Clinical Somatics for Sciatica Treatment
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Treatments that help you perceive, understand and manage your body’s underlying muscle and movement patterns are always interesting to me - mainly because they often get excellent results in reducing back pain and alleviatin sciatica..
Whilst researching recently, I came across the Clinical Somatics technique, which is a practice that appears to bridge a number of other techniques such as Yoga, Pilates and meditation.
What caught my attention was their concept that your body and muscles become unwittingly fixed in their movements, which is an idea I subscibe to. These movements become habitual and place stress on related areas leading to pain and stiffness.
Certainly when this pain and stiffness affects the muscles in or around the back it forms a viscious circle of stiffness and restricted movement which places further stress on the back.
The exercises recommended in the Better Back System are designed to break this cycle.
The Origins of Clinical Somatics
Clinical Somatic Education is derived from the work of Dr. Thomas Hanna who was a professor of philosophy, a theologian, a writer, and a creative thinker.
His work in all of these areas hinged around the concept of freedom. During his travels, he noticed that people in industrialized nations had significantly more postural distortion than other countries, with more restriction of movement and more complaints of chronic pain or limited range of motion.
Tom found it even more astounding that people believed that as they aged, their bodies would inevitably become more stiff and less capable over time.
Following research in Medical school classes on the neurophysiology of development and control, Tom went on to develop what would eventually become Clinical Somatic Education.
Clinical Somatics clients (patients) learn slow, conscious movements assisted by specific feedback and guidance from the practitioner to create lasting, rapid improvement in flexibility and pain reduction.
The mark of effectiveness of the technique is evidenced by the number of clients who succeed in reaching their own goals of health without constant sessions with a Clinical Somatic Educator. Most clients need less than ten sessions before they have attained a higher level of functioning than ever before.
How is Clinical Somatics different from other treatment systems?
What they say is that the Somatics client is included as an active participant in the process of healing at every step. The technique also recognizes the client as someone capable of infinite growth and learning. Sessions and the movements are designed to impart as much information as possible, while allowing for each person to have their own process, learn and experience.
How does Clinical Somatics work?
They say:
“By using Clinical Somatic techniques, you will learn how to find the muscles you are keeping tight, and, in the words of Dr. Hanna, “If you can sense it, you can feel it. And if you can feel it, you can change it.†Clinical Somatic uses the muscles as a gateway into the Central Nervous System-the brain, spinal cord, and nerves.
By combining a practitioner’s feedback with slow movements to increase your own awareness and control, Clinical Somatics lets you take back control of your body and your life.”
New ideas for sciatica exercises are posted regularly at sciaticacenter.com.
