The nervous system is an amazing but poorly understood system by most practitioners and even nerve specialists. You cannot treat the nervous system in isolation from all of its connections in the body. Through training and experience Focus Physio Cairns are leaders in beginning to understand and correctly treat the nervous system. The results are profound and dramatic.
What is Neural Manipulation?
Neural Manipulation examines mechanical relationships between the cranium/spine hard frame to the dura and neural elements. It provides assessment and treatment approaches to address restrictions of the dural and neural components not commonly focused on with musculoskeletal symptoms. Neural Manipulation identifies and releases local nerve restrictions while at the same time examines the effect these local fixations have on the rest of the body, and by accessing this relationship, resolves the more comprehensive (global) dysfunctional patterns.
A nerve only functions correctly when it is able to move freely within its surrounding structures. The modality of Neural Manipulation facilitates nerve conductivity and intramural blood supply for local and systemic responsiveness. By understanding the detailed anatomy of neural manipulation, one can clearly see the potential for pathological change when nerves are restricted.
Manual therapy, as it applies to the treatment of nerves, follows the standard principles of mobility and function. For optimal function, nerves must be able to move freely within their surroundings. This freedom of movement is essential for:
- Nerve conduction
- Electromagnetic conduction
- Intraneural blood supply
- Intraneural nerve supply
- Local and systemic responsiveness
Conditions That Can Be Helped With Neural Manipulation
Neural manipulation helps many things in the body. Here is a short list of some of the benefits of this amazing direct:
- Technique on the nervous system
- Lower Back Pain & Sciatica
- Headaches & Migraines
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Joint Pain
- Digestive Disorders
- Post-operative Scar Tissue Pain
- Swallowing Dysfunctions
- Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
- Whiplash Injuries
- Birth Injuries
- Neuralgia & Neuritis
- Tendinitis
- Sprains & Traumatic Lesions
- Concussion & Traumatic Brain Injuries
- And More
How Does Neural Manipulation Work?
Imagine feeling like posture is ease-ful, or if you call to task your strength and mobility you have no agitation or restriction, maybe you just want someone to just stop that sciatica down your leg! All this could be possible should your nervous system be unhindered and free to elongate to their fullest extent.
That sounds simple right? Just find someone to massage or stretch where the tension or pain is… well when it comes to the nervous system its alot more complex. For Focus Physio Cairns Physios, it’s not uncommon to work on a nerve at the opposite end of the body to where the pain is. Sounds far fetched? Yes I get it, put simply we utilise knowledge in anatomy and science alongside skills that enable us to trace with great accuracy underlying restrictions, and its backed by hundreds of happy clients so we begin to have a deeper connection and understanding the more we solve problems.
The nervous system is an amazing but poorly understood system by most practitioners and even nerve specialists. It is important to be able to assess the body as a whole and how the nervous system is integrating and communicating. This for me is such an amazing system. It is self protecting and to a large degree self managing. Through extra training and experience Focus Physio Cairns are leaders in beginning to understand and correctly treat the nervous system.
The results when care is taken to understand the nervous system and underlying cause of tension are profound and dramatic.
Signs that you may have a restriction in the nervous system could be…
- Tight muscles that no matter how much you roll, stretch or massage they often become tight again within days.
- Feeling you have poor posture and are unable to sit tall without great effort
- An ache down the leg or arms that is fairly constant and may have pins and needles associated.
- Numbness to a patch of skin
- Repeated or long lasting tendonitis issues such as tennis elbow, Achilles inflammation and patella pain
The Nervous system begins at the brain and like a tree goes down the trunk and extends to all the smaller branches and leaves. All parts are connected. If one area is unhappy the whole system has to adapt to ease tension to this area or protect another. Nerves can become unhappy for many reasons. Some examples could be scar tissue impacting over its line of travel, compression from surrounding structures, inflammation in the canal and emotional tension to name just a few. The various courses studied enable our therapists to discern which nerve is aggravated and a likely reason for this.
Imagine the benefit to the body when diagnosis can be so specific and treatment precise. This is why I feel the results are profound and dramatic. The nervous system does not like to be irritated in any way and will generally try and hug the tension or protect itself further up the line. It will protect further up the line to give more space to structures it prizes such as the brain and brain stem.
Neural Manipulation is a major part of the lines of study and treatment utilised by our therapists at Focus Physio Cairns. It examines mechanical relationships between the cranium/spine hard frame to the dura and neural elements. Neural Manipulation identifies and releases local nerve restrictions. There can have grander effects throughout the whole body, If like a tree, your neural system no longer needs to protect a branch by leaning over then you can once again stand tall and your body can have all the correct messages relayed for optimal performance, mobility and strength.
A nerve only functions correctly when it is able to move freely within its surrounding structures. The modality of Neural Manipulation facilitates nerve conductivity and intramural blood supply for local and systemic responsiveness. By understanding the detailed anatomy of neural manipulation, one can clearly see the potential for pathological change when nerves are restricted. For optimal function, nerves must be able to move freely within their surroundings. This freedom of movement is essential for:
- Organs the nerve supplies to have full communication to the brain and other organs.
- The muscles and joints to receive the correct messages
- The body to have as few compensations as possible in order to function at its highest physical level
- Information sharing to all structures and less flow on effects to other systems in the body.
What is Involved in the Treatment of Neural Manipulation?
The treatment is specific and direct. The practitioner is often directly moving the nerve or surrounding fascia. These small strings that do not like to be irritated. Therapists’ needs the balance of being direct but not overly pressured as the nerve is easily made more angry. Other areas of concern are the dura (surrounding area to the spinal cord). Specific techniques target this area to help it elongate which is often beneficial to those who have had spinal injections and epidurals.
I still remember the day I really began to have a clearer picture of the nervous system and its integrations. I began to realise the majority of people I see had nerve tension. A whole world opened up which at the time came as a surprise as I felt I was already practising as a whole systems therapist. I began to realise the value of this system to the body that is so underestimated and really little is known through the greater medical community.
I continue the journey to unravel and dive deeper into nerves and how to assist their ease. It has been a joy to share this knowledge with my colleagues and together begin to unravel the intricacies of nerves. We hope you are able to enjoy the benefits in your body through treatment.
See blog to follow on Shelleys journey into Advanced Visceral Manipulation techniques into the brain and cranial nerves. You can also call us at Focus Physio Cairns to book your next appointment.
