Positional Release Therapy: A Form of Manual Medicine

Positional Release Therapy (PRT) is a method of total body evaluation and treatment using tender points and body positions of comfort to resolve pain or dysfunction. Its ultimate goal is to correct imbalances in the musculoskeletal system to improve health and function.

Positional Release Therapy helps:

• decrease pain in muscles, ligaments, tendons,
• decrease pain in joint areas,
• irritable bowel,
• reflux,
• constipation.

This is accomplished by decreasing protective muscle spasm, tendon or ligament tension, joint hypomobility, pain, swelling and by increasing circulation and strength.

Returning the bowels to their natural peristalsis state can be obtained when malalignment of abdominal musculature is released. This can be an effective and long lasting alternative to pharmaceutical and over the counter medications for gastrointestinal disorders.

How it Helps You: After treatment, patients feel a sense of relaxation in the treated area which affords greater movement with less discomfort.

Will it Work for Me?
The best response is reported among patients who have had a distinct, physical mechanism of injury. These include injuries resulting from falls, improper lifting, throwing, motor vehicle accidents, sudden unexpected movements, and sports. The technique is very useful in muscle and ligament strains and injuries.

Other patients who respond well to PRT are those who have had acute or chronic pain that arose insidiously with no clear mechanism of injury or history of trauma and who have no diagnostic test showing underlying disease. These dysfunctions tend to be related to stress, visceral dysfunction, or previous surgical intervention.

How Long do the Treatments Take?
The first session usually takes one hour. During this first session doctor and patient get to know each other and a comprehensive health history is obtained. This discussion is followed by a half hour of therapy.

Follow-up sessions, usually one-half hour in length, are encouraged for maximum benefit of the therapy. For most dysfunctions, 3 to 5 treatments are needed.

PRT is a type of manual medicine - a general term which describes massage therapy, chiropractic therapy, and osteopathy. PRT is a form of osteopathy. In the strictest sense, manual medicine is defined as using one's hands to interpret and treat health problems. Manual medicine looks at the musculosketal system in a broad context - as an integral and interrelated part of the total human organism. In its practice, the relationship between the patient and the practicitioner is extremely important.

Manual medicine is often used to treat headaches, muscle tension, neck, back and joint pain. Manual medicine can also provide benefits in the treatment of fibromyalgia, constipation, reflux, and irritable bowel disorders.

PRT encourages the patient to take an active role in recovery and aims to remove restrictive barriers of movement in the body.

How Positional Release Therapy Works
In PRT, the tender point (TP) is a localized area found in muscle and fascia (ligaments, tendons and joint areas) that is used as both a diagnostic indicator for the location of the dysfunction and as a gauge for the reduction of the dysfunction when the position of comfort is attained. These areas are then treated by placing the patient's body in the greatest position of comfort with the goal of reducing the pain in the specific body area that has been identified.

Once the patient is in the maximum position of comfort, the position is maintained for a minimum of 90 seconds for muscular dysfunction and up to 3 minutes for other conditions.

Patients in general remain clothed, are treated in a position of focused comfort, and there is no force used.

In the 24-48 hours following a PRT session, approximately 40% of patients report feeling some increased soreness. The soreness may be found in the region treated or remote from the treatment area. This soreness is a natural part of the healing process and is due in part to soft tissue reorganization and from direct manipulation of the tender points. After treatment, the patient is encouraged to avoid strenuous activity for one or two days to help ensure a more efficient recovery and to decrease discomfort.

Is it Safe?
PRT is safe and effective for most patients; however, there are a few general contraindications to treatment: systemic malignancy, abdominal or thoracic aneurysms, acute rheumatoid arthritis, open wounds, sutures, healing fractures, hematoma, skin hypersensitivity, or infection.

Positional Release Therapy is appropriate for all ages, including infants and children.

Read our schedule of rates. To make an appointment or for more information, call The Center at 518-689-2244 or Click Here to Contact Us by e-mail. Nadine or April will be happy to asssit you.

Our Special Team Approach to Your Health Care

At the Center you have the special opportunity to consult with complementary practitoners and medical doctors who are always available to you as well. At The Center we take great pride in our staff's team consulting approach to the care of our patients.