The methods we employ in our practice all recognize that fundamental anatomical, physiological and biomechanical principles govern the human musculoskeletal system. With rare exceptions, each person is born with certain core design and characteristics that serve as a strong, resilient and efficient foundation on which the body should operate. By using a diagram of symmetrical proportion as a guide, we work to identify distortions that occur when injuries or other conditions affect the way the musculoskeletal system moves. By restoring muscular balance, skeletal alignment and the congruent relationship of these structures and systems the body becomes more capable of healing.
A key part of the analysis observes the body in the standing normal anatomical position. Ideally the hip, knee and ankle joints are aligned vertically in paired stacks, each of which is subdivided by three horizontal parallel planes that extend through the joint pairs, creating what amounts to a partial dynamic load-bearing grid. The grid’s structure is completed by the shoulder joints which are in a functional relationship with the load bearing joints below instead of being aligned vertically like the others, although they too (the shoulders) operate individually and as a pair on a fourth parallel horizontal plane.
Topped by the head, placed over the S-curved central spine that links the hips and shoulders, the grid allows upright posture and bipedal motion capable of a great range of movement. This vertical and horizontal alignment is all-important to the musculoskeletal system’s structural integrity, smooth functioning and pain-free capability.
An individual whose body deviates from this design must do so for a reason. We believe that reason is a muscular imbalance in flexibility and strength. An individual’s posture in and out of gravity provides essential information in predicting what the body will do as it moves and in determining potential causes of nerve entrapments. These predictions can be confirmed during the analysis by palpation finding tissue to be exceptionally tender from atrophy or repetitive stress and often reinforced by observing the client’s gait, the way they turn and move through space.
While the manual therapies of massage are the primary focus of this practice, we recognize the body's need to develop symmetrically to eliminate the distortion that can be the cause of pain. We are certified in the Egoscue Method giving us access to extraordinary resources to assist you in finding enjoyable exercise that may become a part of your life and designing programs to help you heal naturally.
This analysis is a primary component of our practice. Whether we are designing a soothing escape from the stress of a day or working to overcome a chronic condition, the measurements that reveal these distortions in posture help to create an exquisitely choreographed therapy that redefines massage.