By: Daniel J Brownell

© Copyright 2008 Full Throttle Massage, Inc.

All Knotted Up

There are different terms for the different conditions of a muscle. These can vary wildly and mean different things to different people. You might hear your therapist say "That's a ropey knot." What he may be referring to is a long tight band of muscle. Two forms of knots that have definitive meanings are trigger points and tender points.

• Trigger Points: There are several types of trigger points; active, latent, primary, and satellite. For the purpose of this article we are going to just call them trigger points. Basically a trigger point is a knot in the belly of a muscle that when pressed on, refers pain to a specific point in the body. Trigger points are knots that are in a constant state of contraction. Normal massage strokes will not "release" a trigger point. A massage therapist has to use direct pressure on the trigger point to interrupt the nerve impulse that is causing the muscle contraction.
• Tender Points are similar to trigger points with the difference being a tender point does not refer pain when pressure is applied. The method for releasing a tender point is different also. The therapist must place the muscle in a passively contracted state until the tender point relaxes and dissipates.

Some Miscellaneous Terms

• Fascia: is a layer of connective tissue. Fascia is found throughout the human body. think of it as a nylon stocking wrapping everything in the body. This is what helps hold everything in its place.
• Tendons: These connect the muscle to the bone.
• Ligaments: These connect bones to bones.
• Draping: A technique used to cover a client in order to protect the clients modesty.
• Drape: The material used for draping, this can be a sheet, pillow case, towel, etc.
• Face Cradle: The area where a client rests their face on a massage table
• Bolster: A specifically designed cushion to aide in the clients comfort while lying on the massage table
• Lotion, Oil, Gel: The lubricant used to aide the therapist in giving a massage.
• Prone: This is the face down position when a client is on the massage table
• Supine: This is the face up position when a client is on the massage table.
• Contraindication: A term used when a person has a condition that prevents them from receiving a massage.

As stated earlier, this is not a definitive list of massage terminology. These are some of the more common terms used by most massage therapists. The next time your massage therapist uses any of these terms; you will know what he is talking about. You can be proud that the power of educating yourself has payed off!
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