Braking Bad: Developing Eccentric Control in Clients with CNS Dysfunction
Eccentric muscle contractions are the brakes of the movement system. In the normal gait pattern, the majority of muscle contractions are eccentric, yielding remarkable efficiency: harnessing momentum and ground reaction forces, minimizing the energy cost of walking. In individuals with neurological injuries, movement impairments impede the ability to generate eccentric contractions or to time muscle contractions correctly, yielding co-contraction and inefficiency. We will identify how these impairments impede postural control and gait ability and how to specifically address them using voicing as a mechanism to promote eccentric muscle contractions in intervention programs to minimize negative effects on gait and maximize walking performance. Video cases will allow participants to view application of these methods using a variety of therapeutic handling techniques and functional tasks.