Research
From the early years of using ECTT with people with complex chronic conditions Kate was so inspired by the outstanding effects and benefits experienced by the clients that she designed and completed a clinical trial that would be foundational to further research. This was completed in 2009 with a long term follow up of the subjects pain levels and wellbeing in 2016.
Esoteric Connective Tissue Therapy and Chronic Pain- A Clinical Trial
Kate Greenaway, BApp.Sc (PT) and Danielle Loveless, BBiomed.Sc, BExSci (hons), Phd (ExsPhys)
Abstract.
Aim: To investigate whether six weeks of Esoteric Connective Tissue Therapy influences subjective measures of pain levels, general wellbeing, functional capacity, and the craniosacral pulse (cycles per minute).
Method: From 2006-2009 fifty one adult men and women with a moderate level of musculoskeletal pain, had six treatments of Esoteric Connective Tissue Therapy, one treatment per week. The Craniosacral pulse (cycles per minute) was measured throughout the treatment, both at the beginning of every session (pre-treatment) and the end of every session (post-treatment). Subjective measures of general wellbeing via the General Well being Scale, functional capacity of daily activities via the Quebec Back Pain Disability Scale, and pain levels via the Visual Analogue Pain scale were assessed at week-1 of treatment, week-6 of treatment and 6-months following the completion of treatment. Participants were asked to make no changes to their usual treatment (medication or counselling) throughout the duration of the program. Esoteric Connective Tissue Therapy consisted of six gentle hand techniques placed on various parts of the body, (e.g. ankles, skull and jaw). Identical techniques were performed in each session.
Results: All measures of general wellbeing, functional capacity and pain levels were significantly improved following six weeks of Esoteric Connective Tissue and were maintained after 6 months. The craniosacral pulse increased in the subjects from 1-3 cycles after six treatments of ECTT.
Conclusion: This study indicates strongly the potential benefits people with chronic pain could receive from treatment programs of ECTT. Further research is needed to confirm the long-term benefits for people with chronic physical and emotional conditions from treatment programs of esoteric connective tissue therapy.
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Connective Tissue Movement Case Studies
Pain after a car accident
Maureen (not her real name) is a 39 year old woman who was involved in a car accident in late 2014. She was driving her car at 60km/hr and was hit from the right side with a moderate impact.
She said her body was wrenched from side to side and she was in shock afterwards.
– She had headaches of 7/10 pain level,
– She had upper thoracic pain of 7/10 and
– Low back and bilateral hip pain that extended down the outside aspects of both legs to the ankles that was a 9/10 pain level.
The same day she went to her local GP who prescribed NSAID and mercendol pain killers. She had an X-ray two weeks after the accident that was normal.
Maureen presented to me in October 2014 – 5 weeks after her accident.
On examination she had 50-60% flexion – limited by pain. Eighty percent extension and 80% and left side bend range of motion.
Maureen had tense and tender low back muscles and sacro-iliac joints and gluteal muscles. She was very stiff in her walking and when she changed postures – there was a big fear of more pain and chronic pain that would never go away.
She had 6 treatments of ECTT with gentle massage and a progressed gentle connective tissue and strengthening exercise program.
Maureen was keen to help herself and she did the CT movements daily and looked after her posture at work.
Her last treatment was 2 months after the initial accident.
Moreen stated she had constant low back pain of 1-2/10 with constant outer shin pain of 2-3/10. She had stopped all medication and felt she was overall 90% improved.
She was walking intermittently and gently exercising, after that last treatment, it was recommended that she walk more regularly for longer distances and do regular water-based exercises.
Old Football Injury
Brian is a man in his 50s who does Lawn Maintenance and Gardening work.
As a young man Brian played Ruby League for many years with several injuries to his Right knee.
“It has been a problem off and on ever since and changed the way I walk and do all my manual work. For example, squatting on my right knee is something that I have not been able to do for a very long time.
I have been having ECTT periodically over the last 6 months, and more intensively in the last few months. I have been doing my connective tissue exercises for my back and legs daily - they are just part of my every day now.
They really help when I get home from work and my body is tired and my knee is aching.
As a result of these sessions and the connective tissue exercises there has been a change in the amount of movement that I have in my knee.
So now I can do a squat, it makes a huge difference to how I do my manual work, everything is easier to do and it is something that I thought I would not be able to do again.
These types of injuries are supposed to get more difficult to manage as we age. This really is fantastic as I am 55 now and have more movement in my knee now than I did when I was 40.”
ECTT is a complementary treatment to mainstream medical practice. Although clients have reported improvements in their condition from the ECTT exercises and treatment techniques there is currently no generally accepted evidence for the efficacy of ECTT, but in my clinical experience patient responses to ECTT have been positive. As a qualified physiotherapist I only offer ECTT as an adjunct to mainstream physiotherapy treatment techniques and exercises.
Training & Education
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Kate Greenaway was a trainer of Remedial Massage at Evolve College from from 2017 to 2022. To learn more visit The Evolve College's website.
Contact Kate Greenaway
Physiotherapist Lismore, Brisbane.
To book a physiotherapy session with Kate Greenaway in Brisbane or the Lismore region NSW or to inquire about complementary healing therapies:
email Kate : kate@kategreenaway.com.au or
call/text her : 0418 270 563.
© 2024 by Kate Greenaway Physiotherapist Brisbane, Lismore / Goonellabah, unless otherwise stated.