The smallest muscular activity requires that countless nerve impulses be sent
to the muscle to be activated and to all of the adjoining and opposing muscles.
For example, let us say that you want to flex your elbow. This requires that you
must tighten the biceps and other associated muscles while simultaneously
relaxing the triceps and other associated muscles. The combined nervous activity
and muscular response must be precisely timed and exactly proportionate.
For more complex movements like rotating the head or taking a breath, the
amount of coordinating activity increases exponentially. Unfortunately, the
mechanism responsible for such coordination can break down and muscle fibers or
whole muscles can actually lock in opposition to their normal activity.
Tonus System Dysfunction
When overused, muscles can lose their ability to understand how to relax.
This is referred to as hypertonic. As a result, the muscles become overly tight.
They tend to harbor myofascial trigger points, and cause stress on the muscles
that oppose them and the joints that they cross.
Dermatomic and Spondylogenic Dysfunctions
If a nerve is pinched where it leaves the spine, or anywhere along its route,
the area that nerve serves will feel pain. Many people have experienced such a
problem with the sciatic nerve. It originates in the low back, but when pinched
can make the knee, shin, or heel hurt. This is an example of dermatomic pain -
literally translated - pain in an area of skin.
Spondylogenic Dysfunction
This occurs when the joints of the spine are compressed or otherwise impaired
and cause their own special trigger point-type pain or dysfunction.
Both of these are successfully treated with clinical massage by loosening the
muscles and other soft tissue that surrounds the affected joint or nerve.
