Figure 3 . Consolidation of a neural pathway memory pattern is analogous to water etching a deeper and deeper pathway into the side of a mountain
and structural changes of neurons and glia . With greater repetition , comes more deeply embedded etching of the pattern . A useful analogy is to compare the neuronal pathway of a memory pattern to water etching a deeper and deeper pathway into the side of a mountain over a period of time ( Figure 3 ). Interestingly , repetition does not have to occur only during our waking hours . When we sleep at night , the brain has been shown to reactivate neuronal pathways of thought and motor patterns that were experienced during the day , thereby strengthening them . It is also during sleep that we move our memory patterns from regions of the cerebral cortex to subcortical regions . This has led some researchers to posit that the primary function of sleep might actually be to use neural plasticity to prioritize and order the events and experiences of the day into the memory patterns needed for learning .
Application of Neural Plasticity to Massage Therapy Practice
The concept of neural plasticity is critically important to massage practice . Beyond local effects on myofascial tissues , clinical orthopedic massage therapy is largely geared toward addressing dysfunctional muscle memory patterns located within the nervous system . The difficulty is that these dysfunctional patterns are plastically molded / embedded and become entrenched and difficult
to change . This is why the client often experiences a positive temporary effect from the treatment , only to have their symptoms return a short time later . For this reason , it is necessary to create a treatment care and self-care plan for the client that is frequent enough to reverse the embedded dysfunctional pattern .* In effect , we are looking to return the client via neural plasticity back to the healthy muscle memory pattern that they once possessed .
Conclusion
The concept of neural plasticity has been demonstrated in multiple research studies involving cognitive learning , motor learning , and sensory learning . We now understand that far from being a static system , our nervous system is a dynamic plastic system that is constantly forming , reforming , and molding based upon the experiences in our life . Through multifaceted functional and structural changes , neural plasticity integrates these experiences and encodes them into learned memory patterns . We use these memory patterns to understand our world , process pain and other feelings , and to move our bodies in a fluid , graceful , and efficient manner .
* For more on Treatment planning and client education , see the body mechanics column article in the winter 2010 issue of mtj .
Dr Joe Muscolino has been a manual and movement therapy educator for more than 35 years . He is the author of extensive online streaming video content on anatomy , physiology , and kinesiology , as well as assessment and treatment skillsets for manual therapists and movement professionals . He has created Learn Muscles Continuing Education ( LMCE ), with over 2,800 video lessons , with new video lessons added every week . He has also created Master Classes in Muscle Anatomy ( MAMC ), Bone and Joint Anatomy ( BAJAMC ), Kinesiology ( KMC ), and Visceral Anatomy ( VAMC ). And he has created an Anatomy Master Class Curriculum for massage and other manual and movement therapy educational institutions . He is the author of multiple textbooks , including The Muscular System Manual : The Skeletal Muscles of the Human Body ( Elsevier , 2017 ); The Muscle and Bone Palpation Manual with Trigger Points , Referral Patterns , and Stretching ( Elsevier , 2016 ); and Kinesiology : The Skeletal System and Muscle Function ( Elsevier , 2017 ). And he teaches continuing education workshops around the world , including a certification in Clinical Orthopedic Manual Therapy ( COMT ). Visit www . learnmuscles . com for more information , or you can reach him directly at joseph . e . muscolino @ gmail . com .
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