J4A – The following article has 724 words (including bio). Copyright permission is granted when used without alteration and bio is included. This is Part 1 of a 3 part article, and may also be used alone.
Know Your Body and Become "Pain–Free"
Part 1 – How Your Body Moves
By Julie Donnelly, LMT
Using the words "pain" and "free" in the same sentence causes people to laugh since it seems to be a contradiction of terms, but it is not only possible, it´s easy to achieve. It is understood that exercising, or even just daily living, causes muscles to ache and will also put stress on joints. When the pain begins you are told to use "RICE" (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) – but you don't have the time, or you simply don´t want to rest! So, you keep going and just as you´ve been told, it gets worse, even to the point where you may need to stop your world! You´ve also come to realize that resting (when you do decide to rest) only lasts for a short time, and then the pain returns.
RICE certainly works immediately after having a traumatic injury, but repetitive stress on your muscles requires treatment of the knots that are putting tension onto the tendons and joints. Getting back to basic anatomy will help to unravel the misconceptions that plague both athletes and non–athletes alike. Once you understand the logic of why you are feeling pain, you will know exactly what needs to be done to immediately release a muscle–related pain anywhere in your body. The good news is you can be a pain–free; you just need to know how to find the source of your pain and then how to effectively treat it.
This is NOT going to be a complicated lesson in Anatomy & Physiology, but I´ve found that a little knowledge of the body goes a long way. I´m going to put the proper names for the muscles and tendons into a parenthesis so you´ll be able to look them up, if you want to actually see the muscles that are causing you pain.
I always tell the clients I work with "the most challenging part is finding where the source of the pain is located, and then treating it is easy". This article will help you to find the source of your problem, and will also share treatments that you can do to yourself, even at home or at your office. Let′s begin at the beginning...
The Basics – How a Joint Moves – Movement is a simple process:
- A muscle originates on a bone.
- It then merges into a tendon.
- The tendon crosses over the joint to insert into a movable bone.
- When the muscle contracts it pulls on the tendon. The tendon then pulls on the moveable bone and your joint moves.
All joints have two (or more) muscles that determine the degree and angle that the joint will move. While one muscle is contracting, the other muscle must relax and stretch. A good example of this principle is the way the muscles of the forearm move your hand and wrist. There are many muscles in the forearm, but they break down to two major groups: the Flexors are on the underside of your arm, and the Extensors are on the top of your forearm. Together they give you the ability to move your fingers and bend your wrist. They are also key muscles to the cause of carpal tunnel syndrome. In fact, since the flexors pass through the carpal tunnel, you may even be diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome – but that´s a huge topic and is covered on the website: www.CarpalTunnelTreatment.org
When the Flexors contract, you make a fist, or bend your hand down. If the flexors are tight, your hand will be stuck in the curled position, and you are told you have "trigger finger". When the Extensors contract, you open your hand up flat, or lift it up. Using the logic of the body, you can see that if the extensors are tight, you won´t be able to easily use your fingers, you may even be told you have "arthritis". The bad news is that muscles can cause the symptoms of these more serious conditions – and the good news is that the problem can easily and quickly be reversed and eliminated!
© 2003
Julie Donnelly is a licensed massage therapist specializing in the treatment of chronic pain and sports injuries. She has co–authored several self–treatment books, including "The Pain–Free Triathlete" and "Carpal Tunnel Syndrome–What You Don´t Know CAN Hurt You." She teaches Julstro self–treatment workshops nationwide and is a frequent presenter at Conventions and Seminars. Julie may be contacted through her website: www.julstro.com.
