From the Research
Osteopathic treatments that utilize reciprocal inhibition include muscle energy technique (MET), counterstrain, and facilitated positional release, with MET being the most effective technique for reducing chronic and acute pain, as well as increasing range of motion, as supported by the most recent and highest quality study 1.
Key Points
- Reciprocal inhibition is a neurophysiological principle where a contracting muscle causes relaxation of its antagonist muscle through inhibitory interneurons in the spinal cord.
- Muscle energy technique (MET) is a type of osteopathic treatment that utilizes reciprocal inhibition to reduce pain and increase range of motion.
- MET involves positioning the patient's body at the restrictive barrier, then asking the patient to contract the affected muscle group against resistance for 3-7 seconds, followed by relaxation and gentle stretching into the new range.
- Counterstrain and facilitated positional release are also osteopathic treatments that utilize reciprocal inhibition, but MET is the most effective technique for reducing chronic and acute pain, as well as increasing range of motion.
Benefits of MET
- Effective in reducing chronic and acute pain, as well as increasing range of motion, as supported by the most recent and highest quality study 1.
- Works with the body's natural neurological mechanisms rather than forcing movement, making it generally comfortable for patients and reducing the risk of tissue damage.
- Particularly useful for somatic dysfunction, muscle spasm, and restricted range of motion.
Comparison with Other Techniques
- A study comparing the effectiveness of MET with and without strain-counterstrain technique in acute low back pain found that MET was effective in reducing pain and disability, but the added effect of strain-counterstrain technique was not significant 2.
- Another study comparing the effectiveness of MET with autogenic inhibition and reciprocal inhibition muscle energy techniques in patients with neck pain found that autogenic inhibition was the most effective technique for improving isometric muscle strength 3.
- A study comparing the effectiveness of MET with thrust technique in the treatment of sacroiliac joint dysfunction in athletes found that thrust technique was more effective than MET in the long term, but MET was still effective in reducing positive dysfunction 4.