re-education of muscle action.

1. MUSCLE RE-EDUCATION
BY Dr.Eswar kolli,MPT

2. •Definition
Muscle Re-education is the regaining of normal or near
normal functioning of an injured or denervated muscle or
muscle with lack of control by appropriate therapeutic
techniques.
 Lack of effective muscle control may:
Result from many different causes & be manifested in
many different ways.
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3. Objectives of m. re-education:
1. To develop motor awareness & voluntary motor response
(Re-learn the injured muscle its ingram in the brain or
learning a new ingram for a new action for
the ms).
2. To develop strength & endurance in patterns of movement that
are necessary, safe & acceptable.
• 1 & 2 are related to each other, that one could
hardly be achieved without the other.
• We must initiate development of motor awareness & voluntary
motor responses before we can set up a program to develop
strength & endurance.
• On the other hand, some degrees of strength & endurance are
necessary to the development of motor awareness & effective
voluntary response.
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4. Necessary & Effective
• Are used to emphasize a well-designed program of muscle
re-education, which must be based on very specific &
practical demands for: the patient & his environment.
Safe
• Safe patterns: which minimize the hazards of trauma &
deformity that might → abnormal stress & strain.
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5. Acceptable
• Acceptable patterns of movs are designed to:
fit the handicapped patient into
normal environment in contact & in competition with
physically normal people.
• Acceptable patterns are acceptable to normal people in a
normal environment.
• It is of some academic interest to teach a young patient
to grasp a fork with his toes to feed himself.
But
This becomes completely unacceptable when he becomes
a young adult.
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6. Indications of M. Re-education
1) Diseases causing subnormal voluntary control.
2) LMNL → mild and severe flaccid paralysis & weakness of
motor response
3) Dyskinetic mov as
a. Spasticity b. Athetosis c. Ataxia (sluggish)
d. Rigidity e. Tremors. f. Any combination of
those.
4) UMNL: in flaccid stage → m. weakness.
5) After prolonged immobilization or disuse.
6) After tendon transfer or m. transplantation.
7) After arthroplasty.
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7. Pre-requisites for m. re-education
1. Patient Evaluation:
 A detailed examination of patient is essential to
adequate prescription for muscle re-education.
 Initial patient examination consists of > a simple
muscle test from which a prescription for muscle
strengthening can be written.
 P.T. awareness of the factors directly related to
effective m. re-education including his knowledge of the
disease & its natural course.
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8. 2.General Physical & Mental Status
 Determine if the patient is medically able to safely exercise.
 Extent of examination is dependent on background
information of nature & extend of disease.
 Determine if the patient understand & follows directions.
 “ “ if the patient is interested in his own recovery.
 Many patients will refuse to cooperate due to conscious or
unconscious feeling that recovery would be
disadvantageous for them.
 1st
prerequisite to re-educate muscle is a co-operative patient
, who:
1 - is consistent with his age.
2 - understand reasons for the program.
3 - wishing to recover whatever functional capacity is
possible.
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9. 3.Available Motor Pathways
• Central & Peripheral nervous system (CNS & PNS).
• The effective methods of determining state of neuromuscular
excitability is MMT for pts who show evidence of abnormality of m.
response.
• Value of MMT: to know from where to start m. re-education.
• MMT requires: a thorough knowledge of functional anatomy &
kinesiology of human body.
• Use MMT or functional type of testing of carrying ADL.
• In MMT & functional activity test: inco-ordination, substitution, dyskinesia,
weakness or inability are necessary to be observed.
These tests provide data for prescribing ex & repeated testing for prognosis.
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10.  EMG gives information for diag. & prognostic state
 EMG gives data about:
1. Actual motor denervation.
2. Map out areas of silence & areas of polyphasic reactions,
indicating progressive denervation or
recovery of innervation.
3. Galvanic current draw strength duration curve, & determining
chronaxie → assess PNS injury.
 M. re-education mustn’t only be based on the:
1. Site
2. Extent of m. strength, but also on
3. Possibilities of recovery, which will be indicated by these tests (MMT,
EMG).08/15/1608/15/16 1010

11. 5.Available Sensory Pathways
• Intact sensory & motor pathways are:
important for necessary for m.
re-education.
• Extro & proprioceptive systems
→ provide information to motor
awareness.
• Its failure (sensory system)
→ severe loss of voluntary response, even though
the motor pathways are intact.
• Sensory system is tuned to m. tension , & its response is altered by:
1. motor unit denervation.08/15/1608/15/16 1111

12. 6.Muscle-Tendon Integrity & Mobility
• M. must be:
1. Intact throughout its length.
2. Stable at its origin & insertion before adequate
response can be expected.
3. Free to move within its normal components.
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M. contracture M-tendon contractureM-tendon contracture M. fibrosis Tendon stenosis
Loss of ability to contract effectively, even though the motor pathways are intact.

13. 6.Muscle-Tendon Integrity & Mobility
• Muscle must be:
1. Intact throughout its length.
2. Stable at its origin & insertion before adequate
response can be expected.
3. Free to move within its normal components.
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M. contracture
M-tendon contractureM-tendon contracture
M. fibrosis
Tendon stenosis

14. 7.Relation of Tendon Length to M. Mass
 Ability of muscle to move the segment it controls
through desired ROM depends in great part on the
length of its tendon.
 If the tendon is shortened
-------» muscle normally can accomplish a small portion
of the R.
 If the tendon is lengthened -----» ineffective m.
cont.
 Repeated stretching or lengthening of tendon
w[ll caue m. mass to shorten &
limit m. ability to contract through normal R
 --» disuse-» loss of m. strength.
 Any tendon lengthening manually or surgically should be
avoided, except when essential, to prevent severe deformity.
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15. 8.Joint Mobility
• Loss of jtoint mobility has a profound effect on muscle re-
education.
• Basic objectives of re-education can never be achieved
if the joint through which the muscle acts is
frozen in one position.
• This doesn’t mean that a jt. has to be completely &
normally mobile, but at least it should be mobile through a
functional range of motion before muscle re-education.
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16. 9.Skeletal Alignment
• Possibilities of m. re-education are directly related to
skeletal alignment.
• This is particularly true in structural changes in the
spine, legs & feet following:
1. Paralytic disease
2. Malalignment of # post-traumas.
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17. Pain
• It is impossible to obtain coordinated movement
if such movement → pain.
• If this movement → pain
→ patient’ll carry out the
movement by
substitute
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18. Dyskinetic Movements
• Abnormal motor activity due to UMNL
→ limit all attempts of muscle re-
education.
• Classical muscle re-education used when there is LMNL will
be of:
little, if any value unless
the abnormal UMNL activity can be controlled.
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19. Techniques of M Re-education
As muscle re-education is devoted to the:
1. Recovery of voluntary control of skeletal muscle, or
2. Development of motor control (active, strong,
coordinated, enduring), so
• The primary OBJECTIVES must follow a certain
REASONABLE order:
I. Activation
II. Strength
III. Co-ordination
IV. Endurance
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20. I. Activation
• At that time muscle re-education program must begin by applying
certain techniques to activate these LMNU.
• Techniques to activate LMNU:
A. Focusing procedures
B. Proprioceptive stimulations
• No one technique alone is adequate in all problems,
PT must know & use all possible techs. in whatever
combination → give optimum response.
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21. A. Focusing Procedure
• All re-education techniques should be started
with: a discussion or demonstration of the
routines to be used.
• Patient may not only know what is:
1. Being done? , but
2. Expected to do?:
1. if he is to relax, he must know
2. if he is to attempt to contract & when?,
All depends on the pt’s age & intelligence
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22. 1.Passive Motion (PROM(
• 1st
step in starting activating LMNU.
• Can be done for completely denervated muscle.
• Make the patient aware of desired movement by:
feeling & seeing the
mov as they are carried out
• Stimulates proprioceptive reflexes of flex, ext & stabilization.
• Passive mov is difficult to be executed properly until desired
responses are obtained.
• Begins within limits of pain & tightness, then progress.
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23. 2.Cutaneous Stimulation
• Assist patient to concentrate on areas under care, he
can better see & feel contraction in specific muscles.
• Proprioceptive stimulation through tickling & scratching
various areas.
• The PT may use:
1. His fingers to: stroke or tap ms & tendons.
2. A brush or a rubber hammer.
3. Basic massage (effleurage, petressage, tapotement).
4. Cryotherapy (“brief“ ice application).
5. Brief painful stim..

24. 3.Electrical stimulation
• Cause muscle contraction
• 1--» patient see & feel m. cont.
2 --» sensations of value in sensory reflex
stimulation.
3 --» muscle tension
4 --» proprioceptive stimulation.

25. 4.EMG & BFB
• Equipments with both visual & auditory output
→ assist patient more accurately contract his
muscles.
• ↑ colors, sounds & height of changes of electrical.
potentials → aid pt’s focusing on desired ms.
• Indications:
1. Spotty m. weakness
2. Reactivation of ms after tendon transplantation.
3. As a focusing & motivating method.

26. B. Proprioceptive Stimulations
Is an activation method → stimulation of muscle contraction by proprioceptive
stimulation (jt, muscle, tendon), these receptors can be stimulated
by
1. Passive movement.
2. Positioning in various attitudes
3. Balance in sitting & crawling
4. kneeling & standing (righting reactions) → vestibular stim.
5. Weight bearing
6. Traction
7. Approximation
8. Quick stretches
9. Resistance
We must use posture, passive mov, active mov to → stretching, resistance &
reflexes necessary → stim. proprioceptive system.

27. Stretching & Resistance
• Muscle tissue responds best when:
extended & put under some tension
(stretching).
• Obtaining strength & co-ordination must be based
on techniques requiring muscle to contract against
resistance when partially elongated.
• Sudden stretching of muscle or sudden release of
tension → facilitate active response.
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28. Reflex Stimulation
• Normal & Pathological reflexes → initiate:
1. Muscle contraction
2. Righting reactions
3. Equilibrium
4. Protective reactions
• Normal & Pathological reflexes are essential
steps in:
1. Muscle re-education
2. Functional training.
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29. II. Strength
• Definition:
1. Ability of muscle to generate force or torque at a definite
velocity.
2. Ability of a muscle to develop force for providing:
1. stability (keep muscle stable).
2. mobility (strength to
move).
3. Ability of a muscle to continue successive exertions under
conditions where a load is placed on it.
• Strength can be obtained only through muscle work
(force x distance).
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30. 1. ↑ circulation. & development of muscle sense through
proprioceptive system.
2. Hypertrophy of muscle fibers.
3. ↑ No. of motor units entering into the contractile effort.
4. Sprouting
(if motor units have been
denervated, some degrees of re-innervation
will occur by adjacent intact neurofibrils).
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31. • Each of these factors demands ↑ R to the voluntary
effort → max response.
• Workload must be appropriate neither too little, nor too great.
• If the demands are minimal
→ only few units activated & strength “ll be
limited, load must be built up as m. tolerate.
• Type of ex. for weak muscle depends on:
1. Site of weakness.
2. Extent of weakness.
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32. • Very limited (specific) exs. are built up, if only a m. is weak,
with strengthening, (larger) & more meaningful activities are built.
• As m. work is essential to → recovery of strength,
also overwork → loss of strength.
• Fatigue & overwork must not be confused.
• Fatigue is a normal & physiological reaction that
→ protects the normal individual from overwork.
• Overwork is neither normal, nor physiological reaction,
So it’s a pathological reaction.
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33. Causes of Loss of M. Strength
• Decrease of strength may occur in the muscle groups not in use.
• M. re-education must encourage muscle strength for effective function
of body segments (reverse of disuse).
• Orthotic devices as braces or corsets, are needed to:
1. Support weakened body seg.
2. Prevent deformity But may →
a. Limit m. use
b. Cause m. weakness
Such disuse weakness can be determined by:
pain & limited response of these ms. to specific
activity.
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34. • Usage of braces is a must in some situations where m.
can’t maintain supporting body parts.
• If brace used all the time without periods of exercises
every now & then, it might be better not to use brace
because it might cause more weakness.
• We use braces to help as fifty/ fifty % with our ms, if we
became reluctant on it 100%, our m will be more weaker
than before brace use. At that case better not to use
brace without strengthening program. (this is the relation
between m re-education & braces.
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35. 2.Isolation of Islands of Contractile Units
• AHC disease
a. Denervation of individual m. f.
b. Areas of degeneration & fatty infiltration surround area of intact m. f .
• It is common to see gradual ↓ strength in weakened m. during:
1st
6 months of acute poliomyelitis.
• At that time, motor denervation can take place,
so protection of any additional weakness is made by:
preventing persistent stretching of the ms. (Brace usage).
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36. • If the tendon is:
1. Contracted or
2. Abnormally lengthened
The normally moving m. can accomplish
a small part of effective mov.
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37. 4.Prolongation of Rest Period Required for Recovery
• Rest periods for recovery is related to:
a. Fatigue
which is due to the accumulation
of waste products, which
is in turn related to:
1. Blood supply.
2. Tissue drainage.
b. Individual motivation
• Strength may be achieved by:
1. Graduated active exs
2. Elect. M. Stim. (EMS).
3. Etc.,…
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38. III. Coordination
Is the integration of different kinds of movements in a single pattern.
• Is the ability to use the right muscle at the right time & right intensity to
achieve a desired movement.
• Coordinated patterns are:
those with which the neuromuscular & musculoskeletal systems can
most efficiently & safely function.
• Is achieved through conditioned reflex training (subconsciously).
• Coordination mechanisms are highly complex,
with many of the components of the movement at a subconscious level
beyond voluntary control.
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39. IV. Endurance
Definitions:
• Ability to carry out repetitive movement essential to
prolonged activity.
• Ability to repeat motor tasks or sustain motor activity over a
prolonged period of time.
• Ability to maintain effort with demands placed upon the
muscle.
* Patterns of movement to ↑ endurance are similar to that
used to obtain strength, except that the demands on
neuromuscular system are less.

40. • Ex. to ↑ strength require ↑ effort & ↓ repetitions.
• Ex. to ↑endurance require ↑repetitions & ↓effort.
• Endurance can also be developed by
↑ repetitions & R.
• Strength without endurance is inefficient.
• Strength & coordination without endurance are
impractical.
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41. Techniques of Re-education
• Muscles with severe paralysis or weakness are evaluated by
MMT and re-educated from grade zero to grade five (normal) as
follows:
GRADE 0 (zero) - ↑ sensory input by splinting, passive
movements,facilitatory techniques such as joint approximation or
weight -bearing,warmth,manual contacts,quick stretching,fast
icing,hacking,Irradiation techniques,reeducation board, Electrical
muscle stimulations such as interrupted direct currents for
denervated muscles and faradic & HVG currents for innervated
muscles.
GRADE 1 & 2(Trace and Poor)- All Above techniques along with
suspension therapy,re-education board,mirror
therapy,hydrotherapy,assisted excercises, shoulder wheel
excercisis, finger ladder excercises, bicycle ergometer
& Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation techniques,

42. Techniques of Muscle Re-education
GRADE 2 to 3(Poor to fair)
- Active assisted and active excercises,active excercises
eliminating gravity by using suspension therapy,Re-education
table,hydrotherapy by placing limb towards flow of
water,pulleys.
Grade 3 to 4(fair-good)
Progressive resisted excercises,hydrotherapy,pulleys,sand
bags,weight cuffs,functional excercises, Manual resistance
excercises,PNF techniques,dumbells starting with low
weights,Therabands,rubber tubing,lower limb functional
excercises such as climbing a slope,walking down slope,stair
climbing up and down.
Grade 4 to 5(good)
All the above excercises increasing resistance gradually,quadriceps
table excercises,manual resisted excercises by increasing
leveragw,weight,number of repetitions to increase
endurance,mechanical weights used in gymnasium.
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