Journal of Massage Science

For those who are interested, the following is an excellent resource put out by my mentor with the aim of approaching bodywork treatment based on science. While aimed largely at practitioners, there are a number of practical articles to be found.

The latest issue:

https://www.scienceofmassage.com/dnn/som/journal/1310/toc.aspx

-An interview with Professors R. Melzack and J. Katz, two world-leading scientists on pain.

-Movement Impairments in the Scapulothoracic Region.

-A short case study by myself on the role of bodywork in training vs injury with Coach's athletes.

-A review of a number of articles in massage magazines based on their adherence to scientific principles

Important reading for Trigger points

SCIENCE OF TRIGGER POINT THERAPY. PART I:

https://www.scienceofmassage.com/dnn/som/journal/0903/medical.aspx

Part II:

https://www.scienceofmassage.com/dnn/som/journal/0905/medical.aspx

Part III:

https://www.scienceofmassage.com/dnn/som/journal/0907/medical.aspx

Part IV:

https://www.scienceofmassage.com/dnn/som/journal/0909/medical.aspx

There are a number of other gems in previous issues that you may find helpful as a compliment to GST.

Thanks for posting this

Thanks for posting Cory! I have to get in deeper on this during the holidays. Your case study sounds like something I´ve been fighting with for 6 months now.

Cory's bodywork with my elite athletes over the last 12-18 months has been invaluable in maximizing their recovery between workouts and addressing problem areas before they have a chance to blow up into full blown injuries.  The biceps tendon and brachialis work has been especially invaluable.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

p.s.  As an interesting aside, we also learned that a great deal of what is perceived by the body as wrist pain, is actually due to chronically tight forearms.

Great article in this latest issue Cory, Thanks Again!

 Pretty neat, Cory.

On 12/21/2013 at 4:29 PM, Coach Sommer said:

Cory's bodywork with my elite athletes over the last 12-18 months has been invaluable in maximizing their recovery between workouts and addressing problem areas before they have a chance to blow up into full blown injuries.  The biceps tendon and brachialis work has been especially invaluable.

 

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

 

 

p.s.  As an interesting aside, we also learned that a great deal of what is perceived by the body as wrist pain, is actually due to chronically tight forearms.

Greetings,

I've been perusing these forums for some time; this is my first time posting.

The links in the opening post seem to be dead. Do you have particular protocols or guided plans that you recommend for addressing chronically tight forearm muscles?

Thanks.

Jamie

15 hours ago, Jamie B Edwards said:

Greetings,

I've been perusing these forums for some time; this is my first time posting.

The links in the opening post seem to be dead. Do you have particular protocols or guided plans that you recommend for addressing chronically tight forearm muscles?

Thanks.

Jamie

Hi Jamie, well chronically tight is usually connected to excessive muscle work volume for example like in the climbing world. Now, what's happen on a chronic tight muscles is that the resting electircal activity activity is abnormal. this can happens also on pec minor, or rotator cuff on some cases. the protocol is pretty simple....you must reduce the volume of 1/3 for a couple of week, if the tightness is reduced then you have found tha maximum volume you can tolerate. if not you must decrease it even more...

On 1/24/2024 at 12:16 PM, Alessandro Mainente said:

Hi Jamie, well chronically tight is usually connected to excessive muscle work volume for example like in the climbing world. Now, what's happen on a chronic tight muscles is that the resting electircal activity activity is abnormal. this can happens also on pec minor, or rotator cuff on some cases. the protocol is pretty simple....you must reduce the volume of 1/3 for a couple of week, if the tightness is reduced then you have found tha maximum volume you can tolerate. if not you must decrease it even more...

Hello Alessandro,

Thank you for your response.

I do know that activity elimination will (usually) temporarily alleviate these kinds of issues, but in my experience once activity is resumed, the muscles tend to rapidly tight up again, thus the chronic nature of the problem.

I was more wondering, given that Coach Sommer specifically referenced wrist pain being due to "chronically tight forearms," if there were specific protocols or programs among the various courses that would address this issue. For example, long stretch sessions once or twice a week versus multiple brief "limbering" movements throughout the day, contract-relax techniques, etc. etc.

It would seem to me that muscles that are "chronically tight" (and likely causing pain) constitute a different situation from muscles that have an undesirably limited ROM (e.g. I can't bend at the waist as far as I wish I could), and thus need different treatment.

Thanks again.

14 hours ago, Jamie B Edwards said:

Hello Alessandro,

Thank you for your response.

I do know that activity elimination will (usually) temporarily alleviate these kinds of issues, but in my experience once activity is resumed, the muscles tend to rapidly tight up again, thus the chronic nature of the problem.

I was more wondering, given that Coach Sommer specifically referenced wrist pain being due to "chronically tight forearms," if there were specific protocols or programs among the various courses that would address this issue. For example, long stretch sessions once or twice a week versus multiple brief "limbering" movements throughout the day, contract-relax techniques, etc. etc.

It would seem to me that muscles that are "chronically tight" (and likely causing pain) constitute a different situation from muscles that have an undesirably limited ROM (e.g. I can't bend at the waist as far as I wish I could), and thus need different treatment.

Thanks again.

chronically tight is simple that the muscles NORMAL resting electrical, lenght and physiological conditions has never been restored. 

since the humna body is built to answer better to acute stress what's happen if you put chronic stress? it will adapt chronically. probably the stress that causes chronically tight tissue should be chronically avoided for a long time. if you return to activity and the tissue rapidly moves back to tight condition is because you have moved back too fast to volumes/intensity/exercises/frequencies that lead to NOT ENOUGH RECOVERY.

there are NO magic protocols.

Updated links for anyone looking for these articles:

On 12/20/2013 at 8:14 PM, Scott Malin said:

 

https://www.scienceofmassage.com/dnn/som/journal/1310/toc.aspx

 

-An interview with Professors R. Melzack and J. Katz, two world-leading scientists on pain.

-Movement Impairments in the Scapulothoracic Region.

-A short case study by myself on the role of bodywork in training vs injury with Coach's athletes.

-A review of a number of articles in massage magazines based on their adherence to scientific principles

https://www.scienceofmassage.com/2013/11/issue-4-2013-contents/?v=cd32106bcb6d

On 12/20/2013 at 8:14 PM, Scott Malin said:

Important reading for Trigger points

 

Part 1:
https://www.scienceofmassage.com/2009/03/science-of-trigger-point-therapy-part-i/?v=cd32106bcb6d

Part 2:
https://www.scienceofmassage.com/2009/05/science-of-trigger-point-therapy-part-2/?v=cd32106bcb6d

Part 3:
https://www.scienceofmassage.com/2009/07/science-of-trigger-point-therapy-part-3/?v=cd32106bcb6d

Part 4:
https://www.scienceofmassage.com/2009/09/science-of-trigger-point-therapy-part-4/?v=cd32106bcb6d