When people are in my office for an appointment to work with some pain or tension pattern I often get questions like "how did I get this way anyway?"
I explain how tension is the body's way of protecting us. For example if you trip and twist your ankle the likely result is that the muscles around the ankle tighten up. The body perceived a threat of injury in the tripping and twisting motions. Constricting the ankle is the body's way to immobilize the joint to avoid further injury or pain.
This can be a good thing. The problem is that as we go on with our day we try to use the ankle like normal. Trying to move against the tension causes pain. The bigger problem is that after the threat of injury has passed the body often forgets to let go of the tension. Further as the body changes its patterns of movement to compensate for constrictions in the ankle nearby areas can become stressed and tension patterns develop there. Before long tension patterns exist throughout the body.
Our body's have a built in fear of pain. This is a healthy response to potential threats however it is imperfect.
Where Does Ortho-Bionomy Come In?
Often our intellectual response to pain is to try to fix it. This often involves digging in and trying to put things back where we think they should be. This might work, however very often our bodies reject being forced anywhere, responding with even more tension. Ortho-Bionomy takes the approach that if we just gently remind the body what it is doing the body will recognize this and correct itself. This means, for example, slightly compressing an already contracted muscle. This act of supporting what is already happening will actually make the body more comfortable. The comfort sensation will show the body that the tension it is holding on to isn't really necessary and it lets go. Our bodies, in addition to having built in protective devices, also have self correcting reflexes. If given enough information our bodies will keep us in comfort and balance.
Ortho-Bionomy gives just enough information to trigger our self healing reflexes.
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Ric Chamberlin
Registered Practitioner of Ortho-Bionomy®
Licensed Massage Therapist
402 850 0752
info@omahahealingconnection.com
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