensitive areas, making this an essential stage of pain rehabilitation.
Neuromuscular massage addresses 5 key causes of pain:
- Ischemia
- Myofascial trigger points
- Neural entrapment
- Postural distortion
- Dysfunctional gait patterns
Ischemia
Ischemia is a restriction in blood supply to tissues, causing a shortage of oxygen and glucose needed to keep tissue alive. This in turn causes pain and sensitivity to touch. The measured static pressure of neuromuscular massage increases circulation and can temporarily restore blood flow, relieving pain and sensitivity and aiding in recovery.
Myofascial Trigger Points
Myofascial trigger points are hyperirritable points in muscle that radiate pain from the local area to broader, sometimes distant areas. As a facet of pain rehabilitation, neuromuscular massage soothes trigger points and stops radiated pain in its tracks. You’ll be surprised when the pain in your neck recedes after treatment of its trigger point in the lower back.
Neural Entrapment
Neural entrapment is a condition in which pressure is placed on a nerve by muscle or other soft tissue. Entrapment can be experienced as pain or numbness, and it can cause serious radiated pain depending upon the area of effect. Neuromuscular massage eases pressure at the site of entrapment, reducing or even stopping pain.
Postural Distortion
Postural distortion is poor posture exhibited by an individual habitually. There are many forms of identified and recognized distortions. Unbeknownst to you, it may be the cause of your near perpetual fatigue and pain. Neuromuscular massage relieves the pain caused by your distortion, giving you the opportunity to start fresh and work towards a balanced posture.
Dysfunctional Gait Patterns
Dysfunctional gait patterns are abnormalities in one’s walk. Oftentimes they are the result of pain or fatigue, as you adjust to accommodate these symptoms in your walk by necessity. In doing so, you compound the problem and increase pain down the road by throwing your body off balance or out of alignment. Neuromuscular massage reduces or remedies the root cause of the pain, preventing further compounding with a dysfunctional gait.
Where to Start with Neuromuscular Massage
Here at Dynamic Health, we offer state-of-the-art pain rehabilitation, and we’ve taken yet another leap forward with our latest treatment course: neuromuscular massage. Neuromuscular massage rounds out our multidisciplinary approach by addressing biomechanical causes of pain. We want to help you find your relief, and if that means finding a massage in Charlotte, North Carolina, we’re more than happy to help.
To find out if neuromuscular massage is a viable option for your pain rehabilitation, contact us today to schedule a complimentary consultation.