October 2010 [Volume 9, Issue 10]

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In this issue of To Your Health:

• FEATURE: The Father of Massage
• What About My Feet?
• Advanced Stretching: Using "Neural Inhibition" to Enhance the Stretch

FEATURE: The Father of Massage

In the early 1800s, Peter Henry Ling (also Per Henrik Ling) was perhaps the first to discover what countless others have since learned in the past centuries: massage is critical for healing pain. Though somewhat controversial, Ling is widely considered the "Father of Massage". Ling's life work was developing a series of gymnastic movements to help relieve chronic pain. Like many massage therapists and body workers today, he used his own experience with pain and injury to create styles and techniques that formed the foundation of his practice and, ultimately, of massage itself.

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What About My Feet?

According to the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA), almost 75 percent of people experience foot pain at some point in their lives, and only one out of every six sufferers seeks help from a podiatrist. Research from the APMA also demonstrates that those who spend four or more hours a day working on their feet suffer from chronic foot pain more than any other group of people. There are some easy strength and flexibility exercises that, if done daily, will help prevent injuries in the future.

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Advanced Stretching: Using "Neural Inhibition" to Enhance the Stretch

One of the major objectives of a massage therapist is to loosen the soft myofascial tissues when they become taut. The problem with taut soft tissues is that they decrease flexibility of the body. Whenever a joint moves in one direction, soft tissues on the "other side of the joint" need to lengthen to allow this motion to occur. Taut soft tissues do not lengthen; therefore they limit motion of the body. An extremely effective treatment for this is stretching. When combined with heat and massage therapy, stretching can make a critical difference in your progress.

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