Maintaining body balance, flexibility, and stability : a practical guide to the prevention and treatment of musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction

with A Focus On Helping Clients Participate In The Self-management Of Their Own Treatment, This Collection Of Effective And Safe Techniques And Exercises Provides Practical Information On Relaxing Muscles In Spasm And Easing Associated Muscular Pain. Reader-friendly And Accessible, It Provides Numerous Exercises That Can Be Used To Treat Existing Conditions Or To Prevent Further Injury. While The Exercises Can Be Used In A Management Program Under The Direction Of Any Therapist Involved In The Treatment Of Musculoskeletal Disorders, They Are Also Ideal For Home Use — So Patients Can Do Them Without Special Equipment Or The Assistance Of Others. • Safe And Effective Exercise Techniques Help Patients Relieve Tense Muscles And Ease Related Pain. • Numerous, Colorful Illustrations Are Included Throughout The Text To Provide A Better Understanding Of Techniques. • Clear And Easy-to-follow Explanations Of Each Technique Improve Readability And Comprehension. • Expert Guidance Helps Readers Select The Appropriate Exercise For Each Situation. • Content Helps Patients Remember What The Therapist Wants Them To Do Between One Consultation And The Next. • The Role Of The Patient In Maintaining His Or Her Own Fitness Is Emphasized To Ensure Successful Treatment Outcomes. • All Of The Exercises Can Be Done At Home — Without Special Equipment Or Hands-on Involvement Of The Practitioner. • Plastic Cards Inside The Back Cover Provide Exercises And Instructions For Patients To Use At Home. "Maintaining Body Balance, Flexibility ad Stability presents a collection of safe and effective exercises and self-care methods, most of which can be undertaken by individuals at home, without supervision, to maintain or increase fitness, or as part of a treatment programme. Each exercise is explained using a combination of straightforward step by step instructions and clear illustrations (both photographs and line drawings). The rationale for using each exercise is also set out." "Those using these exercises as part of a treatment or training programme will commonly do so under the instruction and supervision of a therapist or a trainer, Others will want to use this book on their own, without professional guidance. The exercises have been selected with both groups in mind and the author has taken account of this varied readership in setting out the information provided for each exercise. For this reason a number of the flexibility, stability and balance exercises are accompanied by simple self-assessment tests to see whether there really is a need to do them. The self-assessment tests can also be used to measure progress." "By addressing the needs of both the therapist and the client Maintaining Body Balance, Flexibility and Stability recognizes that today many individuals want to take responsibility for their own body fitness. It also emphasizes the idea of an equal partnership between individual and trainer/therapist when exercise is being prescribed as a part of a treatment and ensuring a successful outcome. Individuals and therapists who follow the instructions and guidelines given in this book will find it provides them with an invaluable guide to the prevention and treatment of musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction."--Jacket Content: Foreword , Pages vii-viii Preface , Pages ix-xiii Acknowledgments , Page xiv Copyright , Page xv Chapter 1 - The different forms of muscle energy technique , Pages 1-16 Chapter 2 - Testing for shortness in muscles , Pages 17-50 Chapter 3 - Muscle energy techniques: treatment and self-treatment methods , Pages 51-102 Chapter 4 - Trigger points and their importance in pain control , Pages 103-115 Chapter 5 - Self-mobilization methods , Pages 117-131 Chapter 6 - Strength plus endurance equals stability , Pages 133-161 Chapter 7 - Balance, agility and breathing , Pages 163-172 Chapter 8 - Introducing positional release technique and strain and counterstrain , Pages 173-187 Index , Pages 189-194 Sheet 1A - Treating short/tight muscles using MET , Page 195 Sheet 1B - Treating short/tight muscles using MET , Page 196 Sheet 2A - Treating short/tight muscles using MET , Page 197 Sheet 2B - Treating short/tight muscles using MET , Page 198 Sheet 3A - Breathing , Page 199 Sheet 3B - Breathing , Page 200 Sheet 4A - Mobilising the neck , Page 201 Sheet 4B - Mobilising the neck , Page 202 Sheet 5A - Stretching the back muscles , Page 203 Sheet 5B - Stretching the back muscles , Page 204 Sheet 6A - Strengthening exercises , Page 205 Sheet 6B - Strengthening exercises , Page 206 Sheet 7A - Spinal self-mobilization exercises , Page 207 Sheet 7B - General self-mobilization exercises , Page 208 Sheet 8A - General self-mobilization exercises , Page 209 Sheet 8B - General self-mobilization exercises , Page 210 A collection of tried and tested, effective and safe techniques and exercises for relaxing muscles in spasm and easing associated muscular pain. All the exercises included can be done at home without assistance from anyone else. All are suitable for inclusion in a management programme under the direction of any therapist involved in the treatment of musculoskeletal disorders. They can be used to treat existing conditions or to prevent more major injury (especially in relation to sports). Aimed at the therapist who want to involve their client in the self-management of their own treatment. Designed and priced to be affordable and accessible to patients this is a book which the therapist can also safely recommend to their patients to buy and use themselves. From one of the leading names in musculoskeletal therapy, Maintaining Body Balance, Flexibility and Stability offers a collection of effective and safe techniques and exercises that are useful for relaxing muscles in spasm and easing associated muscular pain. Reader-friendly and accessible, it provides numerous exercises that can be used to assess and treat existing conditions or to prevent further injury. Recommended for use in conjunction with professional treatment, the exercises in this title are ideal for self-management of flexibility, core stability, agility, and balance. (Product Description) When you bend your knee (or any other joint), a muscle or group of muscles contracts in order to produce the desired movement.