www.amtamassage.org/mtj 15 A couple couple A force “ is defined as as defined is , two equal in magnitude, that are opposite in linear direction but act together the create to samerotational (). nt te Con

If one person is entering a revolving door from inside the building and a second person is entering from outside If one person is entering a revolving door from inside the building and a second by Joseph E. Muscolino | illustrations by Giovanni Rimasti | photographs by Yanik Chauvin Yanik by Rimasti | photographs Giovanni by | illustrations Muscolino Joseph E. by Before practicing any new modalities or techniques, check with your state’s massage therapy regulatory within the are therapy that they authority to ensure massage check with your state’s modalities or techniques, new practicing any Before therapy. defined scope of practice for massage state’s When working on the client’s body, the skilled therapist learns how to both hands in concert for efficient and the skilled therapist learns how to work both hands in body, When working on the client’s hands is to make use of what One technique that the therapist can use to coordinate their graceful manual therapy. magnitude, that are opposite in linear is known as a force couple. A force couple is defined as two forces, equal in might seem like a fancy definition, direction but act together to create the same rotational motion (torque). This couple is to think of a revolving door. but a force couple is actually quite simple. The easiest way to visualize a force directions, one outward and the the building, the two people are pressing on the revolving door in opposite linear the revolving door in the same direc- other inward, yet they are both pushing with the same rotational force to spin tion (Figure 1). The Force Couple Technique Couple Force The Working the Hands in Concert – – the Hands in Concert Working ert Exp Body 16 mtj/massage therapy journal summer 2013 “ door. the samerotation ofthe revolving opposite linear directions, butcreate force couple. Eachpersonispushingin excellent exampleoftheconcept ofa Figure 1Arevolving doorisan neck frommovingtotheleft,butactuallyuseleft scenario isnotjusttostabilizetheclient’s headand increasing effectivepressure. the lefthandactstostabilizeclient’s neck,thereby into thetissues.Therefore,forcecouplecreatedwith making itdifficultforthetherapisttogeneratepressure right thumb, theclient’s neck would flop toward the left, then whenpressureisappliedfromrighttoleftwiththe force generatedtowardtherightsideofclient’s body, the client’s headandneckwiththelefthandsome number ofreasons.First,ifthetherapistdidnothold ent’s headbypressingfromlefttoright(Figure2). couple by using the left hand to hold and move the cli- sure fromrighttoleft.Thetherapistthencreatesaforce right handasthecontact,thumb is directing pres- right side of the client’s neckusing the thumb of the pressing intothelaminargroovemusculatureon with theclientsupine.If,forexample,therapistis client. One is performing deep tissue work to the neck pist canutilizetheforcecoupletechniquetoworkona There aremanyexcellentexamplesinwhichathera- muscle ofthe body. and increase effective pressure for mostany stabilize, increase tissue penetration, Body Mechanics A secondbenefitoftheforcecoupletechniqueinthis Using theforcecoupletechniqueisbeneficialfora The force coupletechnique canbe usedto contact (Figure3). and pressingtheclient’s iliopsoasintothetherapist’s the client’s thigh,slackeningthehipflexormusculature the iliopsoas, the therapist’s right forearm/hand flexes pist’s left thumb presses into the femoral belly/tendon of belly/tendon of the iliopsoas musculature. As the thera- another example,thistimewithpressureintothedistal sure formostanymuscleofthebody. Figure3shows increase tissuepenetration,andeffectivepres- Figure 2). pushing theclient’s neckintothethumbcontact(See ent’s neckwiththethumbcontact,itisincreasedby pressure isnotonlygeneratedbypushingintothecli- hand tomovetheclient’s neckintorightlateralflexion, than wouldotherwisehavebeenpossible. contact topenetrateintodeeperlayersofmusculature of theclient’s neckareslackened,allowingthethumb lateral flexion,thesuperficialtissuesonrightside lateral flexion.Bymovingtheclient’s neckintoright hand tomovetheclient’s necktotheright,intoright The forcecoupletechniquecanbeusedtostabilize, Third andperhapsmostimportant,byusingtheleft www.amtamassage.org/mtj 17 Utilizing the force couple couple 3 Utilizing the force Figure the distal iliopsoas. work to technique left-hand thumb therapist’s the As the client’s into directs pressure right forearm/ the therapist’s iliopsoas, thigh, pressing the client’s hand flexes the left iliopsoas into hand the client’s use to be sure always, contact. (As draping.) proper Utilizing the force couple couple 2 Utilizing the force Figure neck with the the work to technique of the the thumb As supine. client the into right hand directs pressure neck, the left right side of the client’s and presses flexes hand right laterally the right hand neck into the client’s contact. 18 mtj/massage therapy journal summer 2013 left toright. moving theclient’s head/neckfrom left andthepressureofhand index fingercontactfromrightto creasing boththepressureof is mosteffectivelyachievedbyin- the actualmobilizationofjoint and neckintorightlateralflexion, other handmovingtheclient’s head the client’s facet and the therapist’s pist’s indexfingercontactagainst sive rangeofmotion,withthethera- nique isreachedattheendofpas- of tensionthemobilizationtech- the mobilization.Onceposition tion increases the effective force of couple techniqueforjointmobiliza- deep tissuework,usingtheforce bilized C6. head and neck above it) on the sta- joint levelbymovingC5(andthe lateral flexionmotionattheC5-C6 cifically, thegoalistofocusright motion ofrightlateralflexion.Spe- tic goalistocreatetheaxialtorque linear direction,buttheirsynergis- These twoforcesareoppositein left sidetotheright(Figure4B). flexion, bypressingfromtheclient’s ent’s headandneckintorightlateral which supportsandmovesthecli- created by the therapist’s left hand, to theleft.Theforcecoupleisthen directed fromtheclient’s rightside ticular process) with a force that is C6 bypressingagainstthefacet(ar right hand(Figure4A).Itstabilizes contact istheindexfingerof lization of C5 on C6. The therapist’s onstrates rightlateralflexionmobi- again asourexample,Figure4dem- joint mobilization*.Usingtheneck from theuseofaforcecoupleis Another techniquethatbenefits Body Mechanics Similar tousingaforcecouplefor - left to stabilize C6, while the left hand directs pressure to handdirects stabilizeleft C6,whiletheleft to from theright. theleft force couple iscreated by pressure therighthanddirecting from therightto the The istheradial contact sideoftheproximal phalanxoftheindexfinger. B, The flexion onC6(note thegappingof of C5-6joint ontheclient’s side).A, left Figure theforce 4Utilizing couple technique to mobilize C5into rightlateral C6 Pinned 吀漀 栀愀瘀攀 愀挀挀攀猀猀 琀漀 琀栀攀 挀漀洀 瀀氀攀琀攀 愀爀琀椀挀氀攀Ⰰ 猀甀戀猀挀爀椀戀攀 琀漀 䐀椀最椀琀愀氀 䌀伀䴀吀⸀

䌀䰀䤀䌀䬀 䠀䔀刀䔀 吀伀 匀唀䈀匀䌀刀䤀䈀䔀℀