In this episode I interview Mariana Barreto, the Founder and Director of We Flow Therapy. Mariana is a Manual Osteopath, Craniosacral Practitioner, and Physical Therapist originally from Venezuela, and now runs her practice in Canada. She uses an alternative therapeutic approach to Cerebral Palsy (CP) which focuses on the remodeling of the connective tissue or fascia. We talk about the impact on fascia caused by brain injuries, the role of biotensegrity, and other related topics.
In the past, physical therapy for patients with CP has revolved around targeting the specific spastic muscles with stability (casts & braces) and end range stretching. This approach can manage symptoms in the short term, but in my experience does not cause lasting effects. It is great to see the research and understanding of this mechanism coming out. Mariana’s approach is different from the traditional approach, as she goes deeper to treat the underlying issue for what causes spasticity. Her work with building up the fascial system through stimulating fibroblasts has shown incredible, long lasting results with children ranging from mild to severely impaired.
Mariana mentions how another way to signal fibroblasts to remodel the fascia is through strength training. This is what has done wonders for my body to decrease spasticity. I will expand on the topic of strength training for CP and other neurological conditions in future episodes!
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Find Mariana:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/weflowtherapy/
Website: https://www.weflowtherapy.com/
Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/weflowtherapy
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