Positional Therapy

Positional Therapy is a safe, simple and effective method to relieve muscular pain. It is based on the osteopathic techniques of Strain / Counterstrain and Muscle Energy Technique (MET) developed by osteopathic physician Lawrence Jones.

I discovered Positional Therapy at The Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health where I heard story after story about an amazing therapist working there named Lee Albert who helped so many people eliminate pain in just one session! It was true. I had one session with Lee and eventually studied with him to learn his techniques and protocol.

Positional Therapy can eliminate pain associated with many common conditions such as:

headaches
low back pain
carpal tunnel syndrome
neck and shoulder pain
plantar fasciitis
sciatica
knee pain
TMJ
tennis and golfer’s elbow
and many more

Positional Therapy also helps to:

restore range of motion
increase flexibility and strength
improve circulation to increase oxygen to the tissues
normalize myofascial tension

How Positional Therapy Works

The reason that Positional Therapy is so powerful is that it addresses the root cause of pain.

Muscle Imbalance

One of the most common causes of physical and muscular pain is poor posture. When the body becomes out of alignment, we develop problems. This is much like a house built on a crooked foundation – doors and windows don’t open smoothly, walls develop cracks, etc. Our bodies, like the crooked house, will eventually start to express those imbalances in different, often painful ways.

To be more specific, the problems begin with muscle imbalance. Some muscles are short and tight, while some muscles are long and weak. In both cases, the muscles feel tight. Since every muscle attaches to a bone, they pull the frame of the body out of alignment. The solution lies in re-aligning the frame and bringing the body back into balance.

Misalignment of the skeletal structure leads to compression of the fascia, nerves and discs which results in less oxygenated blood getting to these tissues. It is the lack of oxygen that is the cause of much of the pain. It is estimated that 80% of all pain you will experience in your life is related to these muscle imbalances and the resulting mechanical problems.

Too often, the Western medical treatment for these neuromuscular pain patterns includes painkiller or anti-inflammatory drugs. IPT is a safe, drug-free and effective way to correct muscle imbalance and restore alignment to relieve pain.

What to expect during a session

Positional Therapy is done on a table, fully clothed. It is included as part of a more comprehensive approach within Private Sessions that begin with a postural assessment to determine which muscles or areas are contributing to the conditions. Using a combination of Strain/Counterstain (SCS) and Muscle Energy Technique (MET), the affected muscles are addressed.

SCS – The body is placed in a position of comfort that passively shortens (slackens) the muscles. Once held in this position for 90 seconds, the muscle spindles reset and restore to their natural length.

MET – This is an assisted technique that uses isometric contractions to activate a release of the opposing muscle. This, in turn, facilitates a release and lengthening of the contracted shortened muscle.

The final important piece of the treatment process involves the education of the client to enable them to be an active participant in their own healing process. The client is given a Wellness Plan consisting of some simple, easy-to-learn practices to do at home. It is important to identify and correct any habits and patterns that have been contributing to the source of the pain.

For more information or to book a Private Session, contact Rob.

Soulworks Body Wisdom