FROM PAIN TO FUNCTION

This interesting article by Feldenkrais practitioner Kathy James gives us insight into how our protective habits may actually interfere with recovery from injury or chronic pain.  Kathy also illustrates how using Feldenkrais gives you new, effective and accessible tools to manage your pain and recovery.  Thanks for reading!  Carole Bucher, BA, GCFT

MOVING OUT OF PAIN  --  THE FELDENKRAIS WAY

We all experience physical aches and pains at some time or another.  Some of these are acute (from an injury or accident), while others may stay with us or develop over time (chronic).

If you’re like many others, you may have had the experience that your physical pain is aggravated by movement—which is accurate:  Our body’s natural response to pain is often to increase muscular tension, restrict movement, and make postural changes to guard or protect the painful area.  But sometimes this natural protective response, while serving an important purpose in the short term, can actually create different, and more complicated, problems over the long term.

It’s worthwhile noting that dealing with chronic pain is usually more challenging than acute problems.  We are now learning that this is because chronic pain follows different pathways in the nervous system than acute pain—which explains why pain medication that alleviates acute pain often doesn’t have the same effect on chronic pain.

Fortunately, there are a variety of alternative approaches to chronic pain that may be effective, and which don’t entail costly drugs or surgery.  As a Feldenkrais teacher, my perspective is generally to start with the basics:  How is a person moving—walking, sitting, standing, and how might their habitual (unconscious) movement patterns be contributing or even causing the pain.

Let’s take Mary as an example… Mary limped into my office complaining about severe pain in her right hip when she walked.  She often woke in the middle of the night with pain, but couldn’t figure out what was causing it.  Although she had broken her ankle (and had surgery for it) three years earlier, that couldn’t be the cause of her hip pain, could it?

I first asked Mary to walk back and forth a few times, so that I could observe how she moved.  I then asked her if she noticed how differently each of her legs swung when she walked, and how she always placed her right foot way off to the side, while the left foot came down right under her hip?   She was surprised to realize that she was doing that, and commented that this was exactly how she had walked when her leg was in a cast after her ankle surgery.

In other words, Mary was walking today, three years later, as if her ankle were still broken and in a cast. Though her ankle injury had long since healed, the habitual way she had compensated for this injury had continued, and was now causing problems with Mary’s hips.  At some point, she might well start feeling pain in her spine, or even neck, if this habitual pattern of movement continued.

The key word in all of this is “habitual.”  Our bodies have tremendous wisdom, and will often (if we listen) inform us how best to respond to life’s immediate challenges.  But sometimes we continue responding the same way long after the immediate challenge is over.  This is clearly what was happening with Mary.

Over the next several sessions, Mary and I worked on helping her to sense and feel her habitual movement patterns more clearly, and to practice new ways of moving that were easier and more comfortable for her.  Just by focusing her attention on what she was doing, Mary started feeling differences almost immediately.  Pretty soon her limp had disappeared and she was walking normally again.  Without all of the added strain of having to walk in such a lopsided way, her hip pain also vanished, letting her sleep through the night comfortably.

Most of us take our movement for granted.  We do what we do, and we do it the same way, every day.   The next few times you stand up from your chair or sofa, pay attention to how you actually do it—how you shift your weight, where you put your feet, how you use your head, what you do with your hands.  You’ll probably notice that you do it the same way every time.  Is this a problem?  Not necessarily, since we all need to be able to do some things without thinking too much about them.  But it may be a problem if you’re caught in a cycle of pain, discomfort or limitation that just doesn’t seem to go away.   In that case, becoming aware of these habits, and learning new ways of moving, with greater balance and ease, may be exactly what your body is asking for.

This entry was posted on Friday, February 5th, 2010 at 2:47 pm and is filed under Managing Pain, The Feldenkrais Method. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site. 
Tagged as: Musculoskeletal Pain, Pain Management, The Feldenkrais Method

How to prepare for an Awareness Through Movement® class or workshop

By Carole Bucher, BA, GCFT

Feldenkrais is VERY different from other movement modalities in several important ways, not the least of which is its skeletal, structural orientation.  The information below will help you reap ongoing benefits from your Awareness Through Movement classes and workshops.

1. There is No Form to Follow
Your body dictates how you move in Feldenkrais.  Unlike Yoga or Pilates, there is no form or right way to do any movement, other than to pay attention to yourself and to do move only in comfort.  In a class of 15 people, all 15 will do the movements differently.  Some people may even need to visualize the movement or part of a movement, and so do the movement in their minds. Visualizing can be hard work but is great for the brain and forging better body-brain communication.  In every case, each person finds their own tempo, rhythm, speed, size of movement -- you will find your own 'right way.'  You will be learning to listen to the information your body has for you. Whatever works for your comfort and attention is the only 'right way.'

2.  Go Slowly
Time is an extremely valuable tool in the Feldenkrais Method.  The movements you learn may seem unusual and unfamiliar to you.  You will need time to assimilate them, to feel the way your body is moving and changing. Above all, DO NOT RUSH OR HURRY.  Stop or pause when you feel the need; take breaks when your body tells you to.  Fatigue is not your friend in Feldenkrais--your attention, however, is very much your friend in this journey of self exploration and relearning.  Movements can feel interesting and pleasurable as you begin to listen to your body and experience yourself in new ways.

3.  Comfort Only -- NO PAIN or DIS-comfort, EVER -- instead:  smaller, slower, visualize
There is no reward in doing any of the movements in an uncomfortable position or way.  If a guided direction is not comfortable for you, you must feel free (and even responsible) to modify your position or the movement in whatever way works for you. Make the movement smaller, slower, or do it in your mind, by visualizing.  All are equally good.  Pain is NOT GOOD.  Pain is entirely counterproductive to the restorative process of Feldenkrais. Pain is a signal from your body that you need to find a different, new way to move. Learn to respect that and listen to your body.

4.  Don't Test Your Limits
Feldenkrais is not about seeing how far you can move, how high you can lift, or how long you can stretch.  Your goal is to discover how your body completes or performs a movement now, so that you can learn to make that movement easier.  Your movements should always be light and as effortless as possible.  Imagine how good it will feel to do simple, daily tasks without trying hard or working inefficiently. Effortlessness can apply to every activity you engage in.  As you develop more capacity to sense yourself subconsciously and make better movement choices, you will find this for yourself.

Thanks to Dr. Frank Wildman, GCFT, for his clarifications and ideas.

AWARENESS = EFFICIENCY = PAIN RELIEF + CAPACITY

Heightened body awareness aids efficiency of motion and freedom from pain

By Jonathan Bassett

All Norman Goodman wanted was to be able to golf again. But Goodman's MRI showed that the stroke he had suffered caused so much damage to his brain that holding a golf club was now all but impossible. While Goodman retained motion in his shoulder and elbow, his right hand would not cooperate.
Twelve long months of sophisticated OT and PT designed to restore function to the hand showed limited results. Goodman's physiatrist and rehab team told him to accept the fact that he might never play his beloved game again.
That's when Goodman began treatment with Sandy Burkart, PhD, PT, certified Feldenkrais practitioner (CFP), who came at the problem from a different angle.
"We were able to capture the hand's function through movement patterns in the trunk, cervical spine, head and eyes that were associated with a golf swing," said Dr. Burkart. "His functional retraining program began with postural retraining coupled with muscular tone reduction techniques on his uninvolved side, and the facilitation of selected movements on the involved side. Essentially, these movements bypassed the damaged areas of the brain and provided an opportunity for his central nervous system to use pathways away from the damaged site in his brain," he said.
Dr. Burkart likens the unusual methods he used with Goodman to current research into constraint-induced movement therapy for people who have had a stroke, which trains the uninvolved side of the body. "We relaxed the uninvolved side so that it basically did nothing except be quiet," he said. "I then went to work on the involved, spastic side, decreasing the tone in the spastic muscles by selectively facilitating the extensors or antagonists of the spastic muscles. As I tried that with Norman, first one finger moved, then two, three, and soon the hand was opening and closing.
"Norman plays 18 holes now with his wife and friends," Dr. Burkart continued. "He dropped an eight-foot putt the first time he went out. He still has a lot of sensory motor neglect in the arm and hand, but at least he's able to golf with his wife and friends and to do the things he wants to. It's a whole new life for him."
This cutting edge approach to integrating all aspects of motor control and motor learning makes up the basic tenets of the Feldenkrais Method, an education-based approach to movement and sensory accompaniment that even today remains largely misunderstood and is often met with a raised eyebrow.

Larry Goldfarb Talks About Awareness Through Movement

Moving Beyond Habits - by Larry Goldfarb, CFT, Ph.D.

Each Awareness Through Movement (ATM) lesson consists of a series of movements that fit together to form a meaningful sequence. These lessons are not exercises in the normal use of the word. Instead, Feldenkrais® lessons are guided formats, carefully constructed to bring you to a new sensory appreciation and conceptual understanding of your movement abilities. The main obstacles to easy, efficient action are the habitual, unconscious aspects of our movements. As the lesson guides you to a new awareness of self-limiting habits, you learn to move beyond these restrictions. A central theme to each sequence, even those that emphasize the small motions, is how the whole person—all of you—can be involved in every action. Other themes include learning about your capacity for easy and pain-free movement, changing through awareness rather than effort, learning to learn, and tapping into the possibilities for further improvement.

 

No Pain, More Gain

How you approach these movements is of utmost importance. If you were to perform the sequence as some sort of exercise, repeating each movement a certain number of times, straining, moving against resistance, and not paying attention to how you move, you would receive little, if any, benefit. Unlike strengthening or flexibility exercises, these lessons do not require struggling, making great effort, and forcing. These lessons are for learning how to improve the way you move. Do every movement slowly and gently, without forcing, pushing, or stretching. Direct your attention to the quality, rather than quantity, of your movement. In each action, use the minimal amount of effort possible and strive for a smooth, continuous movement. That is to say, perform the movement without any little stops and starts, without unevenness in effort or motion.
Do only as much as is comfortable and easy for you, stopping before you experience any strain. If, at any time, you notice discomfort, further decrease the range and effort of your movement until it is comfortable. If you cannot make a specific movement without discomfort or strain, do it only in your imagination.

Awareness Through Movement Class Content

Dear friends,

Last week I began the first in a series of 12 extraordinary Awareness Through Movement lessons designed by an Israeli Ph.D. who has a deep understanding of Dr. Feldenkrais' method. She works closely with Dr. Feldenkrais' remaining original students and has devised some of the most interesting and effective lessons I've had the pleasure to learn and give.

Below is a quote about Lesson #2, the lesson we will be working on during the first week of March, 2011. It is focused on rediscovering and improving the movement of the head, neck and upper chest/back. The lesson builds upon the first lesson which helped us lengthen the extensor muscles and develop more upright posture in the back --by exploring bending in the middle, i.e., the work of the flexor muscles in the front. The result (of Lesson #1) was a surprising and delightful effortless and beautiful, upright posture.

Some aspects that we will touch upon in lesson 2, noted by Dr. Shelhav, are:

*Synchronized movements of the head and eyes
*More coordinating action of the flexors and extensors
*Shaping the curves of the cervical and lumbar spine
*Improving the lifting of the head

"The movement of the eyes in this lesson have an effect on the tone of the muscles in your neck. Tension in the neck makes lifting one's head more difficult...
In order for people to communicate with their environment it is essential that they can easily lift their head. The environment arouses their curiousity and thus stimulates further development. All the components which improve as a result of this lesson, harbor within them the potential for further development."

Dr. Feldenkrais' ability to deconstruct human motor development and serve it back to us in digestible, extraordinarily useful bites, was brilliant, unrivaled. My only dismay is that more people do not have, or make use of, access to this extremely effective, imminently practical and now readily available teaching.

Best wishes,
Carole

Some Physiological and Psychological Benefits of Feldenkrais

YOUTHFUL, COMFORTABLE MOVEMENT AND POSTURE AT ANY AGE -- from Meriah Kruse, GCFP

We all know that better posture brings many health benefits, both physical and mental. ‘Most people have been admonished at some point in time to “Stand up – or sit up -- straight!” And we have all tried to do just that – straighten up from our sometimes less-than-perfect posture, in the midst of a long day or a tedious task, or while seated in an uncomfortable chair. Yet to improve posture we must learn to increase our body awareness and find good posture from the inside out, rather than by mimicking ideas based on appearances. Feldenkrais® practitioners and Bones for Life®  teachers have an impressive track record of teaching better posture with gentle movement lessons. Using a simple, relaxing body scan and lessons you can do in your own home, you can forge a path to better posture, greater body awareness, and the improvements in self-image, fluid movement and wellbeing that come with that achievement.

How does good posture benefit us?

No wonder we make these heroic efforts, forcing ourselves to 'sit up and stand up straight'! Our posture says a lot, sending messages both outward to the world around us, and inward to the enthusiastic animal inside who wants to be ready for action. We know that maintaining a dynamic posture helps us to get right with the world and with ourselves, particularly as we age. We hope to remain tall throughout our lives, and to reap the benefits of better posture:

>  beautiful, effortless, fluid movement

>  space for breathing and for vital organs to work unimpeded

>  improved circulation and energy flow

>  greater comfort and mobility

>  less wear and tear on our joints

> improved mood, self-image and appearance

How do we improve our posture?

For starters, it is helpful to modify our view of posture from a frozen state of ‘straightness’ to a dynamic state of ‘tallness’. In his most popular book, Awareness Through Movement: Easy-to-Do Health Exercises to Improve Your Posture, Vision, Imagination, and Personal Awareness, Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais says, “The word ‘straight’ is misleading. It does not express what is needed.” 

What IS needed is a high level of body awareness, and a balanced use of our muscles! In this way, the skeleton is free to do what it does best: counteract the pull of gravity. From this kind of balanced state, beautiful posture emerges naturally. Voila!

My Body Can Learn, by Steve Hamlin

What is Feldenkrais®?

As Buddha said, whatever you think, it will not be that way. All I can give here is a little history, a few hints, and my own insights. Feldenkrais® is a study of human movement, and that encompasses all aspects of life. There is no end to ways of looking at it. And it’s really not possible to get a grip on what it is, without getting involved, taking classes.

Moshe Feldenkrais was born in 1904 in the Ukraine. He left home at age 14 to walk to Palestine (now known as Israel). After 10 years, he went to Paris to study at the Sorbonne –physics, mathematics, and electrical and mechanical engineering. He earned a Doctor of Science, and began working with Frederic Joliot-Curie, Director, Curie Institute. During this time he learned Judo from Jigoro Kano, the Japanese Minister of Education. After obtaining his black belt he taught in France and wrote books on Judo.

Kano had tried before to train other westerners for this work, with no success. Kano saw that Feldenkrais had a special quality, and he did, indeed, successfully teach martial arts to many Europeans before WW II. Feldenkrais was on one of the last boats from France to England at Dunkirk, at the start of WW II and he carried with him, in a suitcase, lab notes from Joliot-Curie regarding research on nuclear fission, plans for an incendiary bomb, and two quarts of heavy water that were later used in the Manhattan Project to build the atomic bomb. (Later, however, for personal reasons he declined an invitation to work for the Manhattan Project ). He worked in England for the Admiralty during WWII, helping to develop sonar.

During this time he became interested in human development – especially human movement – and he learned much from observing babies in the office of his wife, Yona Rubenstein, who was a pediatrician. Feldenkrais had a photographic memory, and he studied his wife’s medical books, and in addition became a self-taught neurologist. Because of an old knee injury, he applied his new skills to curing the knee, and he succeeded in learning to walk again and even resume his judo.

He began to work – hands on – with friends in need, and he called this work Functional Integration® (FI). Later he developed a format for teaching these ideas to groups of people, and he called this Awareness Through Movement® (ATM). His ideas, while based on solid science and common sense, still run counter to many popular beliefs and methods. When you do movement work, you’ll certainly find many of your beliefs challenged by what your own body is teaching you. I’ve never seen an exception.

In 1950 Feldenkrais returned to Israel and worked for their Defense Force, and was instrumental in starting Israel’s nuclear program. He taught in Israel and Europe through the 1950’s and first taught in America in 1971. He continued to teach often in America until his death in 1984 at age 80.

Today there are thousands of Guild Certified Feldenkrais Practitioners® worldwide, and thousands of students who have gained significant benefits from Feldenkrais work.
Feldenkrais is much more than just an alternate form of body-therapy; it’s used by dancers, artists, performers and others to enhance their work. Some practitioners teach in the school system. Psychologists use it. It’s used by many just to feel good or improve posture, and some use it to enhance their spiritual life. For many, it’s a way of life. Yet, because most people first come to Feldenkrais as an alternate “therapy,” that’s how I’m presenting it. So how is Feldenkrais different from other therapies?

A Reno Medical Doctor's Personal Experience with Feldenkrais

Although founded nearly 70 years ago and known worldwide, the Feldenkrais Method is not well known in Nevada.  Thus Dr. Feldenkrais's unique system of learning as change and improvement at any age, and how these ingenious yet simple, carefully structured movements act on the body and brain is what we want to convey.

Feldenkrais' early observations and work were the groundwork for neuroplasticity half a century before the technology existed to confirm brain changes! (See the YOUTUBE clip at bottom of this page for more information.)

Here is the experience of a Reno MD who has been been taking Feldenkrais classes and lessons from Reno Feldenkrais during the last year:

“I am a medical doctor and have been using the Feldenkrais Method personally for one year. I have attended classes and 2 workshops; while not having in depth understanding of the Feldenkrais method, I have found the lessons very beneficial. The success of this technique lies in the fact that it works from inside to out, and from the bottom up. In other words the awareness starts at an internal level (proprioceptors) in the muscle cells, joints, tendons, inner ear) and feeds back to the central nervous system/brain via the spinal cord. It thus bypasses some of the conscious awareness of movement, making it easier to progress--whether one is recovering from severe injuries, a stroke or trying to progress as a trained athlete. It eliminates the intellectual defense that often interferes with recovery and/or reaching higher levels of skill.

For myself, I struggle with severe arthritis and soft tissue injuries from 2 major motor vehicle accidents. Despite this, the Awareness Through Movement techniques in Feldenkrais classes and personal sessions, allow me to develop improved range of motion, increased flexibility, more energy, improved posture and a decrease in pain via retraining of my movements. The technique requires slow, small movements and is against inducing pain of any kind. Due to vast integration of eye and contralateral movements, the Feldenkrais curriculum/sessions stimulate right and left brain hemisphere integration, visual pathway feedback, etc. This is ultimately how the improved awareness arises. In short, the method utilizes our intuitive capacity to induce change, a quality we have all lost in our high tech, fast paced world.

It is truly an asset to now have 2 fully trained Feldenkrais instructors in the Reno, NV area. I thus hope more people take advantage of this opportunity. Even a once monthly attendance could prove beneficial.”

AM Waldron, MD

Physician

Feldenkrais for Seniors, People with Chronic Stress, Injuries or Impairment

You may be surprised to know that our movement patterns are more or less hardwired by the time we are in our 20s. As we grow older, these patterns become habitual, repetitive and narrow; aches and pains develop; we have injuries; our posture worsens. The proprioceptors in our joints, which tell our brains where we are in space and time, begin to fall asleep out of boredom! And this process decreases the conversation between body and brain, driving the lack of communication. Eventually our coordination, balance and movement may become very limited.

As Meriah Kruse, GCFP, states, "Wear and tear on our joints, injuries, long hours spent at a computer, carrying around children, or on the job slowly whittle away our uprightness and create a roundness in the shoulders, discomfort in the neck and low back. Knee and hip injuries or replacements complicate posture severely. And yet, through Feldenkrais lessons, you can dramatically improve your posture in a relatively short time, without surgery or painful invasion of any kind. You have to feel this for yourself to believe it." She has more to say...

How to Decrease Neck Pain
We tend to think that when our neck hurts, the problem is in our neck; and yet, this is rarely so. For a moment, think of the neck as the top of your vertical structure.

Felden-What??

What is the Feldenkrais Method®?

At its most basic level, the Feldenkrais Method will improve your posture, balance, coordination and flexibility, making it possible for you to work and play more comfortably and productively for longer periods. You will feel stronger and "better in your own skin," as Dr. Andrew Weil says.

"Feldenkrais alleviates pain and tension by minimizing physiological and psychological stress associated with restricted functions. Inefficient patterns of movement can be improved; compromised self-expression and forgotten ways of feeling can be recovered. Ordinary problems associated with the work place or caused by injury, repetitive activities, and aging can be remedied." (Feldenkrais Inst of NY)

The structured, non-habitual movement sequences done in Awareness Through Movement® classes and individual, one on one, Functional Integration® lessons can improve your comfort, expand your activities and lengthen your work life, at nearly any age and condition.

Improved efficiency means more enjoyment and pleasure in your daily life. Persons with orthopedic or neurological problems can experience dramatic change. Athletes, actors, dancers and musicians can substantially improve their performance with the Feldenkrais Method.”