Manual Medicine is a process similar to any other physical treatment. It should not be thought of as a one and done treatment modality. Stress or imbalance within the body takes time, effort, and commitment to correct. Engrained faulty movement patterns created by repetitive movements or poor postures can create compensations within the body. The result can be poor movement performance, chronic discomfort, pain and eventually result in injury to the joints and/or muscle tissue. By integrating various methods of fascial manipulation, “kinesiotaping,” and specific exercises, manual medicine aims to balance, strengthen, alleviate pain and reduce the potential for injury.

I am experienced with techniques from Shiatsu, IASTM, Myo-Fascial Release, Rolfing, Orthopedic Massage, and Fascial Manipulation, among others. The goal was to combine a variety of techniques that would allow for the release of fascial restrictions, which can be the source of many painful conditions. The treatment which combines pressure, stretching and short, deep stroking motions to release congestion in the fascia. The method can be performed dry and over clothes, but direct skin contact provides the best results. It is preferred that clients wear garments such as athletic shorts and for women a sports top. Manual medicine is for people suffering from pain associated to tight restricted muscles and tissue.

Recent research reveals that fascia plays a huge role in how we move and perceive pain. Research also shows how different systems in our body, i.e. the skeletal, muscular, and nervous systems, work together in a very dynamic, intricate fashion. Fascia is the substance that literally and figuratively, ties everything together.

Fascia is spread out throughout our bodies in long intricate pathways. Fascia connects muscles to other muscles and joints creating a communicative network that allows our body to perform a wide variety of movements. Restrictions within the fascial network can cause injuries and pain in seemingly unrelated places. This is why the area of pain may not be the source of the injury. A sprained ankle could cause a fascial disruption which could manifest pain in the shoulder or neck weeks, month, or even years after the initial ankle injury. In some cases compensation patterns and pain may not be resolved until the underlying restrictions are discovered. Many people continue to struggle with a persistent injury that seems to never to go away.

Interestingly, studies have also started to show that these fascia pathways show striking resemblance to shiatsu meridians and yoga chakras. This may explain how treatment modalities like shiatsu, yoga and acupuncture work from the scientific standpoint. The study of fascia is changing many of the long held beliefs of how the body moves, generates power, and perceives pain.