Having been having trouble with my approach to work on Scalenes we were taught a new method of treating them (along with all other anterior neck muscles) using an MET.
The technique is really effective, but you do have to chose the patient carefully as the technique requires the patient to support the weight of their head laying supine with their head off the table, you take some of the support away by asking the patient to take the weight of their head instead of you hence you engage all of the anterior neck muscles to perform the MET, then you stretch them with a posterior shift of the head and a nodding action opposed to extension.
Ive been using this technique a lot since it was shown to us with great results. Its important to provide an appropriate and individual amount of assistance with supporting the head during the isometric phase of the technique depending on the patients strength, fitness, age, condition, presenting symptoms and diagnosis. It is also paramount that the patient fully understand how to perform the technique before it is attempted, I often found that it was a good idea to perform an MET to another muscle such as hamstrings prior to attempting it on the anterior neck muscles (even if it was only for demonstration purposes opposed to treating the hamstrings).
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