SternoCleidoMastoideus massage?

[sketqucvibhiebesd]

Anyone else massageing sternocleidomastoideus with client on back and head to the side. Then tell client to tense the muscle while massageing for approx 7 seconds with pressure from
back towards front in parallell with bench..?
Any thoughts on this?

 

[Zylasn]

I was taught something similar to this 30 years ago, but I do not ask the client to 'tense' the muscle - I generally support the neck and do a passive stretch. It sounds a bit like an isometric exercise.
My TCM doctor also does something similar (to me, when giving me a massage).

 

[Ben O]

How do you accomplish passive stretch?, I was taught specificly to make sure the muscle is tense. Or there's risk for complications.

 

[Live4love]

The only reason I would ask the client to tense the muscle is to locate it better - for me the aim of the massage is to release the tension in the muscle and massage with passive stretch would mostly achieve that.

FBx

 

[Dean Scottriddell]

I am with funnybunny on this one - I would have thought it would do more harm than good to have the neck tensed whilst massaging it. When you were trained did your tutor say why it should be tensed? It is not a critisism, I am curious.

HG

 

[T3rr4nc3]

There's a blood vessel behind the muscle that can be punctured against the cervical transverse (esp C3?). So if the client is not haveing the SCM muscle tensed it could be dangerous. As I understood it. I checked on my own neck, and there's certainly a significant blood "pipe" very near.