Fall Back on the Knowledge you Possess!
Back to Basics #3
by Dennis Gibbons, LMT
Dennis Gibbons, LMT
Over the past few months I have talked about the development of Muscle Release Therapy, MRTh® and Fundamental Movement Pilates℠ and how they’ve impacted not only my life but the many thousands of individuals these services help. This month Sean has developed the theme of using what you’ve learned to benefit yourself. At Chagrin Valley Wellness Center we believe that we are helping individuals shape their own destiny with the programs available here.
In July, 1986 when I received my license to practice Massage Therapy from the State of Ohio Medical Board I envisioned a private practice where I would work approximately 30 hours per week, help people and live happily ever after. The dream was beautiful and I thought very realistic. Once I went into practice I realized that it wasn’t going to be that easy and soon found out that the knowledge I accumulated in Massage school was just not going to be enough to ensure that my dream would come true. As I progressed through the early years of my practice I soon realized that just having some knowledge was not enough. My thought pattern took me to learning new techniques as I mentioned in my previous articles. This was great but I soon found out that this box of tools that I had was beautiful, but very impractical as I had the tools to fix the world just not the knowledge of how to use them efficiently. My dilemma was to take these tools and use them to the best of my ability to help each individual that has come to me seeking relief from their pain and discomfort.
As I began my professional career I realized my comfort level was with the athlete because of my participation in different sports. I started going to road races and triathlons and soon learned that this was a different type of athlete and although I understood some of the basics, I needed to learn the idiosyncrasies of these specialized athletes. With no previous thought process I found myself working with yet another form of athletics, the dance world and trust me, this pipefitter had no clue. While working in a Chiropractor’s office I experienced yet another form of individual, the chronic pain and industrial injury. Once again I kept adding these tools to my tool box and would sometimes find out I was using a wrench when in reality I needed a hammer. What has all of this got to do with falling back on the knowledge I possessed?
As the practice started growing so did the complexity of it all. I was no longer able to just use the wrench as a hammer; I needed to understand more and more the detailed applications. I kept on going back to my sixth grade football coach, Mr. Horvath. He happened to play for Woody Hayes and was the blocking back for “Hopalong” Cassidy at The Ohio State University. His philosophies were KISS, or keep it simple stupid. As I went through high school the priests at St. Peter Chanel would often tell us to simplify our lives and it would be easier to navigate the roadways. As a high school student I didn’t fully understand the thought behind it but we always did, at least sometimes, what the priest told us to do. During the next part of my journey I was drafted into the United States Army during the Vietnam conflict. As a 20 year old I was brash enough to think I knew it all. After sitting and traveling all day we arrived at Fort Knox, Kentucky around 1 AM, tired and hungry. A young man I was inducted with asked the Sergeant if it was possible if we could get something to eat. His response was, “I am now your mother, father, brother, sister, and lover; I will tell you when you are tired, hungry and thirsty.” I thought all along he only needed to say no. Once again the philosophy was doing what you are told; learn it well and you will apply it when needed. The United States Army has a way of taking even the most complex combat situation and breaks it down into the simplest and basic formats that are easy to apply. Oftentimes, when I was stationed along the DMZ in South Korea, situations would arise where the training received was put into use without thought. We had many tools, and knew how to use them in situations and were able to apply them as needed.
My journey continued after my discharge from active duty as I entered into the apprenticeship program of Pipefitters Local 120. Our apprenticeship consisted not only of learning math, science, mechanical drawing, and metallurgy but also all of the many mechanical aspects of the trade. Oftentimes the journeymen would let you struggle until you figured out how to do something or they might help guide you through the process. Many times it was frustrating as I was often challenged to not only perform the work but to understand the principles of the operating system being installed. Once again our contractors would provide us with the necessary tools to complete the job yet without the detailed knowledge we received as apprentices that would not have been possible.
During my lifetime I have also had the privilege of being married to Marge and together we have raised three children. Parenting does count as an experience because unlike many of the previous experiences there was no handbook. Many times there were decisions made that were intuitive, as was the case when Marge knew the children were going to be ill before they did. I learned from early on never to question a mother’s sixth sense or what we often hear of as a mother’s intuition. Being intuitive helps as often that “gut” feeling is what is needed to be accomplished. These truly were times when simplicity and having many tools to draw from helped get us through those times.
To summarize this I have tried to simplify the process of discomfort and the compensation it creates, to not panic in situations that sometimes seem insurmountable, and not be afraid to use the tools at hand to complete the job. Learning the bio-mechanics of the human body and how it fundamentally works has been the greatest challenge. In this world of movement much is written and many falsehoods are present. Combining the movement of the body with the therapy is what has proven to be the greatest success. By allowing the movement to return to a normal pattern, individuals are able to respond to the many difficulties that are present in our daily lives. We have many psychological, as well as physical, stresses daily that alter our patterns of movement. Combine this with the stress of the body moving through the restrictions of gravity, and many distortions take place that cause the fluids of the body to be constrained and the soft tissue structures to be altered.
The nervous system is the hardest hit of all the systems and is what is working overtime to try and correct the issues at hand. This is when Muscle Release Therapy, MRTh® and Fundamental Movement Pilates℠ work best. They permit the body to be assisted and generate the proper signals to the brain and central nervous system to help correct the issues that are creating the stress. This re-patterning of the signals is what generates the change necessary and is often the simplicity that is needed. This re-patterning is often contingent on the severity of the issue being addressed and might take a few sessions to correct. Oftentimes the follow up session will address the problem in a different manner, which is why we use many different tools to help complete the job. So by using all of the different information I have been fortunate enough to accumulate over the years, the process used here at Chagrin Valley Wellness Center is possible.
A format that we have instituted here at Chagrin Valley Wellness Center is The Wellness Journey©. This journey is designed to help change the wrong patterns that have developed over time and facilitate the nervous system to be re-programmed back to its original format. This is the simplest arrangement for the nervous system to properly understand as the therapist will assist in bringing back your posture to a neutral position. With the posture centered the Fundamental Movement Pilates℠ will strengthen the physical structure while reducing the stress on the nervous system to allow the body to begin to move properly. It is this reduction of stress that helps hold the posture in times of future turmoil that could cause a re-occurrence or another trauma.
If you have questions about any part of The Wellness Journey© please feel liberated to call any of our staff members at Chagrin Valley Wellness Center. The phone number is (216) 364-0152 look at our web site at www.chagrinvalleywellness.com.
Peace and Many Blessings,
Dennis
In July, 1986 when I received my license to practice Massage Therapy from the State of Ohio Medical Board I envisioned a private practice where I would work approximately 30 hours per week, help people and live happily ever after. The dream was beautiful and I thought very realistic. Once I went into practice I realized that it wasn’t going to be that easy and soon found out that the knowledge I accumulated in Massage school was just not going to be enough to ensure that my dream would come true. As I progressed through the early years of my practice I soon realized that just having some knowledge was not enough. My thought pattern took me to learning new techniques as I mentioned in my previous articles. This was great but I soon found out that this box of tools that I had was beautiful, but very impractical as I had the tools to fix the world just not the knowledge of how to use them efficiently. My dilemma was to take these tools and use them to the best of my ability to help each individual that has come to me seeking relief from their pain and discomfort.
As I began my professional career I realized my comfort level was with the athlete because of my participation in different sports. I started going to road races and triathlons and soon learned that this was a different type of athlete and although I understood some of the basics, I needed to learn the idiosyncrasies of these specialized athletes. With no previous thought process I found myself working with yet another form of athletics, the dance world and trust me, this pipefitter had no clue. While working in a Chiropractor’s office I experienced yet another form of individual, the chronic pain and industrial injury. Once again I kept adding these tools to my tool box and would sometimes find out I was using a wrench when in reality I needed a hammer. What has all of this got to do with falling back on the knowledge I possessed?
As the practice started growing so did the complexity of it all. I was no longer able to just use the wrench as a hammer; I needed to understand more and more the detailed applications. I kept on going back to my sixth grade football coach, Mr. Horvath. He happened to play for Woody Hayes and was the blocking back for “Hopalong” Cassidy at The Ohio State University. His philosophies were KISS, or keep it simple stupid. As I went through high school the priests at St. Peter Chanel would often tell us to simplify our lives and it would be easier to navigate the roadways. As a high school student I didn’t fully understand the thought behind it but we always did, at least sometimes, what the priest told us to do. During the next part of my journey I was drafted into the United States Army during the Vietnam conflict. As a 20 year old I was brash enough to think I knew it all. After sitting and traveling all day we arrived at Fort Knox, Kentucky around 1 AM, tired and hungry. A young man I was inducted with asked the Sergeant if it was possible if we could get something to eat. His response was, “I am now your mother, father, brother, sister, and lover; I will tell you when you are tired, hungry and thirsty.” I thought all along he only needed to say no. Once again the philosophy was doing what you are told; learn it well and you will apply it when needed. The United States Army has a way of taking even the most complex combat situation and breaks it down into the simplest and basic formats that are easy to apply. Oftentimes, when I was stationed along the DMZ in South Korea, situations would arise where the training received was put into use without thought. We had many tools, and knew how to use them in situations and were able to apply them as needed.
My journey continued after my discharge from active duty as I entered into the apprenticeship program of Pipefitters Local 120. Our apprenticeship consisted not only of learning math, science, mechanical drawing, and metallurgy but also all of the many mechanical aspects of the trade. Oftentimes the journeymen would let you struggle until you figured out how to do something or they might help guide you through the process. Many times it was frustrating as I was often challenged to not only perform the work but to understand the principles of the operating system being installed. Once again our contractors would provide us with the necessary tools to complete the job yet without the detailed knowledge we received as apprentices that would not have been possible.
During my lifetime I have also had the privilege of being married to Marge and together we have raised three children. Parenting does count as an experience because unlike many of the previous experiences there was no handbook. Many times there were decisions made that were intuitive, as was the case when Marge knew the children were going to be ill before they did. I learned from early on never to question a mother’s sixth sense or what we often hear of as a mother’s intuition. Being intuitive helps as often that “gut” feeling is what is needed to be accomplished. These truly were times when simplicity and having many tools to draw from helped get us through those times.
To summarize this I have tried to simplify the process of discomfort and the compensation it creates, to not panic in situations that sometimes seem insurmountable, and not be afraid to use the tools at hand to complete the job. Learning the bio-mechanics of the human body and how it fundamentally works has been the greatest challenge. In this world of movement much is written and many falsehoods are present. Combining the movement of the body with the therapy is what has proven to be the greatest success. By allowing the movement to return to a normal pattern, individuals are able to respond to the many difficulties that are present in our daily lives. We have many psychological, as well as physical, stresses daily that alter our patterns of movement. Combine this with the stress of the body moving through the restrictions of gravity, and many distortions take place that cause the fluids of the body to be constrained and the soft tissue structures to be altered.
The nervous system is the hardest hit of all the systems and is what is working overtime to try and correct the issues at hand. This is when Muscle Release Therapy, MRTh® and Fundamental Movement Pilates℠ work best. They permit the body to be assisted and generate the proper signals to the brain and central nervous system to help correct the issues that are creating the stress. This re-patterning of the signals is what generates the change necessary and is often the simplicity that is needed. This re-patterning is often contingent on the severity of the issue being addressed and might take a few sessions to correct. Oftentimes the follow up session will address the problem in a different manner, which is why we use many different tools to help complete the job. So by using all of the different information I have been fortunate enough to accumulate over the years, the process used here at Chagrin Valley Wellness Center is possible.
A format that we have instituted here at Chagrin Valley Wellness Center is The Wellness Journey©. This journey is designed to help change the wrong patterns that have developed over time and facilitate the nervous system to be re-programmed back to its original format. This is the simplest arrangement for the nervous system to properly understand as the therapist will assist in bringing back your posture to a neutral position. With the posture centered the Fundamental Movement Pilates℠ will strengthen the physical structure while reducing the stress on the nervous system to allow the body to begin to move properly. It is this reduction of stress that helps hold the posture in times of future turmoil that could cause a re-occurrence or another trauma.
If you have questions about any part of The Wellness Journey© please feel liberated to call any of our staff members at Chagrin Valley Wellness Center. The phone number is (216) 364-0152 look at our web site at www.chagrinvalleywellness.com.
Peace and Many Blessings,
Dennis