When your body hurts, you stretch, take a hot bath, perhaps apply ice to the sore area. If your pain continues despite these remedies, you decide to seek professional help. Then you find that there are seemingly dozens of approaches and you wonder which one to choose. I was in just this situation with chronic back pain and I sought help from massage therapy and chiropractic. Eventually, after a career in education, I decided to become a massage therapist, not least out of gratitude for the help I received. During my training I discovered two modalities I like to receive and give, which now provide the foundation of my practice. Here is one of them:
What is Ortho-Bionomy®?
Ortho-Bionomy addresses a remarkable number of painful and debilitating physical and emotional conditions as well as being a safe and effective way to ease stress and promote relaxation. It is a system that allows us to integrate our physical, emotional and mental experiences. The body's structure is one of the key focuses of the practice of Ortho-Bionomy, and it facilitates the therapeutic process to promote natural body alignment, balance and pain relief. Arthur Lincoln Pauls, D.O., an osteopathic physician trained in England, founded this modality in the early 1970s. Massage therapists, physical therapists, chiropractors and osteopaths now practice "OB" in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and Europe.
How It Works
Ortho-Bionomy works with the "proprioceptive nerves", a complex system that transverses every inch of our body, letting us know where we are in time and space. Sometimes the bodyıs ability to remain balanced is short-circuited, perhaps due to stress, accident, injury, improper posture, emotional experiences, or simply overwhelming the body's limits. Often, the body adapts as best it can, and in the process may create patterns of even greater stress.
Ortho-Bionomy helps people to break the cycle of pain, without causing pain. Gentle and noninvasive, Ortho-Bionomy is very effective in recovery from injuries, surgery and stress. It reduces muscles tension, soothes the joints, increases flexibility and range of movement, and improves circulation and relaxes the entire body.
Postural work and gentle movement exercises further enhance this neuro-muscular reeducation process and empower the individual to interact with their own internal communication process to gently restore balance.
What Is an Ortho-Bionomy Session Like?
Comfort is a key consideration in an Ortho-Bionomy session. A session typically lasts about one hour. Wearing comfortable, loose fitting clothing allows a full range of motion. I work with you to identify areas of discomfort, tension and pain as well as areas of comfort and ease of movement. Most of the work takes place on a massage-style table. I use gentle movements, comfortable positioning and compression or traction. No forcible movements are used.
Every session is specifically designed around your individual needs. I rely on your verbal feedback and my touch to find the movements and positions to facilitate your body's release of stress and tension. I often suggest some home exercises to further aid in relieving pain, restoring balance and function throughout the body.
Ortho-Bionomy Can Help With Such Conditions As:
Clients Say:
How Much Are Sessions?
Your investment for an Ortho-Bionomy session varies based on individual or package investment. A session lasts for approximately one hour.
How often Will I Have to Come Back?
Each client brings different challenges, and I assess each client individually. This question can only be answered experientially, but most practitioners have noticed that the best results come from two or three consecutive sessions when addressing injury or chronic pain. While long term, chronic postural problems or pain may take a number of sessions, most clients find their acute pain is alleviated in one or two sessions.
My goal is to facilitate your recovery as quickly as possible. It is specifically not my goal to have clients return for many sessions! For more information, go to: www.hilmarmoore.com, or call my office at 512-206-0070. Ortho-Bionomy® is a registered trademark of the Society of Ortho-Bionomy International, Inc. and is used with permission.