Massage & Bodywork

JULY | AUGUST 2019

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3 4 5 The above technique was repeated three times, then we retested for improved left cervical rotation. The MAT maneuver did help Luke regain some of his lost range of motion, but when I removed my hands and observed him actively left rotating, I noted visible reactive muscle guarding in his right sternocleidomastoid muscle (SCM). To address his SCM spasm using movement enhancers, I asked Luke to assume a left sidelying position, and I performed the graded exposure stretch described in Image 3. Afterward, Luke sat on the therapy table and repeated the head rotation test so we could see how freely his neck moved when gravitationally loaded. Although he felt less stiffness and greater overall fl exibility, there was still something preventing full rotation. To determine if the brain was protectively guarding or if there was an additional musculoligamentous or nerve compression problem, I decided to try tricking Luke's brain with a different neck rotation approach. In a seated position with his chin tucked, Luke was instructed to focus his gaze on an object directly in front of him and slowly begin left and right rotating his shoulders (Image 4). As Luke's shoulders reached the end range of right rotation, I asked him to stop and observe what his head and neck were doing. He was astonished when he realized how far left his head turned simply by right rotating his shoulders. I suggested he practice this brain-based self-care exercise at home while observing himself in the mirror. Ta k e 5 a n d t r y A B M P F i v e - M i n u t e M u s c l e s a t w w w. a b m p . c o m / f i v e - m i n u t e - m u s c l e s . 101 Now that I knew Luke's neck was able to fully rotate but the brain still had something locked down in spasm, I began palpating up and down his cervical spine, searching for protective guarding. As my fi ngers and thumb reached the base of his occiput, I noticed considerable right-sided suboccipital tone, particularly in his right inferior oblique muscle. As shown in Image 5, I used an optic-nerve (eye) enhancer to help relieve the suboccipital spasm that was preventing optimal atlas on axis joint rotation. Throughout Luke's three-week treatment, I experimented with many myoskeletal techniques and enhancers, but those described in this article proved to be the most effective. Luke's commitment to his MAT enhancer homework was a big plus in his recovery, reducing his time with me and getting him back on the football fi eld as quickly as possible. Note 1. Rebecca Boehme et al., "Distinction of Self-Produced Touch and Social Touch at Cortical and Spinal Cord Levels," PNAS 116, no. 6 (February 2019): 2,290–99, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1816278116. Erik Dalton, PhD, is the executive director of the Freedom from Pain Institute. Educated in massage, osteopathy, and Rolfi ng, he has maintained a practice in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, for more than three decades. For more information, visit www.erikdalton.com. In this graded exposure stretch, the client inhales and lifts and slowly rotates his head to the fi rst restrictive barrier to allow my soft fi nger pads to grip his right SCM muscle. Upon exhalation, he drops the right shoulder and slowly looks toward the table to a count of fi ve, then relaxes. Brain-based self-care exercise for cervical rotation restriction. With the client's head and neck fl exed 90 degrees, I left rotate his head to barrier. Using the optic nerve as an enhancer, the client's eyes look right, and I resist the accompanying right head rotation. The client then looks left, and I follow this movement to relieve protective suboccipital guarding and increase range of motion at the atlas- axis joint. Repeat 3–5 times, then retest. Watch "Suboccipital Receptor Release"

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