Neuromuscular therapy is a specialized form of manual, deep tissue massage that calms the central nervous system via muscles that have sustained soft tissue injury. It is considered to be a very effective non-surgical manual therapy for chronic pain, which may manifest as back and neck pain as well as shoulder, elbow or forearm pain. In Los Angeles, neuromuscular therapy is used by holistic pain management therapists, medical personnel, and at select P.T. clinics. With an emphasis on anatomy, biomechanics, and kinesiology, neuromuscular therapists are trained far more extensively than a standard certified massage therapist. There are fewer than 10 certified N.M.T.s in the greater Los Angeles area as of this writing
How can Neuromuscular Therapy help you?
N.M.T. addresses the source of many chronic body pains and 'fibromyalgia-like' conditions. It is an ideal treatment for those who are not surgical candidates and wish to avoid use of risky pain-killing drugs. It addresses the source of soft tissue problems such as low back pain, whiplash, TMJ dysfunction and carpel tunnel issues that have created your condition of discomfort. It is similar to deep tissue massage work, but results can last longer that if you would get from a skilled physical therapy session. The mechanism of N.M.T effectively accesses your own body's healing response, which will go far beyond that of conventional massage therapy.
Based in Ayuervedic medicine, neuromuscular massage therapy considers the three governing elements of a living system. They are physical, dietary and emotional. As the body is considered to be the 'print out of the mind' neuromuscular massage therapy strives to balance all three of these to effect a calm and healthy mind body balance
First: Dietary Factors
The profound influence of nutrition on our bodies is the first of these neurologic governors. It’s O.K. to run your car like a Lamborghini, but shouldn’t you maintain yourself like a Lamborghini too? I work with several excellent nutritionists who will get you on the fast track to comprehensive and abundant health within weeks. You’ll also be able to eliminate your sugar cravings as a bonus. Fuel like fresh vegetables, line-caught salmon, avocado and raw nuts and all the kale you can eat are going to create a difference in the quality of your body. Also important is HOW and WHEN you are eating. This information is available as part of your personal neuromuscular sports massage plan.
Next: The Body and it's Use
Environmental stressors placed on the body from outside comprise the next neurologic governor. The amount of exercise you take, whether the climate is damp or arid and the amount of sunlight one gets can all affect the person’s mood in some cases. Also, the altitude a person is accustomed to living at is a factor. In the mountain village of Cuzco in Peru, the indigenous people there have developed longer thoraxes to accommodate their bigger lungs over the centuries. Their ancestors were accustomed to traveling on foot from mountain city to mountain city, usually running. They did this while living at an altitude upwards of 11,200 ft. (3,400 m). The aerobic demands placed on the body coupled with the rarified atmosphere points to their resulting extraordinary lung capacity.
Finally: Mind and Spiritual Consideration
Mental process and the resulting internal physical actions based on your own perception is the third neurologic governor. This not only governs neurology and general muscle health, but it also governs the first two factors listed above. In many cases it supersedes the first two and flies in the face of currently measurable medical knowledge as something of an “X” factor in diagnosing a patient.
If we are in mental distress negative emotions will have a direct affect on our thinking, which in turn will have an effect on our physiology and muscle tone. If we think of the surrounding world as a place of lack and limits full of danger and worry, we will tend toward a sympathetic neurologic state. This is known more commonly as the fight or fight state. In this state we spend the body’s valuable resources coping with the unhealthy stress. Our heart rate goes up, blood pressure skyrockets. Our digestions slows or even stops and all of the muscles become tighter even in a resting state. Neuromuscular Therapy and sports massage can help you slow down the level of oxidative stress and resulting cell damage within the body. Through specifically targeting of the painful tissues it is possible through Neuromuscular Therapy to send that stress to the showers.
My job as your neuromuscular massage therapist here at Gray’s Anatomy L.A., is to calm your central nervous system by relaxing the musculoskeletal system. The process is mildly challenging, yet quite effective. Through careful study of your specific body type and posture it is possible to assist you in reaching your goals of reduced body pain, improved sleep, increased range of motion and improved performance at work or working out.