OMM Treatment: Muscle Energy

00:01 Muscle energy is when you use the patient’s own muscles to enhance motion.

00:05 It could be direct, where you move it to the direction that it’s restricted in, or can be indirect.

00:10 But basically you fatigue the muscle and pull the muscle until you get the motion you want.

00:16 So with this patient, if we take his back, slump him down and say, “Move to your right.

00:22 How far can you go?” That’s about where you lock up.

00:26 That’s about where you start moving your legs and restrict motion.

00:29 So I’m going to take just a little bit of a step back and say, “Pull to your right.” 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Relax.

00:37 And then he goes further.

00:39 “Pull to your right.” 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and relax.

00:45 “Pull to your right one more time.” 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and relax.

00:52 That is a direct muscle energy.

00:54 But let’s say that it didn’t work.

00:55 I would then have him flip his arms and do the other side to help with motion in indirect and say if I fatigue his muscles this way, I get more motion in the direction it can't go.

01:06 Both work well with muscle energy and muscle energy is good to have patient involved with the treatment so he can see that what you’re doing is enhancing motion and enhancing their ability of function.

01:17 That is muscle energy.