So what’s the deal with connective tissue?  For the longest time, we as clinicians did not know what the function of connective was.  Connective tissue is the tissue that lays over, under, and around muscles and organs.  We thought that its purpose was to act as a partition between structures.  However, with the advent of the electron microscope we found that within connective tissue lies pain receptors, proprioceptors, and muscle spindles.  Pain receptors are self explanatory.  Proprioceptors are specialized cells that sends information to the brain regarding pressure, vibration,  and position sense.  Muscle spindles are muscle cells.  When we begin to think about moving, there is a pre- tensioning that occurs in the connective tissue.  And, that pre tensioning is sending signals to the brain.  We now think that the purpose of the connective tissue is to send information to the brain so that the brain can coordinate muscle firing patterns and movement.  So, if there are densifications in connective tissue due to an old or recent injury, there is misinformation being sent to the brain.  This in turn causes altered and uncoordinated movement and muscle firing patterns.  Also, a densification in one area of connective tissue may pull on another area of connective tissue elsewhere in the body.   This issue affects people with recent injuries as well as those with chronic pain.

Many patients rehabilitating from a recent injury or from a surgery tend to plateau at about 80% recovery.  Their range of motion is normal, joint mobility and muscle strength is normal.  So why are they plateaued at 80%?   There are some people with chronic pain issues that also present with normal joint mobility and normal muscle strength.  So why do they have pain?  In my practice of manual physical therapy I have found that the answer  lies in the connective tissue.  There are specific movement tests, muscle tests, and palpation tests that identifies impairments in connective tissue.  And, there are very specific hands on manual therapy techniques used to resolve issues found.

If you live in Ocean county, NJ, Monmouth county, NJ, or eastern portions of Mercer county, NJ, and had a recent injury, or suffer from chronic pain, and/or had previous treatment resulting in a plateau in status, or had little to no gains, read through my website, then give me  call at: (732) 642 – 5055.