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Specialized Neuromuscular Therapy in Los Angeles -
Deep Tissue Massage for Effective Pinched Nerve Relief
Serving in
Los Angeles | West Hollywood
| Beverly Hills
If you're experiencing pain from trigger points or a pinched nerve, a Neuromuscular Massage Therapist near you may be able to help by using massage to reduce muscle tension and inflammation. Let me assist you in finding the right painful spot for your relief. Neuromuscular techniques can provide a non-invasive solution for treating conditions such as Myofascial Pain Syndrome and Pinched Nerve for pain management. Consider this effective and natural treatment option if you're in Los Angeles and seeking relief from nerve pain and discomfort.
Specialty Deep Tissue Massage for Trigger Points: Neuromuscular Therapy
What is Neuromuscular Therapy?
Neuromuscular Therapy is a therapeutic approach to manage, rehabilitate, and prevent pain. This medically-oriented therapy employs deep-tissue massage techniques to address soft tissue pain, pinched nerves, myofascial trigger points, and microscopic spasms nearby the junction where the nervous system communicates with a muscle. These trigger points can cause pain, weakness, and discomfort in a referred pain area. Neuromuscular Therapy helps to break the stress-tension cycle by promoting a parasympathetic response in the body through precise manual techniques that encourage the healthy function of the neuromuscular junction. This reduces resting muscle tension and spasm and moves metabolic waste products out of muscle tissue fibers, which can irritate nerves. Neuromuscular Manual Therapy is a non-invasive and non-pharmacological pain management technique that effectively addresses pain without requiring injections. It is considered the best type of massage therapy for treating painful spots as it targets the root cause of the pain by addressing muscular imbalances, pinched nerves, and trigger points.
Neuromuscular Therapy, also known as Trigger point therapy, was pioneered by Janet Travell, MD, in the 1960s. It involves deactivating trigger points (TrPs) in muscle and related connective tissues.
Trigger points (TrPs) undoubtedly account for much muscle pain and dysfunction experienced. TrPs are caused by acute muscle
overload, repetitive strain, overwork, fatigue, poor posture or body mechanics, blunt trauma, sports injuries, and chilling. They typically occur in muscles and tendons used most often in a particular sport. TrPs are palpated as taut bands of tissue that elicit exquisite pain when pressed and referred pain if active. Dr. Travell and Simons (1983) defined a trigger point as follows:
A focus on hyper-irritability in a tissue that, when compressed, is locally
Tender and, if sufficiently hypersensitive, gives rise to referred pain and tenderness and sometimes to referred autonomic phenomena and distortion of proprioception.
Signs of TrPs include dull, aching, or deep referred pain; variable irritability over time; stiffness and weakness in the involved muscle; a restricted range of motion; contraction pain; and pain on stretching. The pain experienced will often be out of proportion to the pressure applied directly to the area and may be felt either in the immediate area or in a remote place on the body.
A pinched nerve can be a painful and uncomfortable experience. It occurs when surrounding tissues, such as bones, cartilage, muscles, or tendons, apply too much pressure on a nerve. Common symptoms of a pinched nerve include tingling, burning sensation, numbness, muscle weakness, and sharp or aching pain. Pinched nerves can occur anywhere in the body but are most common in the neck, back, and wrists.
This therapeutic massage technique effectively treats many orthopedic conditions and injuries related to sports, automobile accidents, and work. The TrPs Deep Pressure Release technique deactivates trigger points and reduces pain sensitivity. The practitioner applies direct digital pressure with enough force to cause blanching in the tissues, which is held for 15 to 90 seconds. They feel for releasing or softening the trigger point or reducing local or referred pain. The technique is repeated two to four times, preceded by tissue warming with a massage. Other techniques, such as deep sliding movements, kneading, broadening, and fine vibration, can be combined with Pressure Release to deactivate trigger points. Positional release and circulatory massage techniques can also be used. After the TrP is relieved, stretching techniques are applied to reeducate the muscle to its increased length.
How can I describe Pinched Nerve & Pain?
Different categories are used when describing or attempting to gather information about pain. These include:
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Location, Site: where the pain is felt(ie Head, Neck, Shoulder, Shoulder Blade, Low Back, Glute, Buttock etc)
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Intensity: how severe the pain is (ie Most pain scales use numbers from 0 to 10).
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Frequency: how often the pain occurs (ie morning, night time)
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Quality: the type of pain (ie. Deep, Ache, Dull, Sharp, tender, shooting, etc.)
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Duration: how long the pain lasts when it occurs
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Pattern: what causes the pain and what improves it
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Movement: what movement causes the pain
Dull pain is often chronic, lasting a few days, months, or more. Commonly, dull pain results from an old injury or a chronic condition. If you have a new, dull pain that doesn’t improve in two to three weeks, bring it to your doctor’s attention.
Understanding Neuromuscular Release Techniques
Neuromuscular techniques encompass a variety of methods, including Trigger point, Positional Release, and Proprioceptive - muscle energy techniques, designed to address muscle tension and spasm that restricts the range of motion and or makes that movement painful effectively. These hyperirritable areas within a muscle can be treated through hyperstimulation, lengthening, softening, and stretching of the surrounding connective tissue. This technique helps to reduce resting muscle tension. The intention is to normalize muscle tone, tension and decrease pain that limit the range of motion.
Identifying and Treating Trigger Points
Once a trigger point is identified, our best Neuromuscular therapist in Los Angeles, Jesse Anoraj, employs a range of techniques such as pressure application, muscle energy, direct manipulation, and PNF stretch methods to decrease hyperactivity in the point that reduces resting muscle tension. The intention is to normalize muscle tone, tension and decrease pain that limit the range of motion. Direct manipulation of proprioceptors by pushing or pulling on a muscle belly or its attachments can also be effective. The approach progresses from least to most aggressive, with indirect functional techniques often proving beneficial.
The Power of Positional Release
Positional release and appropriate stretching are among the most effective ways to treat tender points. This method involves identifying the painful point and passively moving the body to the position of comfort to ease the pain to reduce the sensitivity. Positional release is the first step in the integrated muscle energy method, which introduces muscle contraction before lengthening.
Direct Manipulation Methods
Direct manipulation involves pressing the muscle's belly together to affect spindle cells and pushing the tendons apart to affect tendon receptors. If the belly of the muscle is pressed together and the desired effect is not achieved, the next step should be to separate the tissue from the middle of the muscle belly toward the tendons. Lengthening and direct manipulation are gentle methods and should be used next.
Integrated Muscle Energy Method
The integrated muscle energy method is more aggressive than positional release or direct manipulation but less aggressive than pressure or pinching methods and should be the next step. These methods are often effective and worth trying before more intense pressure or pinching techniques. The local area must be lengthened. This lengthening is performed either directly on the tissues or through the movement of a joint.
Pressure Release Techniques
Pressure Release techniques can be tried if the trigger point remains after the less invasive methods have been attempted. The pressure may take the form of direct pressure, in which the therapist presses the trigger point against an underlying hard structure (bone) or, when no bony tissue lies underneath, pinching pressure, as in the “squeezing” of the sternocleidomastoid muscle.
Pressure techniques can end the hyperirritability by mechanical disruption of the sensory nerve endings causing the trigger point activity. The massage therapist must hold the compression long enough to stimulate the spindle cells when using the direct pressure technique. A variety of massage applications can be employed in neuromuscular techniques, many of which have been included in the protocols of this text. Among many variations, the primary massage techniques are as follows.
Primary Massage Techniques
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Effleurage: A gliding stroke that induces relaxation and reduces fluid congestion by encouraging venous or lymphatic fluid movement toward the center. Lubricants are usually used.
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Petrissage: A wringing and stretching movement that attempts to 'milk' the tissues of waste products and assist in circulatory interchange. The manipulations press and roll the muscles under the hands.
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Kneading: A compressive stroke that alternately squeezes and lifts the tissues to improve fluid exchange and achieve relaxation of tissues.
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Inhibition: The application of pressure directly to the belly or attachments of contracted muscles or to local soft tissue dysfunction for a variable amount of time or in a ‘make-and-break’ (pressure applied and then released) manner, reducing hypertonic contraction or for reflexive effects. Also known as ischemic compression or trigger point pressure release.
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Vibration and friction: Small circular or vibratory movements, with the tips of fingers or thumb, particularly used near origins and insertions and bony attachments to induce a relaxing effect or to produce heat in the tissue, thereby altering the gel state of the ground substance. Vibration can also be achieved with mechanical devices with varying oscillation rates that may affect the tissue differently.
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Transverse friction: A short pressure stroke applied slowly and rhythmically along or across the belly of muscles using the heel of the hand, thumb, or fingers.
Jesse Anoraj -
Neuromuscular Therapist in Los Angeles
Jesse Anoraj has been a Certified Member in good standing of Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals since 2018 and runs a private practice, Artisan Neuromuscular & Sports Therapy, the local massage place in Los Angeles focusing on therapeutic-sports massage for Pain & Stress Management. He is an Advanced Neuromuscular Therapist and outstanding massage therapist with a good reputation and expertise in soft tissue techniques to remedy conditions such as anxiety, chronic pain syndrome, emotional stress, musculoskeletal pain, myofascial pain, occupational injuries, and overuse injuries, among others
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Massage therapy has been shown to have a number of positive effects on the body and brain. Here are a few ways in which massage therapy can affect the nervous system:
Reducing stress: Massage therapy can activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the "rest and digest" response. This can lead to a reduction in stress hormones such as cortisol and an increase in feel-good hormones such as serotonin and dopamine.
Relieving pain: Massage therapy can also activate pain-relieving pathways in the nervous system. It can stimulate the release of endorphins, which are natural pain-relieving chemicals, and it can also inhibit the activity of pain-sensing neurons in the spinal cord.
Enhancing immune function: Massage therapy has been shown to increase the activity of white blood cells, which are responsible for fighting off infections and illnesses. This suggests that massage therapy may be able to enhance immune function.
Improving mood: Massage therapy can also positively affect mood and emotional well-being. Research has found that massage therapy can improve symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress.
Improving sleep: Massage therapy can also help improve sleep quality by helping to relax the body and mind, reduce stress, and lower cortisol levels.
Improving physical function: Massage therapy also can help to improve physical function by increasing blood flow, reducing muscle tension, and promoting relaxation, which can help to improve range of motion and flexibility.
Increased Circulation: Massage can improve blood flow, which can help nourish the nervous system by delivering more oxygen and nutrients to nerve cells.
Stimulation of Nerve Receptors: Massage can stimulate nerve receptors in the skin and muscles, which can improve nerve function and sensory perception.
Overall, massage therapy can affect the nervous system in a number of ways, including reducing stress, relieving pain, enhancing immune function, improving mood and sleep, and physical function
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