Athletic Advantage

Physical Therapy

Muscle Energy Technique

Muscle Energy Technique, or MET, is an osteopathic procedure developed and used by the osteopathic physician as a remedy for musculoskeletal conditions. The MET procedure is a manual therapy technique that isolates and engages weak muscular links to reposition the bony segment that is responsible for muscular spasm, inflammation, pain and weakness.

These techniques fit well into a physical therapy treatment protocol since the physical therapist has the greatest opportunity to utilize a hands-on technique in the rehabilitation of musculoskeletal injuries. I’ve made MET the backbone of my practice in conjunction with Myofascial Release because it provides a sound physical reason for pain, limited mobility, muscular spasm and tension that compromises movement and strength. Muscles are responsible for stabilizing and moving joints. Stronger muscle groups will always compensate for weaker muscle areas secondary to injury or illness. Muscles will also thicken and harden to enhance joint stability but will cause a loss of flexibility and mobility. A primary goal of manual therapy is to improve posture through engaging these weak muscle groups to achieve the optimal efficiency and posture for joint stability and functional mobility.

A primary cause of poor posture is the imbalance of muscular groups. Consider the tight chest or Pectoralis area. The primary cause of rounded and forward shoulders that limit functional overhead shoulder motion is tight chest muscles and weak upper back muscles. Individuals who have rounded forward shoulders exhibit limited shoulder mobility and have weak upper back structures. MET is focused on these weakened areas by engaging these muscles to work without assistance from stronger muscular areas. This isolation assists to develop muscular strength and stability across the joint, which ensures greater functional joint stability.

MET is a whole body treatment philosophy and is intended to evaluate and treat pelvic, sacral, leg length issues and muscular tightness while addressing spinal issues. The pelvis is the foundational base, like that of your house. Without a symmetrical and solid foundation, nothing built upon that base will be stable nor function efficiently. Treating these pelvic asymmetries involves isolating these weak muscular links that control the motion and stability of the pelvis. The pelvis may be the cause of leg length discrepancies and must be ruled out to determine the true underlying factor.

Muscles are the links to the skeletal system, and bone is slave to the action of all muscles. Simply put whatever tension the muscle places on a bone or joint; that bony segment or joint will move and shift in relation to that stress.

Engaging these weak muscular links is imperative to stabilizing the asymmetries in the bony posture and is of vital importance when treating myofascial restrictions. It is these muscular changes caused by improper lifting or injury that are the protective tension which negatively impacts skeletal posture and symmetry.