The Future of Rehab is Here
You may have heard your physiotherapist or chiropractor use terms such as soft tissue release, deep tissue massage, mobilization and manipulation. Here is one you may have not heard: micro conditioning.
After an injury or surgery, we often get swelling, pain, stiffness and lack of movement. In most cases, the pain eventually goes away as the swelling is re-absorbed into the body. However, there continues to be a certain amount of adhesion (or stickiness) in the tissue.
After an injury or surgery, soft tissue (including muscle, tendons, fascia, skin and lymphatic) has an abnormal feel when it does not recover properly. The texture of the skin can be described as rigid, with a leathery consistency, when compared to the pliability of normal tissue.
Let me paint a picture for you: what happens to the tissue is like what happens when you have cooked spaghetti left out to dry. The spaghetti gets stuck to together and is hard to separate. Our tissue, including muscles, is very similar. If we want to use them efficiently without causing any tension or pain they must be able to glide separately while contracting together to produce movement.
Different layers of loose connective tissue often surround large nerve fibers. These nerves provide information going to and from the central nervous system for processing pain, knowing where your limb and body are in space, and even strength. When the fascia lacks its pliability, this can lead to decreased range of motion, a decrease in strength and painful contraction. This fascia pain is often described as burning sensation and can even lead to numbness if a large area of the tissue is adhered for a long time.
Over a long period of time we often forget what the normal feeling of the tissue is and often adapt to the pain. However, the underlying issue is still there.
This is where micro conditioning comes into play. Micro conditioning is a gentle technique that allows us to return pliability to the tissue allowing for better nerve conduction. It is meant to break down layer by layer, each tissue and restore movement to the tissue.
It is not surprising that the areas are mostly affected are scars and surgical sites and areas with lots of nerve input and layers of tissue, like the sacrum, lower back and medial aspect of the thigh (adductors). This technique provides a more permanent solution to pain and lack of movement, ultimately restoring function.
Over time, we can reduce the sticking, allowing movement in that area. This means that the body is in less pain and moves with greater range and quality.
Micro conditioning is a gentle, non-invasive way to improve the texture and movement of an area of the body which, when paired with other effective techniques, eliminates pain, and improves overall movement.
Tags : acupuncture, anatomy, injury, injury prevention, microconditioning, muscle, nervous system, physio, physiotherapy, physiotherapy in leaside, recovery, tissue
Category : Understanding Physiotherapy