NEUROMUSCULARTHERAPY

What is NeuroMuscular Therapy?

 

NeuroMuscular Therapy (NMT), is a comprehensive system of soft-tissue manipulation techniques that were developed in the 1930s in England by Dr Stanley Lief. Lief, trained in the United States, as a chiropractor and naturopathic physician. The integrative discipline that he developed, with additional insights from bodywork professionals Leon Chaitow, Raymond Nimmo, John Upledger, Janet Travell and others, balances the central nervous system with the structure and form of the musculoskeletal system.

 

NeuroMuscular Therapy is based on neurological laws that explain how the central nervous system maintains homoeostatic balance, and in many cases, eliminates the cause of a person’s acute to chronic myofascial pain and dysfunction.In a healthy individual, nerves transmit impulses, which are responsible for every movement, function and thought to the body very slowly. Injury, trauma, postural distortion or stress cause nerves to speed up their transmission, preventing equilibrium and making the body susceptible to pain and malfunction. It is therefore necessary to stabilize low levels of neurological activity to maintain normal function and overall health.

 

The Neuromuscular Therapy (NMT) makes this possible by manipulation of the soft tissue of the body (muscles, tendons and connective tissue) to balance the central nervous system. Hence, this approach to pain relief helps to balance the musculoskeletal system (skeleton and muscles of the body) and the nervous system (brain, spinal chord and nerves).
NMT also enhances the function of joints, muscles and biomechanics (movement) as it releases endorphins, the body's own natural pain killers. It can be part of a comprehensive program, complementing all other health care modalities.

 

Neuromuscular Therapy is used to address five elements that cause pain:

 

·Ischemia: Lack of blood supply to soft tissues which causes hypersensitivity to touch

 

·Trigger Points: Highly irritated points in muscles which refer pain to other parts of the body

 

·Nerve Compression or Entrapment: Pressure on a nerve by soft tissue, cartilage or bone

 

·Postural Distortion: Imbalance of the muscular system resulting from the movement of the body off the longitudinal and horizontal planes

 

·Biomechanical Dysfunction: Imbalance of the musculoskeletal system resulting in faulty movement patterns

 

Benefits of NeuroMuscular Therapy:

Dysfunctions such as acute to chronic pain resulting from occupational, sports and/or automobile injuries, benefit from receiving integrative NeuroMuscular Therapy. Specific types of dysfunctions and repetitive motion and accumulative traumas respond well to this treatment, including sciatica, rotator cuff dysfunction, carpal tunnel and thoracic outlet syndrome and migraines.

 

Here is a list of benefits that one is bound to experience post NeuroMuscular Therapy:

 

· Reduction or elimination of pain
· Greater flexibility
· Increased circulation
· Improved postural patterns
· Decreased body toxicity
· Increased energy and vitality
· Increased sense of well-being

 

Who is qualified to render a NeuroMuscular Therapy?

While the therapy seems like an apt solution to various problems it is important to choose the right therapist to provide a good massage that will ensure the benefits come through after the therapy. Here is a list of things one must look at when choosing a NeuroMuscular Therapy. A qualified therapist in NeuroMuscular Therapy must be:

·Trained in NMT and have knowledge of physiology of the nervous system and its effect on the muscular and skeletal systems.

·The Neuromuscular Therapist must be educated in kinesiology and biomechanics and how to work in a clinical or medical environment.

Why one must go to a qualified NMT therapist?

Here are some simple facts:

·Therapists, who have training in NMT can locate, treat and normalize myofascial dysfunctions within the soft-tissue system which include muscles, tendons, ligaments and fascia, fibrotic adhesions, and trigger points.

 

·Protocols for treatment of common pain syndromes combined with thorough anatomy knowledge are the basis for success with NMT.

Practice of NeuroMuscular Therapy (NMT):

Here is a short and crisp version of what a NeuroMuscular Therapy entails:

·The NeuroMuscular Therapy tools that a NeuroMuscular Therapist uses are the thumbs, fingers, elbows and pressure bars.

·NeuroMuscular Therapy consists of alternating levels of concentrated pressure on the areas of muscle spasm.

·NeuroMuscular Therapy addresses the release of tissues in layers, superficial to deep, and is performed at a moderate speed with light lubrication.

·The pressure is usually applied with the fingers, knuckles, or elbow. Once applied to a muscle spasm, the pressure should not vary for ten to thirty seconds.

·The proper and judicious use of pressure, which includes the ability to feel constrictions and trigger points and know at what angle the thumb, finger or pressure bar might be best used, is critical in the effectiveness of the therapy.

·When NeuroMuscular Therapy is applied in this manner, it is very effective in releasing trigger points and tracking down the cause of a patient’s pain

·After the muscle is relaxed in this way the lactic acid will be released and the muscle should start receiving enough blood and oxygen.

·Following a neuromuscular therapy massage, any resulting soreness should fade after 24 to 36 hours.

·The muscles that were tight should remain noticeably more relaxed for four to fourteen days, depending on stress, activity level, and severity of pain prior to beginning NMT.

·Consistent consumption of water, multivitamins, B-12, B-6, stretching and a balanced diet, combined with effective hands-on therapy, will greatly enhance healing and reduce the amount of time the patient needs to undergo actual therapy.