A system created by Briana Mulligan, a physiotherapist from New Zeland, is a specialistic diagnosis and therapy method which combines passive movements performed by the therapist and active movements performed by the patient (the patient doesn’t just undergo therapy, he/she participates in it). The cooperation with the therapist gives the patient crucial information on how to deal with pain and how to perform daily activities without causing unwanted effects.

The range of passive and active movements is estimated, feeling, sliding joints, the strength and elasticity of the muscles are tested - in order to increase movement capabilities and reduce pain, we need to find the right direction of treatments.

TEM - Muscle Energy Technique are methods coming from different physiotherapy, osteopathy and chiro-plastics schools, which use physical exercises in different ways in order to eliminate disorders of soft tissues. TEM is used against muscle or connective tissue contractions, spasticity, physiological muscle weakness, local swelling, venous stasis, movement limitation of the joints resulting from the dysfunction of tissues.

Poisometric muscle relaxation – this is a therapeutic system aiming to recognize muscle dysfunctions and restore proper tenseness and length to them. This method consists in the use of an active resistance of the patient against the resistance of the therapist in order to relax muscles. The use of this poisometric relaxation of muscles has two aims: temporary and long-term:

• The temporary aim is the fight against pain and other effects of static strain of the muscles, muscle and connective tissue irritations.
• The long-term aim is the restoration of normal length and elasticity of contracted muscles, restoration of normal movement capabilities of the joints and the fight against joint strain.

The techniques of this method are a very effective way of fighting contracture of muscles and pain. Often, after the treatment, pain is relieved so significantly that the person who underwent the therapy is unable to point out the place of previous painful contracture (if the blockade is not present anymore) – wrote Lewit.

Myofascial Release (an isokinetic contraction, a combination of isotonic and isometric contraction – with and without the change of the muscle length). Therapy with this method aims to tone up weakened muscles (similar to electrostimulation) and renew the strength of all muscles engaged in a particular movement. This technique is one of the newest therapeutic methods used in manual therapy. It concentrates on working together with the myofascial system, improving the mobility of soft tissues, especially fascias.

Aktiv Tissue Release – is a method which concentrates its attention on the elimination of soft tissue irregularities such as: adhesions, excessive muscle tone, muscle and connective tissue contractures. It is one of the most effective methods of disorder elimination. This method is an achievement of modern manual medicine. The technique aims on keeping a steady pressure on the so called trigger points with simultaneous tissue stretching.

Cranio-Sacral Therapy involves gentle manipulation and pressure on the cranium, pelvis, diaphragm, chest and sacrum in order to release tissue tension which may be the cause of many health problems. The creator of this method is Dr William Garner Sutherland who, in the early 20th century (1920’s), developed a model of the mutual tensions and the basics of their shifting in the cranium - dura mater – sacrum system. Dr Sutherland gave evidence about the mutual movement of fully developed cranium bones, discovered the rule of mutual tensions between the dura mater lining the cranium cavity, surrounding the spinal cord and the synkinesis of the sacrum, with cranium skeleton. His work has been continued by scientists such as Becker, Jealous, Kern, Milne, Sills, Upledger – showing the systemic consequences of disturbances in this system and developing the possibilities of the use of this knowledge in therapy as a complementation to treating many ailments troubling people of all ages.

The chir-polastics methods of McTimoney is a method of diagnosis and treating disorders of the movement apparatus through manual oscillation, mobilization and manipulation of the spine and other joints. Its scientific basis is derived from the fact that good health is dependant on proper factions of the nervous system. Nerve routs of the spinal cord go through the opening between the vertebra. Dislocation of the vertebra irritates the routs of nerves which we feel as pain, tingling sensation, heat or cold; something we don’t feel is that this causes organ dysfunction. The therapy, which brings the vertebra to their original placement, eliminates the cause of the illness. Prophylactic chiro-plastics prevents the development of many illnesses.

Important information for patients about the chiro-plasticss treatment:

• The effects of the treatment are immediate or are spread over time – up to 48 hours
• You shouldn’t underestimate the gentleness of the treatment – it is a specialized and effective mobilization
• Mood shifts after the treatment (sleepiness, tiredness, intensification of illness signs) are a normal and necessary state in order to heal
• Patient’s self-observation and cooperation with the therapist are very important, because this shortens the time of the therapy
• If the patient, with the help of chiro-plastics, gets to understand the cause of his/her problems, he or she can prevent such problems in the future

Kinesiology Taping is a method which allows achieving amazing therapeutic results through the sensorial effects of kinesiology tape. This is possible due to the phenomenon of body’s self healing also known as compensation, which on its own is pathological but when controlled, leads to restoration and maintenance of proper functions. The application of those tapes has sensorial effects which locally improve functioning or influence dysfunctions placed outside of the symptom area (e.g. pain). Thanks to special tests, the therapist can localize dysfunctions of the body and compare them to existing symptoms. Each application is preceded by an examination, evaluation of the myofascial system. It is not based on the use of ready made models of treatments. The therapy uses kinesiology tape of parameters close to the properties of human skin.

Kinesiology taping is a dynamically evolving variation of therapy with the use of tape of which application techniques are based on achievements of modern medicine in the field of myofascial therapy.

There are six main techniques of application: muscle, ligamentous, lymphatic, fascial, corrective and functional. They differ in the way of application (position, the type of tape stretching, stretching of the skin area where the tape is applied), depending on these elements we can achieve desired effects. The applied tape works according to the functions of the body (day and night); the effects of improvement are visible directly after application and are maintained after removal of the tape.