Muscle Energy Techniques?

[Guest guest]

I was wondering if anyone had experience using " Muscle Energy

Techniques. " Is it a scientfically valid testing method, especially if

it is used to detect food allergies and/or organ dysfunction?

[Whenever one encounters the loose and " woo-woo " use of the term,

" energy " , in therapy, it almost invariably has nothing to do with the

scientific meaning of energy and even less to do with the energetic

metabolic processes or physiological functioning of the body. It is

prolifically used in so-called alternative healing and, as such, should

always be very skeptically questioned. If you would care to quote some claims

on " Muscle Energy Techniques " (MET), we would be able to offer some more

specific comments. So far, this sounds rather similar to the manual

" applied kinesiological " tests that some chiropractors use to detect food

sensitivity and organic dysfunction. There is absolutely no objective

scientific proof of its validity, though some research using load cells has

shown

that the tester intentionally or unintentionally pushes harder with the hand

when trying to validate a suspected " dysfunction " . Manual testing is

notoriously

unreliable, so if those MET tests involve that sort of test, don't even vaguely

believe them. Mel Siff]

Thanks,

Josh Henkin

Phoenix, AZ

[Guest guest]

I thought I'd weigh in on this from the physical therapy perspective.

Muscle Energy Technique, to me, is a joint mobilization technique

developed by the osteopath Fred . The restricted joint, be it

shoulder, spinal segment, etc., is taken to the " restricted barrier " ,

(a specific joint position determined by the therapist, in which the

joint restriction is felt, the endrange of the joint motion that can

be restricted by pain, soft tissue tightness, etc.,). The patient is

then instructed to apply a force in a certain direction, which is

then resisted by the therapist. After which, an improvement in joint

movement occurs. Thus using " muscle energy " to restore joint

mobility. A number of theories are put forth to explain this (i won't

go into too much detail), one being that the isometric contraction

gently " pulls " the joint, mobilizing it into the restriction, another

theory maintains that you are resetting the muscle spindle gain to a

more normal muscle length/tension relationship. This technique is

widely used in physical therapy and osteopathic medicine.

I am not familiar with the other uses of this term.

Perhaps the chiropractors on this list can help out there.

Jarlo Ilano, MPT

Physical Therapist

Physiotherapy Associates

Redmond, WA

> I was wondering if anyone had experience using " Muscle Energy

> Techniques. " Is it a scientfically valid testing method, especially

if

> it is used to detect food allergies and/or organ dysfunction?

>

> [Whenever one encounters the loose and " woo-woo " use of the term,

> " energy " , in therapy, it almost invariably has nothing to do with

the

> scientific meaning of energy and even less to do with the energetic

> metabolic processes or physiological functioning of the body. It

is

> prolifically used in so-called alternative healing and, as such,

should

> always be very skeptically questioned. If you would care to quote

some claims

> on " Muscle Energy Techniques " (MET), we would be able to offer some

more

> specific comments. So far, this sounds rather similar to the manual

> " applied kinesiological " tests that some chiropractors use to

detect food

> sensitivity and organic dysfunction. There is absolutely no

objective

> scientific proof of its validity, though some research using load

cells has shown

> that the tester intentionally or unintentionally pushes harder with

the hand

> when trying to validate a suspected " dysfunction " . Manual testing

is notoriously

> unreliable, so if those MET tests involve that sort of test, don't

even vaguely

> believe them. Mel Siff]

>

> Thanks,

> Josh Henkin

> Phoenix, AZ