Functional therapy is an area of medicine related to the functioning of the body and the increase of its potential. It includes diagnosis, treatment and prevention of various illnesses that may be the result of work, everyday activity, diseases, injuries and most of all – stress. It focuses on the locomotor system and makes use of the complex relation of the locomotor system with other organs and the body as a whole. It skilfully applies various forms of tissue mobilisation in order to stimulate the system’s own forces to restore proper functioning to locomotor tissues, which is crucial for the good functioning of the whole organism.

Therapists that use the functional approach in the treatment of patients, are known for great effectiveness in the treatment of backaches and other problems resulting from locomotor tissue dysfunctions. They care for patients of all ages and on all fitness levels, and make the restoration of patients’ functionality and independence possible.

Benefits for the patient:

• It is applied in the treatment of many disorders resulting from locomotor dysfunctions

• It is a safe and natural method of restoring functional balance to the body

• It prevents or reduces the necessity of surgery

• It has fast effects

• It improves the quality of life and restores independence

Locomotor dysfunctions

The number of people who experience pain in the back, the head, the limbs and the joints keeps on growing. Many people also experience symptoms that are similar to internal organ diseases but medical tests often do not recognize any organic characteristics. In these cases, the causes of these problems are most often locomotor dusfunctions. There are many causes of dysfunctions: the way of life, professional work, the way we spend our free time, insufficient physical activity, past diseases and injuries, structural changes in tissues, and others. However, the most common cause of dysfuncitons in the body is stress!

The strains acting upon the body, including mostly stress, lead to disorders in the funcitoning of locomotor tissues. Dysfunctions of locomotor organs, in turn, distort the functions of other organs. As a result, various problems appear, often very burdensome and not related with locomotor organs. Pharmacological or surgical treatment often does not bring the expected results, the patients suffer and cannot find effetive help, while treatment costs only rise.

The solution to such situations is the finding of the dysfunctional tissues which are at the source of the disorder, and treatment that will restore functional balance to locomotor tissues. Functional therapy offers the right diagnostic procedures and treatment.

The methods of Functional Therapy

• Techniques of Muscle Energy – Poisometric Relaxation of Muscles
• Soft tissue mobilisation – compression mobilisation, mobilisation with an injection needle, ESWT, functional taping, massage, physiotherapeutic treatments
• Mobilisation of joints – active, passive
• Excercises – for reducing pain, proprioceptive, strengthening