Muscles are organized in “motor coordination chains”

It is important to understand how the body expresses itself before programming any correction to the neuromusculoskeletal system. It is important to be aware that an isolated muscular action does not exist: the body organizes its expressions and movements through chains made of a series of muscles grouped for a specific function (called in RPG® as hegemony), and joints mobilized by these muscles.

Mr Souchard, based on clinical observation of human biomechanics and its behavior in the presence of pathologies, identified several groups of muscles organized in a way that perform specific functions (of motor coordination). Later, it was also identified that these groups of muscles were also responsible for postural deviations (i.e. forward head, rolled shoulders, increases and decreases of spinal curvatures). Consequently, in order to modify any postural deviations, it is needed to identify which chain of muscles are responsible for the diagnosed deviation, and to treat them in their globality (as a whole), otherwise the whole chain will adopt its previous retractions.

These series of muscular chains described by the RPG® method are comprised of mainly static muscles (tonic muscles); and build its stretching techniques in the search of an optimum harmony of such muscles and joints.

When one or more component fails, the whole chain is affected, emerging as symptoms. Therefore, it is necessary to search for this affected place and to treat the whole functional chain by correcting every affected component at one time. In many occasions where there is a disorder or dysfunction, a great portion of the musculature is found to be tensed, stiff and contracted (that is why myorelaxant drugs are widely prescribed).

The difference between the RPG® method and other methods is that RPG® agrees with current physiology knowledge, which distinguishes musculoskeletal muscles as dynamic (phasic) and static (tonic) muscles, and treats each group of muscles differently, respecting its own physiology and pathophsyiology. It is well known that dynamic muscles can loose its effectiveness either by atrophy or tonus imbalance, while static muscles can be compromised by rigidity, contraction or excessive muscular tone. By strengthening some muscles and stretching another, it is possible to gain flexibility, muscular tonus balance, and eliminate any unnecessary tension.

Joints and intervertebral discs not only weight-bear the whole body, but also work as a fulcrum, so that each muscle is able to apply its own action for different movement purposes, or to keep us straight (against gravity). Excessive or inadequate muscular strengthening contributes to muscle imbalances, articular misalignment and compression, which forms the origin of aches/pains and articular degeneration syndromes.

During the treatment of a painful joint with the RPG® method, it is important to relieve its axial pressure by the use of decompression techniques, in addition to promotion of flexibility of the surrounding musculature which kept the joint in an incorrect position or with excessive tension. In brief, the RPG® method’s main goal is to restore a normal inter-articular space through the use of smooth and progressive decompression techniques.

The emphasis on expiration is fundamental in the RPG® method. Any somatic or psychological dysfunction immediately provokes an alteration of the breathing cycle. Conversely, the breathing also has influences in the body shape and functioning, as well as in emotional or psychological aspects of each person. Therefore, it is important to focus on the expiration cycle of breathing throughout the whole treatment, allowing the patient to breathe well, correcting any blockings or tensions that may bias related body functions.

Breathing is the base of a good corporal correction. We have inspiratory muscles in every motor coordination chain in our body, which is why we use breathing techniques when we intend to promote a global stretching. During a RPG® session, the therapist pays constant attention to the patient’s breathing, promoting the increase of thoracic flexibility and the release of the inspiratory musculature (which is found tensed in most cases).