Muscle Relaxation: A Case Study

One of the most rewarding parts of working as a physical therapy technician is both seeing and being partly responsible for the noticeable improvements in both mobility and function that our patients make. To me, there is nothing better than seeing patients who at first were reliant on crutches or a walker progress to the point where they can walk unassisted, or hearing patients who suffer from chronic pain say they woke up pain-free for the first time in weeks. To reach this point of improvement, however, the patients must be engaged and active in their own rehabilitation, which means following their home exercise programs and showing up for their scheduled appointments. In order for patients to buy in and take an active role in their therapy,

A strain is an acute or chronic soft tissue injury that occurs to a muscle, tendon, or both . The equivalent injury to a ligament is a sprain. A strain can occur as a result of improper body mechanics with any activity that can induce mechanical trauma or injury. The most common body location for strains to occur is in the foot, leg, or back.

In order to do this to the best of my ability I will have to stay up to date on the latest improvements within the physical therapy field. There are always advances being made: new technology, new manual techniques, new treatments, etc. There was one clinic in particular that I observed at that really understood the importance of this. The therapists’ were always collaborating on new research they had learned about. If one therapist was having trouble reaching their patient’s goals, they would talk to another therapist who would suggest some other technique the original therapist wasn’t aware of. This allowed the patient to get the quality care they wouldn’t get if it were just one therapist doing it the same way they have always done. Getting to see, first-hand, how these different treatments and techniques helped the patients, it made it clear to me that, as a physical therapist, I must always be learning from and adapting to the changes within the physical therapy

Relaxation is a technique often used by sports performers to calm themselves-thereby decreasing anxiety and controlling arousal. It can increase the sense of control, reduce anxiety, and help the performer to feel calm and comfortable. Involves a decrease in: - breathing rate - heart rate - muscle activity - oxygen consumption. One of the most powerful tools a psychologist can use is actually nothing new, said Herbert Benson, MD, at APA's Annual Convention. In fact, it's an approach that's been around for millennia, yet its full potential remains untapped. Benson was referring to the relaxation response, a physical state of deep rest that changes a person's physical and emotional responses to stress. It is important to use relaxation techniques to decrease the physical and mental symptoms of nervousness, and alternative to motivational methods to not over arouse the athlete. In addition, relaxation is important for improving performance to control arousal, allow athletes to reproduce in competition what has been learnt during training, increase the athletes concentration, mentally prepares the athlete, and allows the athlete to remain calm in stressful situations.

The background of Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) is traced back to the late 1940s/early 1950s with Herman Kabat (MD), Margaret Knott (PT), and Dorothy Voss (PT) being the developers of this method. PNF was developed to treat neurological dysfunctions (such as multiple sclerosis and cerebral palsy) . “This was an attempt to gain better control in a population of neurologically impaired instead of just offering the standard treatment at the time which was range of motion exercising and gate belt training”(Knott and Voss, 1968). Even though PNF was developed for neurological dysfunctions overtime it also became principle used in others areas of life such as with athletes and personal/physical trainers. The common misconception with

Dissimilar to surgery, mechanical footing, and other intrusive types of treatment, utilizing a Teeter is a tender, aloof approach to target torment at the source and watch over all weight-bearing joints. This dynamic type of footing permits every joint to be decompressed by the same weight that packs it while upright. Basically, reversed decompression makes a perfect extend that enhances spinal helping so as to wellbeing and focuses back torment to 1) rehydrate circles, 2) lessen nerve weight, 3) realign the spine and 4) unwind strained muscles. Best of all, decompressing on a Teeter takes just a couple of minutes and feels extraordinary!

Tighten your pelvic floor muscles, hold the contraction for three seconds, and then relax for three seconds. Try it a few times in a row. When your muscles get stronger try doing

The exercises that struck out with me in class today started when we got into a starfish position. From this position, we put our body upwards to stretch out the pelvic muscles. This is what I really needed. This movement was really relaxing and helped to relax that tension I was having in that lower area. The stretching helped me wake up!

The growth of Preferred Partner Networks (PPN) in physiotherapy is another market trend that might be relevant as Physio4D defines its monetization strategy. PPNs have existed in multiple forms within the healthcare delivery system and the Ontario Physiotherapist Association has stated (January 2006) that it does not endorse or discourage such contractual relationships among providers8. Most PPNs are initiated by insurers, employers and other third-party payers to access healthcare services at a discounted rate by providing more referrals to partnering clinics. Some preferred provider relationships are established to create a provider pool that can be relied on to accommodate referrals or to allow for priority access. Others are established to create a ready-made referral network8. PPNs are characterized by one or more of the following8,9 -

PNF rolling started with the patient lying supine and instructed to roll towards right side lying with the left elbow and knee coming in contact once right side lying was attained, and terminating the sequence by rolling back into supine. Once the patient was able to complete the sequence of movements correctly, he was instructed on inhaling during the rest period and exhaling as he rolls. When the entire sequence was demonstrated correctly, manual resistance was added to the left anterior shoulder girdle and hip. The patient performed ten repetitions rolling to the right and then to the left. Then manual resistance was removed, and the patient then performed ten alternating rolls to each side. After the first week of treatment, the patient fully understood the sequence of movements and required less practice before initiating manual resistance. This style of PNF was chosen to integrate core and trunk engagement during more functional activities.10 The coordination of trunk engagement during rotational and reciprocating movement is necessary to accomplish the pre-established long-term goals of stair climbing, running, and return to recreational

When a prescription drug gives somebody a high, neurotransmitters in the brain are essentially hijacked by the opiates. This is a problem because the neurotransmitters control the flow of dopamine, or the chemical in our brains that makes us feel good. When taking the prescription pill the dopamine levels in the brain shoot up and that is how you feel the full affect. Muscle spasms occur as a long term effect due to this cycle. The brain isn’t able to process information as thoroughly as it normally would so it doesn’t control your body to its full ability. By snorting and injecting prescription pills you can cause severe heart damage. When you snort or inject a substance, it almost immediately kicks in because it goes straight to the bloodstream and this is hard on your heart because it isn’t natural for so much dopamine to be released so quickly throughout the body.

One of the most frequently reported benefits of different types of inversion therapy is the reduction in back pain. Chiropractors use different types of inversion equipment to reduce compression problems between the vertebrae. The spinal cord is the single most important part of the active body, so the benefits garnered from using an inversion swing can be dramatic.

Nearly every person who lives with PD will experience some degree of muscle rigidity. Muscle rigidity associated with PD is most noticeable in the muscles that flex the limbs and trunk. Common experiences include bending of the neck, curling of the trunk with slumping of the shoulders, and bending at the wrists, fingers, elbows, hips and knees. These changes progress over

Upon performing a posture test on myself, I discovered that I have postural deviations and associated muscle imbalances. The lower back (erectors) hip flexors (tight muscles) Abduct the hips extensors. I also discovered that my client has postural deviations and associated muscle imbalances. We both have the Malalignment Lordosis, which causes the superior iliac crests of the pelvis to push more forward and downward from the normal anatomical posture. The possible tight muscles that tighten for a individual that have Lordosis would be the lower back (erectors) and hip flexors. The possible weak muscles for a individual with Lordosis would be the Abdominals (especially oblique) and the hip extensors. A few good exercises that I would recommend

The inversion therapy is generally and simply known as the gadget used to carry out inversion therapy. The inversion therapy uses merely the gravity and body weight to pull the spine bones a bit apart, thereby creating more space and room for movement amidst the vertebrae, which then reduces the pressure and pain which is as a result of pressure present on the nerves. There are varieties of routines or exercises that can be carried out with the inversion table, but here we will be discussing the most important ones.