PUSH Therapy
Therapeutic Massage as a Chronic Pain Treatment

PUSH therapy is a gentle therapy that releases chronic tension in muscles and can be used as a chronic pain treatment. PUSH is an acronym for Power Under Soft Hands. That describes the therapy well because not only are the therapist's hands completely relaxed, but the therapist's entire body is relaxed when doing this therapy.

PUSH therapy was developed by Michael Takatsuno. Takatsuno was a competitive tennis player and martial artist, when he hurt his back while playing tennis. He tried many treatments to heal his aching back, but the pain remained with him for four years.

Takatsuno attended a seminar taught by William S. "Dub" Leigh. Leigh was a bodyworker who studied with Ida Rolf, Moshe Feldenkrais, and energy worker Tanouye Tenshin Rotaishi. He'd combined aspects of the bodyworks he'd learned to create Zentherapy. At the seminar, Leigh worked on Takatsuno's back. Not long after his treatment his back pain went away completely.

This experience started Takatsuno's interest in bodywork. He studied with Leigh and found he had a special gift for healing. Soon he was working full-time as a massage therapist, but he found the work to be too physically demanding.

Takatsuno decided to attend physical therapy school. It was there that he started experimenting with new techniques. He used his knowledge of the anatomy and martial arts to develop an effective new therapy that eases chronic pain and is kind to the therapist's body also.

Everyday activities lead to what Takatsuno refers to as Chronic Passive Tension. This means that a muscle is tense even when it's at rest. This causes a decrease of blood flow to the muscle and build up of lactic acid. The therapist treats these tense muscles with static pressure. This static pressure is usually done with a hand tool or elbow. After applying static pressure the therapist applies a subtle movement called Soft Pressure Stimulation.

You remain fully clothed for this therapy. The therapist will assess you by analyzing your posture and then make a treatment plan. After the treatment you are taught self-treatment techniques.

This therapy is good for people who experience any kind of chronic pain condition.