As a health care practitioner, I closely observe my patients seeking the source of the problem. This is the same with other professionals addressing an issue, whether you’re an auto mechanic, a plumber, a programmer, or an accountant. The car battery may be dead, not because there’s a problem with the battery itself but because it’s not being charged by the dysfunctional alternator. So replacing the battery will not get your car started. The source of your migraines may be your body’s response to emotional stress. Or your leg pain may be due to the tension in your lower back. So we treat the root of the problem rather than the branch. You give the soil and roots good nutrients so that your tree’s branches produce healthy fruit.
A short interview below with a fellow practitioner in Montpelier, Eric Silvers, a certified massage therapist, of VT Integrative Bodywork shows how the type of bodywork he employs is another example of this important point in health care. Eric is a Hellerwork practitioner, a form of bodywork that I have personally found to be very effective.
“Josh: What is Hellerwork?
Eric: Hellerwork is a type of structural integration bodywork that utilizes a holistic approach to release unwanted tension and correct postural patterns to allow for the restoration of the body’s natural alignment.
Josh: Can you speak more about the “holistic approach” to which you refer?
Eric: In Hellerwork, we view the body as a hologram of the being. I believe a person’s chronic pain, poor posture and movement limitations are the physical manifestations of a person’s unhelpful mental, emotional, spiritual or energetic patterns. Through a series of deep tissue bodywork, awareness dialogue and movement education, I am able to help clients identify patterns that have become ingrained in the connective tissues. By design, Hellerwork is able to reduce and reverse the negative impact of unwanted patterns and recondition the body so that clients can live life more fully.
Josh: When would you expect people to benefit from this type of bodywork?
Eric: Certainly people who are experiencing neck, shoulder, back or hip pain will benefit from Hellerwork, as will people who would like better posture, more flexibility, or better range of motion.
Josh: What would one expect from a typical series of sessions?
Eric: While each person who goes through the Hellerwork series has a unique experience, some of the most common side effects so to speak are: sleeping better, breathing easier, more energy and better body awareness, which are in addition to significant pain reduction and better postural alignment. It is not uncommon for people to report that the Hellerwork series is one of the best things they have ever done for themselves.”
More information can be found about this form of bodywork at VTIbodywork.com or call Eric directly at 802-505-3057.
I find the “holistic approach” that Eric describes to be fascinating and true. Tension in the muscular tissue of our bodies, that can clearly be felt when touched, may be rooted in unhelpful patterns of thought and emotion. Haven’t you noticed your own shoulders lifting up slightly toward your ears when you’re stressed? Those specific muscles become tense, not just because of your day at the computer, but because the stress is affecting the tissue.
So, when there is dysfunction in the body, don’t neglect to put your attention on the root of the problem. I find sometimes this is obvious, sometimes not.