  David F. Young, L.M.T. |
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Manual therapy is an innovative hands-on approach for the effective, non-invasive treatment of various physical and emotional difficulties. It is based on the premise that the body is a self-correcting mechanism which responds best to a gentle touch and minimal amount of force from the practitioner. How Manual Therapy Works? Manual therapy is founded on the premise that the body is an organism made up of many interdependent systems and parts, each of which must be in balance for overall good health. Throughout our bodies there are lines of tension, caused by stress, disease, injury and trauma. We adapt to these lines and develop compensation patterns to maintain normal function. When a person's compensatory capability reaches its maximum, pain and dysfunction result. The goal of a manual therapist is to alleviate these lines of tension, thereby restoring the body's natural vitality. The manual therapy modalities used at Oceanside Manual Therapy are: |
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CRANIOSACRAL THERAPY Over the years we have come to accept that there are many systems in the body. Some if not all these systems have rhythms inherent in them. The Respiratory and, Cardiovascular are two systems which are widely known and accepted. There is another system which over time is becoming widely accepted and utilized to assist the healing capabilities of the body. It is called the CranioSacral System, and with it the CranioSacral rhythm. The CranioSacral System consists of the Cranium (including the bones of the skull, face and mouth), the Sacrum (or tailbone area) the membranes (called dural, which connect the cranium to the sacrum) as well as cerebrospinal fluid which protects the brain and spinal cord. Early in the 1900’s an Osteopathic physician named William Sutherland, began to explore the human skull. As he explored the suture lines in the skull he hypothesized that they were designed for motion. For the next twenty years he researched this concept and developed Cranial Osteopathy. In 1970 another Osteopathic physician John E. Upledger, while assisting a surgery in the cervical (neck) region, discovered a rhythmic motion of the dural lining in the spine. None of his colleagues could explain this. Two years later, while attending a seminar, he heard about William Sutherlands concepts, as well as how to evaluate and treat the Cranium. At the time he was a professor of biomechanics at the osteopathic college at Michigan State University as well as a clinical researcher. There with the help of anatomist, physiologist, and bioengineers, he was able to develop CranioSacral Therapy. Then in 1985 he founded the Upledger Institute, which is devoted to the teaching and further development of this therapy. At the beginning of a session the practitioner monitors the status of the patient’s CranioSacral Rhythm as it is reflected throughout the body. The rhythm is 6-12 times a minute. What the therapist is feeling is the expansion and contraction of the system, similar to the movements of the respiratory or circulatory systems. During expansion the system is filling with cerebrospinal fluid, and during contraction it is being reabsorbed. During a CranioSacral session, the first thing that one might notice is the light touch which is utilized by the practitioner. The reason that such a light touch is effective is because the practitioner is assisting the CranioSacral system, which is hydraulic. Inside this hydraulic system there already exists an inherent force which is always at work. The same theory applies to hydraulic brakes in a tractor trailer truck. With a very light push on a pedal the large truck can come to a stop. It doesn’t require a lot of force. In the hands of an experienced practitioner restorative changes can take place inside the spine, the cranium (i.e. brain and spinal cord), as well as the body with the application of this gentle touch. Craniosacral Therapy enhances the body’s self-correcting abilities. The human body is always striving to achieve homeostasis, a sense of balance. The lighter you touch a patient the more information you are able to perceive. With skilled hands, a therapist can assess and assist the body in dealing with core issues, both physical as well as emotionalVISCERAL MANIPULATION "You can have motion without life, but you cannot have life without motion." Jean-Pierre Barral, DO The origins of Visceral Manipulation are unknown. It is conceivable that it has been utilized in eastern medicine for centuries. Over the last twenty years the most of the techniques being taught in this country, have been coming out of France, developed by French Osteopath Jean_Pierre Barral. It started back in 1974 when Dr. Barral noticed that some of his patients seemed to be improving in between appointments and he heard about the "folk healers on the mountain" who "pushed things around "in the abdomen. With his depth of knowledge of the body and years of experience he began to explore the benefit of gently manipulating the organs. The results were phenomenal, and to date he has seen over 50,000 patients utilizing his techniques and documenting his results. He does not consider a technique successful, and will not teach it until it has been effective on at least two hundred patients. Another phrase which may help explain Visceral Manipulation is "Organ specific myofascial release". Visceral Manipulation relies on the palpation of normal and abnormal forces in the body. A skilled therapist can utilize these forces to facilitate releases and assist the body to regain normal tone and function. Because of the highly reactive nature of organ tissue, (as in CranioSacral Therapy ) application of gentle force is utilized by the therapist. Therapists while performing Visceral Manipulation continually "listen" with their hands. They are monitoring how the body is reacting to the changes which are taking place. It is the ability to listen and interact at the same time which is the art and application of Visceral Manipulation. Some understood connections in Visceral Manipulation are: liver affects right shoulder, head and neck, stomach does the same thing on the left. The ovaries can affect the knees as well as the shoulders and arms, the bladder has a strong affect on the hips. The uterus has ligaments which connect with the sacrum, and coccyx, where there is a connection with the dura, which means that they could in turn cause headaches and neck problems, as well as the obvious connection with the low back. These are standard anatomical relationships, there are many more which are unique to each persons compensation patterning. These described techniques of Manual therapy allow the body to continue the work begun in a therapeutic session; such that healing begun in a session becomes an ongoing process within the body’s control and direction. The results are significant and beneficial. As we all try to give ourselves as much opportunity as possible to become and remain healthy, visiting a manual therapist trained in CranioSacral Therapy, and Visceral Manipulation, becomes an important contribution to our health. MYOFASCIAL RELEASE Releasing strain patterns in the layers of connective tissue throughout the body MYOTHERAPY Releasing trigger
points in the musculature, thereby returning muscles to their
proper tone and function. ENERGY INTEGRATION Restoring the balance and flow to the body's energy system. For further information click on the link below www.mbassociates.com |
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| All are Osteopathic techniques, which have
been taught to and utilize by massage therapists, physical
therapists, and chiropractors around the world. The
appropriate technique or combination of techniques is applied
according to each individual's circumstance. HOME |