Description
Cerebral Palsy ( CP ), in fact, is the name for a collection of syndromes (not a disease), also not really Brain Damage nor Brain Injury, and does not include conditions due to progressive disease or degeneration of the brain.
Cerebral Palsy ( CP ), according to medical science, is a term used to describe a collection of syndromes which affect body movement and muscle coordination or various disabilities.
Another aspect of theories is that a lack of oxygen to the brain is a key cause of many problems in brain-injured children.
A lack of oxygen ( problem of oxygen insufficiency ) to the body, causes poor circulation of body fluids ( decrease of body fluids flow ).
Disturbance of the flow of body fluids circulation ( blood flow and/or cerebrospinal fluid flow ), affect many cells tissues to become inactive, loss its mass, lose their ability to function, or to begin to function abnormally.
These make the organs, blood vessels, and airways become rigid, connective tissues changes to become increasingly stiff, and there is a decrease in the maximum functioning capacity and in some cases caused spasticity.
Syndromes which affect body movement and muscle coordination or various disabilities, arise from the disturbance of body fluids circulation.
This comes from the delay to get enough oxygen supply ( lack of oxygen or problem of oxygen insufficiency ) to the body cells tissues, even for only a very brief period of time, caused various disabilities.
The decrease of body fluids flow ( poor circulation) produces muscle strain that includes pain, sprain, tightness ( Contracture ), swelling, tenderness and the inability to move the muscle effortlessly.
They all will affect our posture, breathing pattern, swallowing, speech impairment, how to perform daily activities, and, ultimately, the way to live the lives.
Therefore, in fact, decrease of body fluids flow could affect any disorders of muscle control which arises in the muscles themselves and/or in the peripheral nervous system ( nerves outside the brain ), spinal cord.
Muscle is an organ that, by cellular contraction, is produces the movements of life.
There are three main types of muscle: cardiac (heart) muscle, smooth muscle, and striated (or skeletal) muscle.
They all contain cells specialized for contraction.
The cells convert chemical energy from food into mechanical energy, producing tension and movement.
Muscles are responsible for locomotion and help support the body, generate heat and perform a number of other functions.
This is primarily accomplished using muscles that are attached to bones, known as the skeletal muscles, which disrupt normal movement and sometime performed abnormal development of posture.
Disorders of voluntary muscle cause weakening, atrophy, pain, and twitching and some systemic diseases can cause muscle inflammation.
The most common causes of muscle pain are overuse, injury or stress, however, it can also be caused by diseases, disorders, infections, as a response to vaccination and certain drugs.
A muscle strain could be described as a stretching of muscle fibers which causes unequal tensions to the muscle.
A muscle strain can be caused by forced exercise, a sudden movement, or trying to lift something that is too heavy but not in good position.
Symptoms of a muscle strain include pain, tightness, swelling, tenderness, and the inability to move the muscle effortlessly.
A sprain is an injury to ligaments, which connect bones to one another, caused by sudden or unnatural twisting.
A muscle sprain is caused by twisting or bending of a joint into a position it was not designed to move, or that has unequal tension of muscles happened at the body part.
This makes the body somewhat unstable.
The most common kind of sprained joint is ankle sprain.
Breakdown of the joint structures may result inflammation, pain, stiffness and deformity.
Contracture could be described as a tightening of muscle, tendons, ligaments, or skin that prevents normal movement.
Loss of muscle mass reduces its strength.
However, endurance may be enhanced somewhat by changes in the muscle fibers.
The movement of body fluids is essential to the maintenance of health.
Imbalanced or disrupted body fluids circulation can cause disturbance in parts of the body.
The factor that may be complicated by a lack of oxygen from decreased blood flow in the area, i.e. Spinal Stenosis, is a narrowing of the lumbar or cervical spinal canal.
The narrowing can cause compression on nerve roots resulting in pain or weakness of the legs.
A disturbance in one part of the body affects the entire body, as disturbances in the musculoskeletal system affect other bodily parts, causing many disorders or various disabilities.
A disturbance of body fluids circulation can be caused by unintended events that occur during pregnancy ( prenatal ), around the time of birth ( perinatal ), and after birth ( postnatal ), prolonged anticonvulsant consumption ( drugs side effects ), suffer overheated, Poliomyelitis, traumatic accidents, falls and/or hit to the body, violent shaking, Diabetes Mellitus, Hypertension, Stroke attack, excessive and/or prolonged / constant pressure to the body surface, other physical abuse, or severe other muscle and musculoskeletal injuries.
Physical trauma to the pregnant mother or infant and blows to infant’s head are also possible causes of disturbance.
Premature birth and multiple births also could be related as the caused of the disturbance of body fluids circulation, and is somewhat different and considered separately.
There are another number of factors which appear to predispose a child, including:
Diseases of the musculoskeletal system mostly encompass functional disorders or motion discrepancies; the level of impairment depends specifically on the problem and its severity.
Articular ( of or pertaining to the joints ) disorders are most common.
The Primary muscular dysfunction of infection or toxic origin is the causes of complete paralysis.
However, the primary disorder is usually related to nervous system, with the muscular system acting as the effector organ, an organ capable of responding to a stimulus, especially a nerve impulse.
Symptoms of muscle diseases may include weakness, spasticity.
Neuromuscular diseases are those that affect the muscles and/or their nervous control.
In general, problem with nervous control can cause spasticity or paralysis, depending on the location and nature of the problem.
A large proportion of neurological disorders leads to problems with movement, ranging from cerebrovascular accident ( Stroke ).
Any joint or muscle injury must therefore be treated in the context of the whole body, since other parts of musculoskeletal system will also be affected.
The disturbance of body fluids circulation, in fact, causes muscles, tendons and/or musculoskeletal dysfunctions.
The disturbances of body fluids circulation mostly happened in capilaries.
Changes in the muscles, joints, and bones causes changes in the posture and gait, weakness, and slowed movement.
Disability is the term used to define a restriction in the ability to perform a normal activity of daily living which someone of the same age is able to perform.
For example, a three year old child who is not able to walk has a disability because a normal three year old can walk independently.
Therefore, in fact, “disabilities” could be described as suffer any restrictions in the ability because severe any disorders or dysfunctions in muscles, tendons and/or musculoskeletal because they are not capable to execute the brain’s order.
Cerebral Palsy ( CP ),
therefore, in fact, could be describe as a condition where someone suffers various disabilities that comes from any disorders or dysfunctions of muscular control which arise in the muscles themselves and/or in the peripheral nervous system ( nerves outside the brain ), spinal cord, and is primarily accomplished using muscles that are attached to bones, known as the skeletal muscles, which disrupt normal movement and sometime performed abnormal development of posture, caused by disturbance of the body fluids circulation that comes from the delay to get enough oxygen to many cells tissues of the body ( lack of oxygen or problem of oxygen insufficiency ).
( The description is found based on experiences in handling people suffering various disabilities where they have been diagnosed with severe CP, Poliomyelitis, Stroke attack, Diabetes Mellitus, and any kind of impact to the body, especially the head. )
Mostly, based on my observation,
there are phenomena where due to some physical condition, a majority cause for people to lose muscle control ( any disorders of muscle control and/or musculoskeletal dysfunction ) is because they often did everyday activities that used a lot of muscle power, not just because they grow older.
In fact, there is a phenomenon where every muscular movement could very likely cause an unequal muscular contraction that creates unequal muscular tension which leads to muscle, tendon and/or musculoskeletal dysfunction.
Causes & Symptoms
The skeleton provides support and structure to the body.
Muscles provide the force and strength to move the body.
Joints are the areas where bones come together but bones do not directly contact each other, and allow the skeleton to be flexible for movement.
Coordination is directed by the brain but affected by changes in the muscles and joints.
Changes in the posture and gait, weakness, and slowed movement are caused by changes in the muscles, joints and bones.
Certain abnormal posturing behaviors may indicate specific injuries to the nervous system. Injury or inflammation of a portion of the brain, spinal cord, or nervous system is the most common cause of abnormal posturing.
Abnormal posturing may be a sign of serious central nervous system disorder, and occurs when injuries to the central nervous system ( brain or spinal cord ) result in complete or partial lack of opposition to muscle contraction in various muscle groups.
Normally, when a muscle contracts, the muscles on the opposite side of the joint provide some resistance to contraction, otherwise movement may become slow and limited.
The body may become unsteady, and also, there may be poor or absent control to the whole body parts.
Disabilities are classified by the form and distribution of the muscles abilities to function.
The symptoms of disabilities and their severity are quite variable.
Those may have only minor difficulty with fine motor skills, such as grasping and manipulating items with their hands.
A severe form of various disabilities, could involve significant muscle problems in all four limbs, seizures, and sometimes difficulty sucking or feeding in infants, or chewing and swallowing in older children and adults, irregular breathing, hearing problem, speech problem and vision problems.
Spasticity, presents a clinical picture of muscle stiffness, weakness, deformities, and imbalance of muscle tone.
Spasticity causes muscles to shorten, joints to tighten, and postures to change.
Spasticity can affect the ability to walk, use a wheelchair, and sit unaided; and it can prevent independent feeding, dressing, hygiene, or other activities of daily living.
Contracture and dislocations are common consequences of spasticity.
Painful dislocation of the hip is a common problem associated with severe spasticity.
Muscles of the trunk, neck become tilted, the shoulder may narrow, stiffness of their elbows, wrists, hands, and fingers.
The movement slows and may become limited, caused by the narrow pelvis.
Unclear speech can be quite severe.
Common findings are contractures of joints, resulting in shortened heel cords and cause toe walking.
Tightness of the adductor muscles in the thigh may result in a scissors gait.
Effects on the muscles can range from mild weakness or partial paralysis (paresis), to complete loss of voluntary control of a muscle or group of muscles.
Any disability is also designated by the number of limbs affected.
Loss of voluntary control of a muscle or group of muscle is plegia.
The symptoms of disabilities are usually not noticeable at birth.
Generally, babies that are severely affected may have obvious signs immediately following birth.
Many infants do not display immediate disabilities symptoms.
Some babies born suffered disabilities do not show obvious signs right away.
Parents are usually able to notice developmental delays, especially if they have another unaffected child.
At the age of about three months, parents may notice a lack of facial expressions or that their baby does not respond to some sounds, or does not follow movement with their eyes.
Certain other indicative symptoms may appear at around six months of age, including inability to lift the head or roll over and difficulty feeding.
Poor coordination of the tongue and mouth muscles can also affect speech.
An affected child may be unable to crawl, sit, or stand without support and drooling is a common problem because of poor facial and throat muscle control.
Disabilities symptoms depend on the individual and the type and, in particular, whether or not there is a mixed form of the condition.
As children develop in the first 18 months of life, however, they progress through a predictable set of developmental milestones.
Children with disabilities will develop these skills more slowly because of their motor impairments, and delay in reaching milestones is usually the first symptom of disabilities.
The more severe the disabilities, the earlier the diagnosis are usually made.
Normal developmental milestones with typical ages for acquiring them are includes the following :
Children do not consistently favor one hand over the other before 18 months, and doing so may be a sign that the child has difficulty using the other hand.
This same preference for one side of the body may show up as an asymmetric crawling effort, or continuing to use only one leg for the work of stair climbing after age three.
It must be remembered that children normally progress at somewhat different rates, and slow initial accomplishment is often followed by normal development.
There are also other causes for delay in reaching some milestones, including problems with vision or hearing.
The disabilities become recognizable in early childhood.
The type of disabilities and its location are used as the basis for classification.
In order for a child to be able to walk, a major cascade of events in motor control have to occur.
A child must be able to hold up his head before he can sit up on his own, and he must be able to sit independently before he can walk on his own.
It is generally assumed that if a child is not sitting up by himself by age four or walking by age eight, he will never be an independent walker.
But a child who starts to walk at age three will certainly continue to walk unless he has any disorders other than CP.
There are many generally recognized disabilities symptoms :
The location of the impairment ( Disabilities ) usually falls into one of broad categories :
These structures, which are often referred to as connective tissues, include ligaments, tendons, and fascia ( thick bands of tendons ).
Disorder of muscles from another body system can ring about irregularities such as :
Loss of muscle control ( uncoordination ), can cause serious orthopedic problems, contractures, including scoliosis ( spine curvature ), hip dislocation, bones or disk herniation, deformities.
Changes in the muscles, joints, and bones caused changes in the posture and gait, weakness, and slowed movement.
Contracture is shortening of a muscle, caused by an imbalance of opposing force from a neighboring muscle ( unequal tension of muscles ).
Contractures begin as prolonged contractions, but can become fixed or irreversible without regular range of motion exercises.
A fixed contracture occurs when the contracted muscle adapts by reducing its overall length ( muscles displacement happened ).
Fixed contractures may cause postural abnormalities in the affected limbs, including clenched fists, tightly pressed or crossed thighs.
The most common postural deformity, the foot is extended by the strong pull of the rear calf muscles, causing the toes to point.
The foot is commonly pulled inward as well, a condition.
Contractures of all kinds may be painful, and may interfere with normal activities of daily living, including hygiene and mobility.
Most disk herniation takes place in the lower back ( lumbar area ) of the spine.
The bones ( vetebrae ) of the spinal column run down the back, connecting the skull to the pelvis.
These disk may herniate ( move out of place ) or rupture from trauma or strain.
Most common like, Herniated Nucleus Pulposus ( HNP ), is a slip disk along the spinal cord. Lumbar disk herniation more often than cervical ( neck ) disk herniation, and it is one of the most common causes of lower back pain.
Most children with disabilities can be confidently diagnosed by 18 months.
However, diagnosing disabilities is not always easy, since variations in child development may account for delays in achieving milestones, and since even children who are obviously delayed may continue to progress through the various developmental stages, attaining a normal range of skills later on.
Serious or prolonged childhood illness may cause delays that are eventually caught up.
Evidence of other risk factors may aid the diagnosis.
Evaluated immediately after birth, measures a newborn's heart rate, cry, color, muscle tone, and motor reactions.
Presence of abnormal muscle tone or movements may signal disabilities, as may the persistence of infantile reflexes.
A child with seizures or congenital organ malformation has an increased likelihood of disabilities.
Mostly, in fact, many disorders or conditions that also caused abnormal muscles tissues, includes the following :
Treatment & Recovery
Drugs therapy is also used to control spasticity in some cases, to help reduce abnormal movements, for those who have seizures, but in fact are not usually effective.
Anticonvulsant, muscle relaxant and medications, a general relaxant of the brain and body, drugs which blocks signals sent from the spinal cord to contract the muscles, and drugs which interferes with the process of muscle contraction, are not usually very effective in preventing seizures.
These medications, which used drugs for control of spasticity is more difficult to achieve, because the drugs’ effects are decreased the body fluids circulation.
This will result in lack of oxygen which produces uncoordinated movement, confusion or disorientation, and also in some cases to cause prolonged seizures.
The result of prolonged use of anticonvulsant drugs is loss of muscle power, a continuation or resurgence of seizure activity.
In such situations, it is usually found that the apparent reason for this is the fear that stopping anticonvulsant drugs might be followed by an increase in seizure frequency and severity. Moreover, failure to take prescribed anticonvulsants could result in seizures which would be fatal to their children.
To deal with this problem of oxygen insufficiency, which may be crucial to a child's progress and in the control of seizures where they exist, is respiratory patterning.
Optimal care of a people with mild disabilities may involve regular interaction with a therapist, whereas care for a more severely affected people may include helping them to obtain the ability to reach for and grasp objects, to move about, to explore the properties of toys, and to communicate with others, which are all central daily activities.
Many of the disabilities, in treatment and recovery need regular schedule, and their disorders can be normalized through planning and timely care.
A number of people with disabilities, both children and adults, have found systematic relief and enhanced quality of life from a combination of alternative treatments, including nutritional therapy.
Parents of a child diagnosed with various disabilities may not feel that they have the necessary expertise to coordinate the full range of care their child needs.
Although knowledgeable and caring professionals or therapists are indispensable for developing a care plan, a potentially more important source of information and advice can be gained from other parents who have dealt with the same set of difficulties.
Support groups for parents of children with disabilities can be significant sources of both practical advice and emotional support.
Treatment may be successful in preventing disabilities if performed right after a probable symptom appears.
Treatment for a people with disabilities depends on the severity, nature, and location of the impairment, as well a people's associated problems.
Treatment may be successful in order to correct imbalances and restore the flow of body fluids circulation, to improve mobility that are restricted, in joints, in connective tissues and/or in skeletal muscles.
Only when the bones, joints and muscles are working smoothly and harmoniously can the other systems of the body function at their best.
Any joint or muscle injury must therefore be treated in the context of the whole body, since other parts of musculoskeletal system will also be affected.
The movement of body fluids is essential to the maintenance of health.
The nerves play a crucial part in controlling the fluids of the body.
Imbalance or disruption of body fluids circulation can caused disturbance on parts of the body.
Only when the bones, joints and muscles are working smoothly and harmoniously can the other systems of the body function at their best.
Manual physical therapy,
as the application ( methods ) of an accurately determined and specifically directed manual force to the body, in order to correct imbalances and restore the flow body fluids circulation, to improve mobility in areas that are restricted, in joints, in connective tissues and/or skeletal muscles, with “correct technique”, is the best way to choose in treatment to maximize the patient's ability to move affected limbs, develop normal motor patterns, and maintain posture.
Therefore, in fact, treatment for people with disabilities could be more successfully by manual physical therapy methods.
When the normal adaptability is disrupted, or when environmental changes overcome the body’s capacity for self maintenance, disease may ensue.
There are somatic components to disease that are not only manifestations of disease, but also are factors that contribute to maintenance the disease states.
Therefore, “Dis-ease” was caused when the bones were out of place and disrupted the flow of blood and/or the flow of nervous impulses ( body fluids flow ).
There were relationships with one another between musculoskeletal dysfunction and Health, and Dis-ease.
Therefore, “Dis-ease” could heal by manipulating muscles, tendons and bones to restore interrupted flow.
Muscles Tendons Combing ( MTC ),
a unique technique as one of manual physical therapy method’s ( gentle massage ), could give the best results in treatment to maximize the people's ability to move affected limbs, tight muscles, tendons and/or musculoskeletal, and develop normal motor patterns, maintain normal posture, by correcting imbalances and restore the flow of body fluids circulation ( blood flow and/or cerebrospinal fluid flow ), strain, sprain, contractures, dislocation, deformities and/or other abnormal posture that happened to the people with various disabilities.
MTC’s Techniques of the therapy usually involves one or combination of :
Optimizing respiratory function to increase oxygen availability is a must.
The techniques that improve this oxygen supply, and that increased oxygen to the body will help and also can assist in countering the effects of spasticity.
Breathing in, or inhaling, is usually an active movement, with the contraction of the diaphragm muscle and the muscular body wall.
Releasing the tight abdomen and diaphragm muscles and diaphragm muscles are a must in optimizing respiratory function to increase or improve oxygen supply to the body.
Diaphragm is dome-shaped muscular and membranous structure between the thoracic and abdominal cavities, it is the principal muscle used in respiration, and it is also important in coughing, vomiting, excretion, and other expulsive functions.
The diaphragm plays an important role in breathing: contraction of the diaphragm increases the volume of the thoracic cavity, drawing air into the lungs; relaxation and elastic recoil of the diaphragm decreases the volume of the thoracic cavity, pumping air out.
When the diaphragm contracts strongly, it increases the intrabdominal pressure.
This may help to support the backbone and reduce flexion of the spine when lifting heavy weights.
The MTC’s technique gives correction and/or normalization to the people who have physical abnormalities, bad posture and movement disorder such as muscles, tendons, and/or musculoskeletal dysfunction, bone deformities or stiffness as a result of unequal tension that result in unequal contraction or the abnormalities of muscle control that often accompanies by other physical and/or neurological abnormalities.
Changes in the muscles, joints, and bones caused changes in the posture and gait, weakness, and slowed movement.
A disturbance in one part of the body affects the entire body, as disturbances in the musculoskeletal system affect other bodily parts, causing many disorders or various disabilities, i.e. in the case of a tennis elbow where someone who suffers strain, sprain in the part of elbow, the effect could happen to the parts before and after the elbow ( wrist, through fingers tip as the after part, and shoulder, neck, around ribs, along spinal through the hips or maybe also through the heel and sole ).
The outcome could appear in the form of displacement of muscles, tendons and/or musculoskeletal, such as twisting in the bone, dislocation and deformities as the people who suffer stroke attack which could be malfunctions to one arm and one leg on the same side of the body part are involved.
Therefore, the body is a unit.
Structure and function are reciprocally inter-related.
Any joint or muscle injury must therefore be treated in the context of the whole body, since other parts of musculoskeletal system will also be affected.
The body possesses self regulatory mechanisms.
The body has the inherent capacity to defend and repair itself.
Only when the bones, joints and muscles are working smoothly and harmoniously can the other systems of the body function at their best.
Any joint or muscle injury must therefore be treated in the context of the whole body, since other parts of musculoskeletal system will also be affected.
A comfortable, easy posture needs a strong and coordinated body.
However, a sedentary lifestyle promotes muscle tension.
Rediscovering your natural balance as requires for your maximal capability, but the benefits are enormous.
Rediscovering your anatomical body structure refers to good muscular and neuromuscular organisation, which occurs when the whole body is able to expand freely.
In many ways, it could say that is to encourage a light, free range of movement by raising your capability.
It might point out muscle overuse as you stand, walk and sit, and recover to a different and easier ways of natural moving.
Movement then becomes a pleasurable thing.
Therefore, MTC’s technique focus in improving the whole body, correcting, recovering and/or normalizing to the people who has any disabilities or physical abnormalities ( i.e. dislocation, deformities, twisted bone ), bad posture and movement dysfunctions such as a muscles, tendons, musculoskeletal, and/or bone deformities or stiffness ( various disabilities ).
MTC’s technique treatment focus on improving gross and fine motor skill, balance and coordination, strength and also endurance as well as cognitive and sensory processing / integration.
In conclusion, based on my personal experience handling people with various disabilities and also from multiple sources that are gathered from the internet, the MTC’s technique could produce desirable and better results compared to other techniques practiced at present.
One sure promise that the MTC’s technique can give, is that people who experience such disabilities mentioned above could get direct benefit from changes in their body within a short time frame, preferably not more than the time needed from other techniques available to at present.
N.B. :
Cerebral Palsy ( CP ), in fact, is the name for a collection of syndromes (not a disease), also not really Brain Damage nor Brain Injury, and does not include conditions due to progressive disease or degeneration of the brain.
Cerebral Palsy ( CP ), according to medical science, is a term used to describe a collection of syndromes which affect body movement and muscle coordination or various disabilities.
Another aspect of theories is that a lack of oxygen to the brain is a key cause of many problems in brain-injured children.
A lack of oxygen ( problem of oxygen insufficiency ) to the body, causes poor circulation of body fluids ( decrease of body fluids flow ).
Disturbance of the flow of body fluids circulation ( blood flow and/or cerebrospinal fluid flow ), affect many cells tissues to become inactive, loss its mass, lose their ability to function, or to begin to function abnormally.
These make the organs, blood vessels, and airways become rigid, connective tissues changes to become increasingly stiff, and there is a decrease in the maximum functioning capacity and in some cases caused spasticity.
Syndromes which affect body movement and muscle coordination or various disabilities, arise from the disturbance of body fluids circulation.
This comes from the delay to get enough oxygen supply ( lack of oxygen or problem of oxygen insufficiency ) to the body cells tissues, even for only a very brief period of time, caused various disabilities.
The decrease of body fluids flow ( poor circulation) produces muscle strain that includes pain, sprain, tightness ( Contracture ), swelling, tenderness and the inability to move the muscle effortlessly.
They all will affect our posture, breathing pattern, swallowing, speech impairment, how to perform daily activities, and, ultimately, the way to live the lives.
Therefore, in fact, decrease of body fluids flow could affect any disorders of muscle control which arises in the muscles themselves and/or in the peripheral nervous system ( nerves outside the brain ), spinal cord.
Muscle is an organ that, by cellular contraction, is produces the movements of life.
There are three main types of muscle: cardiac (heart) muscle, smooth muscle, and striated (or skeletal) muscle.
They all contain cells specialized for contraction.
The cells convert chemical energy from food into mechanical energy, producing tension and movement.
Muscles are responsible for locomotion and help support the body, generate heat and perform a number of other functions.
This is primarily accomplished using muscles that are attached to bones, known as the skeletal muscles, which disrupt normal movement and sometime performed abnormal development of posture.
Disorders of voluntary muscle cause weakening, atrophy, pain, and twitching and some systemic diseases can cause muscle inflammation.
The most common causes of muscle pain are overuse, injury or stress, however, it can also be caused by diseases, disorders, infections, as a response to vaccination and certain drugs.
A muscle strain could be described as a stretching of muscle fibers which causes unequal tensions to the muscle.
A muscle strain can be caused by forced exercise, a sudden movement, or trying to lift something that is too heavy but not in good position.
Symptoms of a muscle strain include pain, tightness, swelling, tenderness, and the inability to move the muscle effortlessly.
A sprain is an injury to ligaments, which connect bones to one another, caused by sudden or unnatural twisting.
A muscle sprain is caused by twisting or bending of a joint into a position it was not designed to move, or that has unequal tension of muscles happened at the body part.
This makes the body somewhat unstable.
The most common kind of sprained joint is ankle sprain.
Breakdown of the joint structures may result inflammation, pain, stiffness and deformity.
Contracture could be described as a tightening of muscle, tendons, ligaments, or skin that prevents normal movement.
Loss of muscle mass reduces its strength.
However, endurance may be enhanced somewhat by changes in the muscle fibers.
The movement of body fluids is essential to the maintenance of health.
Imbalanced or disrupted body fluids circulation can cause disturbance in parts of the body.
The factor that may be complicated by a lack of oxygen from decreased blood flow in the area, i.e. Spinal Stenosis, is a narrowing of the lumbar or cervical spinal canal.
The narrowing can cause compression on nerve roots resulting in pain or weakness of the legs.
A disturbance in one part of the body affects the entire body, as disturbances in the musculoskeletal system affect other bodily parts, causing many disorders or various disabilities.
A disturbance of body fluids circulation can be caused by unintended events that occur during pregnancy ( prenatal ), around the time of birth ( perinatal ), and after birth ( postnatal ), prolonged anticonvulsant consumption ( drugs side effects ), suffer overheated, Poliomyelitis, traumatic accidents, falls and/or hit to the body, violent shaking, Diabetes Mellitus, Hypertension, Stroke attack, excessive and/or prolonged / constant pressure to the body surface, other physical abuse, or severe other muscle and musculoskeletal injuries.
Physical trauma to the pregnant mother or infant and blows to infant’s head are also possible causes of disturbance.
Premature birth and multiple births also could be related as the caused of the disturbance of body fluids circulation, and is somewhat different and considered separately.
There are another number of factors which appear to predispose a child, including:
- Severe physical trauma to the mother during pregnancy, multiple births or maternal illness,
- Children who are born prematurely (less than 32 weeks) or who are very low birth weight (less than 1,500 grams or about 3⅓ pounds),
- Bacterial meningitis and other infections, inflammations, bleeding in the brain, lack of oxygen, severe jaundice, and head injury during the first few years of a child's life.
Diseases of the musculoskeletal system mostly encompass functional disorders or motion discrepancies; the level of impairment depends specifically on the problem and its severity.
Articular ( of or pertaining to the joints ) disorders are most common.
The Primary muscular dysfunction of infection or toxic origin is the causes of complete paralysis.
However, the primary disorder is usually related to nervous system, with the muscular system acting as the effector organ, an organ capable of responding to a stimulus, especially a nerve impulse.
Symptoms of muscle diseases may include weakness, spasticity.
Neuromuscular diseases are those that affect the muscles and/or their nervous control.
In general, problem with nervous control can cause spasticity or paralysis, depending on the location and nature of the problem.
A large proportion of neurological disorders leads to problems with movement, ranging from cerebrovascular accident ( Stroke ).
Any joint or muscle injury must therefore be treated in the context of the whole body, since other parts of musculoskeletal system will also be affected.
The disturbance of body fluids circulation, in fact, causes muscles, tendons and/or musculoskeletal dysfunctions.
The disturbances of body fluids circulation mostly happened in capilaries.
Changes in the muscles, joints, and bones causes changes in the posture and gait, weakness, and slowed movement.
Disability is the term used to define a restriction in the ability to perform a normal activity of daily living which someone of the same age is able to perform.
For example, a three year old child who is not able to walk has a disability because a normal three year old can walk independently.
Therefore, in fact, “disabilities” could be described as suffer any restrictions in the ability because severe any disorders or dysfunctions in muscles, tendons and/or musculoskeletal because they are not capable to execute the brain’s order.
Cerebral Palsy ( CP ),
therefore, in fact, could be describe as a condition where someone suffers various disabilities that comes from any disorders or dysfunctions of muscular control which arise in the muscles themselves and/or in the peripheral nervous system ( nerves outside the brain ), spinal cord, and is primarily accomplished using muscles that are attached to bones, known as the skeletal muscles, which disrupt normal movement and sometime performed abnormal development of posture, caused by disturbance of the body fluids circulation that comes from the delay to get enough oxygen to many cells tissues of the body ( lack of oxygen or problem of oxygen insufficiency ).
( The description is found based on experiences in handling people suffering various disabilities where they have been diagnosed with severe CP, Poliomyelitis, Stroke attack, Diabetes Mellitus, and any kind of impact to the body, especially the head. )
Mostly, based on my observation,
there are phenomena where due to some physical condition, a majority cause for people to lose muscle control ( any disorders of muscle control and/or musculoskeletal dysfunction ) is because they often did everyday activities that used a lot of muscle power, not just because they grow older.
In fact, there is a phenomenon where every muscular movement could very likely cause an unequal muscular contraction that creates unequal muscular tension which leads to muscle, tendon and/or musculoskeletal dysfunction.
Causes & Symptoms
The skeleton provides support and structure to the body.
Muscles provide the force and strength to move the body.
Joints are the areas where bones come together but bones do not directly contact each other, and allow the skeleton to be flexible for movement.
Coordination is directed by the brain but affected by changes in the muscles and joints.
Changes in the posture and gait, weakness, and slowed movement are caused by changes in the muscles, joints and bones.
Certain abnormal posturing behaviors may indicate specific injuries to the nervous system. Injury or inflammation of a portion of the brain, spinal cord, or nervous system is the most common cause of abnormal posturing.
Abnormal posturing may be a sign of serious central nervous system disorder, and occurs when injuries to the central nervous system ( brain or spinal cord ) result in complete or partial lack of opposition to muscle contraction in various muscle groups.
Normally, when a muscle contracts, the muscles on the opposite side of the joint provide some resistance to contraction, otherwise movement may become slow and limited.
The body may become unsteady, and also, there may be poor or absent control to the whole body parts.
Disabilities are classified by the form and distribution of the muscles abilities to function.
The symptoms of disabilities and their severity are quite variable.
Those may have only minor difficulty with fine motor skills, such as grasping and manipulating items with their hands.
A severe form of various disabilities, could involve significant muscle problems in all four limbs, seizures, and sometimes difficulty sucking or feeding in infants, or chewing and swallowing in older children and adults, irregular breathing, hearing problem, speech problem and vision problems.
Spasticity, presents a clinical picture of muscle stiffness, weakness, deformities, and imbalance of muscle tone.
Spasticity causes muscles to shorten, joints to tighten, and postures to change.
Spasticity can affect the ability to walk, use a wheelchair, and sit unaided; and it can prevent independent feeding, dressing, hygiene, or other activities of daily living.
Contracture and dislocations are common consequences of spasticity.
Painful dislocation of the hip is a common problem associated with severe spasticity.
Muscles of the trunk, neck become tilted, the shoulder may narrow, stiffness of their elbows, wrists, hands, and fingers.
The movement slows and may become limited, caused by the narrow pelvis.
Unclear speech can be quite severe.
Common findings are contractures of joints, resulting in shortened heel cords and cause toe walking.
Tightness of the adductor muscles in the thigh may result in a scissors gait.
Effects on the muscles can range from mild weakness or partial paralysis (paresis), to complete loss of voluntary control of a muscle or group of muscles.
Any disability is also designated by the number of limbs affected.
Loss of voluntary control of a muscle or group of muscle is plegia.
The symptoms of disabilities are usually not noticeable at birth.
Generally, babies that are severely affected may have obvious signs immediately following birth.
Many infants do not display immediate disabilities symptoms.
Some babies born suffered disabilities do not show obvious signs right away.
Parents are usually able to notice developmental delays, especially if they have another unaffected child.
At the age of about three months, parents may notice a lack of facial expressions or that their baby does not respond to some sounds, or does not follow movement with their eyes.
Certain other indicative symptoms may appear at around six months of age, including inability to lift the head or roll over and difficulty feeding.
Poor coordination of the tongue and mouth muscles can also affect speech.
An affected child may be unable to crawl, sit, or stand without support and drooling is a common problem because of poor facial and throat muscle control.
Disabilities symptoms depend on the individual and the type and, in particular, whether or not there is a mixed form of the condition.
As children develop in the first 18 months of life, however, they progress through a predictable set of developmental milestones.
Children with disabilities will develop these skills more slowly because of their motor impairments, and delay in reaching milestones is usually the first symptom of disabilities.
The more severe the disabilities, the earlier the diagnosis are usually made.
Normal developmental milestones with typical ages for acquiring them are includes the following :
- sits well unsupported at about six months (eight to ten months)
- babbles at about six months (up to eight months)
- crawls at about nine months (up to 12 months)
- finger feeds, holds bottle at about nine months (up to 12 months)
- walks alone at about 12 months (up to 15–18 months)
- uses one or two words other than dada/mama at about 12 months (up to 15 months)
- walks up and down steps at about 24 months (24 to 36 months)
- turns pages in books and removes shoes and socks at about 24 months (to 30 months)
Children do not consistently favor one hand over the other before 18 months, and doing so may be a sign that the child has difficulty using the other hand.
This same preference for one side of the body may show up as an asymmetric crawling effort, or continuing to use only one leg for the work of stair climbing after age three.
It must be remembered that children normally progress at somewhat different rates, and slow initial accomplishment is often followed by normal development.
There are also other causes for delay in reaching some milestones, including problems with vision or hearing.
The disabilities become recognizable in early childhood.
The type of disabilities and its location are used as the basis for classification.
In order for a child to be able to walk, a major cascade of events in motor control have to occur.
A child must be able to hold up his head before he can sit up on his own, and he must be able to sit independently before he can walk on his own.
It is generally assumed that if a child is not sitting up by himself by age four or walking by age eight, he will never be an independent walker.
But a child who starts to walk at age three will certainly continue to walk unless he has any disorders other than CP.
There are many generally recognized disabilities symptoms :
- Muscles that are floppy, without tone, very tight, rigid and do not stretch.
Floppy muscles, especially at rest, and joints that move around too much.
Joints are tight and do not open up all the way (called joint contracture).
They may tighten up even more over, posture may be abnormal, and fine motor control is impaired.
It is marked by slow, writhing, involuntary movements.
Loss of coordination.
Balance and coordination are impaired.
Abnormal movements caused by inadequate regulation of muscle tone and coordination. Disturbances in coordination of voluntary movements; it includes mixed forms of disabilities, with mixed characteristics and symptoms. - Seizure disorders.
- Difficulty sucking or feeding in infants, or chewing and swallowing in older children and adults
- Drooling, dental caries ( cavities ), and gum disease are more common in people partly because of lowered coordination and increased muscle tightness in the mouth and jaw.
- Visual impairment.
- Hearing loss.
- Speech impairment.
- Speech mechanism impairment involves a disorder in the regulation of breathing patterns, laryngeal dysfunction ( monopitch, low, weak and breathy voice quality ).
It is also associated with articulatory dysfunction ( large range of jaw movements ), inappropriate positioning of the tongue, instability of velar elevation. - Abnormal sensation and perception.
- Scissor walking ( where the knees come in and cross ) and toe walking ( which can contribute to a gait reminiscent of a marionette ) are common among people with, who are able to walk, but taken on the whole.
- Babies born which often have an irregular posture; their bodies may be either very floppy or very stiff.
Birth defects, such as spinal curvature, a small jawbone, or a small head sometimes occur along with. ( Symptoms may appear or change as a child gets older )
The location of the impairment ( Disabilities ) usually falls into one of broad categories :
- One arm or leg
- One arm and one leg on the same side of the body are involved ( Hemiplegia ).
- Both legs; arms may be partially involved ( Diplegia ).
- All four extremities are involved ( Quadriplegia ).
These structures, which are often referred to as connective tissues, include ligaments, tendons, and fascia ( thick bands of tendons ).
Disorder of muscles from another body system can ring about irregularities such as :
- Impairment of ocular motion and control.
- Respiratory dysfunction and
- Bladder malfunction.
Loss of muscle control ( uncoordination ), can cause serious orthopedic problems, contractures, including scoliosis ( spine curvature ), hip dislocation, bones or disk herniation, deformities.
Changes in the muscles, joints, and bones caused changes in the posture and gait, weakness, and slowed movement.
Contracture is shortening of a muscle, caused by an imbalance of opposing force from a neighboring muscle ( unequal tension of muscles ).
Contractures begin as prolonged contractions, but can become fixed or irreversible without regular range of motion exercises.
A fixed contracture occurs when the contracted muscle adapts by reducing its overall length ( muscles displacement happened ).
Fixed contractures may cause postural abnormalities in the affected limbs, including clenched fists, tightly pressed or crossed thighs.
The most common postural deformity, the foot is extended by the strong pull of the rear calf muscles, causing the toes to point.
The foot is commonly pulled inward as well, a condition.
Contractures of all kinds may be painful, and may interfere with normal activities of daily living, including hygiene and mobility.
Most disk herniation takes place in the lower back ( lumbar area ) of the spine.
The bones ( vetebrae ) of the spinal column run down the back, connecting the skull to the pelvis.
These disk may herniate ( move out of place ) or rupture from trauma or strain.
Most common like, Herniated Nucleus Pulposus ( HNP ), is a slip disk along the spinal cord. Lumbar disk herniation more often than cervical ( neck ) disk herniation, and it is one of the most common causes of lower back pain.
Most children with disabilities can be confidently diagnosed by 18 months.
However, diagnosing disabilities is not always easy, since variations in child development may account for delays in achieving milestones, and since even children who are obviously delayed may continue to progress through the various developmental stages, attaining a normal range of skills later on.
Serious or prolonged childhood illness may cause delays that are eventually caught up.
Evidence of other risk factors may aid the diagnosis.
Evaluated immediately after birth, measures a newborn's heart rate, cry, color, muscle tone, and motor reactions.
Presence of abnormal muscle tone or movements may signal disabilities, as may the persistence of infantile reflexes.
A child with seizures or congenital organ malformation has an increased likelihood of disabilities.
Mostly, in fact, many disorders or conditions that also caused abnormal muscles tissues, includes the following :
- Aseptic Necrosis
- Axillary Nerve Dysfunction
- Cervical Spondylosis
- Common Nerve Dysfunction
- Guillain Barre Syndrome
- Joint pain
- Lumbar and Sacral injuries
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Muscle aches
- Muscular Dystrophy
- Myopathy ( muscle degeneration caused by a number of disorders,
including Muscular Dystrophy ) - Poliomyelitis
- Skeletal abnormalities and disease
- Spinal cord abnormalities
- Stroke Attack
Treatment & Recovery
Drugs therapy is also used to control spasticity in some cases, to help reduce abnormal movements, for those who have seizures, but in fact are not usually effective.
Anticonvulsant, muscle relaxant and medications, a general relaxant of the brain and body, drugs which blocks signals sent from the spinal cord to contract the muscles, and drugs which interferes with the process of muscle contraction, are not usually very effective in preventing seizures.
These medications, which used drugs for control of spasticity is more difficult to achieve, because the drugs’ effects are decreased the body fluids circulation.
This will result in lack of oxygen which produces uncoordinated movement, confusion or disorientation, and also in some cases to cause prolonged seizures.
The result of prolonged use of anticonvulsant drugs is loss of muscle power, a continuation or resurgence of seizure activity.
In such situations, it is usually found that the apparent reason for this is the fear that stopping anticonvulsant drugs might be followed by an increase in seizure frequency and severity. Moreover, failure to take prescribed anticonvulsants could result in seizures which would be fatal to their children.
To deal with this problem of oxygen insufficiency, which may be crucial to a child's progress and in the control of seizures where they exist, is respiratory patterning.
Optimal care of a people with mild disabilities may involve regular interaction with a therapist, whereas care for a more severely affected people may include helping them to obtain the ability to reach for and grasp objects, to move about, to explore the properties of toys, and to communicate with others, which are all central daily activities.
Many of the disabilities, in treatment and recovery need regular schedule, and their disorders can be normalized through planning and timely care.
A number of people with disabilities, both children and adults, have found systematic relief and enhanced quality of life from a combination of alternative treatments, including nutritional therapy.
Parents of a child diagnosed with various disabilities may not feel that they have the necessary expertise to coordinate the full range of care their child needs.
Although knowledgeable and caring professionals or therapists are indispensable for developing a care plan, a potentially more important source of information and advice can be gained from other parents who have dealt with the same set of difficulties.
Support groups for parents of children with disabilities can be significant sources of both practical advice and emotional support.
Treatment may be successful in preventing disabilities if performed right after a probable symptom appears.
Treatment for a people with disabilities depends on the severity, nature, and location of the impairment, as well a people's associated problems.
Treatment may be successful in order to correct imbalances and restore the flow of body fluids circulation, to improve mobility that are restricted, in joints, in connective tissues and/or in skeletal muscles.
Only when the bones, joints and muscles are working smoothly and harmoniously can the other systems of the body function at their best.
Any joint or muscle injury must therefore be treated in the context of the whole body, since other parts of musculoskeletal system will also be affected.
The movement of body fluids is essential to the maintenance of health.
The nerves play a crucial part in controlling the fluids of the body.
Imbalance or disruption of body fluids circulation can caused disturbance on parts of the body.
Only when the bones, joints and muscles are working smoothly and harmoniously can the other systems of the body function at their best.
Manual physical therapy,
as the application ( methods ) of an accurately determined and specifically directed manual force to the body, in order to correct imbalances and restore the flow body fluids circulation, to improve mobility in areas that are restricted, in joints, in connective tissues and/or skeletal muscles, with “correct technique”, is the best way to choose in treatment to maximize the patient's ability to move affected limbs, develop normal motor patterns, and maintain posture.
Therefore, in fact, treatment for people with disabilities could be more successfully by manual physical therapy methods.
When the normal adaptability is disrupted, or when environmental changes overcome the body’s capacity for self maintenance, disease may ensue.
There are somatic components to disease that are not only manifestations of disease, but also are factors that contribute to maintenance the disease states.
Therefore, “Dis-ease” was caused when the bones were out of place and disrupted the flow of blood and/or the flow of nervous impulses ( body fluids flow ).
There were relationships with one another between musculoskeletal dysfunction and Health, and Dis-ease.
Therefore, “Dis-ease” could heal by manipulating muscles, tendons and bones to restore interrupted flow.
Muscles Tendons Combing ( MTC ),
a unique technique as one of manual physical therapy method’s ( gentle massage ), could give the best results in treatment to maximize the people's ability to move affected limbs, tight muscles, tendons and/or musculoskeletal, and develop normal motor patterns, maintain normal posture, by correcting imbalances and restore the flow of body fluids circulation ( blood flow and/or cerebrospinal fluid flow ), strain, sprain, contractures, dislocation, deformities and/or other abnormal posture that happened to the people with various disabilities.
MTC’s Techniques of the therapy usually involves one or combination of :
- Releasing the tight abdomen and diaphragm muscles which in effect improves the intake of Oxygen to the body so it can help counter the effects of spasticity ( Optimized respiratory function ).
- Loosening tight muscles and releasing fixed joints, most often performed on the hips, knees, hamstrings, ankles, and also stiffness of their elbows, wrists, hands, and fingers.
- Correcting alignment of abnormal twists of the bones, i.e. leg bones,
femur and tibia.
This is a secondary complication caused by the spastic muscles
generating abnormal forces on the bones, and often results in intoeing
( pigeon – toed gait ).
Optimizing respiratory function to increase oxygen availability is a must.
The techniques that improve this oxygen supply, and that increased oxygen to the body will help and also can assist in countering the effects of spasticity.
Breathing in, or inhaling, is usually an active movement, with the contraction of the diaphragm muscle and the muscular body wall.
Releasing the tight abdomen and diaphragm muscles and diaphragm muscles are a must in optimizing respiratory function to increase or improve oxygen supply to the body.
Diaphragm is dome-shaped muscular and membranous structure between the thoracic and abdominal cavities, it is the principal muscle used in respiration, and it is also important in coughing, vomiting, excretion, and other expulsive functions.
The diaphragm plays an important role in breathing: contraction of the diaphragm increases the volume of the thoracic cavity, drawing air into the lungs; relaxation and elastic recoil of the diaphragm decreases the volume of the thoracic cavity, pumping air out.
When the diaphragm contracts strongly, it increases the intrabdominal pressure.
This may help to support the backbone and reduce flexion of the spine when lifting heavy weights.
The MTC’s technique gives correction and/or normalization to the people who have physical abnormalities, bad posture and movement disorder such as muscles, tendons, and/or musculoskeletal dysfunction, bone deformities or stiffness as a result of unequal tension that result in unequal contraction or the abnormalities of muscle control that often accompanies by other physical and/or neurological abnormalities.
Changes in the muscles, joints, and bones caused changes in the posture and gait, weakness, and slowed movement.
A disturbance in one part of the body affects the entire body, as disturbances in the musculoskeletal system affect other bodily parts, causing many disorders or various disabilities, i.e. in the case of a tennis elbow where someone who suffers strain, sprain in the part of elbow, the effect could happen to the parts before and after the elbow ( wrist, through fingers tip as the after part, and shoulder, neck, around ribs, along spinal through the hips or maybe also through the heel and sole ).
The outcome could appear in the form of displacement of muscles, tendons and/or musculoskeletal, such as twisting in the bone, dislocation and deformities as the people who suffer stroke attack which could be malfunctions to one arm and one leg on the same side of the body part are involved.
Therefore, the body is a unit.
Structure and function are reciprocally inter-related.
Any joint or muscle injury must therefore be treated in the context of the whole body, since other parts of musculoskeletal system will also be affected.
The body possesses self regulatory mechanisms.
The body has the inherent capacity to defend and repair itself.
Only when the bones, joints and muscles are working smoothly and harmoniously can the other systems of the body function at their best.
Any joint or muscle injury must therefore be treated in the context of the whole body, since other parts of musculoskeletal system will also be affected.
A comfortable, easy posture needs a strong and coordinated body.
However, a sedentary lifestyle promotes muscle tension.
Rediscovering your natural balance as requires for your maximal capability, but the benefits are enormous.
Rediscovering your anatomical body structure refers to good muscular and neuromuscular organisation, which occurs when the whole body is able to expand freely.
In many ways, it could say that is to encourage a light, free range of movement by raising your capability.
It might point out muscle overuse as you stand, walk and sit, and recover to a different and easier ways of natural moving.
Movement then becomes a pleasurable thing.
Therefore, MTC’s technique focus in improving the whole body, correcting, recovering and/or normalizing to the people who has any disabilities or physical abnormalities ( i.e. dislocation, deformities, twisted bone ), bad posture and movement dysfunctions such as a muscles, tendons, musculoskeletal, and/or bone deformities or stiffness ( various disabilities ).
MTC’s technique treatment focus on improving gross and fine motor skill, balance and coordination, strength and also endurance as well as cognitive and sensory processing / integration.
In conclusion, based on my personal experience handling people with various disabilities and also from multiple sources that are gathered from the internet, the MTC’s technique could produce desirable and better results compared to other techniques practiced at present.
One sure promise that the MTC’s technique can give, is that people who experience such disabilities mentioned above could get direct benefit from changes in their body within a short time frame, preferably not more than the time needed from other techniques available to at present.
N.B. :
- Some citations seen in this article are taken from www.drugs.com
and www.answers.com - For furthers contact mtc.technique@yahoo.com
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