Muscle Therapies
Various muscle therapies will be incorporated into your personalized treatment plan.
TRIGGER POINT THERAPY
A trigger point is a hyper-irritable spot that is painful. It is called a trigger point because it “triggers” a painful response. But a trigger point is more than a tender nodule. It affects not only the muscle where the trigger point is located, but also causes “referred pain” in tissues supplied by nerves. Trigger points are located in a taut band of muscle fibers. The trigger point is the most tender point in the band. The therapist will locate and deactivate them using finger pressure.
These points are often areas of chronic “holding” and you need to learn how to move in different ways to keep them from recurring. Trigger point therapy can at times be uncomfortable.
MYOFASCIAL RELEASE
Myofascial Release is a safe and very effective hands-on technique that involves applying gentle sustained pressure into the Myofascial connective tissue to eliminate pain and restore motion. This essential “time element” has to do with the viscous flow and the piezoelectric phenomenon: a low load (gentle pressure) applied slowly will allow a viscoelastic medium (fascia) to elongate.
Trauma, inflammatory responses, and/or surgical procedures create Myofascial restrictions that can produce tensile pressures of approximately on pain sensitive structures that do not show up in many of the standard tests (x-rays, myelograms, CAT scans, electromyography, etc.). Each Myofascial Release Treatment session is performed directly on skin without oils or creams. This enables the therapist to accurately detect fascial restrictions and apply the appropriate amount of sustained pressure to facilitate release of the fascia.
ACTIVE ISOLATED STRETCHING
The Active Isolated Stretching (AIS) method of muscle lengthening and fascial release is a type of athletic stretching technique that provides effective, dynamic, facilitated stretching of major muscle groups, but more importantly, AIS provides functional and physiological restoration of superficial and deep fascial planes. These stretches provide maximum benefit and can be accomplished without opposing tension or resulting trauma.
NEUROMUSCULAR THERAPY
This type of muscle therapy emphasizes trigger point work as well as utilizing various angles to treat the affected muscle.
SCAR MASSAGE
Scar massage is the gentle movement of the skin over the scar and surrounding area in order to prevent the skin from adhering to the underlying tissue. Scar adhesions can cause tension, pain and reduced range of motion. Scars can be massaged approximately two weeks after surgery once the incision site is completely healed. Always consult with your physician before receiving any post-surgical massage. Older scars may have been creating restrictions in the body for a long time and may also benefit from scar massage.