What can End Range Loading Treat?
End Range Loading is a Massage Therapy technique that helps relieve neurological pain caused by vertebral disc injuries, nerve entrapments, tendon injuries, or connective tissue adhesions. Some of the common terms used for these conditions are:
- Intervertebral Disc (IV) Herniations
- Slipped Disc
- Sciatica
- Piriformis Syndrome
- Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
- Myofascial Adhesions
- Nerve Stenosis
End Range Loading techniques and nerve mobilizations help relieve pain and discomfort. The techniques are not limited to treating just nerve tissue, but also bone and other connective tissues like blood vessels and tendons.
What is End Range Loading Therapy or Techniques?
End Range Loading Techniques (ERL) is essentially taking tissue (nerves, tendons, discs, connective tissue) into a position of tension and then applying an overpressure to stretch and/ or glide the affected tissue to assist with improved function and reduced pain. This technique can help reshape slipped or herniated discs, remove nerve entrapments, speed up tendon strain healing, and release chronic myofascial adhesions.
Is End Range Loading Painful?
End Range Loading techniques are all performed within patient tolerance and closely monitored as the procedures are performed. A common response is that it feels like a “good hurt” If any techniques become painful they are stopped immediately.
How does the technique work?
Simply put this technique helps provide oxygen and nutrients to damaged or compressed tissue. The end result is improved healing and reduced pain. For the more technically minded we’ll explain further. Your body has a unique and complex environment called connective tissue…aka the extra-cellular matrix (ECM). This connective tissue surrounds and nourishes every structure in the body. (nerves, tendons, discs, organs, bones)
The easiest way to understand connective tissue is that it is much like a sponge that allows oxygen and nutrient rich blood to get into all the cells of the body to help keep them at optimum health and function. Often when the area is damaged the flow of this oxygen and nutrient rich blood is compromised thus setting up a cycle of pain and dysfunction. Because the tissue is damaged it becomes harder for healing oxygen and nutrients to get through. Think of a sponge that is filled with dirty water. In order to get clean water into the sponge you have to wring out the dirty water first. Same principle applies here.
End Range Loading essentially is like wringing out old fluid from the damaged area thus making room for fresh fluid to fill the ECM space thus allowing for improved healing, reduced pain, and improved function.
