Our goals in Neuromuscular Release Therapy are to rid the body of pain...without causing pain, without surgery, without drugs... and to produce long lasting results. We use elements of the St John's method of neuromuscular therapy, a precise way of releasing soft tissue, coupled with Micheal Young's Muscle Release Technique ... and stretching techniques.

We also want people to take an active role in their therapy ... and help to use simple tools to help releasee muscles at home.

can often be a permanent solution to pain. Are we supposed to get old and feel bad and be in a lot of pain? Pain is an effect with NMRT we want to find the cause of the problem so that we can eliminate the pain. And we look at the whole person.

If one side of the body is carrying most of the weight (the joints on that side will begin to wear out, just like the tires on your car will wear out or wear unevenly when they're not balanced.)

Things that happen to our muscles often have an accumulative effect over time. Falling off a bike, falling out of tree, falling down when we are children set up a compensatory situation. Or even an occupational situation, using the computer a lot or being a school teacher, working constantly in a forward position can cause muscles to tighten.

If you get hurt, you try to protect the injured part of the body and compensate. The body lays down trigger points when it is out of balance. And then one day, you experience pain somewhere, usually the pain is in the neck or low back or often sciatica.

Trigger points are contracted bundles of muscle. They restrict blood flow. THERE ARE NO TRIGGER POINTS IN HEALTHY TISSUE. Trigger points cause pain. Muscles containing trigger points are weak, stiff and tender. They feel tight, fatigue quickly and often hurt.
Here's the great truth about the body: "Pain is just a symptom." When you treat pain with medication, muscle relaxants and anti-inflammatory products, you are treating the symptom. Treat the symptom and the pain is masked. Treat the cause and the pain can go away.

Really only about 10 % of all pain is caused by visceral problems or diseased tissue, such as cancer or a diseased organ. Obviously this kind of pain requires medical treatment and the person is not a candidate for NMRT.

The remaining 90% of all pain is caused by soft tissue dysfunction: constricted muscles, tendons, ligaments (trigger points) often putting pressure on a nerve which leads to pain.

To understand the nature of this work. Neuromuscular Release Therapy (NMRT), let's look at several cases in point.

Case Study #1:

  Knee Pain

So if you think about it, this young man had a postural problem, a biomechanical problem which occurred because of his shoulder injury. Gravity began to work on him and one day he experienced knee pain. Very interesting how it's all connected, isn't it? When the body (muscles) compensates because of injury, it sets up a whole chain of events. And one day, perhaps years later, that person is in pain.

When we look at the body as a structure, we see that it is a living, breathing biomechanical "work of art," designed for the muscles to contract and move us. Muscles act as guy wires of the body. The function of the muscles is to contract and move us in various directions. As guy wires, muscles control the bones.

The bones act as our infrastructure, just like a magnificent moving building … the bones are designed to bear the weight of the body.

If we are experiencing some type of pain, often this is a postural problem. We are opposing gravity ineffectually. Tight muscles in various parts of the body will be holding us in a state of imbalance. Gravity plays a major role. We become like "The Leaning Tower of Pisa." We lose range of motion and basically get "stuck" in our own bodies.

If the body is in a state of posture imbalance, basically what happens is that muscles begin to compensate and will take on the role of a bone and harden to hold the body erect. To harden, the muscles put down trigger points (tender spots.)

Another source of pain occurs from repetitive motion problems, such as carpal tunnel, tennis elbow or plantar fascitis. These conditions, are actually very tight muscles due to overuse. Using a tool, such as a screwdriver or a computer or running, over and over using the same motion leads to repetitive motion injury. These muscles develop trigger points and need to be released and stretched.

Stretching? Is it really that simple? For the most part, yes …stretching is vital. It's really not rocket science.

The SECRET to PAIN RELIEF is STRETCHING. The new way of stretching is to hold each stretch for ONLY TWO SECONDS while exhaling. Do reps. Ten repetitions per stretch.

The reason this is so important is because at 3 seconds the stretch reflex kicks in and a really tight muscle will grab, trying to protect itself from damage. Again, only hold a stretch for two seconds as you exhale. This applies to any stretches you have learned in the past. THE TWO SECOND HOLD.

Okay, rather than explain this any more, let's just take a look at another case. In this one, you will see that a person is never too old to benefit form Neuromuscular Release Therapy. Here's one of my favorite examples: my good friend Betty Davis.

Case Study #2:

  Peripheral Neuropathy, Pain in Feet and Legs

So then in describing Neuromuscular Release Therapy (NMRT), I will say that it is a scientifically-based technique, used to bring about structural homeostasis (balance) between the musculoskeletal and nervous systems, combined with stretching to retrain the muscles and other soft tissue.

It is a precise … virtually pain-free method of releasing soft tissue (muscles, ligaments and tendons) by using static pressure on trigger points. We also use a sports type of deep tissue massage … with lotion to smooth out the tissue. At the same time we are stretching the muscles to retrain them.

The good news remains…this method … coupled with stretching, releases the muscles, helps relieve pain and promote faster healing ...with lasting results.

With NMRT basically we are working on the biomechanics of the body and the function of the muscles. Rock hard muscles = trigger points. Muscles at rest are supposed to be flaccid (relaxed.) If you press on a muscle, you should only feel pressure. If you feel pain or tenderness, then you've got trigger points in that muscle.

Once released, the muscles must be "retrained." How? By stretching every day.

It is very important for the person to work on his or herself at home with stretching. It is a simple type of stretch, holding only for 2 seconds as you exhale. These simple techniques are the key to helping the muscles stay cleared and keeping a person's body in balance and the person will have good posture.

Now here's an interesting question. What does a 77-year-old grandmother have in common in terms of pain with a 33-year-old army veteran? The answer: a "forward head posture." In both instances, because of the body weight being over the balls of the feet, both had extremely congested leg muscles. This greatly limited blood flow to the tissue, which lead to pain and ultimately to "peripheral neuropathy (numbness and pain in the feet and legs.)

Case Study #3:

  Peripheral Neuroapthy, Pain in Feet and Legs

So if you are not in balance, many conditions can arise and lead to pain and dysfunction.


Why do I need NMRT?



Since 90% of all pain is caused by soft tissue (muscles) compressing a nerve, when the soft tissue is released, pain can just disappear. And there's more good news

NMRT gets to the source of your pain and can produce long-lasting results. Many surgeries, such as knee or hip replacements or even sciatica pain, can be avoided when tight muscles are released in time -- to prevent distortion of bones, release compressed nerves or prevent the wearing away of cartilage in the joints.


Why does my pain sometimes come and go?


Sometimes pain spontaneously disappears, however, the cause of the pain remains and in time may return. When a muscle or tissue is healthy, the energy flows through easily. But if a muscle is traumatized or injured, the energy through the tissue is blocked or greatly reduced. Add compensation to this picture and over time, one day a person just goes into pain. The muscles have reached the pain threshold. That's when you feel pain.

Trauma or stress can lead to tightened, inflamed muscles and tendons. Without NMRT, tight muscles invariably lead to stress on the skeletal system, restriction of blood and lymph flow, postural distortion and joint problems. Use of muscle relaxants and anti-inflammatory medication, while beneficial, only treat the symptoms. NMRT gets to the cause of the problem.

How come many sessions are required?


Your initial consultation requires 1 and 1/2 hours for your therapist to evaluate your condition, do postural and structural analysis, and then design a therapy program that addresses your individual needs. The number of NMRT sessions depends on the severity of the condition.

For chronic conditions of long duration, we recommend at least four sessions to start. Sometimes only four sessions or less may be all that is required.

However, for chronic conditions that have been with you over a long period of time, to release the muscles does take more time. Our goal is to free you of pain as quickly as possible…with lasting results.

Many clients choose to continue a maintenance program even after the body has healed to promote healthy muscles.