MAITLAND CONCEPT

Geoffrey Douglas Maitland was born in Adelaide, Australia, in 1924. He served in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) during World War II, then trained as a physiotherapist between 1946 and 1949.

Geoff Maitland has published numerous articles in the Australian Journal of Physiotherapy and other medical and physiotherapy journals worldwide. The first edition of his work was published in 1964 under the title Vertebral Manipulation. A second edition followed in 1968. Two years later, the book Peripheral Manipulation was published. In addition to teaching and publishing, Geoff Maitland has treated patients in his private practice for over 40 years. For him, clinical work was not only a source of inspiration; it was also an opportunity to adapt his ideas.

The concept of Maitland® Manual Therapy, as it has become known, emphasizes a specific thought process using ongoing evaluation as a type of inquiry (“knowing when, why, and how to use a technique that is tailored to the patient’s individual situation”).

He was a co-founder of the "International Federation of Orthopaedic Manipulative Therapists" (IFOMT), now (IFOMPT) a branch of the "World Confederation of Physiotherapy" (WCPT). [2]

When we consider:

• CONCLUSIONS (Mobilization/Manipulation):

  • Increasing range of motion (ROM)

  • As a result, muscle tone decreases.

  • Pain reduction

• SOFT TISSUE (Muscles/Fascia):

  • Improving circulation

  • Decreased muscle tone

  • Release of adhesions

  • Increasing range of motion (ROM)

• NERVOUS STRUCTURES:

  • Increasing range of motion (ROM)

  • Pain reduction [3]

The treatment in the Matland concept is carried out systematically, first we do:

1. HISTORY , called "C/O", where we ask the patient about the nature of their problems, review medical documentation and imaging diagnostics (e.g. X-ray, MRI, CT, etc.) of the occurrence during activities/rest, thereby excluding any contraindications and restrictions and defining "working hypotheses" - assumptions about the origin of the problems.

2. PHYSICAL EXAMINATION - "P/E", where we perform a posture check, palpation - feeling, examine physiological movements and perform basic (Mobility - Goniometry) or orientation measurements. Additional tests are performed if the condition allows and is necessary for further work (Instability tests, neurodynamic tests, muscle strength tests, neurological examination, ...).

3. THERAPY - Based on a thorough examination, we begin with targeted treatment using mobilization and manipulation techniques.

• Neurological diseases that cause compression of the spinal cord (Syringomyelia)

• Myelopathy (Due to injury/compression or disease of the spinal cord)

• Osteoporosis

• Local infection

• Malignant diseases

• Unhealed fractures

• Vertebral artery changes [4]

For additional questions and treatment limitations, please consult your physiotherapist or your doctor.