Postisometric Relaxation

Postisometric correction or in other words Postisometric Relaxation

Postisometric relaxation technique was developed by American orthopedic therapists in the 20th century. Today this technique is widely used by kinesiologists, chiropractors, and osteopaths. Postisometric relaxation can remove hypertension of different groups of muscles and ligaments, and bring them to their normal state.

PIR Technique

The main goal the technique is to reduce increased muscle tension after an isometric contraction, when the muscle’s length isn’t changed. The mechanism of removing excess tension is the following:

When strongly tensed, muscle receptors begin to intensely generate nerve impulses that go to the cerebrospinal ganglia. There they are processed and modulated and are later transferred to the posterior horn, switching to association neurons. After being processed, the nerve impulse goes to the motoneuron of the anterior horn. Motoneurons bring the tonus of muscles and ligaments back to normal.

Medical indications

This technique is used to relieve excess muscle tension in cervical (cervicalgia), thoracic (thoracalgia), and lumbar (lumbodynia) spine segments. It can also be used in case of piriform muscle tension, sacroiliac ligaments, sacrococcygeal ligament, leg cramps (lumboischialgia), etc.