Overview of Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment: Muscle Energy Procedure With Post-Isometric Relaxation – Thoracic Vertebrae
Muscle Energy Technique (MET) is a type of hands-on physical therapy that uses the patient’s muscle power to help alleviate pain and improve flexibility. With MET, patients are asked to use their muscles in a specific direction, against some resistance provided by the therapist. This method often helps increase relaxation and stretch out tense muscles. This technique is called ‘direct’, as it focuses on a specific muscle or muscle group that may be causing discomfort.
In 1948, Fred Mitchell Sr., a Doctor of Osteopathy, created this technique. He was inspired by the natural movements of the pelvis. Mitchell realized that using the patient’s own muscle strength could effectively treat physical discomfort, especially around the area of the upper spine or ‘thoracic spine’.
MET involves nine key principles: moving joints using muscle strength, using breathing to assist in the process, using eye and head movements to enhance therapy, inhibiting overactive muscles, using one strong muscle to reduce tension in another, strengthening muscles at a constant speed, stretching muscles by applying force, using force in one body area to induce movement in another, and relaxing muscles after contraction. The most common of these is the last principle, known as ‘post-isometric relaxation’.
Dr. Mitchell suggested that after a muscle has contracted, it enters a brief period when it can be stretched without automatically contracting. During MET with post-isometric relaxation, the therapist asks the patient to contract a muscle against some resistance. This triggers a reaction in the muscle that reduces tension and allows it to relax, letting the therapist stretch the muscle even further.
Anatomy and Physiology of Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment: Muscle Energy Procedure With Post-Isometric Relaxation – Thoracic Vertebrae
The concept of how our muscles work is important in understanding Muscle Energy Technique (MET). There are four ways that muscles can contract or ‘tighten’: isometric, concentric, eccentric, and isolytic. Isometric contraction is when the muscles tighten without shortening. Concentric contraction is when muscles become shorter as they tighten. Eccentric contraction is when a muscle tightens and extends at the same time. The last one, isolytic contraction, is when an outside force makes a muscle stretch while it contracts.
Each muscle is made up of many muscle spindles, with each spindle containing 3-12 inner muscle fibers (intrafusal) surrounded by a larger outer muscle fiber (extrafusal). Each muscle spindle is connected to the nervous system with a motor nerve (also called efferent) and a sensory nerve (also known as afferent). The motor nerves make the muscles move, and the sensory nerves tell the brain what the muscles are doing.
Golgi tendon fibers are important in MET because they help muscles to relax after they have been contracted. When muscles tighten, these fibers send a signal to the brain to stop the contraction, thereby helping to control muscle tension.
The thoracic spine, or middle back, is made up of 12 backbones (vertebrae) and is important to doctors who practice osteopathy because it’s linked with the body’s nerve system. Problems in the thoracic spine can be due to mechanical issues, like tension in surrounding muscles, or they may be connected to other internal body (viscerosomatic) issues.
Each thoracic vertebra has spiky parts at the back (posterior spinous process), a body part in the front (anterior vertebral body), and wing-like parts on the sides (bilateral transverse processes). Each vertebra can move in connection with the vertebrae above and below it through the facet joints. The topmost thoracic vertebra, T12, may move a bit differently than the others because of its connection to the lumbar vertebra, L1.
An easy way to remember how the thoracic vertebrae are aligned is through the Rule of Threes. This rule suggests how each vertebra’s spinous process aligns with its transverse process. For example, from T1 to T3, the spiky parts align. From T4 to T6, they’re halfway between, and from T7 to T10, they line up with the next level. However, this rule is still a topic of discussion among medical professionals.
Problems with the body’s alignment, known as somatic dysfunctions can affect different parts of the body. Type 1 dysfunctions usually involve a group of segments, often due to bad posture over a long time, and typically impact big muscles like the erector spinae. Type 2 dysfunctions generally cause more acute pain and affect smaller supportive muscles. Each type of dysfunction has specific characteristics that doctors use to identify them.
Why do People Need Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment: Muscle Energy Procedure With Post-Isometric Relaxation – Thoracic Vertebrae
Muscle Energy Technique (MET), a form of treatment that uses the body’s own muscle power to increase function, can be especially helpful if you have ‘somatic dysfunction’, which means there’s a problem with the way your body’s tissues or systems are working together. However, it should be avoided if there are any factors that could make it unsafe.
If a specific muscle is causing you pain, using MET along with a technique called ‘reciprocal inhibition’, which helps ease muscle tension, could be beneficial.
MET can be particularly useful for treating problems in the bones of your chest, known as the thoracic spine. These could include:
- Back pain
- Reduced ability to move
- Difficulties with breathing due to issues with your respiratory system
When a Person Should Avoid Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment: Muscle Energy Procedure With Post-Isometric Relaxation – Thoracic Vertebrae
MET, which stands for Muscle Energy Technique, is a type of therapy that involves the patient’s participation. It’s a method that uses the strength of the patient’s muscles to alleviate pain. However, it’s not suitable for everyone.
People with a fresh bone break or when a bone has slipped out of its joint should avoid this technique. This is also true for those who have injuries to their ligaments (that connect bone to bone), tendons (that connect muscle to bone), or muscles. These individuals might not find this technique helpful.
It’s also crucial to wait until the patient’s vital signs, such as heart rate and breathing, are stable before starting this therapy. Another factor is if the muscle tension or tightness is controlled by the central nervous system, this method may not yield the desired results.
Lastly, it’s essential for patients to be able to follow instructions for the MET technique to work effectively. If a patient can’t cooperate or has difficulty understanding what’s required, the method may be less beneficial.
Equipment used for Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment: Muscle Energy Procedure With Post-Isometric Relaxation – Thoracic Vertebrae
The MET technique that uses post-isometric relaxation is a type of hands-on bone and muscle treatment. It requires a sturdy and solid surface to perform the technique effectively. Ideally, this should be done on an adjustable, cushioned table. This not only helps get the patient into the best position for treatment but also ensures the comfort of both the patient and the doctor.
Who is needed to perform Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment: Muscle Energy Procedure With Post-Isometric Relaxation – Thoracic Vertebrae?
MET, which stands for Muscle Energy Techniques, along with something called post-isometric relaxation, needs a specialist who has the proper training in these techniques. This means a healthcare provider who knows precisely how to use these muscle energy techniques to help you recover.
Preparing for Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment: Muscle Energy Procedure With Post-Isometric Relaxation – Thoracic Vertebrae
After a detailed discussion about the pros, cons, and alternative options, it’s crucial to get the patient’s permission before doing any procedure, including Muscle Energy Technique (MET) and osteopathic manipulative therapy (a kind of hands-on treatment used by doctors). It’s the doctor’s responsibility to clearly explain what they will do before they start the treatment.
The treatment begins with a thorough check of the regions of the thoracic spine – the part of your spine that’s aligned with your chest. If there are noticeable changes in the feel of the muscles, doctors may use certain methods to prepare the body before starting the main treatment, like Muscle Energy Technique with post-isometric relaxation (a kind of therapy where a relaxed muscle is gently stretched to improve its function and reduce pain).
How is Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment: Muscle Energy Procedure With Post-Isometric Relaxation – Thoracic Vertebrae performed
The Thoracic Spine is a part of your back, which includes the twelve bones between your neck and the bottom of your rib cage. When treating it using the Muscle Energy Technique (MET), it’s important to focus on the specific part that is not functioning as it should. For the higher part of the thoracic spine (T1-T4 – basically the part near your neck), we usually use the head and neck as a lever, like a handle, to adjust it. For the lower parts of the thoracic spine (T5-T12 – closer to the bottom of the rib cage), the position of your trunk, or lower part of your body, is adjusted.
Here’s a simple breakdown of how the Muscle Energy Technique might be done for a particular diagnosis – for example, if a single segment of your spine is bent, rotated, and twisted. You can be either sitting or lying down for this.
Step 1: If you’re sitting, the doctor will stand behind you. They will then use your head as a lever to adjust the part of your spine that’s not functioning properly (T3 in this example).
Step 2: The doctor will then tilt your head back and slightly to the left until they can feel movement at T3. This movement helps the doctor achieve the right position to create a beneficial effect on your spine.
Step 3: You will then be asked to try and return your head to the normal, upright position while the doctor pushes in the opposite direction with equal force. You’ll be asked to hold this position for a few seconds and then relax. You’ll do this a few times, and this alternation between tensing and relaxing helps stretch and relax your muscles.
Step 4: This cycle of tensing and relaxing is repeated a few more times. After the final round, the doctor will slowly stretch you into the direction that was tight or uncomfortable without your help.
You would then be returned to a neutral position, and the doctor would check again to see whether the area they were treating has improved.
When it comes to treating the lower thoracic, it’s usually easier if you cross your arms, and the doctor will adjust you accordingly. However, adjusting lower down on your back can be a little tricky due to the different directions the bones of your spine face. So, with this treatment, it’s of utmost importance to be very precise in identifying the specific part that isn’t functioning as well as it should.
Possible Complications of Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment: Muscle Energy Procedure With Post-Isometric Relaxation – Thoracic Vertebrae
If you’re going through a treatment called MET with post-isometric relaxation, you should know that you might feel some muscle tiredness or discomfort afterward. The doctor or therapist might recommend you to drink more water after the treatment. It’s important to know that using too much force during this treatment can cause problems like pulling a tendon away from the bone or even breaking a rib. That’s why during post-isometric relaxation, it’s crucial you only resist enough to involve the part of the body being treated. This way, the amount of force applied can be controlled to prevent any harm.
What Else Should I Know About Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment: Muscle Energy Procedure With Post-Isometric Relaxation – Thoracic Vertebrae?
If you’re experiencing back pain and discomfort due to issues with your thoracic spine (the middle part of your back), you might go to a doctor for help. One option they might consider is an osteopathic technique, which is a type of hands-on care helping to diagnose, treat or prevent illness or injury. Among these techniques, a popular choice is called the Muscle Energy Technique (MET). This is a non-drug way to ease the pain and fix the issues with your back, allowing for more movement in the joints that may have been causing trouble.
MET is interesting because it uses something called post-isometric relaxation. Basically, this involves you tensing your muscles and then relaxing them, which can help to loosen up any tightness in the soft tissues of your back. This is particularly helpful if you’re going to have a specific kind of treatment where the doctor makes quick, small motions with their hands (high-velocity, low-amplitude techniques). MET can also be used to ease overly tense tissues before undergoing another osteopathic technique known as myofascial release, which is a therapy designed to relieve tension and tightness in the tissues that support and surround your muscles.
