Benefits of the Mulligan Concept in Physiotherapy

The Mulligan Concept was developed by a New Zealand physical therapist named Brian Mulligan. The practice involves manual therapy techniques designed to relieve pain and increase range of motion and is often used to treat conditions including neck and back pain, shoulder pain/impingement, ankle sprains, tennis elbow and cerviogenic headaches and dizziness. Also known as Mobilization with Movement, the Mulligan Concept uses the benefit of passive mobilization and adds active movement to produce the desired range of motion and degree of pain relief. Not all physical therapy clinics will have a therapist trained in this manual therapy technique, so you may have to search around until you find someone certified to teach the concept.

The Mulligan Concept includes weightlifting techniques, using patient feedback and functional movement to diagnose and correct positional faults and restore patients to normal pain control function. By helping the body and its joints function in a more normal, biomechanically efficient manner, therapists who practice the Mulligan Concept can help patients with shoulder pain, tennis elbow, and back stiffness. The goal behind Mulligan’s techniques is both an increase in range of motion and relief of pain. Using techniques of kneading and muscle manipulation, joint mobilization, and joint manipulation, a Mulligan practitioner can help patients return to normal, pain-free function faster.

Proponents of Mulligan’s techniques claim that signs and symptoms improve and that the use of manual therapy highlights the value of movement in maintaining the health and strength of collagen, muscle, and bone tissue. The improvement of the signs is associated with pain being the main sign of misaligned joints. Pain is a sign that the treatment is not working and a clear indication that the technique should be changed. With the Mulligan Concept, the relief of pain from a mechanical amendment is the signal that the goal has been achieved. These clear signals allow therapists to provide more efficient and targeted care for back pain, ankle sprains and reduced movement in the shoulders.

Physical therapy cannot guarantee results, but some techniques provide a better chance of healing when it comes to specific injuries and debilitating conditions. Mulligan’s methods have been cited for improving conditions including back pain, shoulder pain, ankle sprains and tennis elbow and should be considered as an option to relieve pain and return normal range of motion. If you are interested in pursuing this course of therapy, seek out a certified movement mobilization therapist.