Posts Tagged ‘Techniques’

Hands-On Therapies : The Feldenkrais Method and The Alexander Technique

THE FELDENKRAIS METHOD
The chief goal of the hands-on therapy called feldenkrais method is to help you become more aware of your posture and movement patterns, explore how you limit yourself, and enhance learning of new patterns. This approach does not seek to treat specific medical conditions, but instead helps you to respond differently to them. It is based on the theory that people over a period of time develop patterns to compensate for pain or injury, but these patterns can become obstacles to healing and optimal functioning. Subtle changes to these habits can improve flexibility, balance, breathing and coordination, easing tension, pain and strain.
The program is offered in two ways:
- First, you are verbally guided through gentle movements, typically while lying on the floor or sitting in a chair.
- Second, it uses a hands-on contact to address individual needs. The practitioner may move your arms, legs, head or trunk in ways that enhance your awareness of movement patterns.
- With both forms, the practitioner may draw attention to elements such as your breathing or the differences between the two sides of your body.
Because the movements are gentle and involve no pain or strain, most people can participate and possibly benefit from this method. People who use this method often notice changes in thought patterns when they change their movement patterns. This method is most often used for increased flexibility, coordination and balance, neck, back and joint pain relief, headache, neuromuscular disorders and physical rehabilitation.

THE ALEXANDER METHOD
The hands-on Alexander technique focuses on unlearning detrimental patterns of movement. It is not a set of exercises, but a conscious change in mindset that supports better physical movement. Its basic principles emphasize balance, ease, lightness and flow to counteract rigidity, stress and tension. Other purpose of the Alexander method is to restore overall expansiveness to the body. Alexander method is most often used for improved coordination and balance, pain relief and improvement of conditions caused by chronic misalignment, such as muscle tension and pain in the lower back and neck.
During a typical session, the practitioner uses a hands-on approach to guide you. You may lie on the table while the practitioner gently guides your limbs. During your daily activities, the practitioner can give you verbal suggestions like “the back lengthens and widens” or “head forward and up” to help you shed harmful movement habits.

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Exercise techniques : why exercise is important?

Rhythmic exercise can help your back and neck in two ways. It will loosen joints and muscles, and it will increase the range of motion that is possible. Certain exercises can do this by contracting and relaxing the muscle fibers that have gotten used to being permanently shortened.
Exercise helps flush muscle tissues that suffers from a permanent state of semi-contraction and decreased blood circulation. On full contraction of muscles, toxic materials are pushed out of the blood. Soon after, when the blood moves back in due to the relaxation of muscles, the blood carries along fresh nutrients and more oxygen.
It is similar to cleaning a dirty cloth. You would put it in clean water, squeeze it elsewhere, then again put it in the water and squeeze it elsewhere. Through this method the dirt in the cloth gets removed.
Many of these exercises can be done outside the shower and without water but it is important to understand that these exercises get far more affected when done inside a shower, especially with hot water since hot water has an advantage by increasing blood circulation and causing localized relaxation wherever the water comes into contact with the body.
An improvement technique:these exercises would be far from effective if some amount of massage (even if only for a minute or so) is applied on the affected muscle groups. Another important precaution is more about safety: a bath can be a slippery area and injuries due to falling or impact can be troublesome. It is necessary to have some object to act as an cushion, large bath towel placed at the bottom of the bath is ideal for this purpose (if it gets wet you can always dry it later).

Two techniques for pain relief : Finger Walk and Finger stroke

The Finger Walk : Searching for pressure points

The finger walk is a convenient and natural way to find centers of tension, and apply helpful pressure. Use your fore and middle fingers so that the very tips walk in tiny steps across the muscle. Feel for tender spots that indicate pressure points by gently pressing into the tissue. Do not press very hard that it hurts wherever the fingers walk. The fingers should sink into the muscle beneath the skin at least a quarter of an inch.
When you feel a spot that is clearly more tender than the surrounding are, gently press into that spot. Make it hurt slightly. Continue to press with the same degree of pressure until the feeling of pain diminishes. Generally, this will take from 10 to 30 seconds. When the pain fades, do not press harder. Just let the pain fade out as much as it will, then continue your finger walk, and seek additional tender spots.

The Finger Stroke : Flushing the muscle

This stroke helps in increasing the circulation and flush tightened muscle fiber. Use the flats of your fingers, as if you are brushing off dust. The difference is that you are pressing more deeply into the muscle. Brush your hand slowly along the length of the muscle, working along the muscle in the direction of your heart. As you work, visualize your hand flushing the muscle to loosen it and increase circulation.
Try to find the exact point of pain or tightness in the area of the muscle and once you have found them, press gently into those points and then slowly move your fingers in circles around the points where the pain is concentrated. What this achieves is, it causes more contact with the painful points of the muscle and experiment with your finger movement to find the best way to get some relief.
This is not just finger contact, you need to apply pressure; all your finger strokes should be in a direction such that they are in a movement towards the center of the body.