Quote Originally Posted by jesspt View Post
physiomitch -

You site the lack of research as to why you don't use ice in the acute phase (I use it very little myself) and as to why you don't use ultrasound (I haven't turned an US machine on in around a year, probably). But, you then go ahead and state you use myofascial release to treat an acute ankle sprain, which has absolutely no data that supports its efficacy, and a lot of scietific data that calls into question the theory behind it. Additionally, you state that you additionally treated the sprain by.

How exactly does one do this? And, if it is indeed possible, is there research to support that it reduces recovery/healing time?

I'm afraid that you can't question a treatment because you feel there isn't enough evidence and then support another group of techniques wich have no evidence either. Or, I guess you can. but it doesn't make for a very convincing argument.

I don't use ice either.

Ice is for inflamation. Most muscular problems are not inflamitory in nature.
The single most useful tool that I have found is direct pressure into the muscular body at 90 degrees or perpendicular to the muscle fiber. This causes a specific distress to the muscle which helps to "recalibrate" the muscle spindle and golgi tendon organ. Further, it provides a specific feedback into the neuromuscular system of control and the prorioceptive sense.

This is true even for strained msucles, although pressure has to be greatly reduced.

This is not to be confused with trigger point treatment. Although Janett Travell did us a great work in mapping the trigger points, her manual does not differentiate between cause and effect. I find the active trigger point is an effect, but the latent trigger point is the cause. Or the trigger point in the complaining muscle under a stretch is the effect and the non complaining muscle in a shortened state causing a distortion, the cause.

Hope you find this helpful.

Best regards,

Neuromuscular