Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/1471270
L i s te n to T h e A B M P Po d c a s t a t a b m p.co m /p o d c a s t s o r w h e reve r yo u a cce s s yo u r favo r i te p o d c a s t s 27 a sock puppet and you are making it nod yes. (The chin to chest part of the yes, specifically). These muscles work together to make this possible. And although they may be asked from different neural pathways to fire separately and move individually, there can come a time when they are so entangled with each other that their ability to free themselves is limited, if not gone altogether. Looking at dysfunctions such as trigger finger or Dupuytren's contracture, we realize the more engrossed a coalition of muscles is in one task, the more likely it is to get stuck. Of course, it's not exactly that translatable, but you get the idea. A healthy individual involves a steady balance between doing things with others and carving out alone time. GIVING MUSCLES BACK THEIR IDENTITY When it comes to bodywork approaches toward muscles that can't quite separate themselves from their party, try focusing on the fascial boundaries that help offer each muscle a sense of identity. With your client prone on the table, situate their arm next to their body so that their palm faces up toward the ceiling. Begin with a nice steamroll, using your forearm or a soft fist, to open up the enmeshed f lexors of your client's forearm. Start at the elbow and slide all the way down to the wrist, lightening up on your pressure over the carpal tunnel, and then sinking back into the palm all the way through the fingers. This sets the stage. Then you can dive in. If you don't know your forearm muscle anatomy to the letter, that's OK! With specific thumbs, fingers, or knuckles—given your preference and good body mechanic tactics—slide down each of the sections of the medial forearm that correlate to each finger on the hand. Having your client wiggle their fingers while you do this gives you a strong sense of where the muscle is located. Fall to either side of that and begin to create a divide. The forearm f lexors may be a little unhappy at first, like two kids pulled out of a fight and placed in different corners of the room, but offering them a little space also offers them time to think. And this gives them back their identity. Asking your clients to engage in the work you are doing doesn't only give you a sense of where things lie—it also helps the client understand their own anatomy. If we allow the muscles in our bodies to get lost among all the other soft tissues that surround them, the ability to articulate dissolves. Look at it this way: Belonging to a group is an active practice, not a passive state of existence. Healing the muscles that are adhered and limited involves the same focused awareness that would be helpful for the many aspects of how we, as humans, can get lost in the shuff le. Allison Denney is a certified massage therapist and certified YouTuber. You can find her massage tutorials at YouTube.com/RebelMassage. She is also passionate about creating products that are kind, simple, and productive for therapists to use in their practices. Her products, along with access to her blog and CE opportunities, can be found at rebelmassage.com. TECHNIQUE When it comes to bodywork approaches toward muscles that can't quite separate themselves from their party, try focusing on the fascial boundaries that help offer each muscle a sense of identity. VIDEO: "CARPAL TUNNEL & GOLFER'S ELBOW" 1. Open your camera 2. Scan the code 3. Tap on notification 4. Watch!