Hi, sorry if I've not explained myself clearly on this one, I'll try again !
I agree with you completely about rotation being an integral part of all
functional movement- don't worry, I was taught that, and I have taught
others too ! What I was trying to say was that in some Tai Chi exercises,
body structures are simultaneously stretched over several different areas,
with strong rotary components present throughout and stressed again at the
end of the movements performed. Put like that, I suppose there are
similarities in Tai Chi to PNF, and some neural tension testing manouveurs.
My other point was that as Tai Chi movements involve the whole body perhaps
there might be a professional reluctance to muddy the water and potentially
confuse the clinical picture ? Or, do we feel more secure as professional
therapists advocating more specific exercises to specifically strengthen and
/or stretch a specific area of the body for a specific reason ?
Now there's a question !! (I wait with my breath held for your replies)
By the way, I spend my working days with people in their own homes, work and
leisure places, helping them to problem-solve how they can best do whatever
it is they want to do. "Let's be functional" could be our Team's motto !!
Nikki Adams Community Physical Disability Team Wakefield UK
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----- Original Message -----
From: <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, February 22, 2001 5:20 PM
Subject: Re: Chi-ward Conditioning & Therapy?
> Dear Nikki,
> I appreciate your remark regarding rotation accompanying the "end og range
> movement". Yes you knew about it because I hope that you have learnt
about
> P.N.F during your PT training. If your instructor did not highlight the
> importance of rotation always associated with ANY movement he or she
failed
> in instructing properly PNF. According to the very old Mc Connail law
every
> muscle contraction induces, as a first effect,a rotation of the bony
lever
> on which this muscle is attached. (I do not use inserted because I am
under
> the assumption that insertion means distal attachment for muscles in the
> USA.(by the way am I right?). If you do not teach any of your movement
with
> a gradient of rotation you do not ask for a functional movement. Any
> movement in the frontal or saggital plan requires a correction of the
> spontaneaus rotation which happens in normal function. So, certainly,
> consider to include a rotation in any rehabilitative movement. As an
> example: you cannot recover a total flexion/extension in the knee and a
> functional ambulation as long as the degrees of rotation existing in the
knee
> have not been recovered. At each step the LE rotates and about 8 degrees
> take place in the knee. Who has ever evaluated the knee rotation during a
> lower extremity assessment? Physical therapists forcing the extension of
a
> knee joint on a patient in prone position not only take the risk to injure
> the joint but will not recover the full range this way. What is the
reaction
> of a muscle group when such an insult is imposed to a joint? Contracture,
no?
> to protect the joint. If the same physical therapist was working on the
> rotation of the knee at the early stage of his/her intervention he/she
would
> recover full range without generating any damage in the knee or any pain
for
> the patient. When I studied in France failure to evaluate the knee
rotation
> would have cost you your graduation. Let's be functional. Please offer
your
> feed back. Thank you. Best regards. AMVNewman
>
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