Muscle Energy Technique (MET)
Muscle Energy Technique (MET) is a technique that was developed in 1948 by Fred Mitchell, Sr, D.O. It is a form of manual medicine treatment, widely used in Osteopathy, that uses a muscle’s energy in the form of gentle isometric contractions to relax the muscles via autogenic or reciprocal inhibition and lengthen the muscle. Compared to static stretching, a passive technique in which the therapist does all the work, MET is an active technique in which the patient is also an active participant during the treatment. MET is based on the concepts of Autogenic Inhibition and Reciprocal Inhibition of the muscle, and alteration in fasciae influences their biomechanical function and biochemical and immunologic function.
How is it done?
The muscle energy technique involves the physical therapist carefully positioning an area of the body. After positioning, you will be asked to contract the muscle or resist a movement done by the physical therapist. A stretch will follow this to lengthen the same or opposite muscle group.
During the treatment session, you will be asked to actively participate in facilitating and relaxing muscle groups. Under the direction of the physical therapist, you will learn to lengthen the shortened muscle, relieve muscle spasms and reduce tone in spastic muscles.
The expert clinician will pay special attention to correct and optimal positioning of the treating body part, hold time for the contraction, sense relaxation/elongation, and intensity and extent of the stretch.
Benifits :
The muscle energy technique has many clinical uses. It can lengthen shortened,contracured muscle, strengthen the physiologically weakened muscle or group of muscles, reduce localized congestion and mobilize an articulation with restricted mobility.
In addition, the muscle energy technique can help chronic muscle tightness and post-surgery stiffness in joints and muscles with little pain compared to traditional mobilization and stretching techniques.