Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/77400
STAY TUNED FOR AN UPCOMING MAY WEBINAR WITH DOUGLAS NELSON AT ABMP.COM. LESSON THREE: NEURAL PATTERNING After her third bodywork treatment, Mrs. M. had a substantial increase in pain-free flexion of the knee. She was thrilled with the progress we had made. After hearing my summary of what structures I treated, why, and what the game plan was for our next session, she stood up to leave my treatment room. As she walked away, I noticed her limp was still quite pronounced. I asked her if putting weight on her knee was painful. She enthusiastically replied there was no pain. I found this quite perplexing. Taking her hand, I asked her gradually to put weight on the replaced knee. Finding it comfortable, we kept increasing how much weight she put on her knee. This probably looked like a ballroom dance move we repeated over and over. We achieved complete midstance (full weight) without pain. When she questioned why we were doing this, I remarked how her limp had not improved, yet she seemed to have no pain while bearing weight. I was having trouble reconciling those two conflicting pieces of information. A look of epiphany came over her face as she realized she was limping out of habit, not out of pain. The knee was better, but the brain hadn't gotten the memo. Mrs. M.'s story is a powerful mix of three very relevant lessons for all of us. It challenges us to listen carefully, and thoughtfully apply our skills for the greatest good of those we serve. instructor for Precision Neuromuscular Therapy Seminars and president of the 16-therapist clinic BodyWork Associates in Champaign, Illinois. His clinic, seminars, and research endeavors explore the science behind this work. Visit www.nmtmidwest.com or email him at doug@nmtmidwest.com. Douglas Nelson is the founder and principal earn CE hours at your convenience: abmp's online education center, www.abmp.com 89