The Elbow, Wrist and Hand

The treatment strategy for the “elbow wrist and hand” follows Barral`s basic thoughts: all the different components of the human anatomy have to be included in our detailed palpative investigation. And the treatment follows the same philosophy. The most important theme shows up again and again, when we apply Barral`s technique in practice:

It is not only the dysfunctional tension around the joint, that we have to find and treat, it is also the pressure inside the joint capsule, that we have to observe. Barral is aiming for a process of restoring the negative pressure inside the capsule, to distribute the synovial fluid evenly  and thereby „save“ the cartilage. This is based on the observation, that the pressure difference between the inside of the joint capsule and its surrounding tissues is maintained or  – in case of dysfunction – disturbed by strain, present in all sort of tissues. Strain can be found not only within muscles and their fascia, strain is present in membranes, ligaments, the capsule itself and even in certain layers of fat tissues. In this DVD Barral shows, how to make the choice for efficient treatment for elbow and wrist problems, by distinguishing amongst the large variety of anatomical units and tissues involved.

For treating epicondylitis at the elbow, the DVD shows a clear distinction between the „tennis elbow“ and the „golf elbow”. Both dysfunctions require a distinct treatment strategy, because both can be related to different nerves, involved in the irritation of the elbow.

For the “carpal tunnel syndrome” the DVD gives clear instruction, how to choose and execute the most efficient manual interventions.  Barral demonstrates an almost microscopic evaluation of the way, that the median nerve takes between the shoulder area and the wrist. All the possible „narrows“, all the places where the nerve may loose its freedom to slide are included in the evaluation. By that, he arrives at a clearly defined program, showing how to treat the “carpal tunnel syndrome”, including, the carpal ligaments, joint capsules and the impingements of peripheral nerves.

In addition, Barral discusses the influence of hormonal changes like in pregnancy or menopause, that may be part of the cause  for problems around the carpal tunnel syndrome  by causing change in the elasticity of the connective tissues. With this in mind, he arrives at a complete spectrum of New Manual Articular Techniques, that add to the traditional biomechanical tradition of manual intervention.