Year: 2017

Joints are necessary for a body to be in motion. The skeleton is divided into several different bone segments and a joint is where two bones meet one another in the body to allow movement. Although there are many different types of joints in the body, moveable joints are the type of joint that is used to allow the body to be in motion with the help of muscle contraction. There are six different types of a moveable joints found in different areas of the body and three of those are covered below.

The hinge joint should be fairly straight forward as it is similar to a hinge in a door. An example of this type of joint would be your fingers and toes. A hinge limits the movement of a bone to one direction, meaning, when a joint is straight it can bend in only one way. This allows for strength and support. Hinge joints are very common in the body as they allow for movement and motion without decreasing stability.

A saddle joint looks much like two Pringles sitting on top of each other. This type of joint allows for movement in two separate directions as the bones have the ability to move along two different axes. There are only three examples of this type of joint in the human body. There is one at the base of the thumb, one in the ankle, and one at collar bone where it meets with the sternum or breastbone.

A ball and socket joint sounds exactly like it is; a rounded end of a bone fits into a hollowed out portion of another bone or group of bones. There are only two examples of ball and socket joints in the body. The first is your shoulder joint and the second is the hip joint. These types of joints allow for a large degree of range of motion, but they are also not as stable as other joints which can cause issues, such as dislocation.

Massage Therapy can have direct and indirect effects on joints. Indirectly, by loosening the muscles that cross a joint in the body, massage can help relieve pressure on the joint. If tight muscles are causing compression on a joint, massage can help release that tension which can stop joint pain in the body. Directly, massaging around the joint capsule, working on ligaments that hold joints together and tendons that run across the joint can have positive effects. Massage, in this manner, can help relieve joint pain and discomfort. Applying slight distraction to joints may also help with many types of joint pain. Book a massage today to help with your joint pain and discomfort!

As a Massage Therapist, tight muscles and muscle injuries on clients are the reason why we are in business. A lot of clients ask why their muscles are so tight when they believe that they are not doing anything to cause muscle shortening. What many of them don’t see is that posture and positioning they do at work can have a direct effect on muscles by shortening them or by making them become weak.

Tight muscles need to be stretched on a regular basis. Your pectoral muscles don’t need bench pressing at the gym on a regular basis to get a work out. If you sit at a desk in front of a computer eight hours a day, they are most likely already tight and short. The opposite affect is done to the back muscles when sitting and typing all day. The back muscles between your shoulder blades tend to be stuck in a lengthen position for long periods of time. These muscles (your rhomboids, mid and lower traps) tend to need more strengthening exercises to help balance out your chest muscles and keep your body in postural alignment. The same issues can arise in the lower body. Your hamstrings (the back of your upper leg) rest in a contracted position for long periods of time while you sit at your desk. These muscles tend to feel tight or sore and need to be lengthened through stretching.

Stretching and strengthening the right muscles can help you live a more pain free life. Massage therapy can also help to relieve achy over used and tightened muscles while stretching between your treatments can help maintain what your therapist has done for you. If you are suffering from tight muscles, book a massage therapy treatment today!