Can be very effective to help conditions of chronic or recurring pain such as shoulders, knees, hips, back or neck. Many cases of musculoskeletal pain can be influenced by or have the underlying cause in structural alignment of the body due to fascial pulls and faulty movement patterns.
An extra element to this work is IntraOral Massage gently releasing muscles inside the jaw. Releasing tension here can often help relieve compression and pain related to whiplash, TMJ, headaches, and may help with jaw clenching/teeth grinding (bruxism).
Myofascial Integration is the technique underlying Structural Integration (SI) therapy first developed by Ida Rolf (Rolfing) and now taught by several schools and given a new myofascial connection approach by Tom Myers of KMI with Anatomy Trains.
It works by releasing the bound restrictions in the body's fascial web that connects discrete elements of the body into a whole system. These restrictions arise from habit, function, emotion and build up over time and can effect our posture and movement.
The overall aim is to give your body a new, more balanced and efficient space to organise itself around. You should feel more grounded, evenly weighted with better balance and freer movement.
It is the perfect complement to Pilates able to get to those deeper restrictions inhibiting balanced movement and range. Often seen as a stretching/releasing therapy it also works through touch to reawaken slumbering sensory-motor mechanisms using movement to trigger more efficient patterns enabling Pilates to reinforce the work done.
The treatment is performed on a massage table or sitting on a bench. The practitioner will contact the tissues and you will be guided through small movements to help with the release.
It is different from a massage in that there is a strong intent from the therapist to change tissue in a targeted way using depth and direction with a specific outcome in mind which in turn will affect a postural or neuromotor change. There is also a degree of active participation of the client working with the practitioner.