Since as long as man has been around, some form of massage has probably been present. For the caveman smacking his head in a cave it was probably second nature to immediately grab and rub the injured area just as it is today. The earliest recorded evidence of massage dates back to ancient cicilizations such as China, India, Greece, Rome, and Egypt.
Egyptian Tomb Paintings Depicting Massage
Most famously, the great Greek Physican Hippocrates (know in the West as the Father of Medicine), was an advocate of rubbing and frictioning the body to help treat an assortment of conditions.
Greek Art Depicting Massage
Since massage and self-massage (especially during injury) seems to be a basic human action as long as can be recorded, I want to discuss specifically the boom in self-massage techinques have really taken off in the last 10 years or so. To begin, here is a link to an article in the New York Times about self-massage. There is a brief mention of yours truly in there as I was interviewed by the author some weeks back.
Having been in the massage industry for over 10 years now, I am as convinced as ever that healthy soft-tissues (including muscles, tendons, ligaments, and fasica, the glue which holds it all together) are of paramount importance to keeping our joints healthy as we age.
Muscle Imbalances Can Theoretically Harm Our Joints!
What Does The Science Say?
Although the scientific research on massage therapy is in its infancy, there is too much evidence to ignore the benefits that carefully applied pressure to the body can have on this amazing machine we call the human body. With an ailing economy however, there is less money for people to spend on things like hands-on massage; therefore, self-treatment options, such as using foam rollers, tennis balls, lacrosse balls, massage sticks/balls and many more devices have become more and more popular. Unforuntaley, the research on self-massage is really lacking and most of the beneftis and results reported are purely anecdotal. But enough people appear to benefit from this type of treatment so clearly there is something good going on here.
There Are Many Various Massage Toll Available
Foam Rolling is Fun (and sometimes a little tender)!
Self-Massage Benefits
The benefits of self-massage are really similar to the benefits from regular massage as done from one person to another. With self-massage, people just need to understand a little about how and why they are using self-massage techniques so that they don’t end up over-doing it and bruising or hurting themselves from the over-zealous application of pressure to various body parts! Some of the plausible goals of self-massage are as follows:
1. To decrease excessive muscle tone or tonus (and the subsequent ischemia, or lack of blood flow that can result)
2. To enhance lymphatic and circulatory processes
3. To decrease trigger point activity in certain muscles
4. To decrease pain through endogenous opiate/endorphin release
5. Last but not least, to use a little power of the Placebo Effect, which is part of any therapy or treatment!
The Placebo Effect, Part of Any Treatment/Therapy!
How Does it Work?
No one knows for sure the exact mechanisms for how massage or self-massage works, but there does seem to be both local and neurological (i.e. in the brain) factors invovled as eduded to above under the Benefits paragraph. Some of the proposed theories for how self-masage (or what is also called SMFR or “self-myofascial release”) can reduce pain and improve tissue health include:
Autogenic Inhibition- One theory is that sustained pressure creates tension on muscle fibers which can eventually cause tension sensors called GTO’s (Golgi Tendon Organs) to fire which can theoretically then results in a relaxation of the muscle(s) under tensile stress or strech. I’m not sure I really buy this theory with regards to self-massage but it is very popular and the primary explanation given by the NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine), a certifying agency for personal trainers.
Scar Tissue Theory- The other main theory for self-massage and more “fascia-based” types of massage such as Rolfing and ART (Active Release Technique), is that the properly applied pressure and friction can “break-up” scar tissue, resulting in enhanced range of motion and subsequent improvements in blood flow and muscle function. While I think this theory has some merit, the reality is probably more that the massage can irritate the tissue in quesiton and possibly help the body reorganize the scar-tissue in the direction of the original muscle fibers that it replaced. Scar tissue is laid down in a haphazard format, rather than in the exact direction of the original tissue so this theory seems plausible. Also, this may help to alleviate pressure/compression or stretch/tensile force on nerves in the area that is fibrotic or scarred. The following injury cycle picture depicts such a process.
Mental/Emotional Factors- As we discover more and more about neural science and the science of pain, there is seemingly a large contribution from mental and cognitive centers of the brain that determine how well we cope and deal with pain and discomfort. As disccused above, the placebo affect or even the expectation bias, can form a large part of the healing or therapeutic response to any therapy, including self-massage therapies. Simply put, the more you believe in any given type of therapy, the greater the chance that you will receive a benefit, however short-lived it might be.
Risks and Contraindications of Self-Massage or Massage in General
Also, when doing self-massage, it is important to avoid putting direct pressure on the following areas of the body:
1. Behind the knees in the popliteal fossa- there are blood vessels and nerves here that are easily accesible and that can be injured through excessive pressure.
Stay Away From Behind The Knee!
2. The femoral triangle in the groin area- the femoral artery and vein are easily accessible here.
Stay Away From Here Too!
3. Excessive pressure on the 11th and 12th ribs- these ribs are ” free floating,” meaning not attached to the spine like the ribs above are and thus are more vulnerable to possible being injured or even broken if excessive pressure was applied.
4. The Sub-occipital Triangle- There are vulnerable neck structures and vertebral arteries exposed here so it should be obvious to push directly into this area.
Don’t Put Deep Pressure Here!
5. Deep into the abdomen area- although massage can be safely applied to this region, one must really know there anatomy and whether or not there are any visceral health problems or pregnancy that could be affected by direct pressure into this region.
6. Front of the Throat- just a bad idea for self -massage. This are can be worked by skilled and licensed therapists but self-treatment can be a good way to cut of blood supply to your brain by pressing on the carotid areas…bad idea jeans!
In the second intallment of this blog, I will give basic advice on the safest and most effective methods for performing self-massage techniques. There are many resources out there to help you with learning these techniques including a 2-disc DVD set that I created on the subject. It can be purchased for $39.95 right off my site here.
Thanks for reading!
Keats
