08/02/2019
Movement and Awareness: A Growing Approach to Physical Pain Management
A Q&A with Guild-Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner Cynthia Allen.
In the mid-20th century, Israeli physicist Moshe Feldenkrais used the theories behind physics, biomechanics, and human development to develop a series of gentle movements and directed attention to help individuals improve range of motion, flexibility, and coordination. By connecting the brain and the body—the central nervous system—the method is now being used in pain management as part of many physical therapy and rehabilitation practices.
PPM: How would you describe Feldenkrais Method?
Allen: The Feldenkrais Method uses unique movement sequences to improve awareness, unravel harmful habits, and regulate the nervous system. We are born as curious explorers filled with a sense of potential. With these innate traits, we literally feel our way through essential steps of development. As we grasp the fundamentals of life, we also encounter stresses, trauma, or injuries. Such events can dampen our sensory system and often put us into a survival mode instead of the curious, playful mode we were born with. As we grow and become increasingly caught up in the rigors of school, work, and taking care of others, we often distance ourselves further from our sensory world. In the Feldenkrais approach, we seek to rejuvenate those early learning skills because that is the inborn operating system we each have, to not only solve problems but to open new opportunities.
At our practice in Cincinnati, we offer both private sessions and group sessions. During private sessions, a practitioner works with each individual to explore their goals and interest. The patient/client often lies on a padded table, fully clothed, and through the practitioner’s touch and verbal cues, the individual begins to feel themselves in new ways and to discover increased ease in movement.
Group classes are verbally led, and each class is different. Unlike yoga, there is no “form” or “posture” to master. Instead, students are guided through a series of novel movements to stimulate curiosity and clarify how their body is designed to function.
Whether the session is in the group or private format, emphasis is placed on comfort and respect. We don’t teach a ‘right’ way to move. We facilitate finding easier ways to move. We follow the motto: ‘less pain, more gain.’
PPM: The Feldenkrais approach has been shown to help not only with awareness and functionality, but it also has been studied as a treatment approach for low back pain, for instance. What other chronic pain conditions might Feldenkrais practice help with?
Allen: Chronic diseases can be all-consuming. It can be hard to remember that there is more to life than the diagnosis. But in almost all situations, there is a great deal more. We might boldly say that the chronic challenge is just one of many things and does not need to define a person’s life—even when the challenge is extreme.
In any chronic condition, life tends to become increasingly limited. The person may feel they are no longer at the center of their life. Instead, their life may seem to revolve around disease, treatment, or limitation. In the Feldenkrais Method, we don’t cure. Instead, we help put people back in the center of their lives so that choice becomes possible. And because of that, the person typically experiences a decrease in pain and improved movement and perhaps more importantly enjoyment, even pleasure.
The method can be valuable in helping any process that interrupts normal mobility. For instance, stroke, traumatic brain injury (TBI), Parkinson’s disease, Multiple Sclerosis (MS) would be a few examples. Feldenkrais can also be a useful treatment for hypermobility issues, such as Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), when a person has too much movement and needs to find ways to stabilize. I have also met some doctors who are referring patients to the method for help in the management of complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS).
We also see a range of routine orthopedic issues that for some reason, the traditional model didn’t meet patients’ needs.
PPM: In your view, why is a body-mind (versus one of these alone) approach most impactful when dealing with pain?
Allen: The research is clear on this topic. A biopsychosocial approach (that is, affecting the body, mind, and socioeconomic factors) has been shown to have the best outcomes with chronic pain. The beauty of the Feldenkrais approach is that it really is a biopsychosocial so it can be extremely beneficial in a recovery plan. Chronic pain begins to change the inner and outer expressions of life fairly quickly. Neuroplasticity, that is, the ability of the brain to change in structure and function, is a wonderful thing when we are learning something we want to learn. But it can also have negative consequences because we can also get better at looking for pain, producing pain, become more afraid of moving, or becoming stiff. We now know that the brain is one of the major drivers in chronic pain. In the Feldenkrais Method, we aim to help each individual capture that brain power for the good.
-Q&A reported by PPM Editor Angie Drakulich
