Ice massage for inflammation and pain relief is fast, free, safe and easy to implement. If you a massage therapist who treats athletes you should have ice massage available. As a massage therapist you will see many clients who come and see you for pain relief of a chronic or acute condition, caused by an injury.

Pain, muscle spasms and inflammation are common responses to injury, which affects ligaments, tendons and tissues that connect muscle and bones. Cold applied to these areas decreases the flow of inflammation causing fluid into the tissues and slows the release of chemicals that cause pain and inflammation. Cold decreases feeling in an area by reducing the ability of the nerve endings to conduct impulses.

Ice massage therapy is most effective if it is applied as soon as possible after the injury occurs. The cold makes the veins in the tissue contract, reducing circulation. Once the cold is removed, the veins overcompensate and dilate and blood rushes into the area. The blood brings with it the necessary nutrients to allow the injured back muscles, ligaments and tendons to heal.

Ice massage therapy provides convenient and effective pain relief. It can help to provide relief for back, knee, and ankle or elbow pain in a number of ways, including:

• Ice application slows the inflammation and swelling that occurs after injury. Most back pain is accompanied by some type of inflammation, and addressing the inflammation helps reduce the pain
• Ice massage therapy numbs sore tissues (providing pain relief like a local anesthetic)
• Ice massage therapy slows the nerve impulses in the area, which interrupts the pain-spasm reaction between the nerves
• Ice massage therapy decreases tissue damage

Scar tissue Removal

In our San Jose massage facility, we often work with clients who are athletes. And we all know that athletes injured themselves.

Many our massage clients who suffer from scar tissue formation; we specialize in scar tissue removal at our clinic. After every one of our scar tissue removal sessions we finish off with a 5-7 minute ice massage. This is design to keep any new scar tissue from building up after these very evasive massage sessions.

Scar tissue removal massage techniques are designed to cause micro trauma to the area being worked on. This is necessary for the removal and break up of scar tissue that our massage clients may be suffering from. But at the same time your thoughts are to minimize the damaged that occurs from this very intense deep massage. Utilizing ice massage with this type of massage allows us to this very effectively.

You can use an ice cube, but it’s easier to use an “ice cup” for ice massage.

• To make an ice cup, fill a small paper or Styrofoam cup about two-thirds full, and freeze it until it is solid.
• To use the ice cup, peel off the top of the cup so about 0.5 in. of ice is showing. The remaining part of the cup is for you to hold on to.
• As the ice melts, it will drip, so put a small towel under the area you are icing.
• Rub the ice in small circles all over the affected area. Avoid areas where the bone is close to the skin, such as right over your kneecap, the point of your elbow, or your spine. Some people also find it is more comfortable to put a moisture barrier such as a section of plastic bag over the area, so the ice is not directly touching the skin. To try this, hold the plastic in place with one hand and rub the ice over it with the other hand.¹
• If the ice melts down so the cup is touching your skin, peel more of the cup off.
• Continue for about 7 to 10 minutes. You will go through 4 stages of with ice massage first stage is cold, second stage may burn, third stage will ache, then finally the fourth stage and the most important stage is the numbing stage, as soon as this is achieved, remove the ice. Your skin will be pink and cold when you finish.
• You can do an ice massage several times a day if it helps you

Please do not attempt scar tissue removal techniques on your clients unless you have experience doing this type of work. You can cause more damage to the injured area. These massage techniques are advanced and have no preset way of achieving results, this is where your experience will guide you. You can rest assure that with RPM Therapy in San Jose, we are experienced bodyworkers and if you suffer from scar tissue or think that you do, our staff is here to help.

Muscle recovery and restoring range of motion is the primary focus for post-event massage therapy. Post event massage is usually done at the site 10 – 20 minutes after an athlete completes his or hers event. But I find that most events attract huge crowds and getting a massage at one of the events, can be very challenging.

This past Sunday, I completed my first half marathon in San Jose, called the Rock-n-Roll ½ Marathon. An event like this could attract at least 10,000 runners. As you can only imagine, trying to get a 5 minute massage to reduce your muscle soreness, will have you standing in a line for about 30 minutes or more. And the skill set of the massage therapist should be a concern for you as well. Because it is at this time that a sports massage can do more damage than good. I personally do not recommend getting a post-event massage at your event for these reasons, unless of course you have VIP status and can get seen by a massage therapist quickly and who is knowledgeable in post event massage techniques.

According to a recent study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, researchers at Ohio State University found that Swedish massage helped speed muscle recovery at the cellular level for rabbits that got mechanically intense exercise.

I find this study to be a little interesting, as I have heard of horses and pets getting massage but never rabbits. Anyways, this study is helping to affirm the benefits that sports massage can have on muscle recovery with massage verses not getting massage.  I personally have done case studies on myself with regards to how massage affects muscle recovery. And this is what I can share with you.

I had done a case study a while back and I picked my calf muscle for this case study. My calves have always been a weak point for me (just ask my girlfriend she can confirm this for you) but as I was saying, I picked calves for my study. Here is a quick outline of it…

• 100 reps total, 4 sets of 25 reps with a weight of 50% of my maximum 10 repetitions.
• No massage to the area after this workout was done

Results: 4.5 days of muscle soreness, I measured muscle soreness as what I felt when I touched the calf area. Waited a full 2 weeks before I done the same weight and rep scheme but this time I had my calves massaged right after the workout and the day after.

Results: 2 days of muscle soreness only, but honestly it was not even a full 2 days. Getting oxygenated blood into your overworked muscles is key to continuing to perform your best in whatever event or sport that you participate in.

As a massage therapist you would think that, I would just believe, that massage can help you with muscle recovery without inflicting that painful experience on myself. But I like to know first hand what I am talking about when it comes to giving out advice.  So as a final thought I do recommend post-event massage therapy for muscle recovery after your event, but schedule your massage with a trusted massage therapist prior to your event.  Have it all setup so that when you finish your event you go right from there to your massage appointment maybe even schedule two shorter massage appointments in close together to maximize the benefits. You will be happy to know that you can trust your post-event massage sessions with us at RPM Therapy in San Jose. Your body will thank you for it.

Have you ever had a cavity that became so painful that you needed to seek a dentist for pain relief? Did you feel it coming on? Most likely not, muscle pain and dysfunction is very similar in nature, you may not feel it initially until the pain becomes so great, that you seek a doctor for an explanation and all he or she does is prescribe pain killers and muscle relaxants.

Muscle pain and dysfunction begins much earlier than when you begin to feel it, because it is an accumulation of muscles becoming “stuck” to one another and because your nervous system as a job uses only 10% for pain sensory. Your muscle fibers are to slide against one another for contracting and releasing as we move throughout the day. Pain and dysfunction within the muscle structure occurs as a result of these fibers not having the freedom to move and slide freely, altering your natural movements.

There are many reasons why this occurs, you will find below just some of them.

• Overuse syndromes- these are probably the most common, repetitive strain injuries happen so often because they are job related in most cases.

• Sports injuries- if you play sports and do not stretch often, you will be subject to muscles becoming tight, overworked or traumatize by the high impact of physical activity or a fall.

• Car accidents- car accidents often cause more pain and dysfunction that what you initially feel or become aware of. An automobile is built to take a slow 5 to 10 mph crash, this is not necessarily true for your body. Even in a low impact accident a person’s soft tissue can be damaged. The back and neck are the usual problem spots for soft tissue injuries.

• A lack of sleep- your body isn’t healing properly during your deep sleep (non-REM sleep). This prevents your brain from getting the deep restorative sleep it needs to generate enough growth hormones. And it is the growth hormones that your body needs to keep muscles healthy.

A knowledgeable deep tissue massage specialist can do so much for each of these problems.

The primary goal for deep tissue massage experts is better posture, decrease of pain symptoms, increased flexibility and fluid movements. These are the very things that are impacted by the above list.

Deep tissue massage specialists are trained to look for these kinds of restrictions and improper muscle movements, even before you may become of aware it. A professional deep tissue massage therapists will utilize many different styles of massage that you will not receive with a spa that hires massage therapists with very little skill or know how.

A knowledgeable therapist has many massage techniques from which he will use on you to help you regain normal muscle function and decrease pain. Massage techniques such as cross-fiber friction, muscle stripping techniques, anchor and stretch, active release techniques and stretching. All these different techniques are muscle lengthening strokes and are designed to alleviate restrictive or stuck muscles that alter normal muscle function.

RPM Therapy is here to help

We are not a Spa, our massage work is therapeutic. Your massage session with us will address these muscle and pain dysfunctions that can only be corrected by deep muscle work. Doreen Jattan, John Dodson, Roger Kittle, Andrea Naugle and me (Robert Vignoli), we all take pride in helping you live an active and full life free from pain and dysfunction.

Aeriol Ascher is our relaxation expert she combines Reiki, hot stones and aromatherapy for those of you looking for that spa-like massage. Even though our massage is therapeutic and deep, you will feel much more relaxed after your session with us. The reason for this is simple, a muscle that is tight and restricted cannot ever be or feel relaxed when it is constantly at work even when you are resting.

To book your massage with us click here for our online massage scheduler, we now offer massage gift cards, thank you. Also if you please share this blog post across your social networking websites we would appreciated it very much.

Pregnancy brings great joy to everyone’s life that is impacted by it.  There are some disadvantages towards being pregnant.  Constant visits to the restroom and eventually the large belly putting pressure on vital organs and of course the pain created from the physical change that occurs to the body.  The smallest things that didn’t matter much before pregnancy become very noticeable with pregnancy such as taking hot baths during the first trimester, or lying on your back during mid-trimester.  Below you will find much needed information in regards to massage and your body.

What is prenatal massage?

Overall health, reduce stress, and relieve muscle tension are just a few things pregnant women can look forward to during their massages. Prenatal massage care can give pregnant women an alternative means of taking care of their pain and discomfort without medication. Prenatal massage therapy should be given careful consideration.

Should you lie on your stomach if you can?

Many professionals consider the best position for a pregnant woman during massage is side-lying. This is best only because lying face-down puts pressure on the tender breasts during the first trimester but most importantly, during the mid-trimester, the weight of the uterus puts too much pressure on the vein that returns blood from the legs to the heart. Tables that provide a hole in which the uterus can fit may not be reliable and can still apply pressure to the abdomen, or allow the abdomen to dangle, causing uncomfortable stretching of the uterine ligaments. Do talk to your massage therapist before your first appointment to confirm what method they use during their prenatal massages.

Most therapists have lots of comfy pillows to have the belly and breasts supported well.  I normally give pregnant women choices between a side-lying position or a Prego-pillow designed for women in the mid to late trimester which allows them to lay face-down.

Will prenatal massage help you?

Prenatal massage has many benefits.  From low back pain to possibly reducing chronic headaches.  Massage does decrease stress and promote relaxation, helping you cope with discomfort because carrying a baby changes your center of gravity and puts enormous amounts of stress on your back, neck, abdominal, and shoulders.   Pregnancy also relaxes your ligaments for birthing so your pelvic is less stable. This changes your posture and pulls your pelvis forward.  The baby weight upfront also pulls the body forward arching the lowback causing pain.

It’s always good to tell where your pains are but if your therapist is trained well, he/she will be aware of majority of them.

How do you find a great therapist?

Word of mouth is very powerful so ask your friends and family.  Local health practitioners are great resources or www.Yelp.com.  Make sure you ask all the questions you have before booking your session.

How much should a prenatal massage cost?

Depending on where you live, prices can range from as low as $50 to $120 an hour.  Most of the time, pregnancy massages cost just a little more than regular sessions because of the work involve in setting up and breaking down the massage tables and therapists are required to take additional classes to be knowledgeable to perform this technique.  Ask your doctor to prescribe treatments and see if your therapist will accept it.

Are there specific techniques I should look for?

Even though many pregnant women are advised to get Swedish or light work, trigger point therapy to release tensed muscle is a great technique if used by a trained therapists.  Don’t get scared about pressure.  Your therapist should know exactly which areas to avoid.

Are there any kinds of complications during or after the massage?

Just avoid massages in any area where there are any blood clots or any bone fracture.  Also avoid massage if you have skin injury or any condition which will irritate your skin by rubbing. Other than that, you should be fine.

Will the baby feel the massage as well?

I have given massages to pregnant women and have felt the baby move and respond.  The unborn child does respond to touch even before it is born.  This is good news for fathers because even if you don’t get regular massages, a loving touch to the belly is comforting to you and the baby.  Try bonding with the baby this way.

This article was contributed by Doreen Jattan

We all heard it, and we all thought about it, but what good will that clear stuff really do for us after a massage? “Drink lots of water after each session, it will help flush out all those toxins.” The famous words given to just about everyone who receives a massage! Drinking water is an important factor after a massage session, and will help you get the most out of your massage.

Massage is soft tissue manipulation that provides an increase of blood flow to our body. Those “feel good spots”, and an “ahh” moment happens when we increase the blood flow to a specific area that has been blocked. The blocked area is usually from muscle tightness, which comes from stress, physical activity, emotion distress or injury. We need a large amount of water after muscle manipulation occurs because these ‘spots’ are potent and toxic to our body and need the assistance of water to be flushed out.

A Toxic World

Toxins enter our muscles through many different ways.

• Physical and emotional stress
• Drinking and smoking
• A poor diet
• Your job
• Coffee
• Pills and Medications
• Sex ( lol…just kidding)

When we put medication in our body to help ease the pain or for any kind of headache or migraine symptom relief, pills leave excess toxins behind.  These toxins than are settled into our muscles causing muscle tightness and spasms. It is also not uncommon to have muscles tighten or go into spasm due to extreme muscle dehydration caused from lack of sufficient water intake.

Physical activity, stress and injuries create the muscle tissues to build-up toxins in specific areas of the body. Lactic acids, stress hormones, and dehydration are all causes of knots. Water is seen as the “liquid drano” for our bodies to flush out lactic acid and metabolic wastes that cause these knots. When a particular working muscle is dehydrated, it searches for a water source and most often clings to other muscle tissue for this water source.

How Does Massage Therapy Help?

When toxins build up in your body you will feel sluggish and pain. Muscle tissues become very dehydrate and nutrient deprived which will cause more pain and a lack of energy. Massage Therapists have to break apart these tissues which can be painful but for most individuals this is a “feels good moment” because we create more blood flow to the specific dehydrated muscles. When these are broken down and the tissue is back in its normal state, we need water to help keep the muscle tissue hydrated and healthy.

Water is an undervalued tool for the body and it has so many benefits. It helps with headaches, hunger, general hydration, organ health, and weight loss. By the way, it’s always a good idea to empty your bladder before you get started with your massage. If you metabolize quickly, you may start detoxing on the table (well your bladder will get full), and you may want to go use the restroom right after if not during the massage. Next time when you go to your massage, drink a little before your session, and a little more after. Just drink up and be merry!

How much water do I need on a daily basis?

“A simple rule is to take your weight in pounds, divide in half, and drink that number of ounces of water. So for a person how weighs 150lbs, you should be drinking 75 ounces of water. Do not over-drink, thinking that you can overcome months or years of under-drinking by drinking a lot in a few days. Drink your amount (as calculated above) daily & your body will fully re-hydrate over a long period of time.” (Dr. F. Batmanghelidj, M.D).

This article was contributed by Andrea Naugle

to learn more about this sports massage therapist click here

As a male massage therapist, it can be very difficult establishing yourself in the massage industry. When I first started my massage career, I was afraid that I would not be able to survive and support myself. This was due to the fact that I could not find any massage job openings being a male massage therapist.

I recently came across a blog posting by fingertips called, “Keeping contact with the client” she states in her blog posting how important it is to keeping contact with your client during your massage sessions.

“As long as your hands are in contact with the client, they know where you are. This gets into the issue of trust, which, when your client knows where your hands are, facilitates relaxation”.

I firmly believe this as well, once I was able to find a massage job I made sure that my clients especially the females knew exactly where my hands were during their massage sessions. I often felt from the female clientele that frequent the Spa that I worked at, that there was a certain apprehension about them getting a massage from a male therapist.

Once I got that client on the table, I made sure that my hands never broke contact with their bodies. I intuitively knew that if my hands never left their bodies that they would be able to relax. My best guess is that the first five or ten minutes of the massage the female clients that I had, knew exactly where my hands were and paid specific attention to it. But once I built up that trust they were able to relax.

When I massaged areas of their body that did not require two hands; i.e. elbow work and trigger point therapy, just as fingertips mentioned in her blog post I would also put my free hands somewhere on their back, leg or arm just to let my female clients know that I was still there with them.

I also believe that my specialty, doing deep tissue massage has helped me to be successful as a male massage therapist. Deep tissue massage requires that you deliver precise intentional and direct pressure, to your clients. This kind of deliberate pressure felt like muscle work for my clients, not touchy-feely. So there was no mistake with what my intentions were, even when working sensitive areas like the glutes. Build trust through your massage and bodywork and be successful.

Reiki Massage is now being offered at RPM Therapy

Aeriol Ascher is a Reiki Master / Teacher trained in multiple Massage & Somatic Therapies, such as Medical Aromatherapy, Herbology, AcuTuning Forks, Crystals, Gems, Reflexology, & Hot Stone Therapy.

We at RPM Therapy in San Jose are so happy to have her part of our team, she is energetic and funny and always a delight, her integrated Reiki massage and bodywork will help facilitate: stress relief, pain management, deep energetic clearing, personal awareness & self-growth, which essential to living a life full of vitality.

What is Reiki Massage

Reiki (pronounced Ray-key) is a Japanese name consisting of 2 words Rei and Ki meaning spiritually guided life energy (commonly known as Universal Life Energy), an energy which animates us all and is found all around us. Reiki is a form of spiritual healing using “universal life energy” channeled through the practitioner to the recipient. Reiki helps to harmonize body, mind and spirit

A treatment feels like a wonderful glowing radiance that flows through and around you. Reiki treats the whole person including body, emotions, mind and spirit creating many beneficial effects that include relaxation and feelings of peace, security and wellbeing. Many have reported miraculous results.

Reiki in conjunction with therapeutic massage, hot rocks and other medical techniques can balance not only your physical and emotional well-being, but your spiritual as well.

How Reiki Massage Helps

Reiki is believed to relieve pain, boosts the immune system and relieve acute and chronic problems. This is believed because physical manifestations of pain are often linked to emotional, mental and spiritual states. Chronic illnesses may take a series of treatments, depending on the specific nature of the disease. Reiki goes beyond the symptoms to treat the root cause of the disease. When we treat only the symptoms, we do not always get to the true basis of the illness.

Reiki practitioners channel energy in a particular pattern to heal and harmonize. Unlike other healing therapies based on the premise of a human energy field, Reiki seeks to restore order to the body whose vital energy has become unbalanced.

What are the Benefits?

Reiki can be used in many ways and combined with essential oils and massage is a powerful tool. Reiki massage is great if you are suffering from stress or tension, and the many symptoms associated with stress and tension. It can also improve the quality of difficult relationships at home or work. The beneficial effects of Reiki and massage occur on many different levels. Reiki can accelerate the healing of physical problems, balance the emotions, and free us from restrictive mental attitudes. It may also provide a closer connection with our own inner wisdom.

Reiki encourages and supports positive personal change such as improving the diet, having more rest, exercise or leisure time, and may reduce the need for alcohol and tobacco. Reiki can allow us to respond more calmly to all events, and build on a more resourceful state of being. Reiki is a gentle energy and may be used safely by all ages, including the newborn, pregnant mothers, surgical patients, the frail and the elderly, regardless of their state of health. Reiki can enhance everyday life, and regular sessions help to ward-off illness and fatigue .

Over the past ten years it has become more common to find massage therapists treating athletes using massage therapy. The therapeutic advantage of massage not only eases the pain in sore muscles, but actually strengthens an athlete prior to a game or event. It is not uncommon for professional athletes to have their own personal massage therapist.

There are many different massage therapy techniques used to treat athletes. Many therapists use deep tissue massage to treat athletes who are injured. Deep tissue massage is often used as relief for injured muscles. In order to perform a deep tissue massage a therapist must use either the fingers, thumbs or even the elbows to get into the grain of the muscles. In order to practice a deep tissue massage, a therapist must be thoroughly trained as if not done properly; it can cause additional pain or injury. This type of massage is very effective as it works beneath the surface muscles and is a popular method for relieving not only injuries, but also chronic pain and even inflammation.

Implementing various different sports massage techniques and stretches to your program will greatly enhance your ability to work with athletes. Deep tissue massage is just one, some of my favorites are trigger point therapy cross fiber friction, muscle stripping techniques, active release techniques and PNF stretches. Learn these massage technques and watch your business grow.

To prepare an athlete, a massage therapist will concentrate on the muscles most often used. By using various sports massage therapy techniques, the muscles are relaxed. Being tense will make an injury worse. It is the reason why so many drunk drivers walk away from car accidents while those they hit die. It is because the driver was completely relaxed. The muscles were relaxed. It works the same way with an athlete.

An athlete who goes into a game with muscles that are relaxed and toned is in much better condition to avoid greater injury to those muscles if they are tense. This is why so many athletes use the benefits of massage treatments, such as relaxing spa treatments, prior to sporting events.

A good massage therapist can have a thriving practice in the field of sports medicine if he or she is well versed in treating athletes. They must have complete knowledge of the anatomical structure of the human body and need to know which muscles are most prone to strain and injury. They not only need to know how to relieve the pain from injury, but also to prepare an athlete so that he or she does not get a greater injury. Sports massage techniques include both deep tissue massage and a variety of relaxing massages and stretching techniques. While a physical trainer works with an athlete to improve his or her skills on the field, the therapist works with the body of the athlete to prepare the body for the exertion it will soon endure.

Treating athletes using massage therapy is very common and has been practiced for years. Without the massage techniques performed prior to the game, the athlete may not be able to sustain the beatings that some of their bodies take during a sports competition such as football. This is a growing field and very prosperous for a person who is willing to learn the proper techniques.

Chances are if you are like most Americans you have had a headache, as a matter of fact when it comes to the rate of chronic headaches in America, studies have shown that roughly 45 million Americans suffer from headaches each year. While I would suggest that seeking the service of a professional massage therapist, many times you can utilize self massage techniques. These techniques can be used for everyone who is suffering from a migraine or headache but results will vary from individual to individual.

Men suffer slightly more from headaches than females, 25 million men on average, compare to females who average about 20 million who suffer from headaches. This statistic represents roughly 1 out of every 6 Americans. Here are some more startling statistics that might be alarming to you, do you suffer from headaches or migraines?

Headache statistics according to the American Headache Society:

• Every 10 seconds, someone in the United States goes to the emergency room with a headache or migraine.

• More than $1 billion is spent on over-the-counter medications to treat headaches and Migraines.

• The lost work due to migraine disease costs more than $13 billion every year in the U.S.

I have listed here some very effective self massage techniques that are great for you if you happen to be suffering from a headache, please share these massage techniques with a friend. Follow these self massage techniques that are listed here and you will diffuse the severity of your headache or migraine, until you can see a professional massage therapist or Reiki Master.

1.    Drink plenty of water before and after doing these massage techniques (most important)

2.    Take your thumbs and press them firmly into the bridge of your nose, just underneath your forehead. Direction of pressure is in towards one another at the bridge of your nse, pressure is firm but not causing pain. Hold for 7 – 10 seconds, breathy deeply. Repeat 2 -4 times

 3.    Take your thumbs and now place them just underneath your forehead, with the pads of your thumb very close to the bridge of your nose. But this time you will press firmly upwards towards your forehead, again not causing pain but utilizing firm steady pressure. Taking deep breathes while holding this pressure. Hold for 7 – 10 seconds and repeat if necessary.

 4.    Take both hands and pinch and pull your skin tissue just below you eyebrows and hold. Direction of and pressure of pinch is away from face and pressure is firm, with a hold of about 5 -7 seconds and repeat.

 5.    Take your thumbs or your middle 3 fingers and press them firmly into the sides of your temple. You can add a slight circular motion here as well, this is very effective. Hold for 7 – 10 seconds using firm but steady pressure.

 6.    Sinus suffers can press into the sides of their nose and move fingers firmly away from their nose towards their cheekbones. Working both sides at once and working multiple points along the ridge of your nose. Direction of pressure is in towards your face and moving away towards your cheekbones.

 7.    Optional: If you have something that is firm in nature or hard plastic protected with some padding, the goal here is to get something that you can put behind your head and lay the back of your head on just underneath your skull (sub occipital area)

 
I have tried and used these massage therapy techniques many times in the past with great results; most times headaches disappear almost immediately. If you have any other techniques I would love to hear about it, thank you.

As a massage therapist it is vital to know the various parts of the human body and understand their significance. Two terms that you should know and understand are Golgi tendons and muscle spindle cells. As a massage therapist it is important to know these two sensory neuron proprioceptors and know what they do. The muscle spindle, for instance, is a proprioceptor that relays information regarding changes in the length of muscles. The Golgi tendon is a different type of proprioceptor that relays information regarding muscle tension changes. These two proprioceptors are important for stretching muscles and conditioning muscles.Together they help to protect the muscles from overstretching and becoming injured. First, though, it is important to know what each is and its particular function.

What are Sensory Neurons

Neurons are cells that work to carry messages through the body. The neurons are responsible for telling you to bend your finger or flex your foot. They also make sure that you don’t overstretch your muscle or apply too much tension to a tendon, thus avoiding injury. Every neuron is comprised of a cell body and nerve fibers. It is the nerve fibers that receive impulses from other neurons and then send that information to the cell body. The fibers then send the impulses away from the cell body to other neurons. 

The Golgi tendon organs and muscle spindle cells are both sensory neurons called proprioceptors. These sensory neurons are located in nerves and tracts but their cell bodies are found just outside of the spinal cord. They move messages from sensory organs in the tendons and muscles to the spinal cord. Some of these neuron fibers are called proprioceptive fibers. These fibers monitor the way that a muscle contracts and stretches as well as measures the tension that is in a tendon and transmit’s that information to the spinal cord so that the information can be processed. This feedback allows the body to know positions and postures of the limbs even when they cannot be seen.

What are Golgi Tendons

Golgi tendon organs are located in the collagen fibers of the tendon at the point where the tendon fibers merge with the muscle fibers.  While they function in a manner that is similar to muscle spindle cells in that they measure muscle changes, they only become activated when there is contraction of the tendon. They also monitor changes in the tension of the muscle that comes from a change of the muscle length. When the tendon or muscle is overstrained, it sends a message to the muscle which causes it to relax.  This is important for preventing injury.

What are Muscle Spindle Cells

Muscle spindle cells are located in the muscle fibers, parallel to them. Their function is to monitor and measure muscle length on a continual basis, both when the muscle is at rest and when it is stretched as well as the speed of changes in muscle length. The muscle spindle cell is located inside the muscle while the Golgi is located at the end of the muscle.

How do the Golgi Tendon Organs and Muscle Spindle Cells Work Together

The muscle spindle cells have a very effective working relationship with the Golgi tendon organs. The muscle spindle monitors the changes in length and the speed of those changes within the muscle. It sends the message to the spine to convey the information to trigger the stretch reflex. This stretch reflex, for which the Golgi tendon organs are a part, tries to stop the change of the length of the muscle. This is a protective feature of the human body that prevents injury. The more the muscle tries to stretch and the faster it tries to stretch, the more the Golgi tendon organs cause it to contract. Over time, the muscles can be trained so that the stretch reflex allows for more and more of a stretch before contracting.

As a massage therapist it is important that you understand how the Golgi tendon organs and muscle spindle cells work together to prevent injury to muscles. As you work and stretch the muscles of your client, you must pay attention to the response of their body.  Learn to detect the muscle spindle cell’s span and ability to stretch, but also learn how to detect when the Golgi tendon organs begin to work to prevent injury. Then learn how to work with that push-pull action to help lengthen the muscle and increase the muscle spindle cell’s ability to stretch the muscle until the Golgi tendon organs attempt to stop the stretch. This will help you prevent injury to your client and help them work with sports injuries.