The Role Of Movement In Healing Article

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The Role of Movement in Healing

Author: James Mally

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Many schools use the acronym "RICE," which stands for rest, ice, compression, and elevation, as the formula for working with someone who has an acute injury. The injured area should be rested, but problems can happen if it is given too much rest. Some Sports Therapists have expressed the opinion that the first letter of the acronym Rice should represent Range of Motion. Stuart Laws, the person who developed and teaches Soft Tissue Release, suggests that the acronym used should be MICE (movement, ice, compression, and elevation).

Some years back, hospital patients were compulsorily asked to take bed rest after surgery. Patients had long periods of healing, but they developed massive adhesions. Modern day teaching, however, allows patients to recover much faster, since they are put into motion soon after surgery.

If an area is not moved enough after an injury, adhesions will form that can permanently reduce the range of motion. A patient is likely to not notice the restricted movement, or they may assume that it is normal to have lost some mobility. Because of this, people who have suffered an injury to a body part pose a threat to themselves in that they might cause more injuries in the same location.

It is important to understand the body's natural healing process and the stages of inflammatory response before one attempts to determine how much to move a patient's injured body parts.

Listed below are the three stages involved in the inflammatory process:

Stage 1 - The acute or reactive phase is the first to occur during the inflammatory process. Changes in blood flow will result in swelling in redness during this stage. Swelling in the area restricts motion. Muscle spasms and guarding will also occur. Providing a lymphatic massage to the patient during this stage will help lessen the swelling.

Stage 2 - Regeneration is the second stage of the inflammatory process. This stage takes about two to three weeks to be carried out. Fribroblasts make collagen during this time to assist the torn tissues. Fibers of collagen are not laid down in any coherent pattern, which causes muscle or other fibers to cross. In the case that this happens, mobility will be limited.

Stage 3 - Remodeling or scar maturation phase is the third stage of inflammation. Within this stage, movement is an absolute necessity as a preventative measure against scar tissue adhering to the muscle fibers or fascia. This adherence might bring about unwanted and/or severe structural deformation and lead to impaired functioning. A deep massage is needed to help break up scar tissue once it formed.

Understanding the processes of inflammation and having the ability to recognize the stages will help you help the patient, especially when you move the patient's body. When moving the patient, follow the tips listed below:

1) Start with recording a client history, inquiring about any previous injury and the symptoms that he is experiencing. With passive range of motion, active motion, and resisted muscle testing, assess the area. WARNING: Do not try to use resisted muscle testing if you think there is a muscle tear.

2) Once you have the client's history in hand, use passive movement to assess the patient's range of motion so that you do not go beyond that range. All movement should be without pain.

3) Never extend a joint beyond its regular range of motion. The unaffected side should be checked to determine the patient's normal range of mobility.

4) While passively stretching your client's muscles, press into them. This will assist the collagen fibers in running parallel with the muscle fibers and will also break the fibers that cross the grain of the muscle.

5) The patient can do active motion as long as it is painless.

6) When your client is actively stretching their muscle, you should press into it. The effect of reciprocal inhibition is that the stretched muscles become more relaxed because their antagonist muscles are being used, making this even more effective than passive stretching alone.

7) The tissue could be re-injured if too much movement or load bearing is taken upon the injured area. It is important to start with passive movement and then, as the client is comfortable with the process, slowly begin to use resisted and active motion.

Movement is very successful in helping clients recover from injuries, especially when using these guidelines.

About Author

As a graduate of an accredited medical school, Doctor James Mally, director of the Healing Arts Institute, has direct knowledge of all aspects of natural therapeutics. Teaching deep tissue massage and sports massage courses, Doctor Mally is able to use his intimate knowledge of anatomy and physiology to communicate the best massage techniques to his students, thus making the Healing Arts Institute the best place to receive massage therapy education. For more visit http://www.abundanthealth.com and www.abundanthealth.com/shop/category.asp?catid=218

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The Role of Movement in Healing