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could not imagine what. After what seemed like an eternity, it hit me: it had to be the brakes. The owner smiled and pointed out that making a car go really fast isn't terribly difficult, but stopping a car moving that fast requires an amazing feat of engineering. "The same principle is true in the body. When one muscle contracts to make an action happen, the opposite muscle must control the quality and speed of that action. Like the big engine, the muscles creating the action get all the attention. The unsung heroes are the muscles controlling the action. In physiology, that function is called eccentric contraction, and it is one of the hardest jobs a muscle can do." "Is that why I had a hard time doing trills?" Miss S. asked. "Was that an indication of when this problem began?" "Great insight," I exclaimed. "It was probably the first sign of muscle fatigue and potential injury. Many of my athletes also notice little control failures before there is ever an obvious sign of pain. The more you learn to pay attention to smaller cues, the more likely you are to prevent more serious problems. Athletes and musicians both discover that the body is their real instrument and massage therapy is a great way to further that self-discovery process." "I never really thought of my music practice as athletics. Can you get me out of P.E. on Monday?" C h e c k o u t A B M P 's l a t e s t n e w s a n d b l o g p o s t s . Av a i l a b l e a t w w w. a b m p . c o m . 33 Douglas Nelson is the founder and principal instructor for Precision Neuromuscular Therapy Seminars, president of the 16-therapist clinic BodyWork Associates in Champaign, Illinois, and a trustee for the Massage Therapy Foundation. His clinic, seminars, and research endeavors explore the science behind this work. Visit www.nmtmidwest.com, or email him at doug@nmtmidwest.com. When one muscle contracts to make an action happen, the opposite muscle must control the quality and speed of that action.