What is Neural Manipulation?
Neural Manipulation was developed by French Osteopath Alain Croibier, in collaboration with Osteopath and Physical Therapist Jean-Pierre Barral. It is a form of manual therapy specifically designed to mobilize adhesions or improve impeded flow of the nervous system. It is an extremely intricate form of manual therapy, as it demands extremely specific understanding of anatomy in order to locate and isolate a nerve, then assess for its natural mobility.
From utero, nerves have a flowing movement to them called expansion and retraction. This flow allows for our tissues to glide around each other fluidly as we move. If this flow is impeded for any reason in any part of the system, it impacts the entirety of the nervous system itself. This can happen as a result of injury, infection, inflammation, surgery, limited joint mobility and many other reasons. If a nerve is reduced in its normal mobility, electrical conduction and circulatory flow are also typically reduced, which can lead to pain, changes in sensation and limited function.
Neural Manipulation has been found beneficial for various conditions:
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Lower back pain/Sciatica
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Headaches/Migraines
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Joint pain
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Digestive Disorders
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Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
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Whiplash injuries
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Tendinitis/Tendinosis
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Sprains/Trauma
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Concussions
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And More
What does Neural Manipulation feel like?
Neural Manipulation is performed on very specific tissue, with typically very light touch. It will not feel like the deep massage you may be used to receiving. The provider’s intention is to the feel the outer layer of the nerve itself in order to assess for normal or reduced flow, and then to release indicated areas through a treatment called ‘induction’. Successful changes will often produce a softening of the tissue, reduced pain and heat as a result of improved blood flow to the area.
For further information on Neural Manipulation, please visit www.barralinstitute.com
