Soft tissue techniques

Question 1

What are soft tissue techniques?

Answer 1

• a form of manual therapy
• used to assess and treat soft tissues through manipulation
• often applied directly with hands

Question 2

What are the affects of soft tissue techniques?

Answer 2

• pain reduction
• promotes muscle relaxation and reduced anxiety
• improves flexibility and reduces DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness)

Question 3

What are the biological mechanisms of the affects of soft tissue techniques?

Answer 3

• relaxation - reduction of cortisol and norepinephrine
• tissue revascularisation - increased blood flow
• reduced pain - pain gate theory and endorphins

Question 4

What are the contraindications to soft tissue techniques?

Answer 4

• open wounds
• infection
• acute inflammation
• skin conditions
• malignancy
• DVT
• over a foreign bony fragment

Question 5

What are the precautions to using soft tissue techniques?

Answer 5

• allergies
• fragile skin
• collagenous weakening eg. through use of steroids
• patients with heart problems

Question 6

What are the different techniques?

Answer 6

• stroking
• effleurage
• petrissage

Question 7

How should stroking be done?

Answer 7

• light touch
• proximal to distal
• overlap of strokes
• heel of hand leads movement

Question 8

How should effleurage be done?

Answer 8

• long stroking movements with constant contact
• follow contour of body
• vary depths
• direction of lymph and venous flow
• use palm, knuckles, elbow

Question 9

How should petrissage be done?

Answer 9

• lift tissue away from underlying structures
• knead and compress tissue and then release

Question 10

What are the different types of petrissage?

Answer 10

• picking up techniques
• kneading
• rolling techniques
• wringing
• compressions

Question 11

What is the biological effect of petrissage?

Answer 11

• increases blood flow
• increases tissue extensibility
• neuromodulatory

Question 12

How is each petrissage technique done?

Answer 12

• picking up - lift and gently squeeze muscle belly, proximal to distal
• kneading - circular motions with palms
• rolling - roll tissue side to side between hands to mobilise fascia
• wringing - hands move in opposite directions like wringing a towel
• compressions - rhythmic downward pressure with palms