Counterstrain

Counterstrain is a manual therapy technique, often used by osteopathic physicians, that involves the identification and treatment of somatic dysfunction. Somatic dysfunction is defined as impaired or altered function of related components of the somatic (body framework) system including skeletal, arthrodial, and myofascial structures, and related vascular, lymphatic, and neural elements.

History

Counterstrain was developed in the 1950s by Lawrence Jones, an osteopathic physician. Jones discovered the technique accidentally when he was treating a patient with severe back pain who was unable to find relief through traditional methods. He found that by positioning the patient in a way that reduced their pain and maintaining this position for a period of time, the patient's pain was significantly reduced.

Technique

The counterstrain technique involves the following steps:

1. The practitioner identifies a tender point by palpation.
2. The patient is asked to rate the tenderness of the point on a scale of 0 to 10, with 10 being the most severe pain.
3. The practitioner moves the patient into a position of comfort, which reduces the tenderness of the point.
4. This position is held for 90 seconds.
5. The patient is slowly returned to a neutral position.
6. The tender point is reevaluated, and the process is repeated if necessary.

Applications

Counterstrain can be used to treat a variety of conditions, including:

• Back pain
• Headaches
• Fibromyalgia
• Sciatica
• Neck pain
• Joint pain
• Muscle spasms

See also

• Osteopathic manipulative treatment
• Physical therapy
• Chiropractic

References

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