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Our Magnificent Muscles
By Julie Donnelly, LMT
Our muscles comprise the largest part of our body. Indeed, they are the largest single organ of the body, and make up the bulk of its weight. All together, humans have about 300 paired–muscles, totaling approximately 600 muscles.
Each muscle, or muscle group, has its unique function. Some muscles work alone, others work together in unison. The amount of movements we possess, as a result of the combination of muscle fibers being utilized, are unlimited. Observe your hand and wrist, and the number of ways it moves, turns, twists, and so on. Despite all this movement, each muscle has only one function, i.e.: to contract or relax. As one muscle group contracts (shortens), an opposing muscle group relaxes (lengthens).
It's that simple...or is it?
An absolutely perfect symphony of movements must take place for each step we take. When you ate breakfast this morning, the muscles responsible for chewing had to contract, and relax, thousands upon thousands of times! In fact, to continue our example of breakfast, let's take a closer look at what was involved.
You used the muscles of your foot and toes, ankles, legs, thighs, and back, to go to the table and sit down. The muscles of your eyes, neck, shoulders, chest, arms, wrists, hand, and fingers were all in motion. And lastly, of course the muscles of the face, which are responsible for chewing and swallowing, were working constantly.
And what's most amazing is we didn't give it a single thought – it all "sort of" took place naturally!
The muscles of the human body are in use 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Despite this enormous amount of use, most of us spend little, or no, time caring for our muscles. Obviously, with such extensive and continued use, we must experience "wear and tear". In medical terms, this is known as Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI).
Let's face it; we are all creatures of habit. Which means we tend to do the same things in the same way, over and over again. The way I brushed my teeth this morning was exactly the same way I brushed them before bedtime. That goes for yesterday, the day before, and probably the last 10–20 years. The way we sit, stand, walk, drive, read a book, exercise, work at a computer – and any other movement – are all–important elements to the condition of our muscles.
Whether you are a homemaker or a construction worker... a typist or an interstate trucker... a musician or an electrician...the stress and strain placed on your muscles, each and every day, is enormous!
Repetitive Strain Injuries, or "wear and tear", tend to occur most often when muscles are used repeatedly, the more strength used, the more stress is placed on the muscle.
Keep in mind that you do not need to be moving to be using a muscle!
While quietly sitting and reading a book, although seeming relaxed, the muscles of the fingers, hands, and arm are all in use. The same goes for the neck and back muscles. It's ironic, isn't it, that you can be the victim of Repetitive Strain Injury while quietly sitting in your easy chair, reading a book! In fact, sitting is a very common cause of low back pain, because it contracts a muscle called the iliopsoas. This important muscle is discussed at length in Julie's book Treat Yourself to Pain–Free Living. Discover the Secret of Why You Hurt and How to Stop It.
The more force exerted, the longer the time the muscle group is in use; and the less time spent on relaxing and stretching, are all important factors causing muscle injury.
Sometimes it's obvious: you mowed the lawn or shoveled snow from the walk, or started an aerobics class, and the next day you are sore, or maybe you had low back pain the day after lifting your child. These are simple cause and effect injuries. However, very often it is much less obvious – a contracted muscle in the neck or chest might cause pain and discomfort to the wrist and hand, which are the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome, but there isn't any pain in the neck or chest. This is known as "referred pain".A tight muscle deep in the buttocks can be the source of a severe pain, known as sciatica, which can travel down to the leg to the foot. Tight neck muscles, and even tight scalp muscles, might be the cause of a headache.
In the 1960's, Janet Travell, MD, conducted research that proved that muscle spasms caused pain to be felt in areas far from the spasm. She called the spasms "Trigger Points". If you read Julie's book you will see Trigger Point charts that will help the doctor, or lay person, locate the source of pain.
Muscles often cause many previously not well–understood illnesses. Fibromyalgia, tinnitis (ringing in the ears), headaches, TMJ (jaw pain), many arthritic conditions, joint pains, tennis elbow, carpal tunnel syndrome, and sciatica, are just a few examples of often debilitating conditions resulting from muscles!
A muscle has two ends; at each end there is a covering of connective tissue called a tendon. Each tendon connects to a bone, usually crossing a joint. When a muscle contracts, one bone remains stationary and forms a fixed point, the other end pulls the bone to make the joint move.
For example, let's look at the biceps muscle, the thick upper arm muscle. One end of the biceps muscle attaches to the arm, high up at the shoulder. The other end inserts into the inner elbow on the forearm. When the biceps is relaxed your arm hangs at your side. When the bicep contracts, it shortens and you can see, or feel, the big hard muscle of your arm. The shortening of the bicep pulls your forearm up.
The basic unit of a muscle is a single fiber. These individual fibers are grouped together to form a bundle of muscles. Each individual muscle fiber operates according to the "all or nothing" principle. This means that when the muscle fiber is stimulated, it will contract with all its force, it will not stop in the middle of the contraction. There is no middle of the road with a muscle; it is all – or nothing!
In reality, and under certain adverse conditions, muscle fibers might contract and remain "stuck" in the contracted position. This may cause an acute pain, such as a muscle spasm, or a cramp, which can be severe. Usually, however, the results of shortened muscle fibers are more subtle. For example, shortened muscles might be the cause of someone's "hunch back", or even chronic headaches!
The good news is that you can release the muscle tension that causes chronic joint pain. Thousands of people have successfully eliminated pain that held them bound, and the odds are that you can do it too. By using the Julstro Techniques, you will effortlessly restore your muscles to good health!
© 2002
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.
