Whenever you get the notion to think that a Massage Therapist is a highly paid “back rub giver”, or worse, as an L.M.T., I’ll share some of my light leisure reading material with you….. “…….The length of time nerve tissue can survive oxygen deprivation varies, but eventually, all ischemic tissue becomes necrotic. Fortunately, restoration of blood supply usually minimizes the damage, but not always. Notice in Figure I, how the application of an arm tourniquet not only compresses large arteries and surface veins, but also small capillary beds surrounding the radial nerve. In some cases of thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS), similar nerve trunk compression can lead to oxygen deprivation, loss of nerve nutrition and vague, dull, and a diffused ache in the shoulder, arm and hand. Postural abnormalities, especially the rounding forward of the shoulders, decrease the costoclavicular space, which can cause compression of the brachial plexus and blood vessels. Prolonged scalene spasm from injury or overuse can also cause problems as they tug on the first rib pulling it up against a ‘drooping’ clavicle. When the brachial plexus gets squashed between the clavicle and rib, a condition known as costoclavicular syndrome arises (Fig 2). This disorder is thought to be one of the leading causes of TOS. Repetitive stress of local soft tissue from overuse, results in collagenous remodeling, inflammation, and nerve enlargement. Changes in shape of the nerve bundle may promote greater entrapment and a pain-spasm-pain cycle………”
Posted on: Wed, 12 Mar 2014 17:31:23 +0000
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