UNIT 8 SEMINAR MELISSA DENGLER, ND Manual Therapies

Tenets of Bodywork The body is a unit. Structure and function are interrelated. That body had an inherent ability to heal itself. When normal adaptability is disrupted, disease may ensue.

Concepts of Manipulation and Bodywork Concepts based on physical laws and anatomy that apply to manipulative and bodywork practices.

Concept 1: Bilateral Symmetry Right side is a mirror image of the left side (theoretically) Ride side affects left side (and vice versa) Front affects back (and vice versa) Top affects bottom (and vice versa)

Concept 2: Gravity Our weight affects the wear and tear patterns on our bodies.

Concept 3: Tensegrity AKA Tensional Integrity Our bodies balance counteracting forces from muscles and other soft tissues acting upon the structural presence of the bones.

Concept 4: Postural Maintenance and Coordinated Movement We are able to know where we are in space and thus can engage in complex movement patters that are smooth and well planned.

Concept 5: Connective Tissue (Fascia) Connective Tissue gives form to our tissues and organs. The fascial matrix can become distorted by injury strain, postural or musculoskeletal abnormalities and illness.

Concept 6: Segmentation (Functional Spinal Unit) The spinal column contains vertebrae and spinal nerves which connect in patterns throughout the body, called dermatomes. The functional spinal unit consists of the “individual spinal nerve and all the tissues that it innervates”. (Micozzi, 2010, p. 114)

Concept 7: Reflexes and Autonomic Nervous System The brain processes information sensed throughout the body, unconsciously. This causes interactions between sensory and motor nerves, which result in reflexes that may trigger the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions of the autonomic nervous system.

Concept 8: Pain and Guarding, Muscle Spasm and Facilitation Internal or external stresses can result in tissue damage causing pain, which, in turn, can cause surrounding tissues to become tightened or guarded, which can cause muscles to become severely contracted, as in a spasm. The spasm, itself, and restrictive barriers to movement cause further pain and damage.

Concept 9: Compensation and Decompensation As there are postural distortions or imbalances, the body attempts to compensate by changing the tension or angle of function of other muscles. This “compensation” may work well (e.g., limping or favoring one shoulder) for a while, but when the whole system becomes overwhelmed, decompensation occurs.

Concept 10: Range of Motion and Barrier Concept There are normal ranges of motions for each joint and normal barriers to motion at the end of the normal ranges. Tightened and/or injured muscles and structural problems in the joint can create a restrictive barrier to normal movement.

Concept 11: Active versus Passive and Direct versus Indirect Active movement or stretching is where the patient moves their own body. Passive movement or stretching is where the therapist moves the patient’s body. Direct movement of a patient’s body by the therapist challenges the affected muscle to stretch beyond any barrier to movement. Indirect movement of a patient’s body by the practitioner will encourage the affected muscle to relax.

Questions Are there any questions about tonight’s seminar?