Manual medicine for acute and chronic functional disorders of the musculoskeletal system
What is manual medicine?
Manual medicine is an effective and, moreover, scientifically supported method of treatment for addressing mobility-related restrictions in the long term, for example
- blockages of the spine or joints
- adhesions of the fascia, that is the connective tissue / the sheath around the muscle
- stiffening and shortening of muscles.
'Myofascial trigger point therapy' and 'dry needling' are techniques of manual medicine that I offer in my practice.
What is that?
Acute and chronic pain often originate in the muscles.
Possible causes are so-called 'myofascial trigger points' and inflammations of the 'fascia', which are the layers between the individual muscles.
Trigger points are scientifically investigated phenomena within what is known as 'neuromusculoskeletal' medicine.
What is the reason for this?
A "trigger point" is caused by overload or traumatic overstretching of the muscle.
The result is areas within the muscle that are deprived of oxygen, which lead to shortenings and adhesions in the muscle.
These muscle spots can then be palpated as "trigger points":
Pressure on these spots triggers pain that is often referred to other parts of the body — pain which is then felt somewhere entirely different:
This is called "Referred Pain", because the pain is elsewhere than its original source and must also be treated there, even though it triggers the pain somewhere else in your body.
In addition to pain, these trigger points can also
- sensory disturbances
- muscle weakness
- restricted movement
- impairments of coordination
- autonomic vegetative reactions
- be triggered. The sum of all symptoms produced by active trigger points is referred to as the "myofascial syndrome".
How is this treated?
Pain is treated by this form of therapy at the site where it originates, and not necessarily only where it is subjectively felt.
Helpful links
Swiss Society for Manual Medicine: www.samm.ch
Interest Group for Myofascial Trigger Point Therapy: www.imtt.ch
Shockwave therapy
What is shockwave therapy?
Shockwaves are audible sound waves with very high energy that are transmitted to the body. This therapy became known through kidney stone disintegration (lithotripsy).
Shockwave therapy not only reduces calcifications; it is also used for painful tendon insertions and poorly healing bone fractures.
For this, the shockwaves are focused, i.e. adjusted to the area to be treated with millimetre precision.
How do shockwaves work?
The shockwaves generate very high pressure, causing tension within the tissue, which leads to increased blood flow, improved metabolism and reduced pain.
Dry Needling
Dry Needling is an effective complement to the manual treatment techniques of myofascial trigger point therapy. It enables pinpoint treatment of deeper muscles that are difficult to access manually.
In this procedure, a thin needle without any medication (hence the name dry) is inserted very precisely into the trigger point that is responsible for the current symptoms. This releases local muscle tightness, improves blood circulation and reduces inflammatory responses.
'Dry needling' is used in the treatment of pain syndromes, in sports physiotherapy and in orthopaedic rehabilitation.
Further useful information can be found here:
Swiss Society for Manual Medicine: www.samm.ch
Interest Group for Myofascial Trigger Point Therapy: https://www.imtt.ch