The treatment of the human body by manual therapists has been in a constant change for about a decade now, thanks in part to a renewed interest in the study of Fascia. With an infusion of new research and a revitalization/rejuvenation of old techniques, the treatment of the ligamentous Articular system is currently going through an evolution.
The days of treating with vintage techniques have been replaced by more precise, sensitive techniques where the manual therapist follows the innate self correcting mechanism of the body, rather than forcing tissues through barriers that were most likely there for a reason.
Don’t get me wrong, I truly feel that there is a place and time for almost all techniques, depending on what the patient presents with, but we are in a time of ever changing and advancing knowledge. We must adapt and improve to continue to play a positive part in our patients’ lives.
I’ve been blessed to have a career as a Manual Therapist that has spanned 20yrs. I’ve had the fortune to work along side some of the professions most knowledgeable and influential therapists not only in the manual therapy world, but also in the Naturopathic and physical therapy worlds. Having a diversified perspective allowed me to step outside my small world of old beliefs to see new opportunities as a manual therapist to continue to help improve the quality of life of my patients.
Old Beliefs
We are in an amazing time as manual therapists. With todays level of current research, we now know that what treatment techniques seemed to have worked in the past for the ligamentous and fascial tissues, has been proven inefficient or ineffective. Many of our treatment techniques were based on concepts, theories or the beliefs of others and we performed recipe treatments just because it had been handed down over the years.
Today
With the ease of accessibility to ever-changing research, you can quickly become an informed expert, or a quick study, in your area of interest. Therapists are now more than ever able to solve problems and give strategic insight and formulate appropriate treatment plans for their patients.
KISS
We are an assymetrical, non-linear feedback system relaying kinesthetic and proprioceptive information to the CNS, working in series with the ligamentomusculoskeletal system providing function to the body. Its dysfunction, due to pathology or injury, greatly affects the quality of life of the host.
Simplicity in manual techniques is the hardest thing of all to achieve when dealing with a mechanism as complex as the human machine. Developing, researching, evolving and revitalizing a technique that is simple, that everyone can understand and reproduce with high quality, efficiency and precision has been my main goal in instructing LAST courses.
We’ve always known about the human body’s innate ability to heal its self, but now we are able to recognize them and cooperate with the tissues, rather than attempt to force the tissues, to make the necessary changes to the tissue environment. This change in environment allows the dysfunctional tissues to function as efficiently as possible in whatever state of healing they are in.
Practicing from a position of always seeking more knowledge about your patients’ injury, pathology, and life circumstances increases your strategic ability to add value to your patients’ life. It also increases your credibility and improves your position within your community as an expert in that field.
Challenging and informing yourself more with current research, be it in the form of abstract articles, full papers, videos from the most recent scientific conferences and so on allows you to become more strategic in developing innovative ways to treat dysfunctions.
In the past our structure and cytology were studied and researched, but on an individualistic nature akin to studying a sway-bar or linkage of a suspension system of a car. Today we are at the precipice of understanding not just how connected all our systems are but also just how connected we are to each other and our environment.
The “Ligamentous stocking” was initially a term applied to the lumbosacral complex. The Ligamentous Articular system is a systemic stocking that has no beginning or ending, having the ability to effect change not only at a site of injury, but also at distant locations in tissues which seem unconnected to the initial assault.
It’s my calling to not only add value to my manual therapy family, but more importantly to their patients’. It’s my hope that those that walk away from LAST courses, walk away with an increased ability to treat at their highest level, having gained tangible practical techniques that can be implemented immediately.
Hope to see you out at one of the courses!
Robert