Neuromuscular Therapy emerged with the advent of the 20th century by a scientist from Latvia known as Stanley Lief. In the development of his ideology, Lief depended on ayurvedic and Varma medicine in a combination with American osteopathy and chiropractry. Major progressions were acquired in his philosophy 1925 after his relocation to Europe. In collaboration with his cousin, Boris Chaitow, they advanced Neuromuscular Therapy in 1940s 1. One of the major issues they laid emphasis on was the high level of sensitivity of palpatory in the assessment of soft tissue on the victims. This gave the platform and basis on which modern, sophisticated Neuromuscular Therapy was developed.
Lief’s initial, work was taken over by Peter, his son. Later, Leon Chaitow who was a European osteopath took over the work and advanced the initial discoveries in the industry. These scientists enhanced numerous of the technology and enlarged its scope of operation to accommodate wide perspectives in medicine. The techniques that these individuals developed were used by various medical experts to improve the level of their service delivery1, 2. Osteopaths were the most common people that used this technology to advance their activities. Occasionally, physiotherapists also used the technology in performing their duties in advanced clinical practice 1.
In the United States, a chiropractor, Raymond Nimmo, developed a theory, receptor-tonus that was based on the hypertonic nature of the soft tissues. Nimmo’s theory criticized the chiropractic paradigm because of its operational capabilities with the bones. Ninno combined his ideology with Jane Travel’s trigger point ideologies about soft tissues to enhance the neuromuscular technology. This led to the development of St. John Neuromuscular Therapy through Paul St. John, Nimmo’s Student, who ended up running courses and publishing manuals throughout America about the technology. Later, a student that was under instruction from St. John, Judith Delany, came up with off-shoot neuromuscular therapy around 1980, and this was referred to as the American Version of the technology.
Around mid-1990s, John Barrera and his student Leon Botello, an American, brought the American Version of the Neuromuscular Therapy technology to New Zealand. John Barrera place of origin is Corpus Christi. The technology was introduced into the education system where it was used, and then it spread into the medical industry. Stewart Wild, a student in Auckland studying at New Zealand College, became the pioneer to graduate in Neuromuscular Therapy. Wild continued his career in the field, and he became an instructor in the NMT. He began his career as an instructor in 1998 1.
The Neuromuscular Therapy used in the world today is a combination of a wide range of technologies that were developed by different specialists. All these technologies have different areas of operation concerning the soft tissues in the body. The tissues of human beings have various variations based on the structural and functional differences among them. The different specializations acquired by these tissues may require distinct medical assessment and these are provided by the different technologies developed in the industry. Therefore, the progressions of the NMT technology has been motivated by the discoveries in the unique characteristics of human tissues 1, 2. The approach that has been acquired towards the management of the body tissues is also based on various physiological processes. The biochemical processes of the body have laid massive influence in the development of the technology with a massive emphasis on the physical dysfunction and damage. The psychosocial and biochemical components of the body have also been taken into the consideration throughout the evolution of the biotechnology. Other influences like environmental, physical, nutritional and functional balances have also been very elemental towards the structuring of the instruments of usage towards health restoration and maintenance by physiotherapy 1.
Neuromuscular Therapy is a technology that is used by medical experts to manage chronic and acute pain resulting from various forms of physical activity. There are various neuromuscular therapy tools that are utilized by the specialists to assist in the assessment and treatment of the victims. In the assessments phase, the therapy is applied by the experts in the evaluation of various aspect in the patients in order to establish an accurate diagnosis before the interventions are developed. The specific therapy tool by the experts depends on the biomechanical dysfunctional and the postural distortions in the patients 2. The presence of trigger points and ischemia may also require the use of sophisticated neuromuscular therapy tools. Neuromuscular therapy may also be used in the determination of soft tissues entrapments and nerve compressions on the patients. Therefore, assessing a patient using the neuromuscular therapy may require the application of a multidimensional approach so assist in the development of a comprehensive intervention mechanisms 2.
Various neuromuscular therapy tools are used in the treatment of patients. Some of the specific tools that are used by the therapists include pressure bars, elbows, fingers, and thumbs. The technologies are applied by the specialists to assist in releasing the pressures on the tissues depending on the layers affected and the amount of lubrication that may be required. The therapy also assists in the palpitation and treatment of trigger points associated with myofascial dysfunction and pain 2. The therapy also assists the experts to determine the level of constrictions accurately. The trigger points are very critical in the application of the therapies in the treatment because they can inhibit the healing processes for the muscles. Therefore, the consistent application of the required tools is very instrumental in the healing process for the patients 2.
