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Superficial muscles tend to be stronger and more complex in their actions than their deeper counterparts.

What happened with the Lordosis Client?

Well, my Lordosis guy came back to see me this week. I explained that his pelvic muscles needed to be engaged in order to give their antagonist, gluts, and latisimus dorsi muscles a breather. These muscles tug at the back muscles, from the lower traps up to the neck flexors (which is covers T12 up to C2, his whole thoracic and most of his cervical spine). So I was successfully able to loosen these muscles areas tremendously after engaging his pelvic muscles. I was able to do this with a few stretches and a couple exercises of reciprical inhibition, whereby the client uses a muscle and the therapist resists that motion in order to trigger the antagonist muscles, thereby giving the agonist muscles (ones usually doing the work in this case) a breather. Lordosis guy said he felt great, and is coming back next week for another massage!

Lordosis client

So, I've got this client whom I see weekly. Real sweet guy, but his lumbar spine thrusts so far forward, that his thoracic and cervical spine jut back at an incredibly retracted angle. Most sessions I apply heat to his back and neck, but was wondering if there was anything that I could do to adjust his back. I pieced through some massage literature on clients with lordosis, and found that the hip flexor muscles are typically working over hard (short, and tight) while the pelvic muscles are not working much at all (long, and loose). So the next time I see him, I am going to suggest working on his pelvic muscles, do some p.n.f, r.i., and stretches to engage and open up these muscles. Hopefully, by relaxing the hip flexor muscles, lordosis client's thoracic and cervical muscles won't be tugged on as much. I'll let you know what I find...

Awaken Massage

I will be massaging at a studio in Media Pa starting June 22. The studio is called Awaken Massage and Yoga. More info to come.

What is Tuina?

Tuina is a hands-on body treatment that uses Chinese Daoist and martial arts principles to bring the body to balance. From a traditional Chinese medical rational, Tuina dredges the channels and collaterals (which are often incorrectly translated as meridians) and removes stagnation so qi and body fluids are stimulated.

A Tuina practitioner may brush, knead, roll, press and rub muscular areas between joints. The practitioner can then use range of motion, traction and massage along with the stimulation of acupressure points; this is claimed to treat both acute and chronic muculoskeletal conditions, as well as many nonmusculoskeletal conditions.

Water

Drinking water flushes your body of toxins and aids blood in its travels to your muscles. It is especially important to drink plenty of water following a massage, as the muscles worked on will get the blood they need to heal.

Concentration

Push four index fingers up both cheek bones, hold for 3 seconds, and push downward. Repeat this 3 times. This will promote clear thinking and intellectual focus.

Clear Thinking

Use thumb and index fingers, pinch bridge of nose, hold, let go and repeat 3xs. This promotes concentration, creative ideas, and intellectual focus.

Anxiety

Use your knuckles to drum across the top of your head. Use light, rhythmic movements. Doing this brings courage, relaxes the mind, and dissolves anxiety.