Muscles , together with the skeleton and joints, are part of the musculoskeletal system . With the triple function of supporting the body, heating and protecting the bones, muscles can be affected by ailments of various kinds. Let’s find out how to treat them and keep them healthy.

>   Anatomical description of the muscles

>   Natural treatments and therapies

>   Yoga for the muscles

>   Traditional Chinese Medicine

>   Other disciplines for the muscles

>   Muscle curiosities

Anatomical description of the muscles

Above the bones and under the skin we find the muscles , which with their contractions allow us to read, speak, move, walk, even stand. If our muscles did not intervene continuously, the head, with its greater weight, would cause us to fall forward. The standing position is due to coordinating nerve devices that are inactive when you sleep.

The muscles of our body are about 500 , fixed by means of tendons to the 200 or more bones. The work of the muscles is to shorten. In rest they are stretched out, in working position they contract, exactly the opposite of what happens for springs or rubber bands.

There is always a muscle that opposes the movement of the other: the one that acts is called the protagonist , the one that contrasts the antagonist . In normal position both muscles are slightly contracted according to an elastic tension which constitutes their tone.

In the brain there is an area used to send stimuli to the muscles: the motor area of ​​the cerebral cortex. Muscles consume the “fuel” carried by the blood throughout the body: glucose , which comes from the liver deposits.

Natural treatments and therapies  for  muscles

Through specific massages it is possible to increase the volume of blood in the muscles by nourishing them better, in order to strengthen the contractile activity of the muscles, improving flexibility and preventing pathologies that also affect the ligaments.

Among the foods that are good for the muscles : fish , rich in proteins, which build muscle mass, with Omega 3 fatty acids, which preserve the body. The same goes for oil seeds .

Among the cereals, quinoa  is rich in vegetable proteins and a source of carbohydrates, iron and potassium, useful for counteracting muscle cramps.

The eggs then contain leucine , an amino acid that helps the body in the assimilation of glucose and therefore in improving sports performance (better not to abuse it and keep to two eggs a week at most, so as not to affect the glycemic level). Finally, cottage cheese and other low-fat fresh cheeses are useful sources of vitamin D , potassium, and calcium.

Muscle friendly medicinal herbs are lemon balm , as a muscle relaxant; arnica as an anti-inflammatory and against muscle trauma. Juniper essential oil as a muscle relaxant and Andean maca and spirulina as anabolic , because they are rich in amino acids that affect the development of muscle mass.

Find out what foods are for muscles

Yoga

Yoga guarantees a harmonious development of all muscles . In particular, a sequence of movements called Surya Namaskara (Greeting to the Sun) is very suitable for strengthening all the muscles and instilling energy. It is a line of movements deriving from Hatha Yoga asanas and sets 95% of the muscles in motion .

Of Hindu origin, it is a ritual to greet God Surya , the solar god of the Hindus. If practiced in the morning and consistently , it has, among the many benefits, that of guaranteeing a different start to the day every time and in the name of listening to your body.

Traditional Chinese Medicine

According to traditional Chinese medicine, imbalances in specific energy meridians are reflected in imbalances on specific muscles or muscle groups . In TCM the main channels are 12 ( Jing mai ) and are located in the space between the skin and the muscles and represent the first barrier to external pathogens (Wind, Cold, Heat, Dryness, Humidity, Summer heat).

12 are also the Tendon-Muscle Channels ( Jing jin ), or the bands of muscles that cross the human body. Then there are the so-called 8 Extraordinary Canals , as if they were rivers that “irrigate” the space between the skin and muscles, protecting the organs from external factors.

Tui Na is the traditional Chinese massage. It uses special massage techniques such as pushing, brushing, pressing, friction, tapping and percussion up to the vibration technique and is great for the muscles. By massaging the acupuncture points and muscles, or by bringing the displaced vertebrae and intervertebral discs back into position, the blocked energy is activated.

Other disciplines

Applied kinesiology is the discipline that above all else “listens” to the muscles , as it considers them indicators of body language. Through a muscle test (kinesiological test), considered a biocommunication mechanism, it is proposed to correct any imbalances, using manual methods, related to nutrition or even emotional.

The discovery is due to the American chiropractor George Goodheart who, in the mid-1960s, applied in the clinical setting the muscle tests already developed for the sports environment by Henry O. Kendall and Florence P. Kendall in the 1940s, discovering that there could be a certain connection between a weak muscle and the malfunctioning of an organ .

Starting from traditional Chinese medicine he came to develop the concept of the Muscle – Organ – Meridian Triangle , which indicates how an imbalance that occurs in any of the three elements of the Triangle directly affects the other two related to it.

Stretching and regular muscle stretching are the keys to keeping these precious organs healthy that allow us to move the body in space and stand erect. A posturology specialist can then perform an instrumental investigation consisting of a computerized analysis of muscle tone. 

Muscle curiosity

The diaphragm is a mysterious, useful, indispensable muscle. Help of the heart pump, ally of the autonomic system, rescuer of the cervical, back, diaphragm. Andrew Taylor Still , father of osteopathy and great connoisseur of human anatomy, describing the thoracic diaphragm and “putting himself in its shoes”, as if the organ could speak, uttered these phrases: “Through me you live and through me you die . In my hands I have the power of life and death, get to know me and be serene “.

In fact, the diaphragm is of great importance in postural terms, especially in the case of hypertension of the lumbar spine, emotional, since emotional trauma or negative thoughts literally take the breath away and can be memorized by the tissues. The diaphragm also binds to physiological and mechanical functions , for example with respect to digestion.