NEUROMUSCULAR THERAPY Neuromuscular Therapy (NMT) is a very specialized form of manual therapy. A therapist trained in NMT is educated in the physiology of the nervous system and its effect on the muscular and skeletal systems. The Neuromuscular Therapist also is educated in kinesiology and biomechanics This comprehensive program of soft-tissue manipulation balances the body’s central nervous system with the musculoskeletal system. Based on neurological laws that explain how the central nervous system initiates and maintains pain, the goal is to help relieve the pain and dysfunction by understanding and alleviating the underlying cause. Neuromuscular therapy can help individuals who experience distortion and biomechanical dysfunction, which is often a symptom of a deeper problem. It is also used to locate and release spasms and hypercontraction in the tissue, eliminate trigger points that cause referred pain, rebuild the strength of injured tissues, assist venous and lymphatic flow, and restore postural alignment, proper biomechanics, and flexibility to the tissues. Neuromuscular therapy recognizes six principles that cause pain. 1. Ischemia 2. Trigger Points 3. Nerve Compression 4. Whiplash 5. Postural Distortion 6. Biomechanical Dysfunction Neuromuscular therapy can help individuals experiencing structural distortion, biomechanical dysfunction, and the accompanying pain that is often a symptom of the underlying problem. It is used to locate and release spasms and hyper contradiction in the tissues: eliminates trigger points that causes referred pain; restore postural alignment, proper biomechanics and flexibility to the tissues; rebuild the strength of injured tissues and assist venous and lymphatic flow. Neuromuscular therapy is an effective and economically feasible method of treatment. The client is actively involved in the process of healing by helping the neuromuscular therapist understand his or her particular condition. At the initial visit, the therapist evaluates for: Postural Distortions Biomechanical Dysfunctions Soft Tissue Causes of These Patterns and Present Pain Conditions. The Neuromuscular therapist develops a treatment plan by screening gait patterns and measuring the positioning of the body on the coronal, midsagittal and horizontal planes. These measurements provide reference points from which to determine distortion patterns. An exacting analysis of proper posture and biomechanics explains the cause and effect relationship to pain. The therapist then palpates the soft tissue to determine if there are ischemic, trigger points, nerve compression and/or entrapment possibilities. When the body is aligned on the midsagittal, coronal and horizontal planes, the tone of the both somatic (body covering) and visceral (internal organ) tissues improves. As tone is normalized, the nervous system is balanced.