Neuromuscular Massage Therapy
with Romilly Grauer, CMT
Romilly Grauer, CMT is a certified massage therapist with many years of experience and training. Romilly specializes in neuromuscular massage for injuries or stress-related issues. She is trained in the modalities of Swedish Massage, Lomi Lomi, Trigger Point therapy and Zero Balancing Bodywork. Romilly is a specialist in soft tissue injuries, repetitive movement injuries, neuromusculature pain, muscle spasms and adhesion, as well as range of motion limitation issues. She often utilizes oils, but can massage dry on request. Her massages are deep, profound, typically full body (or not, upon request). Her hands are knowledgable, working at depths that adapt to the patient and the injury or issue. You will also find Romilly’s treatment costs extremely reasonable. Call 831-722-3753 for an appointment.
Contents:
Why Neuromuscular Massage?
Increasing Circulation
Muscle Tonification
Curtailing Trauma
Injuries
Adhesions
Organ Health
Mood
Immunity
Tension
Joint Pain
Improved Performance
Reduce General Pain
Massage Therapies
Trigger Point Therapy
Lomi Lomi
Zero Balancing Bodywork
Swedish Massage
Why Neuromuscular Massage?
Massage has been one of the oldest and most successful forms of healing in the history of medicine. There are a number of documented mechanisms of healing that are imparted by Neuromuscular Massage. Massage can be integrated with almost any other healing therapy, as it is non-invasive and has no known negative side effects if used by someone properly trained. Massage is useful for almost any type of injury or issue with a few notable exceptions*.
Increasing Circulation
One of the major mechanisms of massage is the increasing of circulation and nutrition to nerve and muscle fibers. With nutrition comes oxygen, glucose, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, which nourish and detoxify the cells of the muscles, tendons, connective tissue and nerves. This process of cleansing and nourishing is important to the smooth and efficient functioning of the muscle fiber, and the proper transmission of messages by nerve cells. Muscle activity requires clean energy production, which requires chemical reactions that transform glucose, fats or proteins into energy. When this energy is produced there are a number of byproducts, that, if the cells are properly nourished, will be transformed either to other useable chemicals, or escorted to the liver for transformation or excretion out of the body. This delivery system is driven by the blood arteries and veins, as well as the lymphatic system, which is a system of circulation that delivers proteins, lymph, immunity cells and other nutrients to various cells and take away foreign matter. The blood vessel system, which includes the small capillaries that deliver blood to the muscle and nerve cells, deliver vitamins, minerals, amino acids, antioxidants, and glucose to the cells, and take away lactic acid and other byproducts of energy production. Should these two circulation systems, blood and lymphatic, be clogged or slowed down for any reason (i.e., inflammation, trauma or other reason) the cells of the muscles and nervous system will lack the essential nutrition to produce energy or perform their other essential tasks properly. Muscle spasms are the perfect example of this lack of nutrition delivery and/or detoxification of byproducts. The lack of energy nutrients or over-intoxication of byproducts will clog up the cells, causing malfunctions in muscle firing mechanisms. The fibers constrict and contract instead of expanding and performing their intended movement. The misfire can then result in an inflammatory response, where the body rushes repair forces to the area to protect it from further misuse. Once misfires and spasming results, injuries to muscle fibers can result should the activity be extended. Examples are muscle strain or tears.
Muscle Tonification
Muscles that are overextended in terms of being pushed beyond their capability of nourishment or ability to detoxify, they can become torn as muscle fibers lose their flexibility and tense up as they contract. The lack of flexibility, while further extension is exerted, may result in the muscle fibers being torn.
Curtailing Trauma
Neuromuscular Massage increases circulatory action on blood vessels, notably the small capillaries that feed the individual fibers and nervous pathways, as well as the lymphatic system. Strategic manipulation of the areas that increase circulatory response in these two areas are the key to success in bringing nutrition and curtailing trauma and inflammatory response within the body’s tissues.
Injuries
Neuromuscular Massage can reverse the injury and inflammatory process and increase the healing process not only by increasing circulation to the muscle and nervous tissues, but by also modifying the flow of nerve impulses between the spinal cord and the muscle fibers, and to the brain. Often the cycle of pain responses from spasming or tight muscle fibers can be modified by increasing range of motion and decreasing inflammation factors, which can signal the body to impart structural and biochemical healing mechanisms. The “switching” of the pain impulse firing mechanisms can be accomplished in neuromuscular message with the utilization of trigger point therapy, deep tissue message, friction, tapotement (percussion) and other techniques. This can be extremely therapeutic, especially for issues that have become chronic or stagnated.
Adhesions
Neuromuscular Massage can also be extremely helpful in situations where there are adhesions, either within tendons and ligaments or joints. Adhesions are tissues that are normally flexible and separate, that have become fused or scarred together. This can be due to trauma, repetitive motion, or arthritis. Neuromuscular massage will loosen up and separate adhesions, then increase the circulation to these tissues, generating a healing response that can promote an increase in flexibility and tissue movement.
Organ Health
Neuromuscular Massage will also increase blood flow to the various organs of the body, increasing their ability to receive nutrition and detoxify. Organs that are benefited by massage are the heart, liver, stomach, intestines, colon, kidneys and brain. By increasing circulation in the area of these organs as well as throughout the body, the actions of these organs are supported, and the organs themselves receive additional nutrition and detoxification. The benefit of massage to the heart is well-documented, as it strengthens and creates more flexibility in blood vessel walls, which results in a more dynamic circulation, which can lower stress on the heart. This can also have the effect of lowering blood pressure.
Mood
Neuromuscular Massage can elevate a patient’s mood by boosting the production of serotonin and endorphins. A deep and thorough massage by a trained therapist will not only stimulate the endocrine system, but help to circulate and increase absorption of the beneficial hormones that the endocrine glands produce. Endorphins are the body’s natural pleasure hormones, which are released either when we exercise or when given a thorough massage.
Immunity
Neuromuscular Massage can strengthen a person’s immune systems by increasing the detoxification process, thereby allowing the immune cells to operate more efficiently.
Tension
Neuromuscular Massage will reduce muscle tension and can work away many of the effects of stress and overexertion on the muscle fibers all over the body. This will give the body more flexibility and adaptability to handle the typical stresses of our complicated modern world, and even respond better to traumatic stressors.
Joint pain
Joint pain is often caused by a lack of circulation and movement in the synovial membranes, ligaments and muscles that attach to the joints. Neuromuscular massage can bring circulation back to all these tissues, as well as increase their flexibility and strength, in turn relieving stress on the joint membranes.
Improved Performance
Neuromuscular Massage will also assist in improving physical and mental performance, by increasing coordination, muscle flexibility, stamina and of course, circulation. More efficient muscles and nerves mean better performance and increased concentration.
General Pain
One of the most pronounced benefits of Neuromuscular Massage is its ability to reduce pain. By increasing circulation and thus the healing processes, many injuries that cause pain and inflammation can be improved. By triggering pain centers and areas of muscle stagnation, the cycle of chronic pain can often be broken, especially when Neuromuscular Massage is used in conjunction with other healing therapies.
Massage Therapies
Trigger Point Therapy
Trigger Point Therapy is founded on the premise that each muscle has one or more points within its boundary that will excite and encourage a neuromuscular response. These specific neuromuscular points are held, vibrated and percussed by the therapist in order to excite a relay to the nervous system to either break the cycle of pain, or encourage a circulation or relaxation response within the group of muscle fibers. There may be a number of varying pressures or movements that the therapist can impart upon the trigger points to inflict a varying response, dependent upon the nature of the injury or issue the patient has.
Lomi Lomi
This is a deep cultural modality of massage that has been passed down by generations of Polynesians. Hawaiians are famous for these techniques, which include a variety of myofacial-type release techniques, to encourage healing and increase circulation. A Lomi Lomi practitioner uses weight and counterbalances to exert exacting pressure upon the joints, tendons and muscles. This healing art draws a lot of wisdom through the ages from many generations.
Zero Balancing Bodywork
This system, developed by Fritz Frederick Smith, DO, MD, Lac, integrates energy work with body work. It utilizes a bridging the delivery of energy from the therapist with the structural areas requiring improvement. This system is intended to bring a level of balance to the patient, within the energy centers and pathways. The therapist is trained to recognize the energy pathways and fields of the patient upon examination, and integrate that information into the therapeutic touch.
Swedish Massage
Developed by P.H. Ling in the 18th century, this was a scientific method of massage based upon the physiological and anatomical structures of the body. The basic manipulations of Swedish Massage include effleurage, a circulatory rubbing and gentle pressure meant to increase circulation, friction and petrissage, is a rubbing of tissues into each other, separating them while smoothening them, dispursing inflammation and adhesion, and tapotement, which is percussion or tapping and thumping upon specific points.
*Massage is contraindicated in patients with high fevers, on location at skin punctures, burns, skin inflammations, pus formations, masticizing carcinogens, abdominal massage during menstruation or persons with high blood pressure, stomach-region massage for persons with gastric or duodenal ulcers, or on top of varicose veins. While these issues are often sometimes improved by trained message in outer regions, these are usually considered contraindications of massage at those regions.
