Anatomical Slings: A New Approach to treatment
What are anatomical slings?
Muscles are surrounded and connected by a layer of tissue called fascia which envelope and interconnect them. These anatomically interconnected chains are called myofascia. These slings run in a line from the top of your body down your legs and may be longitudinal or oblique i.e. either run in a straight line or across your body. Myers, 2001 named the major slings of the trunk- Superficial back line, Superficial /front line, lateral line and the Spiral line. One of the interesting features of this myofascial system is that contrary to prior anatomical descriptions of muscle origin and insertions; muscles appear to actually blend across adjacent muscle, fascia and or ligaments.
How will this new approach to treatment help me?
Did you ever wonder why your back pain is recurrent, or why when you recover from injury you find yourself injuring another side? Or why you appear to have a weaker or commonly injured side of your body? It may be that the fascial layers in a certain anatomical sling or muscles in a certain anatomical sling are weaker or have an increased tone. Identifying these slings may highlight the source of ongoing symptoms.
How can my Physiotherapist help me?
By identifying restrictions of movement and weaknesses in your kinetic chain our physiotherapists can focus on areas of your body that may be the pivotal in addressing your problems. Specific manual treatment techniques and exercises that address whole body movement faults and or weaknesses can be used to address longstanding and or recurrent symptoms or injuries. Some of the exercises may be based on pilates, muscle imbalance, core stability, yoga and/or weight training exercises. These exercises would be specific to your problem and or lifestyle. Other areas may also need to be addressed such as posture, work ergonomics and sport specific training issues. Speak to our friendly team for further advice.