Integrative Manual Therapy (IMT)
IMT is a gentle, indirect manual therapy facilitating the body to heal physically, emotionally, cognitively, and spiritually. It is referred to as “non-traditional” or sometimes “un-tradtional” therapy. Tissue dysfunction or restrictions are found through manual diagnostics, by discerning between healthy and unhealthy motilities (rhythms) to find the source of the problem as well as treat the dysfunctional tissue.
The body has a hierarchy of protection so vital structures such as blood vessels and organs are not impaired. IMT will discern which layer is being protected by the more superficial and less significant layers. For instance, low back spasm is often diagnosed as a muscle strain, which may be true, but the IMT practitioner will view that muscle strain as the body’s intelligence taking over in order to protect the body from more serious damage such as a herniated disc, tear in a blood vessel, or spinal cord injury. The IMT practitioner will then treat the deeper layers in order for the body to realize, “Oh I don’t have to protect you anymore, I can release the muscle spasm.”
The study of IMT is very comprehensive, requiring over thirty two classes to become certified. There are thousands of techniques available to treat the deeper layers as well as the superficial layers of tissue.
IMT can be used for any acute or chronic condition such as acute low back pain/herniated disc, acute ankle sprain, knee pain, shoulder pain, or chronic disorders such as fibromyalgia, chronic pain, MS, and autoimmune disorders. Some non traditional diagnoses that can benefit from IMT are GI issues, liver toxicity, or autistic spectrum disorders.
Myofascial Release (MFR)
Fascia surrounds every structure in the body and restrictions can often be found here. MFR is a gentle, indirect approach to releasing the restrictions in the myofascial system and is the foundation of IMT.
Cranial Therapy
Cranial therapy works on the craniosacral system which is comprised of all the tissues in and around the spinal column, brain, and down to the sacrum where it sits in the back of the pelvis. The cranial therapy approach used at The Manual Touch PT is a component of IMT.
