When should connective tissue massages not be performed?
In principle, the connective tissue massage is free of side effects, but should be avoided with certain diseases. Contraindications or diseases for which one should consult his treating doctor before using a connective tissue massage are
- Acute inflammatory processes
- Cardiovascular diseases
- Cancer diseases
- An acute asthma attack
- Febrile diseases
- Vascular diseases
- Increased bleeding propensities
- Acute injuries or open wounds
Therapy procedure
The treatment takes about 10-30 minutes and is carried out two to three times a week. However, for increased effectiveness, the first treatments should last longer. To achieve the best effect, the patient should have a 30-minute rest period after the treatment.
As a rule, the connective tissue massage begins with the so-called small build-up, in the area of the lower back section (sacrum). The massage ends in the area of the upper back. Even if the tense area mainly affects a specific area or organ, the treatment should always include the whole back, as the individual organ systems are connected to each other and can thus influence each other.
The massage is mainly performed by the ring and middle finger in a stroke and pull technique. It refers to the skin, subcutaneous tissue and fascial tissue. The therapist can use different techniques.
In the “flat technique”, the subcutaneous tissue is moved flat with thumbs and fingertips. The “skin technique”, on the other hand, has a more superficial effect by working on the superficial shifting layer of the skin. The “subcutaneous technique” requires a stronger pull.
The technique is most effective the higher the applied tension is. Finally, there is the “fascia technique” (fascia = thick layer of connective tissue surrounding muscles or entire body parts), in which the therapist hooks on the edges of the fascia with the fingertips. Compared to the other techniques as a whole, the strongest pull is in the fascia technique.
History of connective tissue massage
The connective tissue massage was discovered and developed by chance in 1929 by the German physiotherapist Elisabeth Dicke (1884-1952). By treating painful areas of the pelvis, she accidentally discovered on her own body that the treatment had an effect on the blood circulation in her legs in addition to local pain relief. Her right leg was suffering at the time from a circulatory disorder and would probably have had to be amputated shortly.
After three months of treatment, however, the symptoms subsided completely. Convinced of her success, she tested her new findings on her patient and achieved similar results. Together with the physiotherapist and doctor Hede Teirich-Leube (1903-1979), Elisabeth Dicke further developed her technique.
The effectiveness of the connective tissue massage was clinically investigated at the University of Freiburg. Finally, the two physiotherapists published a book about their joint work. From 1950 onwards, this new method spread relatively quickly and has since been used by physiotherapists and doctors.
