MassoTherapy.NL in Amsterdam

In order to understand what happens when our muscles are manipulated (ie massaged, or worked with any number of other ‘soft tissue' techniques) and why this treatment can have such a powerful effect, we really need to understand how our muscles work, then how they go wrong. 

In response to neural (nerve) stimulation from the brain (conscious action) or from the spine (reflex action), muscle fibres react by contracting or relaxing. So we either conciously tell our muscles what to do, such as bend our arm, or they do it on their own, such as holding our head up.

Muscles have a consistent degree of ‘tone’ that is maintained by a normally functioning body.  Tone is a degree of contraction that is healthy and enables us to maintain posture.

The body will maintain this degree of tone throughout your life and one could describe it as part of the homeostatic (self regulating) mechanisms that keep all body functions within certain parameters, i.e. levels of acidity, temperature etc. 

When the body deviates from these narrow parameters, feedback mechanisms exist to inform the body of the imbalance, it (the body) then takes measures to address the situation, so, if it gets too hot, it will sweat so that evaporation reduces temperature. This is a homeostatic mechanism.

The body has an internal blueprint of what is normal and natural for its perfect function and health.  This is vital knowledge because its what we therapists depend on when treating someone with the aim of healing.

Bodywork and manual therapy are general terms that refer to body manipulation therapies used for relaxation and pain relief. Massage is a well-known form of manual therapy.

The idea behind bodywork is that people learn-or are forced by injury or stress into-unnatural ways of moving or holding their bodies. This causes discomfort and may contribute to health problems.

The aim of bodywork is to realign and re position the body to allow natural, graceful movement. Bodywork, along with identifying possible contributing causes of unnatural movement and posture, is thought to reduce stress and ease pain.

Some of the most common forms of bodywork are: 

1. The Alexander technique, which focuses on proper alignment of the head, neck, and trunk. It emphasizes improving health by increasing awareness of proper posture.
2. The Feldenkrais method, a gentle form of bodywork that increases flexibility and coordination. Feldenkrais exercises are intended to help increase a person's awareness of body movement and develop new patterns of movement.
3. The Trager approach, which people use to help relearn natural movements and exercises so their bodies can function better. Practitioners teach gentle, rhythmic motions to improve flexibility and promote relaxation (called psychophysical integration) and dancelike exercises to increase awareness of body movement (called Mentastics).

Please check the video below in our gallery to understand better about the trigger points.

 Myofascial trigger points, also known as trigger points, are described as hyper irritable spots in the fascia surrounding skeletal muscle. They are associated with palpable nodules in taut bands of muscle fibers. They are a topic of ongoing controversy, as there is limited data to inform a scientific understanding of the phenomenon. Accordingly, a formal acceptance of myofascial "knots" as an identifiable source of pain is more common among body-workers, physical therapists.

The trigger point model states that unexplained pain frequently radiates from these points of local tenderness to broader areas, sometimes distant from the trigger point itself. Practitioners claim to have identified reliable referred pain patterns which associate pain in one location with trigger points elsewhere. There is variation in the methodology for diagnosis of trigger points and a dearth of theory to explain how they arise and why they produce specific patterns of referred pain.

Compression of a trigger point may elicit local tenderness, referred pain, or local twitch response. The local twitch response is not the same as a muscle spasm. This is because a muscle spasm refers to the entire muscle contracting whereas the local twitch response also refers to the entire muscle but only involves a small twitch, no contraction.

Craniosacral therapy (CST) is a form of bodywork or alternative therapy using gentle touch to manipulate the synarthrodial joints of the cranium. A practitioner of cranial-sacral therapy may also apply light touches to a patient's spine and pelvic bones. Practitioners believe that this manipulation regulates the flow of cerebrospinal fluid and aids in "primary respiration". Craniosacral therapy was developed by John Upledger, D.O. in the 1970s, as an offshoot osteopathy in the cranial field, or cranial osteopathy, which was developed in the 1930s by William Garner Sutherland.

According to the American Cancer Society, although CST may relieve the symptoms of stress or tension, "available scientific evidence does not support claims that craniosacral therapy helps in treating cancer or any other disease". CST has been characterized as pseudoscience Cranial osteopathy has received a similar assessment, with one 1990 paper finding there was no scientific basis for any of the practitioners' claims the paper examined.

Prenatal Massage

Pregnancy will cause the body to experience some incredible changes. As the body nurtures the new life inside, muscles and joints begin to expand with the growing baby. Ligaments and fascia in the body soften as a result of the pregnancy hormone, relaxin. While relaxin is beneficial to assist the changing dynamics of the prenatal body, it's important to be conscious of working to dissipate any stored tension in the muscles and joints. Unresolved aches can lead to using the body improperly, causing more areas of tension. Finding ways to help the body rest and catch up is essential during this very transitional time. Throughout pregnancy and as your due date approaches, a massage is a great way to ensure your body is in the best possible shape for the rest of the prenatal journey and the birth event to come. Feel supported emotionally and physically, as we work with your body to give you the best prenatal experience possible.   

Postpartum Massage
It's important to remember that it takes nine months for the prenatal body to shift, open up, and adjust to a growing baby. It takes at least the same amount of time (and up to two years or more) for the body to return to the strength and form it was prior to pregnancy. This is a very real time of adjustment and recovery for the postpartum body. The hormones that allowed your body to open up and grow your baby are still present in the body for up to four months postpartum. The pelvic floor that softened and stretched to support a growing baby will need time to heal and recover. Your lower back and pelvis will also need time to properly support the weight of the spine and upper body again. This isn't a sign of weakness, but an opportunity nature has given your recovering body to help you become even stronger. Because the hormone relaxin is still abundant in your body, this gives us a special window to get to the root of imbalance and aches.