This technique incorporates mobilization of joints in order to stretch or mobilize either and entire muscle or specific parts. Variations of this technique include:
- Active
- Passive
- Active Assisted
Method:
1) Muscle placed in a shortened position.
2) The SMT will apply pressure to the restricted soft tissues. Depending on the size of the muscle and the size and depth of the adhesion, the SMT will use a variety of reinforced hand positions to ‘lock’ the soft tissue in place.
3) While maintaining pressure on the soft tissues, the joint closest to the area is moved in order to create a focused stretch between the lock and the joint. This release will be done passively to start, progressing to active methods.
4) Technique begins with the lock proximal to the moving joint, then gradually moving distally.
5) The technique can be repeated for up to two minutes, depending on the client’s response and the affected tissue.
Benefits:
- Increased mobility of soft tissues
- Breakdown of fibrous adhesions
- Positive influence on soft tissue repair
- Improved ROM of joints
- Promotion of muscular balance
Potential Risks/ Contradictions:
- Overenthusiastic treatment can lead to excessive tissue trauma
- Possible negative neuromuscular response
This technique will treat the body as a whole rather than focusing on specific areas. A connective tissue massage is utilized to remove myofascial restrictions and aid circulation and mobility.
Method:
1) Remove any oils from the skin
2) Begin treatment with flat hands and only sufficient pressure to establish a secure contact
3) Maintaining pressure, tissues should be pushed slowly in different directions to determine restrictions
4) Hold the tissues at this point of stretch until changes in properties.
One entire chosen area has been treated in this manner, the SMT will seek any adhesions that lie deeper:
5) Place thumbs together, use pads of fingers to pinch together the skin and fascia, forming a roll of tissue.
6) Hands then rotate inwards, forming a crescent shape. Hold until the tissue responds.
Final Stages:
7) Grasp the tissues in the same way, then fingers are ‘walked’ across the area until restriction is found
8) Position held until tissues respond
Benefits:
- Increased blood flow
- Reduction in pain by removing nocigenic chemicals from the tissues.
- Increase ROM
Potential Risks/ Contradictions:
- Malignancy
- Patients with hypotension
- Those menstruating should be treated with caution.
- Open wounds
This technique is used to breakdown or restructure adhesions in muscles, tendons, ligaments and joint capsules. They are used to increase mobility of soft tissues assist muscles by removing physical restrictions to their movements.
Method:
1) Massage directly over the site of lesion and pain
2) Fingers will move with the skin and not slide over it
3) Massage across grain the grain of affected tissue
4) Thicker the structure, more friction is given
5) Sweep back and forth over full width of the tissue
Benefits:
- Removal of adhesions
- Increased ROM
- Increased local circulation
- Reduced congestion in local area
- Removal of excessive scar tissue
Potential Risks/ Contradictions:
- Local skin Diseases
- Rheumatoid tendinous lesions
- Possible bruising
- Discomfort on following days
- Open wounds should be avoided
The trigger point technique deactivates the trigger point by applying direct pressure and temporarily starving the area of oxygen which leads to a reduction in spasm. As the tension in the muscle increases, the process can be assisted by the relaxation process caused by autogenic inhibition.
Method:
1) Apply progressive, direct pressure until the client reports pain 7/10
2) Maintain pressure for up to 20 seconds.
3) Gradually apply more pressure to bring them back to 7/10, then maintain for 20 seconds.
4) Repeated up to a minute and a half or until pain level 7 can no longer be attained.
Benefits:
- ncreased flexibility of affected muscle
- mproved ROM
- mproved circulation
- educed referred pain
- educed local pain
Potential Risks/ Contradictions:
- ruising and discomfort post treatment
- amage to soft tissues or organs if not administered correctly
This technique is a form of assisted stretching that aims to lengthen a muscle that is limited by neurological restrictions.it focuses on the manipulation of the reactions of muscle spindles and Golgi tendon organs, using the principles of autogenic and reciprocal inhibition to achieve this manipulation.
Method:
1) SMT slowly moves limb to first point of bind and then palpate the key structures to prevent any compensation the client makes during the movement.
2) SMT holds limb for 10 or more seconds
3) Client performs 10-second isometric contraction, with muscle stretched 20-30% of maximum.
4) Client relaxes while SMT passive increases Rom of the joint until new point of bind is located
5) Cycle repeated 2 or 3 times
Benefits:
- Improved joint mobility and ROM
- Increased muscles and ligament strength
- Restoring tone to muscles
- Relaxation of muscles
Risks and Contradictions: These can include rapid stress placed on muscles, if client positioned incorrectly then stress may be put on unwanted structures.
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