Postural Restoration® is an elegant and unique rehabilitation approach that provides empowering and long-term therapeutic results. We believe that every human body, with its many asymmetries and compensations, deserves to be seen and treated in a holistic way. Shine therapists seek to understand the interactions occurring in your body that have resulted in your symptoms. We often describe our view as "zoomed-out" to indicate the broad interest we have in everything from what shoes and glasses you wear, to your breathing patterns, the quality of your sleep and digestion, and much more. We also know when to "zoom in" to an individual area that requires more focused interventions, such as hands-on treatment. This is why we take the time to listen to your full history and why we care to ask about your headaches even if you are seeking PT for your back pain.
Traditional rehabilitation approaches can be effective, but often the practitioner ends up "chasing the pain," requiring extensive home exercise routines, or exacerbating the original issue. With our integrated style, the opposite occurs. For example, those tension headaches that you thought you would have to live with are gone along with your back pain! It is not magic. While we are interested in where your symptoms are located, we also take into consideration other factors, such bio-mechanical, neurological, respiratory patterns and your postural alignment, to ensure that we create a safe and complete rehabilitation program. Our comprehensive strategy of specialized hands-on techniques and therapeutic exercises re-activate specific key muscles to return your body to a neutral state. When you access this neutral state, not only will the alignment of your pelvis, ribcage and skull be optimized, but you will also feel more at ease because your body's systems are in homeostasis. This allows you to breathe calmly, rest deeply, and move more efficiently. At this point many of your symptoms will begin to diminish and you will simply feel better in your body. Once your body regains adequate neutrality, we will train you to maintain that healthy range while you return to prior activities (sports, work, hobbies, etc) that may have previously provoked your symptoms. Knowing how to feel and reconnect with your body in this zone of neutrality also decreases the likelihood of re-injury and prevents patterns of dysfunction and pain from emerging.
Respecting and addressing the complexities of your body and your unique story is why our approach at Shine is so effective. Clients appreciate this empowering approach as it maximizes their ability to self-correct and independently maintain their progress. They report improvements in mood, gastrointestinal function, quality of sleep, and overall energy levels. Your physical therapy toolkit of exercises and postures will help you succeed in staying healthy and feeling great after you graduate from Shine.
Please take a moment to read this recent Men's Health article about Postural Restoration® and the power of optimal breathing.