Positive Health Online

In the May issue of Positive Health I discussed this exciting therapy and cited some case studies. I would now like to expand on the case studies further and not only my own, but also those of colleagues who have been trained by me. One point I have been asked to mention is that the therapy also works on mental states such as depression, despair and low energy, so it really is very holistic. All the therapists have said how much success they have had with sciatica and injuries from traumas.

Osteoporosis

This is a condition that can be maintained through the therapy and I have worked with quite a few sufferers over the years. One of the most interesting cases is a lady with severe problems including crumbling discs in the lumbar spine. She has had surgery, but now there is nothing more that can be done for her except medication.

With regular re-alignment treatments, we are able to give her pain relief and some good night's sleep and she calls it her 'life line'. The fact that there is no manipulation and it is just soft touch means that we cannot hurt her at all nor make her worse. She has found it the perfect answer for her condition, to help her take control of her situation.

Spondylolisthesis

One of our most recent successes is a woman with this condition. Her Consultant said only surgery would help but she decided to seek alternatives and tried the NSRT. She had four treatments initially and then has been coming for remedial massage. The protrusion just above the sacrum that was once clearly visible has now disappeared and as of her treatment today, she has had no pain and has been able to resume normal life activities for the past three months. We find remedial massage to be the perfect companion to NSRT. They are not usually performed at the same time, but can be if the need arises. Not all patients would benefit from remedial massage, but once they are re-aligned, it is the icing on the cake to go in deep and work on muscles that may have been held in spasm for many years. We have therefore included remedial massage as part of the training programme.

CVAs

I have worked with many stroke patients and even did my dissertation on this subject, working with the local social services to gain access to people who had suffered various types of strokes and offer them treatments. I have recently treated a very determined lady who is working hard to regain her life after a huge stroke. As with many disabled patients, getting them comfortable on a treatment couch is difficult and the beauty of this treatment is that it is so adaptable. I was able to work the points on the lower body and spine with her resting on her side and finish with the neck and head whilst she sat up in a chair. She felt the difference immediately, noticing that her walking had improved and she felt looser throughout her body. This is a common reaction and something that pleases me immensely; that people notice a difference straight away.

Brain Injury

This patient is actually the son of one of my NSRT graduates. Back in March 2004 he fell on his head some 15 feet onto a concrete floor and was presumed brain dead; life support was withdrawn but thankfully he survived. After the initial relief, the next stage was awaiting details of levels of damage as he came out of sedation and reviewing how disabled he would be. Initially there was a lot of confusion; he needed a tracheotomy and developed a lung infection. After about five weeks, a NSRT treatment was given twice. During the week that followed, his recovery took a surprising leap forward in a very positive manner. The tracheotomy was removed, he got up and started walking and talking and the practitioner is quite certain the treatments have helped. Some six weeks after the accident everyone is amazed at his recovery rate.

Remedial Massage and NSRT

Once the postural defect has been rectified we can offer deep tissue massage and trigger point therapy to relieve tight and shortened muscle tissue that has arisen over the years. People do walk around for years with 'niggles' until they become a problem. The trouble is it is often hard to find a good therapist who can sort a musculo-skeletal problem out quickly and efficiently; those that do exist are so booked up, it is difficult to get an appointment. Initially we always treat with re-alignment therapy first to sort out any underlying problem. This also relaxes the muscles and allows everything to shift position naturally. When the symptoms of pain have subsided we can give the patient a really good deep tissue massage. This is very different from Swedish or Therapeutic massage and is often painful – but the relief afterwards is fantastic. Another difference is that we communicate with the patient the whole time, rather than the usual situation of allowing them to float off. It is certainly no 'fluff and buff' massage!

The most common conditions that require just remedial massage are shoulder pain and stiff necks. We can offer NSRT for this as well where appropriate, but often, for acute problems, deep tissue work and trigger point therapy is very effective. Anyone who has trained in massage should be encouraged to train in advanced techniques over and above their original training if they wish to work on musculo-skeletal problems. However, massage is only a short term fix if the underlying problem is a 'postural defect' or mis-alignment and this is where the Neuroskeletal Re-alignment Therapy comes into its own.

List of Practitioners

Carole Preen – Northamptonshire Tel: 01536 764281
Jenny Driver – Leicestershire Tel: 01858 433927
Claire Miller – Leicestershire Tel: 01858 525644
Karel Sniegon – South Devon Tel: 01803 853488
Daphne Lynas – Cambridgeshire Tel: 01733 756446
Ruth Bridge – Powys, Wales Tel: 01686 651050
A diploma course in NSRT is available from October 2004 at Morley College, Westminster Bridge Road, London. For information Tel: 020-7928 8501; enquiries@morleycollege.ac.uk