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the science of movement Exploring Technique Muscle Approximation Treatment strategies As a general rule, each type of muscle imbalance responds best to a specific type of treatment. Adaptively shortened muscles need to be stretched and lengthened, whereas stretchweakened or inhibited muscles need to be approximated and activated to shorten them. It is important to avoid elongating already stretchweakened muscles, which could exacerbate the imbalances and increase a client's pain. Stretch-weakened muscles can be activated and toned by using active or resisted movement techniques with concentric contractions. Unless a person makes a conscious effort to contract and control stretch-weakened or inhibited muscles with a goal of restoring normal tone, the problem will grow worse. Inhibited postural muscles can also be activated with active or resisted movement. Because postural muscles work isometrically, activating them with isometric contractions is even more effective. In neuromuscular patterning, a practitioner has the client isometrically contract a core muscle to stabilize the spine or proximal joints while the practitioner manually stretches another part of the body. This is an effective way to integrate postural education into hands-on work to improve muscle balance. Use muscle approximation to improve muscle awareness and change the resting length of muscles. 1. Using both hands, hold the muscle near its origin and insertion, at the musculotendinous junctions. Adapt your hands to the shape and size of the target muscle. For flat muscles, use a broad touch; for large, tubular muscles, use a round, encompassing touch; for thin, spindle-shaped muscles, use a pincer touch. 2. Slowly push the ends of the muscle together to shorten it (Image A). 3. Hold the muscle in the shortened position until you feel a relaxation response. As the muscle relaxes, it will slowly spring out into your hands, which will take a few seconds. • For an adaptively shortened muscle, approximate and release. Slowly draw the origin and insertion apart, lengthening the muscle to its end range of extensibility (Image B). • For a stretch-weakened muscle, approximate and release. Do not elongate. • For an inhibited muscle, have your client isometrically contract it as you approximate it. Notes 1. P. Page, C. Frank, and R. Lardner, Assessment and Treatment of Muscle Imbalance: The Janda Approach (Champaign, Illinois: Human Kinetics, 2010). 2. J. Linn, "Core of the Matter: Core and Sleeve in the Rolfian Paradigm," accessed June 2013, www.somatics.de/ artikel/for-professionals/2-article/60-the-core-of-thematter. Originally published in Structural Integration: The Journal of the Rolf Institute 30, no. 1 (Winter 2002): 16–9. Mary Ann Foster is the author of Therapeutic Kinesiology: Musculoskeletal Systems, Palpation, and Body Mechanics (Pearson Publishing, 2013). She can be contacted at mafoster@somatic-patterning.com. Next Issue: Visualizing joint structures during motion. A Shorten the muscle by pushing ends together. B Draw ends apart for adaptively shortened muscles. www.abmp.com. See what benefits await you. 109