In cases of injury and pain, most people would expect chiropractors to focus on misalignment of the spine. Acupuncturists are more interested in how Chi or energy flows, while surgeons think about appropriate surgical options. In recent times, within the field of massage therapy (and related forms of bodywork), attention naturally has been on muscles and recently, on fascia.
Orthopedic massage is a term that pertains to specific modalities for understanding, assessing, and addressing musculoskeletal injury and pain. The following are three commonly held misconceptions widely accepted in the realm of orthopedic massage:
1. The injury is found where the pain is felt – The location of pain of a client is oftentimes misleading, since in many instances, pain is concerned from the origin of injury to another area of the body. A thorough comprehension of referred pain is essential for spotting the exacting area of an injury.
2. Boosting circulation is a major focus in treating damaged tissue – While a boost in blood flow is one of the most tremendous benefits of massage, a lot of therapists are unaware to a more important contribution they can make toward the treatment of injuries- eliminating adhesive scar tissue.
3. Muscles play a huge role in injury and pain – pain related to muscle spasms a lot of times, is actually due to a damage to some other tissue. If, for instance, there is injury in your nerve root in your lower back or a in your ligament, your body will strive to prevent the injury from causing further damage: the muscles in your lower back will involuntarily spasm or contract as you start to move in a way that exacerbates the injury.
Dominic Sembello L.Ac. – Board Certified Acupuncturist in Linwood, NJ.