Let's use an example to explain the concept of Total Motion Release.
The picture below represents what happens to a person who sprains their right ankle. The yellow rectangle shows a trajectory of where this person's center of balance was displaced after the injury.
To be simplistic, lets assume a leg muscle went into spasm during the spraining of the ankle. The continued spasm will cause the body's center of balance to be pulled toward the yellow rectangle (as seen above).
As one can see from observing a person with a sprained ankle, the person does not like to weight bear on that extremity. They naturally place more weight on the opposite leg and also use their arms more:
Weight bearing more on the left leg - pulls the yellow rectangle more into midline. Moves it to the right.
Weight bearing or using the arms more then pulls the rectangle more up and to the center. Pulls it more up and to the center
The natural tendency for the hurt ankle is to be suspended or used significantly less
Here is a video that summarizes this from a patient point of view:
As a therapist you can view this concept similar to a joint mobilization.Instead of using our hands to test where it is restricted, Total Motion Release uses motions of the body to find restrictions.
The big difference between a traditional shoulder joint treatment is the therapist works the bad area (either manually or with exercise) to bring about change. Given the above Center of Balance concept this has been found to be significantly less effective and efficient when compared to exercising or treating the non-injured areas of the body.
Here is a video that is geared more toward a clinician about the above concept.
Can You Explain How this is a Do-It-Yourself Program for the Patient?
Early on we discovered that there were 5 basic motions that when treated worked very quickly on the majority of people to reset their center of balance. We have taken these 5 exercises and designed forms & how-to-manuals around them. We have expanded from one form and now have a workbook that progresses the patient from the FAB 5 through every stage & sequence of this healing program. There is no other step-by-step approach like it in the pain relief industry. Our patients can often times heal themselves quicker than most therapists can. It really is rewarding to watch.
Our forms are designed to use the power of data analysis to help the patient know exactly what to do when. They also provide a systematic approach for transitioning from one level to the next. Patients who use the forms can tell us after just 2 sets of performing a motion if that exercise is helpful or not. If it is not, they know exaclty what to do to alter it slightly to improve the results. And most importantly if the exercise stops working they know which other exercise will be more beneficial to try next.
The forms & our how-to-manuals also provides a means for the patient to feel comfortable with experimenting within this new concept without getting lost.
Interesting enough - the forms & manuals have also become an excellent marketing tool. They lay out what is being done in a format that the MD can not only see progress, but they can see what exercise caused the improvement on even down to which set or tweak was shown to make the biggest improvement. Very powerful!
What About Research?
To date there is no direct research on Total Motion Release. Research is starting this year. However, there is a lot of relevant research on the concepts and principles we use. Click on the link below to see references, articles and research abstracts.
