Are You Tense? The Benjamin System of Muscular Therapy: Tension Relief Through Deep Massage and Body Care

228 Pages·1978·31.079 MB·English

by  Ben Benjamin

ARE
YOU TENSE?
THE SYSTEM
BENJAMIN
MUSCULAR THERAPY
OF
Tension through deep massage
relief
and body
care
BY BEN BENJAMIN
E.
j
Digitized by the Internet Archive
2012
in
http://archive.org/details/areyoutensebenjOObenj
ARE YOU TENSE?

ARE YOU
TENSE?
The Benjamin System of Muscular Therapy
TENSION RELIEF THROUGH DEEP
AND
MASSAGE BODY CARE
BY BEN D
BENJAMIN,
E. Ph.
PHOTOGRAPHS BY RICHARD BLINKOFF
PANTHEON BOOKS, NEW YORK
©
Copyright 1978 by Ben E. Benjamin
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions.
Published in the United States by Pantheon Books, a division of Random House, Inc.,
New York, and simultaneously in Canada by Random House of Canada Limited, Toronto.
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Benjamin, Ben E., 1944-
Are You Tense?
Includes index.
1. Relaxation. 2. Stress (Physiology). 3. Muscles.
4. Exercise. 5. Massage. I. Title.
RA785.B46- 613.7'9 77-88778
ISBN 0-394-49511-X
ISBN 0-394-73499-8 pbk.
Line drawings by Bonnie Warwick
Anatomical drawings by Carol Ann Morley
Anatomical illustration on page 57 (Figure 1-3) by Steven Baker
Book design by Kenneth Miyamoto
Manufactured in the United States of America
68975
TO ALFRED KAGAN
forhis warmth and guidance throughout my career

431 6
CONTENTS
List of Anatomical Drawings x Exercise and Health 15
Foreword, by Nathaniel Hollister, M.D. xi Travel Care 1
Preface xiii
Chapter 4 DRUGS 18
Acknowledgments xv
Alcohol 18
Chapter TENSION 3 Smoking 19
1
Mechanical Causes of Tension 4 Hard Drugs 19
Emotional Causes of Tension 4 Soft or Hallucinogenic Drugs 19
Tension as a Function of Time 5
Chapter 5 DANCERS AND DANCING 22
Effects of Excess Tension 5
Chapter 6 EXERCISE: AN AID TO
Chapter 2 MUSCULAR THERAPY 7 RELIEF OF EXCESS
Deep Massage 7 TENSION 29
Tension-Release Exercises 7 Eyes 30
Body-Care Techniques 7 Jaw 32
Postural Realignment 7 Neck 33
Case Studies 8 Arm and Hand 34
Some General Principles of Muscular Therapy 9 Shoulder 35
General Upper-Body Techniques 36
Chapter 3 GENERAL BODY CARE 11 Hitting Exercises 37
Baths 1 Deep Breathing 38
Deep Breathing 12 The Ball Techniques 38
How You Eat Small-Ball Techniques 38
1
Chair-Ball Techniques 39
Sleep 13
Large-Ball Technique 40
Vacations 13
Lower Back and Waist 40
Tight Clothes 13
Legs and Feet 42
Shoes 13
The Following Are Primarily Warm-Up Exercises45
Beds 14
Warm-Ups 48
Chairs 14
Dance Warm-Up 48
Tables and Desks 1 Sports or Athletic Warm-Up 49
Elevating the Legs 15 Runner's Warm-Up 49
11
CONTEXTS
Vlll
CHAPTER 7 DEEP MASSAGE: MUSCULAR Muscular-Pain Syndrome—A Functional
THERAPY THEORY AND Approach 71
Spasms 72
TECHNIQUE
50 A
Case of Lower-Back Pain 73
Getting Started 50
Causes ofTension in the Lower Back 73
Being Relaxed 51 Lower-Back Movements 75
Brain-Hand Coordination 51
Where the Tension Lies 51 Lesson Three: The Shoulders 83
Watching the Face 51 The Shoulder Joint 83
Pain Tolerance 52 Muscles of the Shoulder 84
How
Testing Your Pain 52 to See Tension in the Shoulders 85
Causes of Tension in the Shoulders 86
Don't Let a Friend Crack Your Back 52
Fear of Pressure 86
Problem-Solving Techniques 52
Shoulder Movements 86
Talking During Massage 52
Supplies You Need 52 Lesson Four: The Neck 93
Creams and Alcohol 53
Breathing 93
Attire 53
Healthy versus Unhealthy Muscles 93
When NOT to Massage 53
Muscles of the Neck 93
The Importance of Practice 53 Neck Tension Test 93
Lesson One: The General Back 55 How to See Tension in the Neck 94
Leaning and Breathing 55 Causes ofTension in the Neck 95
The Firm Drag 55 Neck Movements 95
Stroking/Kneading Techniques 55
Pressure Techniques 57 Lesson Five: The Deep Back 102
Muscles and Bone Structure 59 Rhythms 102
Joints 59 Breathing 102
Muscles of the Back 59 Transition Movements 102
Why Work on the Back First? 59 The Run-Through Exercise 103
How to See Tension in the Back 60 Greater Mobility Increases Recovery Rate 103
Causes of Tension in the Back 60 Deep-Back Movements 103
How to Feel Tension in the Back 60
Defining Terms 60 Lesson Six: The BackThighs 111
Corrections 60 Muscles of the Back Thighs 111
Your Position While Working 60 How to See Tension in the Back Thighs 112
Left- and Right-Handedness 61 Causes of Tension in the Back Thighs 112
General-Back Movements 61 Thigh Movements 112
—
Alcohol Its Application After Treatment 69
Lesson Two: The Lower Back 70 Lesson Seven: The Calves 121
Parts of the Hand 70 The Bones 121
Dribbling the Hands 70 Ligaments and Tendons 121
Finding the Spinal Curve 7 How Movement Is Produced 121
Muscles of the Lower Back 7 Muscles of the Calves 122
How to See Tension in the Lower Back 71 A Torn Cartilage Is Not Tension 122