Movement, Mobility & NMT

Often the focus of massage therapy is to loosen tight muscles. 

But did you know that muscles can be "tight" in multiple ways?  A muscle can be short, tight, and overactive.  It can be short, tight, and inhibited (underactive).  And the most difficult tension type, in my opinion, is more accurately called taut muscle: overlengthened, overused, often compensating for the short/tight muscle that opposes it, and quite often weaker than this antagonist muscle.

Neuromuscular Therapy is highly focused on muscle balance, and my Pilates background is of course focused on strength and stability.  Assessments consider static posture, movement patterns, and specific pain problems, with a look at lifestyle factors and current fitness routines. 

I choose from the most efficient techniques to loosen what is tight, and activate what may be weak and/or inhibited. 

I often use active assisted stretch techniques with trigger point therapy and strain/counterstrain techniques, followed by muscle activation to help create a new pattern in the neuromuscular system.  Strength and stability training must be considered in many cases. 

It can be helpful to consider existing fitness routines, and create goals and plans to tweak a good routine or get started on a new one.  The corrective exercise model helps reinforce the movement habits that are working for you, and provides a map for changing problematic movement patterns and/or strength imbalances. 

Combined with soft-tissue manual therapy, stretch, and isolated muscle activation techniques, moving in new ways reinforces better movement.  The goal is less pain, and better strength, balance and mobility. 

Please reach out below to learn more.