Muscle Medicine: The Revolutionary Approach to Maintaining, Strengthening, and Repairing Your Muscles and Joints (21 page)

ANTERIOR UPPER ARM

Purpose:
To target and remove any restrictions and restore a full range of motion to the three zones of the biceps by manually releasing tight, short, and damaged muscle fibers.

Starting out:
Stand or sit with the feet spread shoulders’ width apart. Raise the elbow and bring the hand toward the shoulder with a relaxed arm. Using the hand opposite the treatment side, place the thumb on the muscle with angled pressure. The three treatment zones are the inside, middle, and outside aspects of the biceps. Use the thumb for the inside zone and the fingertips to contact the middle and outside zones. If it is easier, use your fingers for all three zones.

How to do it:
Start by pressing on the muscle with either the thumb or the fingers (depending on your comfort and what zone you are treating). Then, use angled pressure as you straighten the treatment arm and bring it down next to the body. Keep the motion slow and controlled. Repeat with your other arm. Do two to three passes in each zone, starting each zone closer to the elbow and working toward the shoulder.

Troubleshooting:
The muscle should be relaxed when the pressure is applied. Don’t press too hard as this can irritate the muscle. Avoid letting the skin slide under the fingers by using constant, angled pressure.

POSTERIOR UPPER ARM

Purpose:
To target and remove any restrictions and restore a full range of motion to the three zones of the triceps by manually releasing tight, short, and damaged muscle fibers.

Starting out:
Stand or sit with your feet spread shoulders’ width apart. Straighten your arm down, with the palm facing up and the back of the arm relaxed. Using the opposite hand, place your thumb or fingertips on the muscle with angled pressure toward the shoulder. The three treatment zones are the inside, back, and outside aspects of the triceps. Use the fingertips with the palm up for the outside, or lateral zone, then flip the hand to use the thumb for the rest.

How to do it:
Once contact is made, bend the elbow and raise the arm so that the elbow moves toward the ear. Keep the motion slow and controlled. Repeat with your other arm. Do two to three passes in each zone, starting each zone closer to the elbow and working toward the shoulder.

Troubleshooting:
The muscle should be relaxed when the pressure is applied. Don’t press too hard as this can irritate the muscle. Avoid letting the skin slide under the fingers by using constant, angled pressure. Maintain good posture—keep your head neutral.

TOP OF THE SHOULDER

Purpose:
To target and remove any restrictions and restore a full range of motion to the three zones of the supraspinatus.

Starting out:
Sit on a stability ball with your feet spread shoulders’ width apart. Straighten and raise your arm straight in front, with the palm facing up. The head is neutral and the face forward. Reach the opposite hand across the chest and place your fingertips on the muscle with angled pressure. The three treatment zones are the front, top or middle, and back aspects of the supraspinatus—a muscle between the neck and the shoulder. This muscle is deep to the upper trapezius.

How to do it:
Angle the pressure in and toward the neck with your fingers. Once contact is made, bring the arm down, turn the palm around, and, reaching behind you, place the back of the hand over the opposite buttock. Tilt your head away from the treatment side, bringing the ear to the shoulder. Keep the motion slow and controlled. Repeat with your other arm. Do two to three passes in each zone, starting each zone closer to the neck and working toward the shoulder.

Troubleshooting:
The muscle should be relaxed when the pressure is applied. Don’t press too hard as this can irritate the muscle. Avoid letting the skin slide under the fingers by using constant, angled pressure. Move your arm through its full range of motion before engaging your hand. Don’t shrug your shoulders.

POSTERIOR SHOULDER

Purpose:
To target and remove any restrictions and restore a full range of motion to the posterior deltoid and infraspinatus by manually releasing tight, short, and damaged muscles.

Starting out:
Stand with your feet spread shoulders’ width apart, and your body positioned at a forty-five-degree angle to a wall so that only the back of the shoulder touches it. Place a small, hard ball between your shoulder and the wall. The treatment-side arm should be extended straight out, parallel to the wall. Lean slightly into the ball so that it presses comfortably into the back of your shoulder.

How to do it:
Maintaining pressure with a slight lean, move the treatment arm across the body, not letting it or the ball drop. Use the opposite arm to gently bring the treatment arm through its range of motion. Hold for a count of two. Repeat with your other arm. Do two to three repetitions, releasing and moving the ball to a slightly different place each time.

Troubleshooting:
Don’t press too hard as this can irritate the muscle. Avoid letting the skin slide under the ball—this might be a little harder than with your hand or fingers. There is a learning curve with this move. Be patient as it may take several attempts to perfect it.

ANTERIOR SHOULDER

Purpose:
To target and remove any restrictions and restore a full range of motion to the pectoral muscles and the anterior deltoid by manually releasing tight, short, and damaged muscles.

Starting out:
Sit or stand with your feet spread shoulders’ width apart. The treatment arm should be neutral and relaxed (you can even rest it in your lap). With the other hand, apply angled pressure down and in at the area where the shoulder and chest come together (your pressure should pull slightly down and across the body).

How to do it:
Maintaining pressure across the body, straighten the treatment arm back and away from the shoulder. Bring the fingers back to open the palm, and tilt your face away from the treatment area. Hold for a count of two. Repeat with your other arm. Do two to three repetitions, releasing and moving the hand from point to point along the one treatment zone from the shoulder to the chest.