Initially trained by Kaltenborn, Brian Mulligan took traditionally sustained translations and added patient generated active movement to achieve pain free movement and function. Brian Mulligan’s concept of mobilizations with movement (MWMS) in the extremities and sustained natural apophyseal glides (SNAGS) in the spine were revolutionary due to this concurrent application of both therapist applied forces and patient generated movement.
With the concept rule of “pain free, instant and long lasting” underpinning all clinical reasoning, no other form of manual therapy offers real time decision making and safety. The paradigm is patient centred and patient controlled and has an extensive body of self-treatment options.
As Brian Mulligan has said: “There is no other concept in the field of manual therapy, that is applicable to the entire musculoskeletal system and that when indicated gives you an instant pain free result. There is no other concept in the field of manual therapy that only requires 2 to 3 minutes to establish if it is indicated. A bonus is that when indicated it is diagnostically significant.”
A building body of evidence is now proving the efficacy for this approach for musculoskeletal conditions.