Muscle Energy Technique Flashcards
Definition - founder
Greenman
A manual medicine tx procedure that involves the voluntary contraction of patient muscles in a precisely controlled direction, at varying levels of intensity, agains a distinctly executed counterforce applied by the therapist
Other definition
An active and direct technique in which the patient contributes the corrective force
Therefore, the activating force of the technique is intrinsic/patient controlled
MET is used to
Relax tight muscles Reduce muscle spasms Joint mobilization Strengthen weak muscles Re-train appropriate function in a muscle Reduce edema
Objectives of MET
Reduction of adaptive changes in a specific area or entire body
Prepares body to better handle adaptive demands
Addresses pain
Isometric muscle contraction
Distance btw muscle origin and insertion is maintained at a constant
Concentric Isotonic contraction
Muscle’s origin and insertin approximate
Eccentric Isotonic
Muscle tension that allows origin and insertion to separate
Isolytic
Concentration contraction is attempted but an external force applied in the opposite direction causes lengthening of the muscle
Post-isometric Inhibtion
A reduction in muscle tone by a muscle after brief periods during which an isometric contraction has been performed
Autogenic inhibition
Contraction of the agonist wll inhibit the agonist
GTO will detect a change in the muscles tension and will produce an inhibitory effect which relaxes the muscle
Reciprocal Inhibition
During a muscle contraction of a muscle, its antagonist will be inhibited and will subsequently demonstrate reduced tone immediately following the contraction
Contraction of the antagonist will inhibit the antagonist
Inhibitory interneuron
Why one versus other (auto vs recip)
Pain to one muscle over other Patient position (pr therapist position) Maybe try one and not getting patient to relax so try other
In a nutshell
Therapist places joint/tissue in the treatment position
Patient is instructed to contract
Therapist resists the force
Therapist engages new barrier/repeat
Key procedural elements
Determine pressence of assymetries What is causing the asymmetries Completion of accurate assesment Proper placement of patient and joint Identify restrictive barriers Patient comfort Therapise holds joint in treatment position
Anatomic barrier
absolute 100% ROM
Elastic barrier
PROM (all soft tissue tension is taken up_
Paraphysioloic Barrier
btw anatomic and elastic barrier
Physiologic barrier
AROM (active elements of tissue
Restrictive barrier
soft tissue abnormal barriers
Contraction for strengthening
isotonic
COntraction for stretching
isometric
Force
light force - enough to bend wings of afly
Meet my resistance
Duration and Reps
Duration of contraction = 6 seconds
Relax - but do NOT lose progress made
Engage the new barrier
Repetitions = 3-7
Common patient erros
Patient contracts too hard
Patient contracts in wrong direction
Patient sustains contraction for too short of a time
Patients not not relax appropriately following muscle contraction
Common PT errors
Not accurately control joint position
Not providing counterforce in correct direction
Does not give accurate instructins
Does nto allow adequate time for aptient to relax
Patterns of muscle - function/dysfunction
Williams - the healthy integrity of any joint is dependent on a balance in strength of its opposing muscles
Muscle imbalances
mixture of tightness and wekness - Norris
Why do muscle groups become imbalances
posture minor discrepencies (leg length) injury immobilization working one area of body more than other postural and phasic muscles
Postural muscles
predominantly stabilizing muscles
slow twitch
power for sustained period of time
Phasic muscles
Predominatley movement muscles
fast twitch
fatigue quickly
Upper crossed syndrome - muscles
Tightness in pectoralis region and in upper trap/levator scap region (hut head forward)
Dee cervical flexors and lower trap, serratus are inhibited or weak
Lower crossed syndrome - muscles
Tight rectus and iliopsoas and thoraco lubar extensors and inhibited abdominals and glutes
Upper crossed syndrome detail
Occipital, C1-C2 hyperextended and forward head
C3-T4 posturally imbalanced
Rotated and abducted scapulae
Increased levator/upper trapezius, pectoralis and suprasinatus activity
Lower crossed syndrome - detail
Anteriorly rotated pelvis
Increased lumbar lordosis and L5-S1 stressed
Quadratus lumborum tightness and gluteal weakness
Piriformis tightness
Stretch or strengthen muscles?
Stretch first
