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Mechanical Link

Mechanical Link is a manual therapeutic method that analyzes a range of anatomical structures including joints, fascia (connective tissue), bones, arteries and skin. Developed by French osteopathic physicians Paul Chaffour and Eric Prat, this technique offers a simple, effective way to safely locate and address restrictions in all parts of the body.

Mechanical Link is characterized by:

numerous manual tests to locate restrictions;
a ranking system to determine which restrictions should be treated; and
The recoil -- a very quick, subtle impulse done with the hand in a specific location and direction that releases restrictions.

What is the significance of restrictions?

To create and enhance health, it is not possible to separate one part of the body from another. All parts are connected, and must work together harmoniously, or there will be various problems. Restrictions, or limitations of movement in the body, cause pain or ill-health. A muscle spasm prevents movement in a certain direction; an impinged nerve creates pain down the arm and into the hand. Arthritis, a roughening of the interior surface of joints, makes movement grinding and painful. Less obvious are restrictions in other systems of the body, such as the cranial, digestive, cardiopulmonary, or nervous systems.

How can we locate and address all these numerous restrictions?

If your neck hurts, you naturally feel that the problem is in your neck. Most conventional tests and treatments will focus on your neck. Often, however, the real source of the problem is not where it seems to be, and is "silent". Using hundreds of small gentle tests to find restrictions in the body's tissues, the therapist employs a system for ranking those restrictions to identify which need treatment with recoil and which do not.

What is a Mechanical Link treatment like?

Most people find it very relaxing; some even fall asleep. The recoil treatment, which comes at the end of the session, is a very subtle technique that can be applied even to sensitive or fragile structures. The effects of Mechanical Link can be both dramatic and subtle, and may be noticeable for several weeks following treatment. Increased mobility produces changes throughout the body, and there is often a period of adjustment. You may find yourself moving in new ways, or notice parts of your body that you were unaware of before.

What kind of problems can be addressed with Mechanical Link?

Because Mechanical Link is a comprehensive system that addresses all connective tissues, and releases restrictions in ways not otherwise possible, it can address many kinds of problems. For example, release of one of the most common primary restrictions offers relief from restless leg syndrome, many kinds of headaches and back pain, and a cessation of the scoliosis process.

To learn more about Mechanical Link, visit http://www.lmoweb.com/

Muscle Energy Technique

Muscle Energy Technique (MET) combines a way of determining where there are areas of dysfunction, and a means of correcting these dysfunction. MET uses the client's effort, in very small amounts, in association with the therapist's effort. Careful examination of the tissues, and the degree and quality of their movement, gives the therapist information about where joints or muscles are not functioning optimally. Often, normalization of the musculature is all that is required to produce relief of symptoms and more normal function. MET is gentle, painless, and produces immediate changes that are long-lasting. Click here for demonstration of Muscle Energy Technique.

 

Cranial Sacral Therapy

There are several schools of thought on CranialSacral work. John Upledger, D.O. leads the current, most recognized kind of CranialSacral Therapy, taught through the Upledger Institute. This form uses indirect technique and light pressure (5 grams) to affect the cerebrospinal fluid mechanism. I have training in Upledger CranialSacral Therapy and SomatoEmotional Release. I also trained in Cranial Sacral Integration, developed by Dallas Hancock, D.C. and Florence Barber. This direct technique focuses on moving the cranial bones through their ranges of motion (yes, they do have motion!), which facilitates a normalization of the body's skeletal structure. This method also provides a form of manual assessment using Applied Kinesiology, or muscle testing.

 

Strain Counterstrain
What people most often say about Strain/counterstrain is "How did you do that? That's like magic!" This technique seems to 'melt' painful trigger points, even ones that have persisted for years, in 90 seconds. Sometimes known as 'positional release', it was discovered by an osteopath, Dr. Lawrence Jones, in the 1950s. When a tender point is located, the client is placed in a position where the point decreases in sensitivity, held in that position for 90 seconds, and then returned to neutral. Usually the point is then either significantly diminished or completely released. Strain/counterstrain is very gentle, non-invasive, and allows for a more complete normalization of the tissue. Click here for demonstration of Strain Counterstrain.