MET for home treatment

by Martin Kingston

tel. 020 8400 9712

http://www.massage-therapy-london.co.uk

THIS ARTICLE REFLECTS THE PRIVATE VIEWS OF THE AUTHOR AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED A MEDICAL REFERENCE..

BODYWORK IS NATURAL

When we hurt, we automatically reach to touch and massage sore spots. We instinctively know usually when to leave an area alone, and when to rub it better. Massage is a natural treatment, and can help the healing a lot, if we use it when appropriate. It helps relax spasm, move blood around, help break up restrictions, and affect our neurology.

There are, however, a few more advanced bodywork techniques that we can learn, which can be very useful.

We all know if we lie in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep, then it helps to methodically tense up and then relax muscles, starting with the neck and shoulders, then going to arms, then chest, then belly and butt, legs and feet. And then working our way back up the body. The sustained contraction and then relaxation seems to normalise muscle tone rather better, so we can relax and fall asleep.

There are a number of different "contract-relax" techniques used in bodywork, including PNF (Proprioneuromuscular Facilitation) from physiotherapy to MET (Muscle Energy Techniques) from osteopathy.

PNF is used a lot in sports, where a vigorous contraction, followed by an intense stretch, can help tear away fibrous adhesions, and relieve tension. However, there is a risk of injury.

Far safer is MET, where you gently contract the muscle without moving it, and then maybe stretch. There are 2 ways you can use it, depending on whether you have a recent ("Acute" injury) or a longer-term ("Chronic") problem.

In either case you first need to find the "point of resistance" in a muscle, where as you slowly lengthen the muscle, you first start to feel a little resistence to further lengthening. This is not the point where it becomes uncomfortable, just a place where the first resistance is felt.

All of the infomation here, is best learnt in practice with a trained professional, who can guide you through it, and make sure you don't hurt yourself. Make sure your therapist is properly trained, however!

MET FOR ACUTE INJURIES

With an ACUTE injury, certainly for the first few days, there is torn tissue and inflammation, so the best early treatment is RICE: Rest, Ice, Compression (if a limb) and elevation (if a limb). The damaged tissue should not be stretched in case the weakened, torn tissue is made worse. FRACTURES SHOULD NOT BE MOVED!

However, often muscles in the neighbourhood go into spasm - originally to support the damaged tissue, but sometimes unhelpfully. Gentle MET without a stretch can help normalise muscle tone.

PROTOCOL:

1. If the strain/sprain or soft tissue injury is less than 2-3 days (for muscle - a "strain") or 2-3 weeks (tendon - a "strain" or a ligament - a "sprain") then extend the muscle by moving the joint only to the first point of resistance. Stop immediately if there is a sharp pain.

2. Contract the muscle for about 6-8 seconds using only about 20% of power, or even less. This is to stay aware and with the attention on the contraction. The twitchy fibres will be the first ones to tense up, so no need to work it harder.

3. Relax for 20-30 seconds.

4. Take the joint again to the new first point of resistance and repeat. DO NOT stretch through the point of resistance or risk causing further strain.

MET FOR CHRONIC DYSFUNCTION

For a more long-term injury, whether overuse injury (sometimes called repetitive strain) or in the long period of recovery from a strain or sprain, we can be a little bit more ambitious - but always stay in the safe zone: this should NOT be hard work, but just a gentle exploration of your body.

PROTOCOL

1. Lengthen the muscle by moving the joint until the first point of resistance is felt.

2. Come back a little from the point of resistance so no feeling of stretch is felt at all. Don't come back too far or there is a risk of cramping. Cramping is when we tense up an already shortened muscle. The muscle goes into uncontrolled spasm. This applies particularly to muscle which is liable to tensing unexpectedly.

3. Using only about 20% of your strength, tense up the muscle without moving the joint for 5-8 seconds

4. Rest fpr 5 seconds ( try an inhale).

5. On the exhale relax and lengthen the muscle through the point of resistance to the next barrier, a place where a definite stretch is felt. Hold the stretch for as long as it takes to release (usually 20-45 seconds)

6. Rest and explore the sensation of having stretched a muscle.

7. Find the new first point of resistance and repeat.

Try this 3-5 times, and see if muscle tone is normalised.

If any pain is felt, STOP. If pain persists for more than 30 seconds you have probably overdone it, and should go back to RICE protocol for a few days.