May 26, 2018. Times Of India
Functional Manual TherapyTM at VARDAN will resolve the underlying causes of headache and neck pain. Imagine coming in to VARDAN with a mystery headache or persistent backache and feeling better 20 minutes later! No, it’s not a miracle or an instant cure, but the result of Functional Manual TherapyTM (FMT), that helps patients make a holistic recovery from chronic pain and lack of mobility.
This ability to effect relief was what attracted American physical therapist Jane Lucas, now at VARDAN, to FMT and the smiles of those she has treated in the US and now in India finds a ready echo in her own face. “I have actually seen that 20 minutes change happen in patients!” she says.
Posture, habit and even lifestyle often are major factors in pain and mobility issues. “When someone has been used to a specific posture, the body actually traps that person into it. Some muscles are not used at all for so long that the patient does not even realise he or she has them,” says Jane.
Diagnosing underlying causes through specific tests is what sets FMT apart from other physical therapies, and leads to results that amaze patients. “For example, with FMT, we mobilise patients from paincausing postures to a better alignment and then get them to hold themselves in the new posture by firing core and unused muscles,” she elaborates.
Physical therapists trained in the innovative FMT curriculum devised by the US-based Institute of Physical Art competently and intuitively integrate evidence and clinical experience specific to each patient. They incorporate mobilization, neuromuscular facilitation, and motor control training for solid results.
The International Classification of Headache Disorders identifies 14 different types of headaches in two basic categories: primary — those of vascular origin (cluster and migraine headaches) and muscular origin (tension-type headaches) – and secondary – due to inflammation or head and neck injuries.
Few realise that FMT can help headache and neck pain patients, but as Jane points out, “Allergens, foods, pollution and stress are often only aggravating factors, the actual pain originates at the base of the skull and the trigger points are muscular knots. So just stretching, heat/ice and rest only give temporary relief “.
Extensive use of computers and smartphones lead to neck pain and headaches due to prolonged poor alignment, even among children. But due to their training in FMT, VARDAN’s physical therapists know the anatomical and physiological factors that can resolve the underlying pathology of headaches and neck pain.
“We mobilise muscles and joints of the neck and upper back to enable patients to hold their neck back over their shoulders,” says Jane. “We teach the use of deep cervical flexors to prevent overuse of neck muscles and relevant strengthening and stretching exercises to prevent a return of the headache-causing posture.”
Don’t let headaches get you down, let VARDAN put the smile back on your face.
Dr. Jane Lucas
(PT, DPT, CFMT)
is a Certified Functional Manual Therapist at VARDAN, a wellness initiative by The Times Group in association with the Institute of Physical Art, USA
Functional Manual TherapyTM (FMT) is a comprehensive approach to physiotherapy, which identifies and facilitates your existing potential through an in-depth examination and treatment of your mechanical capacity, neuromuscular function and motor control. Discover your potential to have less pain and function better with FMT!
To schedule your appointment at the VARDAN Centre (New Delhi):
SMS VFMT to 58888
Call 011-43580720-22
(9am to 6pm, Monday to Saturday)
Email: vardan@timesgroup.com
For more information, log on to
www.vardan.in