The Power of Muscle and the Four Step Protocol
Muscular health is the foundation of your overall wellness. From your metabolism to your mood, the state of your muscles affects everything.
At our office, we understand that muscular imbalances and dysfunction go far beyond appearance. This is why our four-step massage therapy protocol is tailored to support your body’s ability to build up and maintain stronger, healthier muscles. Here’s how it works!
Our 4-Step Massage Therapy Protocol
1. Remove Knots from Tight Muscles
Knotted muscular tissue restricts blood circulation, limits range of motion, and makes it difficult for the body to rebuild the muscle fibers needed for optimal strength. Circulation, pliability, and muscle activation can all be restored through the removal of muscular adhesions. When massage therapy loosens up tight muscles, the body can move more freely to better prepare for strength training.
2. Lengthen Shortened Muscle Fibers
Chronically locked-short muscles can pull joints out of alignment, leading to the weakening of opposing muscle groups. Poor posture and repetitive movements are two main causes for shortened muscle fibers.
With assisted strengthening and targeted lengthening techniques, our goal is to help your body regain balanced muscle length – which will contribute to enhanced posture and joint mobility. These are key factors when it comes to rebuilding strength.
3. Strengthen Weak Muscles
Weakened and underused muscles cause other muscles to overcompensate, which can lead to chronic pain. You need to maintain muscular balance and stability throughout the whole body.
We aid our clients towards targeted strengthening by guiding movement during sessions, assigning corrective exercises/stretches, and providing at-home recommendations. These will all help the body balance out muscle tone and, in turn, prevent injury.
4. Mobilize Restricted Joints
Your muscles and joints are a team. If one has restrictions, the other one takes a hit. The last step of our protocol aims to restore joint range of motion so your muscles can flex and extend with efficiency. This does more than just enhance physical performance – it helps your body utilize its energy more effectively, which promotes metabolism and overall vitality.
How Muscle Health Supports Longevity
In short, strong healthy muscles will help to:
- Boost metabolism
- Protect bones and joints from injury
- Enhance posture and balance
- Speed up recovery process
- Increase resilience as the body ages
The four-step massage therapy protocol works with your body’s natural ability to build and maintain muscle mass – ultimately helping you to move freely, feel strong, and live an overall healthier life.
Katrina Jenkins
Author, Licensed Massage Therapist
Katrina Jenkins graduated from Towson University in 2013 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Health Science and worked as a nurse’s aide briefly before pursuing her true passion. She graduated from the Massage Therapy Institute of Colorado in April 2016 with honors and completed the Touch of Healers Scholarship Program the following summer. She has been a part of the Moyer Total Wellness Team since the summer of 2017.
Resources
Alizadeh, S., Daneshjoo, A., Zahiri, A., Anvar, S.H., Goudini, R., Hicks, J.P., Konrad, A. and Behm, D.G. (2023). Resistance Training Induces Improvements in Range of Motion: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports Medicine, 53(3). doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-022-01804-x.
American Massage Therapy Association. (n.d.). Massage Therapy for Those Who Exercise | AMTA. [online] Available at: https://www.amtamassage.org/about/position-statements/massage-therapy-for-those-who-exercise/.
AMTA (2019). Self-Care: Strength Training. [online] American Massage Therapy Association. Available at: https://www.amtamassage.org/publications/massage-therapy-journal/strength-training-for-self-care/.
Kim, G. and Kim, J.H. (2020). Impact of Skeletal Muscle Mass on Metabolic Health. Endocrinology and Metabolism, 35(1), p.1. doi:https://doi.org/10.3803/enm.2020.35.1.1.
ScienceDaily. (2021). Massage doesn’t just make muscles feel better, it makes them heal faster and stronger. [online] Available at: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/10/211006143446.htm.