One of the worst – and most common – experiences nearly everybody will go through at some point in their lives is a muscle spasm or cramp. Your muscle twitches uncomfortably, and there’s no escape. You merely beg for salvation while waiting for the cramp to go away. Sometimes the cramp resolves on its own, while other times it continues to nag you. Neuromuscular massage therapy is a way of helping you escape the terrible muscle patterns that develop over the course of a sedentary, ergonomically-stressful life.
At Flex Spine & Sport, our goal is to help you break free of improper movement patterns that often result in nagging tension and accumulate into chronic pain. Through holistic, scientifically-proven methods like neuromuscular massage, we will help you re-educate your muscles to stay balanced and function properly so you can lead a pain-free life full of movement and activities that bring you joy.
What Is Neuromuscular Massage Therapy?
Neuromuscular massage therapy is a classic deep tissue technique focusing on the release of myofascial trigger points. Trigger points are points in the body where oxygenated blood and nutrients struggle to penetrate muscle tissue. As a result, the muscle tissue cannot effectively diffuse out waste products, putting the tissues in an acidic state. When tissue metabolism goes down and acidity goes up, calcium is released by our bodies to neutralize the acids. These acids are then encapsulated in the congested tissue and filtration is blocked, creating an ischemic state. The lack of proper blood and nutrient flow in ischemic muscle tissue results in pain and spasm (contraction).
Over time, trigger points compress nerves. Scar tissue and adhesions restrict the range of motion, function, and mobility throughout the musculoskeletal system. Our bodies naturally compensate by changing our movement patterns, perpetuating this negative cycle and setting clients up for higher risks of chronic pain, injuries, and arthritis.
How Neuromuscular Therapy Can Help
When we recover from a soft tissue injury, scar tissue hardens and creates a vulnerability along the tendinous attachments. Soft tissue work with NMT releases adhesions caused by scar tissue, increasing mobility and function. NMT can also help with chronic pain from arthritis, postural imbalances, stress, and repetitive use. Chronic pain is often caused by nerve entrapments (when the nerve root is entrapped in muscle tension and radiates nerve pain down the extremities). Some common conditions NMT can help treat include:
- Thoracic outlet syndrome
- Plantar fasciitis
- Adhesive capsulitis/frozen shoulder
- Overuse/misuse
- Tendonitis
- Structural deviations
- Sciatica (if soft tissue compression causes the issue)
- Knee injuries
- Carpal tunnel
- Sprain/strain (whiplash)
- Epicondylitis
- Post surgical conditions
Massage and therapeutic bodywork also improves overall health. One of the body’s natural responses to tension, stress, and pain is to release cortisol. NMT improves overall function by calming the nervous system and rebalancing the adrenal system, improving the patient’s quality of life.
Contact Us Today
At Flex Spine & Sport, we believe that everybody is unique, and treatment for their aches and pain should be tailored to their individual lifestyles. As licensed, experienced providers of neuromuscular massage, we can help patients release tension and regain their range of motion to lead full, pain-free lives. Call Flex Spine & Sport to schedule your neuromuscular massage therapy appointment today!