Deep Transverse Cross Frictions

[Guest guest]

For the interest of others who are trying to explain what deep transverse

cross frictions actually do, here are some of the articles that I have come

across so far that relate to this issue which I raised in my previous letter.

Mel C Siff

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Goats GC & Keir KA Connective tissue massage Br J Sports Med 1991 Sep;

25(3):131-3

Connective tissue massage (CTM) is a manipulative technique that facilitates

the diagnosis and treatment of a wide range of pathologies. Observation and

subsequent manipulation of the skin and subcutaneous tissues can have a

beneficial effect upon tissues remote from the area of treatment. These

effects appear to be mediated by neural reflexes that cause an increase in

blood flow to the affected region together with suppression of pain.

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Kaada B & Torsteinbo O Increase of plasma beta-endorphins in connective

tissue massage .Gen Pharmacol 1989;20(4):487-9

1. Connective tissue massage relieves pain and increases microcirculation in

a number of vascular beds.

2. The concentration of plasma beta-endorphins has been measured in 12

volunteers before and 5, 30 and 90 min after a 30-min session of connective

tissue massage.

3. There was a moderate mean increase of 16% in beta-endorphin levels,

lasting for about 1 hr with a maximum in the test 5 min after termination of

the massage.

4. It is assumed that the release of beta-endorphins is linked with the pain

relief and feeling of warmth and well-being associated with the treatment.

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McKechnie A et al Anxiety states: a preliminary report on the value of

connective tissue massage.J Psychosom Res 1983;27(2):125-9

Five patients who presented with symptoms of tension and anxiety were

subsequently referred to a physiotherapist and treated with Connective Tissue

Massage. Psychophysiological recordings of heart rate, frontalis EMG, skin

resistance and forearm extensor EMG were taken before and after treatment.

All patients showed a significant response to treatment in one or more of the

psychophysiological parameters.

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Gordon GA Stress reactions in connective tissues: a molecular hypothesis

Med Hypotheses 1991 Nov; 36(3):289-94

The proper qualitative and quantitative stimuli necessary to maintain bone,

cartilage, tendon, and ligament ability to bear load has yet to be completely

elucidated. Substantially greater investigation of these requirements has

been accomplished for muscle than for dense and ordinary connective tissues;

inferential proposals from these muscle observations have been made regarding

connective tissues. This hypothesis postulates there is a highly structured

inter-relationship in terms of the homeostatic stimuli which are shared in

common by these different tissues as suggested by the close anatomic and

functional relationship they have evolved. The evolutionary influence of

man's exercise patterns upon these stimuli, their mode of transduction into

adaptive cellular response, and the vulnerability to overuse injury their

loss creates is hypothesized.

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Dr Mel C Siff

Denver, USA