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What is Strain – Counter Strain
Strain – Counter Strain is a manual massage technique for relieving musculoskeletal spasms and pain. It is also known as Positional Release. This technique was developed by Dr. Lawrence Jones, an osteopathic doctor in 1981. It is a gentle and safe technique that relieves spinal or other joint pain by passively shortening the affected muscle areas.
How does Strain – Counter Strain work
Our bodies are not designed to function optimally in the concrete jungles that we live in these days. Years of living in these conditions puts a lot of strain on our body parts due to unnatural movements and incorrect postures. This strain on our joints leads to the development of painful tender spots. Strain / Counter Strain identifies these tender points and helps to alleviate the pain that they cause.
During a session of therapy, the practitioner uses palpation to identify the tender points on the patient’s body. Once the practitioner has identified these tender points he or she corrects the dysfunction by using the appropriate strain/counter strain technique. The practitioner achieves this by gently holding the affected muscle in a passively shortened position for about ninety seconds. When the muscle is held in this position, it is gradually returned to its original resting position and length. In this condition, the muscle is stronger and less tender. The proprioceptor nerves register this change in the position of the muscle and enable it to remain at this neutral position even when the force applied by the practitioner has been removed. This system of strain / counter strain is continued until the affected area is in harmony with the rest of the body and the pain associated with this imbalance is gone.
Benefits of Strain – Counter Strain
Strain / Counter Strain techniques help to alleviate pain and discomfort in muscles and joints and help to restore full range of movement to these affected areas. They have been effectively used to treat post-injury pain and speed up the recovery process for professional sportspersons. Strain / Counter strain is also very useful for treating people with whiplash injuries. Due to its gentle and safe nature strain / counter strain has also been used to treat children and the elderly. It has proved to be very successful when used in conjunction with more traditional forms of medicine to speed up the long-drawn process of post-physical trauma rehabilitation and recovery. It is also widely used to treat conditions such as chronic back pain, neck pain, musculoskeletal pain, and fibromyalgia.
About The Author
Sharon Hopkins features articles in http://www.massagehealththerapy.com, your online massage guide to rejuvenate and revitalize your mind and body. She also writes for other sites on Yoga, Hair-n-Skin-Care, Massage Therapy among others.
Spinal traction of any kind is a pulling force intended to stretch the ligaments and muscles in the spine and add to the space separating the vertebrae. It is used by physical therapists and chiropractors, along with other treatments, to ease lower back pain in general and treat sciatica in particular.
Inversion therapy
This form of traction has been used since ancient times, and it involves having the patient hang upside down to relieve pressure on the spine, Today, a well-known piece of equipment, the inversion table, is used for this purpose, and the patient’s body weight is used to stretch the spine in the inversion process. Some people feel more comfortable with partial inversion, and an inversion table can be adjusted to tilt at different angles, even a slightly inverted level of 20 – 30 degrees.
As people adjust to the treatment, the slant can be increased to 60 degrees, which will automatically add to the stretch. There is also a psychological component to this treatment, and if they feel insecure in the optimum inverted position, the muscles will contract, which will defeat the purpose of the therapy.
Adjusting to the treatment
The amount of time people spend using an inversion table is correlated with the particular angle being used at the time. Ordinarily, they start by inverting for a few minutes and work up to 10 minutes as they adjust to the process and become more relaxed while doing it. (Many patients use the inversion table 2 or 3 times daily to relieve their lower back pain.)
As the back is stretched, pressure in the nerve roots and intervertebral disks lessens and back pain is reduced. This treatment can also be beneficial to individuals with poor posture as it elongates the muscles, and medical professionals sometimes rely on using the inversion table to increase the flow of blood to the brain and boost the patient’s mental alertness.
Recommendations before using an inversion table
Always consult with your physician before taking this step, and note that it is not recommended for individuals with osteoporosis, coronary or circulatory problems, high blood pressure, or related conditions. Note also that it has not been proven scientifically that the use of any type of traction will ensure long-term benefits, but it is generally used and accepted as a means of providing temporary relief for people living with chronic pain in the lower back.
There are so many ways to relieve back pain that does not involve a doctor’s visit or expensive prescription pain medications. You may even be able to prevent your back pain before it even occurs. B.M.Hayes is a freelance writer and avid alternative health enthusiast. You can visit his new website at http://backpainexercises.org for detailed information and products reviews relating to back pain exercises.
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