Dynamic Balance

Get It Started - Editorial (pink for Val's Day)

WOOHOO! its February! Time for hearts, chocolate and romance. All of which have nothing to do with massage therapy - or do they?

The heart is a muscle and it counts on  a relaxed contraction/relaxation of the other soft tissue to help it do its job.

Then there is chocolate! (YEA CHOCOLATE!) it many cases Massage therapy produces the same result as chocolate does on the body - but massage last longer.

Lest we forget romance! ok, Romance has nothing to do with massage unless your other half gives you a gift certificate for a massage, one that really loves you will give you a 2 hour massage!

Seriously, if you haven't had a 2 hour or more massage you have no idea - personally the first hour is just preparatory work and warming you up for real relaxation. Try it! But don't plan on doing much afterwards other than a nice hot cup of tea, a soft chair or hot bath.

This months muscle / issue is the iliopsoas (ill lee O so az) a hidden prankster that affects the body not only on several planes but emotionally, and viscerally and functionally.

BTW if you can't wait for the monthly newsletters for your fix of all things massage therapy you can go to http://www.scinthenews.com/index.php?news=827 for an article on the parasympathetic response

Did You know?

There are approximately 36K "Licensed" Massage Therapists in the state of Florida. More than almost any 2 other states. We have the 2nd highest requirements in the country and there are about 6 schools in the central Florida area, that pump out on the average of 40 students every 6 months. About 500 LMT's a year. Most never make it past the 2nd year of practice.

Body Balancing Massage Therapy - Business

In the past few months I have seen many "new" massage therapist pop up on the local radar. The ones I have met have all been great people with a love of their work. Some are new to the area but not new to the profession and some are still in their professional infancy. I love talking to new LMT's to feel out where there practice is going, and where the state of massage therapy is going.

Focusing on my own practice and research I have a tendency to get blinders and forget what it was like to be fresh on the scene. I also tend to forget how little one really knows out of school, and how basic the basics really are.

In our curriculum each day we gave a massage, got a massage, then sat down for 4 hours of anatomy and physiology. The aim is to give the student a knowledge of what he is touching and effecting with his touch. To gain some insight into what he is doing and how it is affecting his client.

When I started, fresh out of school I knew the soft tissue of the body and its effects were far reaching. It is like looking a the horizon and realizing the world is BIG. That view was very 2 dimensional and the body is 4 dimensional (time). But now some time later having discovered more of what lies on the horizon I realize my original assessment was very accurate, but shallow. But now having discovered some of the intricacies of the BIG'ness makes me even more aware not only of how much I have learned but how much there is yet to learn. Thank-you for allowing me to touch and to help.

LDT is for me an amazing application of research and body wisdom. Since beginning the study of LDT about a year ago, I have made some very fundamental changes, and opened my mind and practice to a new approach that has colored  my technique and approach a little more blue (blue = water). LDT for me was like a moment of realization that opens your eyes to see something you have always seen in a new light and opens your awareness.

That being said lets get back to the issue of the month. you will notice on the picture to the left (thanks to Grays anatomy) the many nodes as well as the cisterna chyli - the bulbous thing in the middle - this main line between the two blue lines on either side is the main drain. Restriction placed on its function by a bent posture due to iliopsoas trigger points or shortening can cramp and restrict the function of the many lymphatic pathways that aid in digestion, immune function, fluid balance and overall functionality.

Example: After sitting at her desk all day Susi stands to go home. She doesn't exhibit any pain but she doesn't stand all the way up allowing time for the musculature, specifically the Psoas to stretch before getting into her car to drive home. Since part of the connection of the Psoas and QL are to the diaphragm she isn't breathing as deeply either. Not a deep enough breath, leads to a imbalance of carbon dioxide/oxygen. The resulting tiredness and more shallow breathing. impairs the function of the immune system since much of it is in the lymphatic system. She takes vitamins everyday but can't seem to get any better from the cold that has been plaguing her for weeks. Sitting in the flexed position with no relief, the muscular balance between the psoas and QL flares up and before long her back begins to hurt. She will never associate the back pain, shallow breathing or general malaise with the problematic psoas - she'll just deal with it.

Why suffer when you don't need to - get your body balanced :)

The PSOAS - aka the hidden prankster

Lets get a little basic with this muscle first.

It attaches to the front of the transverse processes (the bony protrusions to each side of the body of the vertebrae) and runs "sort" of diagonally down and out towards the hip where it attaches to the "iliacus" which lines the inside of the hip bone, then it goes back toward the midline of the body and attaches just under the pubic area to the inside of the leg.

It is the main hip flexor of the human body. Any time your knee comes up whether passive or active the psoas shortens. In a culture so oriented around sitting static for hours, it is no wonder we have back problems. The psoas is part of many patterns of structural integrity. In the front to back it balances with the Quadratus Lumborum (pictured) and gluteus maximus (your butt), as well as myofascial lines such as the "deep front line" (pictured) which tie it from your head to your toes.

Then there is the emotional component, The fear factor if you will. The iliopsoas produces the fetal position in human beings. It closes and protects the tender reproductive and digestive organs, it is also sensitive to imbalances and tension in the viscera (organs) and reacts to them

"The iliopsoas is a "hidden prankster" in the sense that it serves many critically important functions, often causes pain, and is relatively inaccessible. Unidentified iliopsoas and/or quadratus lumborum trigger points (TrP’s) are frequently responsible for a failed low back post-surgical syndrome"

We haven't even hit on the dynamic balancing effect it has with the other musculature in the body to maintain placement of the vertebrae. Imbalances there can create excessive pressure on disks, misalign them as in scoliosis which creates a whole other host of problems.

BY its very placement most therapist won't go after it if they know its involved due to its close proximity to viscera and other tender structures. Nor do you want them to if they are not comfortable with working on it.