Ever wonder why I can’t dive right into those muscles fast and furiously? No, not just because it’s not relaxing to be poked, pulled, and prodded repeatedly; it’s because the body’s physiology won’t respond to fast pressure, period.
Thanks to a property called ‘thixotropy’, relaxing those tense muscles requires slow, steady application of pressure. Thixotropy is a way of describing a gel-like substance acting as a solid when a fast force is applied to it, while also acting as a liquid when a slow force is applied. This means that if you hit the surface of a thixotropic substance with, say, a hammer; it will bounce off the surface. But, if you lay that hammer down on the surface, it will slowly sink into the substance, instead.
The thixotropic nature of our muscles means that to sink into those deeper areas of tension or to get through one muscle and into another, a therapist must apply slow, steady pressure to truly access those layers of your body. If we simply bat at the body, it will bounce us back.
Here’s a fun video thanks to the educators at Lamar University showing that visually demonstrates the property of thixotropy using a large vat of corn starch and water. As you can see, students can literally run across this gel pool with quick feet, but once they slow down, they sink down into the mixture.
So the next time a therapist tries to quickly dig into a knotted muscle, especially if they don’t warm it up, don’t be surprised if unconsciously your body pushes back. Just another one of the many interesting wonders our bodies hold in store to keep us going on a daily basis.
Need some slow, steady pressure applied to those problem areas? Let’s get some deep tissue and myofascial release into your life. Contact me to schedule your next massage and stay tuned for more interesting information next Massage Monday. Have a great week!
Until next time,
Jason Brain