KMI manual therapy (myofascial therapy) restores correct posture and movement habits. It is effective when you complain of backache, joint pain, and even headaches, which are often the result of not "carrying" your body properly. What is KMI?

KMI manual therapy( myofascial therapy ) is a method that has only recently been practiced in Poland. Did you know that pain in the ankle joint may be caused by a malfunction of the sacroiliac joint, and that the problems of the cervical spine may be caused by… a caesarean section scar? Such a view of the patient's body as a related whole allows the therapist, on the one hand, to diagnose the cause of the problem, and on the other - to cause a positive change in the musculoskeletal system. This is the basic assumption of KMI therapy, which has recently been practiced in Poland.

KMI therapy, i.e. reprogramming patterns

The therapist can tell from the way you stand or walk where you are in pain. When you see uneven shoulder blades or a shortened tendon, you can guess where there are stresses in your body that make it impossible for you to use all its possibilities freely. These tensions come from unconsciously learned patterns.

KMI therapy aims to reset the body's memory so that it can return to its proper functioning patterns and regain freedom of movement.

You sit crooked, slouch, limp, because, for example, your work requires you to often make the same movement or persist in a certain position. Or you are injured after an accident or surgery, and you are reflexively modifying the way you move to avoid pain. Or you are living under stress that causes your muscles to contract unconsciously.

These abnormal patterns persist, overloading the locomotor system, leading to contractures, shortening of tissues, and over time postural defects and degenerative changes, which cause discomfort and pain. You are not able to change it on your own, because the body "remembers" learned abnormal patterns beyond your consciousness.

KMI therapy: how is it done?

At the beginning, the therapist conducts an interview, asking the patient about the lifestyle, operations and injuries. He observes how he stands, how he moves, he can take measurements and photos to capture the initial state. Established bygoals of therapy: getting rid of pain, regaining mobility or improving posture.

During most of the sessions, the patient, dressed in comfortable underwear, lies on a couch. The therapist works through touch: he presses and moves the tissues, influencing the structural arrangement of the patient's body elements, and at the same time asks him to make specific movements. The interaction of the therapist and the patient removes tensions and allows the body to be placed in a comfortable and physiological position. After the session, the patient gets up and checks how his locomotor system works.

The brain remembers an abnormal pattern of movement, so it may perceive the change as an imbalance, it has yet to learn a new, correct pattern. During each session, the therapist thus makes small changes to improve the functioning of the body as a whole, and the body gradually forgets about bad habits and regains its balance.

Complete therapy consists of 12 sessions. The first four are focused on reducing tensions and limitations in the superficial layers of the body. The next four correct the functioning of the deep structures of the body that stabilize the body. The last sessions integrate the functions of the superficial and deep layers by engaging them in daily movement patterns and posture habits, that is, the consolidation of correct movement and posture patterns.

Important

The fascia binds the locomotor system

The creator of KMI therapy (Kinesis Myofascial Integration), American structural integration therapist Thomas Myers, assumed that the locomotor system is an integrated whole, therefore the goal of the therapy should be to improve the structure of the entire human body , not the correction of individual "damage". Myers' concept of Anatomy Trains, which surround the body like construction ropes, stems from the discovery that muscles are bound together by a connective tissue - the fascia. This is why tension in one part of the body can cause discomfort in another. Thus, treating the sore spot in isolation from the whole is pointless, because it does not remove the cause of the ailments, but only fights the symptoms.

The fascia is a membrane formed by a network of connective tissues extending in all directions. It is the fascia that embraces the entire body and holds it together - it connects muscles and bones, and is a suspension site for organs.

In order to become more aware of the function of the fascia, it is worth using … the example of chicken breast. While preparing it, we notice a flexible film covering it along its entire length. Thin, but still hard to remove. This is the fascia.

Blessing for the soul

Emotions are recorded in tensions and shortenings of tissues, influencing posture. This mechanism also works the other way around: by releasing the patient's body from tensions that carry an emotional charge, the therapist can remove psychological blockages.

Changing the posture of the figure may cause the patient to become more open to people after undergoing the therapy, and may be able to cope with problems better.

Fascia is an extremely innervated tissue - working on it, the therapist transmits information to the nervous system, which in turn reorganizes the body. If the abnormalities in the motor system are of a psychological nature, emotional discharge may occur during the session, manifested, for example, by crying, nervousness, anger.

The fascia also protects the body against microbes. And when it becomes overly tense, insomnia may appear, the sensation of body swelling, and even migraine.

Worth knowing

The beginnings of KMI in Poland

Until 2022, three certified KMI therapists practiced in Poland. In 2016, a group of about 30 physiotherapists participated in the training program, and after the completion of the third stage of the training in 2022, they obtained KMI certificates. Training is continued, and therefore treatment with this method is becoming more and more available.

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