Myofascial Release
John Barnes popularized this technique and I’ve read that it’s very effective for people with chronic pain and those who are recovering from trauma. The therapy is very gentle — so gentle that it sometimes seems like there’s no way it could help. Yet, it made an incredible difference in my mobility and pain level. It helped me get things unstuck where they’d been in the same position for too long or gotten into a bad pattern with me not moving very much while I was in bed. Some yoga programs incorporate Myofascial release techniques as do some massage therapists and physical therapists.
McKenzie
Robin McKenzie is a doctor who revolutionized back care and has written a book called “Treat your own back”. The treatment consists of very gentle exercises that move your spine back into alignment. I found it helpful to have the book in addition to the physical therapy as I was able to understand why the exercises worked and it helped me to remember the exercises at home.
McConnell Taping
Natural pain relief. The therapist tapes your body so that it holds the muscles in the correct position. The tape gives your muscles a little bit of additional support and keeps you from getting into bad postures. I thought this was crazy when the therapist first did it, but it worked wonders and over time I learned to tape myself in between therapy sessions
General thoughts
I looked for a physical therapist who was trained in the McKenzie technique. She had been practicing for over 20 years. For those in the Seattle Area, my therapist was Robin Angus at Movement Systems physical therapy in Eastlake. The PT department at Group Health is also trained in McKenzie.
