Difference between the Functional Muscle Manipulation and Deep Tissue?
If you compare photos, the Functional Muscle Manipulation looks like Deep Tissue. There is big difference in the implementation, though. Deep Tissue treats the body as a material to soften up. The FMM understands that the muscles respond to our internal state. We contract when we feel threatened. We release, to a degree, when we feel safe and comfortable.
Often, we stiffen up when our Autonomic Nervous Systems perceives a threat, even if we don’t acknowledge the feeling. The FMM addresses that deeper pattern of defensive contraction instead of just trying to force your muscles to soften up. That is the functional part in the Functional Muscle Manipulation. The FMM increases your physical awareness of those autonomic reactions and eventually, you become able to release that contraction on our own. And that can have results that last for years.
| DEEP TISSUE | FUNCTIONAL MUSCLE MANIPULATION |
|---|---|
| “Knots”: scar tissue or hardened muscle: Caused by physical trauma and “wear and tear”. | “Muscle Spasms”: well-functioning muscles commanded by the sympathetic N.S. to stay contracted. “Armoring”. |
| “Break” knots or try to soften up the hardened “material” by force. | Negotiate with the sympathetic N.S. to release the muscles. |
| Depending on amount of pressure either hurts a lot or doesn’t go deep enough. | Pressure constantly adjusting. Dialog with the body, which opens up and allows much deeper work. No pain. |
| Patient often struggles to survive the intrusion and involuntarily fights back. | Patient becomes physically aware of and consciously releases those contracted muscles. |
| Poor results, dependency on long term treatment. “Never enough” | Chronic problems from involuntary contraction and nerve irritation (headaches, migraines, sciatica, tennis elbow etc) are solved completely. Full therapy: lasting results. |
Copyright – George Rodafinos. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. The article can be reproduced only with a mention of the author and a link to the source.
