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WHY Stop Thinking Muscles!?! Anatomy is Fine, But Physiology is Divine
September 28, 2015 by Joel Crandall  | 
The bodywork field is still on muscles and fascia and forgetting the basics of life and physiology! We have to stop thinking muscles or fascia in order to truly help our clients. Otherwise clients will repeatedly come in for the same issues over and over again.
In human movement, we are all just Electricity of closed circuits, pumps and valves.
Break down the Atoms and cells (+, - and Neutron) is my definition of Electricity and All things made up of these three things. Structure dictates its function. Without electricity there is no life.
Now I’m not going to get into the Krebs Cycle here as it took semesters to learn that damn thing!! wink emoticon For simplicity: “The Krebs cycle is a series of chemical reactions in cells and a crucial part of energy production (ATP).” (to read more in laymens terms: http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-the-krebs-cycle.htm… or if you would like in More in Chemistry terms: http://www.chemistrylearning.com/krebs-cycle/
1. Electricity is the energy circuit that generates our thoughts and the power to our pumps. These pumps generate pressure to open the valves, which in turn, provides movement. You may have good electrical flow to a muscle but when under a load that electrical flow may not be enough to allow that muscle to function efficiently.
The Electrical Circuit (Brain & Nerves) Electricity must flow both ways to complete a the circuit. This is completed by Efferent and Afferent Nerve pathways. Efferent (Motor neurons) carries the current and information away from the CNS to the muscles/organs. Afferent (Sensory neurons) returns to current and information to the CNS.
2. CerebroSpinal Fluid Pump. The CSF has a number of important functions. It helps provide mechanical support for the brain, i.e. the brain “floats” in the CSF reducing its effective weight by more than 60% (Segal, 1993) and mainly what we concern ourselves with in the VOILA Method.
The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is a major part of the extracellular fluid of the CNS. The CSF fills the ventricles to “float” the brain, the spinal canal and the subarachnoid space and is controlled by the SphenoBasilar Valve. SphenoBasilar valve controls the CSF and pressure throughout the Cranials and the CORE. If you would like to read more (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1890044/)
We rely on exercise to keep your heart and lungs healthy -- but if you have experienced a head injury in the past, exercise can sometimes be harmful. This is because exercise can increase the amount of cerebrospinal fluid or CSF pressure in your brain. (http://www.livestrong.com/…/552759-the-effect-of-exercise-…/)
3. Heart - Blood pressure pump. Heart pumps blood in a closed system through the Arteries and veins feeding the Brain and the body (Organs and muscles.) Lose pressure in this pump system via a leak in the system you lose strength and possible catastrophic failure.
4. Lungs- O2/CO2 Pump. The diaphragmatic pump increases and
decreases volume to produce a lower and higher pressure so air can come into and out of the system.
5. Cell Membrane Pumps. The most commonly known is the Sodium-Potassium pump. Roughly a third of the ATP made by our cells is spent to power the sodium-potassium pump. If you would like to read more on this: http://www.rcsb.org/pdb/101/motm.do?momID=118
6. Muscles- The Calcium Pump. Every time we move a muscle, it requires the combined action of trillions of myosin motors. If you would like to read more on this http://www.rcsb.org/pdb/101/motm.do?momID=51
There are More sytems and pumps in the body but I think you get the point by now
If these Electrical circuits and pumps are not functioning efficiently creating the pressure, then muscles do not function efficiently. So WHY are you Still focusing on Muscles?
Lose electricity or pressure in these systems and not only may you lose equilibrium, strength, mobility and stability. In extreme situations you may lose life!
As you can See Muscles did not even make the top 5. For this reason I say "Muscles are low on the Totem pole" when it comes to neuromuscular dysfunction. Neuromuscular dysfunctions are eliminated when you correct the areas above them.
So WHY are you Still focusing on Muscles?