If you've been checking out massage lately you may have come across the term "neuromuscular massage" or "neuromuscular therapy". You may be wondering what they are. Are they different? Are they types of massage? What are they good for, anyway?

The terms "neuromuscular massage" and "neuromuscular therapy" (also called NMT) tend to be used interchangeably. They refer to a style of bodywork that uses constant, focused pressure on a specific area. This pressure is applied for a period of time lasting up to 30 seconds and uses the fingertips, knuckles, elbow, or possibly a small tool called a t-bar. NMT is based on the following premise: Muscle spasm does not have to involve the entire muscle. There can be small areas of spasm that refer, or transfer, pain to another area. These areas are called trigger points because they trigger a pain reaction in a different spot from where the spasm is located.

When a muscle (or part of a muscle) spasms, the flow of blood to that area is cut off or severely decreased. Blood carries oxygen, so when blood can't flow to an area, oxygen can't get there either. This lack of oxygen results in a buildup of lactic acid (the same chemical that causes the "burn" that people who work out sometimes feel), which itself causes muscles soreness. The trouble is, soreness and pain can cause even more spasm and therefore less blood flow, less oxygenation and even more lactic acid buildup. It can turn into a vicious cycle which is very hard to break.

Also, spasm can put pressure on nerves running through the area, which can cause symptoms of nervous involvement, like numbness or tingling, as well as pain. And because nerves transmit impulses along their entire route, these symptoms can be felt fairly far away from the source of the trouble.

What the NMT practitioner does is apply continuous pressure to the trigger point for a fairly long period of time, until they determine through their own touch and feedback from the client that the spasm has released. While they are putting pressure on the area no blood can get through anyway, but when they release the pressure the blood will flow back in, providing the area with needed oxygen and helping it heal. Sometimes the effects are immediate and the client feels the pain resolve right away; at other times it may take up to a day or two for the residual soreness to subside.

Obviously this can be a very intense technique; it is meant to be used for serious pain. If a client has a lot of trigger points it can take more than one session to treat them all. Even without the actual trigger point work itself, it can take time to locate the source of the pain (remember, the trigger points are located somewhere other than where the pain is felt). Also, the practitioner will probably use lighter work like Swedish massage to "warm up" the tissue before the trigger point work and to promote general relaxation afterward.

NMT can be used for the following conditions, as well as many others: - low back pain and stiffness - neck pain and stiffness - headaches - repetitive motion injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome and temporomandibular joint syndrome - athletic injuries - problems with numbness and tingling in the extremities (arms, legs, hands, or feet)

Of course the primary effect of NMT - and the desired one - is pain relief. But other effects include improved flexibility and range of motion, better posture, more balanced muscle tone and increased energy.

So if you have problems with chronic pain or other symptoms that might be coming from muscle spasm, but other forms of massage have not helped much, you might want to consider neuromuscular therapy. Its intensity can be worth it.