The Structure of a Muscle

Did You Know These Facts About Massage?

 

1. Massage has either direct or indirect relation to every structure and function of our body, as followed:
2. The Skin – With its sebaceous and sweat glands, hair follicle, and the infinite number of minute blood vessels and sensitive terminal nerve filament-trophic, vasomotor, and sensory.
3. The Connective Tissue – lying just beneath the skin, with its rich supply of veins and lymph vessel and spaces.
4. The Muscles – which chiefly constitute the fleshy portions of the body, and which receive special attention in the various manipulative procedures of massage, both as individual muscle and as functional groups.
1. The Muscles – constitute about ONE HALF the weight of the body.
2. There are 639 Muscles in your body.
3. They receive about ONE FOURTH of the blood
4. When their vessels are dilated under the influence of exercise or massage

• BODY HEAT is generated in the MUSCLES by the oxidatione dilated under the influence of exercise or massage, or burning up, of the GLYCOGEN deposited in them from the blood

1. When the MUSCLES are active, ONE FOURTH of the ENERGY set free is expended in WORK, THREE FOURTHS in HEAT.
2. Voluntary muscular exercise expends the ENERGY of both the NERVE CENTERS and the MUSCLE.
3. Massage stimulates VITAL activity in the muscles without toxing the nerve centers.
4. The MUSCLES are constantly active under the influence of the NERVOUS  SYSTEM, even when in a state of apparent rest. This insensible activity is known as muscle tone.
5. Massage increases muscular tone by improving THEIR NUTRITION.  
1. The Large Blood Vessels – both veins and arteries, but principally the VEINS, the circulation of which may be readily accelerated or impeded according as the manipulations are applied  in the direction in which the blood runs in the veins, or in the opposite direction.  The heart itself may be reached by certain special procedures, and is greatly influenced by nearly all forms of manipulations.
2. The Large Nerve Trunks, - which, with the terminal nerve filaments, are influenced by all forms of manipulations, but especially so by certain procedures which are particularly efficacious in producing STIMULATING OR SEDATIVE EFFECTS.
3. All The Large Viscera of the Abdomen -  stomach, colon small intestines, pancreas, spleen, liver, kidneys, - which may be brought more or less directly under the influence of massage by a skilled  operator: while less directly, but still effectively the lungs and heart may also be influenced by certain procedures.
4. The Bones, Joints, and Ligaments – must also be mentioned as structures which are directly affected by massage.