The Musculoskeletal System.

The musculoskeletal system consists of the soft tissues: muscles, fascia and tendon, which attach across joints to the skeleton. Muscles contract and relax to maintain posture and to provide movement.

Muscles are attached to bone by tendons or an aponeurosis which are thickened extensions of the muscle’s fascia. Fascia is all-encompassing. (Fascia is a fibrous connective tissue)  It packages, supports and envelops all the body’s muscles and organs. It separates different muscles yet allows them to glide smoothly beside each other. Fascial planes provide pathways for the nerves, blood vessels and lymphatic vessels.

Fascia, therefore, plays a key role in maintaining the “health” of muscle. If the fascia has been torn or over-stressed its subsequent loss of elasticity will cause and maintain chronic tissue congestion.

How we get injured

Everyday of our lives, micro strains occur to our muscles. Provided that we perform a variety of different movements, maintain a good neutral posture and have sufficient rest and eat well, these strains heal and cause no problems.

However, most people are subjected to repetitive strains on a daily basis. This can vary from “static” positions, such as desk and computer work, to sports related injuries.

When muscles are damaged the tissues are repaired by collagen. This tissue has less elasticity than muscle and can therefore cause the muscle to become contracted. Massage helps to breakdown the scar tissue (Collagen fibres) and increase the collagen flexibility.

Massage helps to improve the blood supply, speeding up the repair of damaged muscle fibres. Muscles that have been massaged and stretched will also receive a more efficient blood supply (Glucose and oxygen needed for work), helping to enhance performance.

Unlike doctors (Whose time can be scarce), osteopaths have time to listen to their patients and consider problems that may seem quite divorced, and yet are realistically pertinent to that patient’s overall well-being.