Our work is rooted in many disciplines and practices, the major ones being:
Osteopathic Manual Medicine
In Osteopathic Medicine illness is seen as stemming from blockages and restrictions in the layer of myofascial tissue that connects the body. Health and healing are therefore accomplished through the physical manipulation of the body’s musculoskeletal system in the service of freeing up these blockages in support of the body’s ability to heal itself. Osteopathic Manual Medicine refers to the specific techniques used to accomplish this, of which we routinely use:
- Myofascial Release is a type of bodywork that releases sticky points in the musculoskeletal system. It is especially powerful in opening up tight areas while minimizing discomfort.
- Cranio-sacral Therapy focuses on restoring balance in the fluid dynamics of the skull, spine, and central nervous system through light touch. We use this technique in conjunction with other bodywork and exercises to facilitate deeper and longer lasting shifts in patients’ and clients’ postures, habits, and movement.
Additionally, we have each studied with highly regarded osteopaths in other Osteopathic Manual Medicine techniques, including visceral manipulation, neuromeningeal manipulation, and lymph drainage, among others.
Exercise Science
Exercise Science deals with the practice and effects of exercise, from fitness and strength training to organized sports. To understand how the body is effected by exercise, practitioners study a wide-array of topics, including biomechanics, bioenergetics, the central and peripheral nervous system, cardiopulmonary function, skeletal muscle physiology, and neuroendocrine function. Our understanding of a mechanical and scientific approach to the maintenance and rehabilitation of the body runs throughout our practice and helps to ground the more holistic disciplines we incorporate into our work.
Somatics
Somatics is a broad term used to describe any number of practices that shift dysfunctional patterns in a person’s use of their body and retrain the body on how to move naturally and freely again. Central to Somatics is the stimulation of peoples’ awareness of their bodies. We use somatic principles in exercises and trainings to help patients and clients become independent in their ability to heal and discover new levels of physical expression.
Energy Medicine
A branch of alternative medicine, Energy Healing encompasses a wide-range of practices that have in common a belief in the healing power of energy, such as Reiki. We have each studied in various forms of energy medicine, including Peruvian Shamanism, Chinese Medicinal Theory, Qigong, and Jin Shin Jyutsu. We integrate these techniques as a balancing force to the material or mechanical approach of western medicine and the hard sciences.