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S(scientific) T(therapeutic) E(exercise) P(progressions)

STEP is an exercise approach designed to help repair and strengthen specific tissues such as bone, cartilage, collagen and disc. The STEP program is based on fundamental principles found in tissue histology, exercise physiology, and joint biomechanics. This particular approach originated in Norway in the early 1960s and is being taught internationally as Medical Exercise Therapy. These principles have been well documented and researched. It is a comprehensive approach that requires specialized training and is being used by many skilled manual therapists and clinicians all over the world.

STEP embodies the concept that each patient benefits most fully only from the exercise plan individually tailored to the pathology and the tissue tolerance of the particular individual. STEP provides the optimal exercise progressions for each patient, or pathology, required at every stage of rehabilitation therapy. It is typically divided into two phases:

• Phase 1. This is the pain-free phase, which focuses on relieving pain, reducing muscle guarding and swelling, and increasing circulation.  It also focuses on restoring coordinated mobility and stability around physiological axes throughout beginning ranges of motion.
• Phase 2. This is the restoration of function phase, which focuses on increasing tissue tolerance to levels corresponding to the demands of activities of daily living.  This phase focuses on improving full range of motion, endurance, strength and power.

Regardless of the phase a patient may be in, the key to success is properly dosed exercise. Like medication, exercise must be dosed properly if it is to be effective. If dosed too aggressively, the exercise can be destructive and dosed too conservatively there may be little to no effect. The STEP approach has a proven way to solve this challenge.

The bottom line is that the STEP approach gets real results. Typically patients will notice a difference even after the first 1-2 sessions. Because this approach is based on tissue tolerance, conditions such as arthritis and degenerative joint disease, or acute muscle/ligament sprains respond very well early on in their therapy programs. Also because it is a “tissue specific” approach, it integrates very nicely into most post surgical protocols for the spine, knee and shoulder.