Contractibility is one of the natural functions of muscle tissue. Individual muscle fibres are designed to contract, causing the entire muscle to tense. Without this tension there could be no activity, no movement of the joints and limbs. The problem arises when the muscle fibres fail to relax again, resulting in a pattern of excess tension. This tension pattern may have either an emotional origin or a mechanical one or a combination of both. Also it may be acute or chronic. Acute, mechanical tension can usually be dealt with immediately by direct application of massage. If there is an emotional aspect to it as well it can often be dealt with as a direct result of touch on the affected area, though it may require at least a verbal acknowledgement of the relevant emotion to transform the mind state and effect a cure.

Chronic tension is a little harder to deal with. For a start there is almost always a deeply set emotional state tied up with the whole pattern which would require specific attention. It is important to stress here that you are not expected to have the skills of a trained psychologist; however, as a massage therapist, you must at least be aware of the emotional correspondences to physical pain and be prepared to offer some empathy and encouragement. The mind will always be affected by treating the body; the body and the mind are one thing. So if you give a careful, nurturing massage with a feeling of support, this will often be enough to assist your partner to integrate and resolve their emotions. As well as the emotional aspects, chronic tension patterns have distinctive physical characteristics. There will be a build up of hard tissue, fibrosis, and a great deal of adhesion between the layers of connective tissues, both of which must be mechanically broken down and the muscle tissue coaxed back into its natural shape. In many cases the nerves will be dulled and the patient may experience increasing pain during the first few treatments before the tension pattern eases. In other cases the situation may be worsened by inflammation of the tissues, requiring much greater care in the application of massage. Chronic tension always requires a series of treatments to be adequately dispersed.

It is important to find out the cause of any excess tension pattern so as to have as full an understanding as possible and thereby maximise the chances of a successful result. The major mechanical causes of tension are poor body use, injuries, and misalignment of joints. Poor body use covers a wide range of situations. One of the commonest is a general lack of mobility and exercise. Sitting at a desk all day long or driving a car is barely enough activity to maintain a minimal peripheral blood flow. People who get little or no exercise will always be subject to poor circulation, low energy and inadequate immune response. Bodies require exercise as much as they require food in order to maintain good muscle tone and circulation of the fluids. The heart and lungs ought to be exercised rigorously at least three times a week to optimise the fitness and well being of the individual. Energy needs to be used in order to be replenished. Other examples of poor body use include slouching in chairs (if it is a chronic habit and not balanced with compensating exercise), overuse of one side of the body (habitual carrying of heavy weights in the same hand; playing tennis, etc.) and bending the back to lift heavy loads rather than bending from the hips. Lifestyle habits can be a major contributing cause of tension, high healed shoes and tight clothing are obvious examples. In the search for fitness people will often over-exercise, putting undue stresses on their joints and limbs.

Many stress inducing habits are a direct result of work occupations. Computer operators will always build up tension in the arms. People that sit at desks and put out a lot of mental energy will always be subject to tension in the head, neck and shoulders. Lower back pain is another common problem which can arise from a multitude of occupations. When dealing with these problems it is usually not possible to eliminate the cause when a person is depending on the occupation for their livelihood. However you can minimise the problem by training the individual to use their body correctly and by encouraging them to exercise methodically in order to counteract the stress that they are building up. The second mechanical cause of tension that I listed was injuries. It is a natural reflex of the body to tighten an injured muscle in order to reduce mobility. This protects the muscle from pain and allows it to heal. However there comes a time when the muscle needs movement in order to complete the healing process. Often the reflex tightening will remain long after the initial inflammation and bruising has dispersed, especially if there is emotional stress or trauma attached to it. If the tension is never dealt with the tissues will build up excess collagen fibres and harden. This same process applies to operations and accidents. Motor vehicle accidents in particular can lock in a great deal of trauma into the body due to the sudden impact. The third mechanical cause of tension is misalignment of joints. This is a compounding factor which often accompanies poor body use and injury. It is necessary to be aware that joint misalignment never occurs in isolation, it is always associated with muscle tension. Massage of the muscular tension alone is often enough to encourage the joints to return to their normal alignment. You can get even better results by using some of the stretches that are described in this text. If the problem is more deeply set you may need to refer your patient to a chiropractor or osteopath.

Emotions are almost always involved in tension patterns, especially when there is no apparent mechanical cause. A simple example of this is the person who is confronted with a difficult to deal with situation and immediately gets a tension headache; or the person who spends an afternoon being frustrated by missed appointments or bad news and their shoulders gradually get harder and harder. When these feelings are regularly experienced and not sufficiently expressed or otherwise dealt with, they create a tension pattern with the emotion as the prime link. Your patients will actually feel anger or frustration or grief as you touch the relevant parts of the body. It is just as if the emotion is actually stored in the muscle tissue. The mind and the emotions are very powerful and can easily cause a hardening of the body. Think for yourself how tight you become when you are feeling particularly depressed. You readily loose your mobility, your muscles harden and your circulation slows right down. Many emotional tension patterns have been set from early childhood onwards. Children are often suppressed emotionally, told not to cry and put through lots of frustrating circumstances without understanding. This repression will create tension patterns in appropriate body parts: repression of grief and sadness results in blockage in the chest and sinuses; repressed anger will often attach to the mouth and jaw; frustration and repression of creativity will find its way into the shoulders and arms; insecurity can be stored in the belly; fear and confusion usually finds its way into the lower back and lower abdomen; sexual inhibition becomes locked into the buttocks; and a lack of self esteem can result in poor mobility in the lower limbs.

When these tension patterns are maintained for long periods the body reacts by building up fibrous tissue around the site. Dr. Wilhelm Reich spent many years researching this phenomena which he described as armouring. Once this hardening process has set in, the individual will often cease to be aware of the tension as the nerves become dulled; the emotion can get locked deeper and deeper into the soft tissues. This is the reason why some people, during a course of treatments, will not feel a lot in the beginning, then gradually experience more pain as the treatments progress. You are actually bringing them to life by drawing to the surface the pain that they are unconsciously carrying with them.