ARTICLE
Insidious Tension
Dave Hughes | RMT
Introduction
Insidious : treacherous , guileful , working evil , secretly hiding . Tension : tense , tightness , intensity , elastic tension .
I do not quote the dictionary here for a lesson in the English language . Separately these two words mean quite different things but as they sit together here they combine to give an entirely new meaning . When these two words are united in reference to the human body a medley of problems will often come to mind . In this union , we mix the nervous system and fascia wrapping and we have the elements for a physical perfect storm .
Insidious tension is an under-rated and under-estimated growing human condition . Sedentary lifestyles , too much sitting , poor postures , work , family , life ’ s pressures - all the usual suspects building up over the years . It will and does secretly hide . It is quietly treacherous and constantly accumulative . Eventually signs begin to surface , at first mostly ignored as dayto-day aches and pains and old injuries from a person ’ s youth .
Fibromyalgia
Fibre : threads within plants animals and minerals Fibrositis : non-articular rheumatism , inflammation of fibrous tissue Myalgia : muscle pain , cramp
A percentage of our clients , yours and mine , have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia . They report this in a context of anxiety , in some belief that they suffer from an incurable disease . Now , in my twentieth year of practice , I have had time to observe this problem evolve and I know it is not a new one , although it seems to be a growing one , with fibromyalgia becoming a more widely used and commonly known term . A most disturbing observation is that this condition , once affecting mostly people with the sort of lengthy history described above - work , life and ¬¬¬¬ family pressures - now also affect the young . To my mind , 22 years of age is young . Fibromyalgia usually takes many years , perhaps decades , to develop through muscular strain , nervous tension , life ’ s trials and tribulations , and other common factors , which include the use of prescription medicines . From the age of 12 years a young client of mine has been on , and remains on , prescription medicines . Obviously , it is not my place to question her situation , and I do not . This is purely an observation . In some cases insidious tension can effect muscle tissue to the degree that the client develops a super-sensitivity to even the lightest of pressures . Nevertheless , pressure to release muscle tension may be therapeutically necessary . The body needs much work to rid it of its stored tension and I have found an easy rocking motion of the entire torso , hips and legs the best way to begin with this condition , with the client ’ s body in the prone position . I also work through a towel and use large wheat heat bags to reduce tensions and soften the area to be treated .
96 | vol27 | no2 | JATMS