Massage & Bodywork

MARCH | APRIL 2020

Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/1208028

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 90 of 117

THE REBEL MT technique 88 m a s s a g e & b o d y w o r k m a r c h / a p r i l 2 0 2 0 Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) is probably one of the fanciest phrases I use on a semi-regular basis. I sound really smart when I say it. Plus, it is a technique that works. Not that other techniques don't, but the visible and more immediate results from performing a PNF are pretty impressive. Research has shown an increase in range of motion and extensibility with consistent use of this handy tool. The question is . . . Increasing Range of Motion Using PNF Is Its Success Physical or Psychological? By Allison Denney why? Well, there is a lot going on when we engage our clients in a PNF, but let's get the nitty gritty out of the way first and break down the step-by-step process. There is, as you might have already discovered, a lot of conflicting information out there about this tricky maneuver, and sorting through it might serve to be futile, as you can find articles supporting pretty much whatever position you hold. But collecting data has at least revealed that the general idea behind how to perform a PNF holds a collective truth: When a muscle is engaged and then relaxes again, it relaxes beyond its normal state, and this is information we can use to our advantage. TWO BASIC FORMS For the purposes of this article, I am looking at the two most basic forms of this maneuver—the standard PNF (sometimes called contract/relax or hold/ relax) and reciprocal inhibition (RI). Standard PNF The standard proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) looks something like this: 1. The therapist passively moves a muscle into a slightly lengthened position. 2. The client is asked to contract that muscle against resistance provided by the therapist. 3. The client holds the isometric contraction for a set amount of time (usually somewhere between five and 10 seconds). 4. Upon relaxation, the therapist pushes the muscle into a passive stretch beyond its original state. 5. Repeat this cycle three or four times. Standard RI The standard reciprocal inhibition (RI) looks something like this: 1. A therapist passively moves a muscle into a slightly lengthened position (sound familiar?). 2. The therapist then asks the client to engage that muscle's antagonist to contract against resistance. 3. The client holds that contraction for a set amount of time (sound familiar again?). 4. Upon relaxation, the therapist passively stretches the agonist (the originally targeted muscle) beyond its normal state. 5. Rinse and repeat.

Articles in this issue

Archives of this issue

view archives of Massage & Bodywork - MARCH | APRIL 2020