Integrative Manual Therapy
A Gentle Somatic Therapy
Integrative manual therapy (IMT) uses a combination of techniques to treat dysfunction. As with other somatic therapies, the idea that the body can heal itself is an essential part of this therapy.
IMT was created by Dr. Sharon Weiselfish-Giammatteo, a physician and physical therapist. Giammatteo invented the technique when she was trying to heal her own back pain, sciatica and headaches. She believes that a doctor shouldn't just treat the symptoms of the disease, but should work with the body giving it the cues it needs to heal itself.
Integrative manual therapy uses a combination of different therapies, including acupunture, reflexology and osteopathic techniques, to treat connective tissue, joints, circadian rhythms (heart beat, breathing patterns, ect.), and reflex points. This can be used to treat a variety of conditions including,
- attention deficit disorder
- autistic spectrum disorders
- back pain
- shoulder pain
- or any chronic pain condition
Integratvie manual therapy is gentle enough to be used on infants and seniors.
The practitioner starts each session with palpation. Therapists listen to circadian rhythms by placing their hands on certain spots on your body. They listen to many different rhythms and try to determine if they are in harmony or not. They use manual manipulation to bring harmony to your rhythms.
Because this is a holistic approach to healing, the therapist won't always work on the area where you feel pain. The entire body is connected and just because you feel pain in one spot doesn't mean that place is the root of the pain. These therapists look for the root cause of the pain your experiencing and treat that cause.
Besides the work you do with your therapist in the clinic, you'll be asked to change your lifestyle to promote healing. You may be asked to change your diet, do some exercises or even go through a detox program to flush environmental toxins from your body. As you work together with your therapist, you'll be able to direct your body to heal at a celluar level.
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