Simply put, muscles do two things:
1) Contract (flex), become short and firm....and
2) Relax, become long and soft...at ease.
2) Relax, become long and soft...at ease.
Muscles work in balanced, opposing groups.
For example:
When muscles contract, there is an automatic (unconscious) parallel message from your brain to the opposing muscles to relax, lengthen, and move a joint.
Muscle Management® recognizes this inherent balancing act.
Overly tense muscle can be encouraged to return to a healthy relaxed state by contracting the opposing muscle group.
Simple.
Muscle Spasm and Tightness.
Muscle's often respond to physical insults and trauma by contracting into a protective spasm....and staying there.
The body then adapts and compensates around that restriction.
This can reduce balance and often burdens other muscles with 'tasks' they were not designed for....thus adding stress.
As therapist's, we are often addressing these adaptations long after the original injury has 'healed'.
Continuing stress to the muscle tissue, such as work positions, repetitive movements, lazy posture, lack of movement and exercise, etc. force the muscle tissue to spend entirely too much time in this mode.
Regular exercise that includes stretching
helps to address those daily insults and adaptations.
One of the keys to success in this system is for you to use your intention and imagination.
Rumor has it that we humans use less than 10 percent of our potential abilities. Consider the possibility that we can increase that percentage when we exercise our ability to imagine and intend. (see nose ring)
Portions of the this web site's informational content is intended to increase that percentage and encourage your body's innate ability to maintain and repair itself. The goal is simply to enhance the muscular "Balancing Act" of the body and reduce tension.