Connective tissue manipulation helping your body relax into a healthier state
Connective Tissue Manipulation.
Is performed by the Physiotherapist with the soft pads of the finger tips to move one layer of skin on the level underneath. This movement creates a quick, sharp, stretch reflex, causing an impulse, which moves out along the connective tissue. The individuals brain translates this impulse as if it were a ’slice’ or a ‘abrasion’. The tighter the connective tissue the bigger the flex reflex and this then in turn feels sharper to the individual. The reflex is a little impulse which passes through the liquid in the connective tissue and eases tension.
The lessening in stress surrounding the blood vessel walls lets more blood to move into the damaged region and so reduces the swelling. Connective tissue manipulation helps in softening the connective tissue helps allow more motion to occur without causing irritation and therefore pain. Dealing with this often begins at a distance from the injured part slowly moving towards the source of injury. The benefits of Connective Tissue Manipulation are cumulative. Once the tension has been lowered by manipulation the decrease is maintained. Continued reduction in connective tissue tension happens with each additional treatment.
The amount to which the lessening in connective tissue tension is maintained is dependant upon the amount of tension placed on the system by the patient’s lifestyle. Connective Tissue Manipulation is a technique studied at postgraduate level in the United Kingdom and due to this it hasn’t spread very rapidly around the land. At the last calculation, there were only two dozen Physiotherapists in the UK actively carrying out Connective Tissue Manipulation.