TherapiesNet.com - Excercise Therapies

Yoga

thadmin — Sun, 19 Feb 2006 18:24:30 -0600

Yoga is a family of ancient spiritual practices that originated in India, where it remains a vibrant living tradition and is seen as a means to enlightenment. Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Jnana Yoga, and Raja Yoga are considered the four main yogas, but there are many other types.

In other parts of the world where yoga is popular, notably the United States, yoga has become associated with the asanas (postures) of Hatha Yoga, which are popular as fitness exercises. The practice of yoga is beleived to have a wide range of health benefits

Rolfing®

thadmin — Sun, 19 Feb 2006 18:01:25 -0600

Therapy Guide

Rolfing^®Structural Integration is named after Dr Ida P Rolf. Dr Rolf began an enquiry into human well-being more than fifty years ago and devoted her energy to creating a holistic system of soft tissue manipulation and movement education that organized the whole body in gravity.

She eventually named this system Structural Integration. She discovered that she could achieve remarkable changes in posture and structure by manipulating the body's myofascial system.

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Brain Gym®

thadmin — Sun, 19 Feb 2006 17:20:00 -0600

Therapy Guide

Brain Gym^®

BrainGym began in the 1970’s with the work of educators Dr. Paul Dennison and Gail E. Dennison. Originally, the Dennisons were seeking more effective ways to help children and adults who had been identified as “learning disabled.” They drew from a large body of research by developmental specialists who had been experimenting with using physical movement to enhance learning ability.

The Dennisons produced an innovative new approach to learning: the Brain Gym activities, and the field known as Education Kinesiology (Edu-K), “learning through movement.”

Today Brain Gym supports people of all abilities in making wide-ranging changes in their lives. Brain Gym is used in more than 80 countries and is taught in thousands of public and private schools worldwide and in corporate, performing arts, and athletic training programs.

Alexander Technique

thadmin — Sun, 19 Feb 2006 17:07:01 -0600

Therapy Guide

Alexander Technique teaches how to recognize and overcome habituated limitations within a person's manner of movement.

The Alexander Technique is usually learned from an Alexander teacher in one-to-one sessions , by an Alexander student, using specialized hand contact and verbal instructions.

The name denotes both the educational methods taught by Alexander teachers and the individual method practiced by teachers and students of the technique. It takes its name from F. Matthias Alexander (1869–1955), a former Shakespearean recitalist, who first observed and formulated its principles during 1890 – 1900. Alexander regarded the empirical scientific method to be the foundation of his work.

He used self-observation and reasoning to make effortless the physical acts of every-day movement: sitting, standing, breathing, working with the hands and speaking. He designed his methods to make experimentation and training deliberately repeatable, and to learn in a way that would allow continuing improvement from any starting point.

Here is a partial list of possible benefits: back problems, unlearning and avoiding Repetitive Strain Injury, improving ergonomics, reduced stuttering, speech training and voice loss, mobility for those with Parkinson's disease, improve posture or balance problems, recover from injury as an adjunct to Physical therapy, control unwanted reactions, phobias and depression.

It has also been known to help performers with getting past the "plateau effect "(despite trying, no improvement,) performance anxiety, getting beyond a supposed "lack of talent" and to sharpen discrimination and description ability. It has also helped people

Qi Gong and Tai Qi

thadmin — Sat, 18 Feb 2006 23:34:12 -0600

Therapy Guide

Tai Qi and Qi Gong are both Energetic Exercise systems from China. Qi Gong dates back thousands of years. Tai Qi appears to have its origins in the 12th century.

The word Qigong (pronounced chi kung) is a combination of two ideas: “Qi” meaning air, breath of life, or vital energy of the body, and “gong” meaning the skill of working with, or cultivating, self-discipline and achievement. The art of Qigong consists primarily of meditation, relaxation, physical movement, mind-body integration, and breathing exercises. Practitioners of Qigong develop an awareness of qi sensations (energy) in their bodies and use their mind to guide the Qi. When the practitioners achieve a sufficient skill level (master), they can direct or emit external Qi for the purpose of healing others.

There are thousands of styles of Qi Gong and many of the techniques are for specific purposes , some for health , others for Martial Arts.

Tai Qi Chuan refers to the martial arts that the current systems of Tai Qi developed from. There are several different styles of Tai Qi popularly practiced. Common to each of the different Tai Qi systems is a slow motion movement routine.

Beyond that the differences depend on the teacher. One thing that Tai Qi is not, is slowed down Karate or Kung Fu. The principles of genuine Tai Qi differ fundamentally from those of harder style martial arts. Tai Qi as a martial art maintains its own autonomy.

Although the benefits Tai Qi and Qi Gong are wide-ranging and not limited to those listed below, its practice is of particular value in four regards:

   1. The cultivation of Qi or life force energy.
   2. Exercising and conditioning the body on a very deep level.
   3. Learning to understand and apply the inner structure of the body.
   4. Learning to be focused in the moment.

These four areas are pretty much all encompassing. Any other benefits of Tai Qi and Qi Gong can arguably be assigned to one of these categories. Some of these ideas may seem a bit foreign and difficult to grasp at first, but concealed within these concepts is the benefit that they have to offer. It is however, the actual living of these principles that enables the Tai Qi practitioner to experience renewed health and well-being on all levels. Tai Qi students may also experience the feeling of being more integrated both within themselves and with their environment.

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Therapeutic Action

thadmin — Fri, 17 Feb 2006 07:25:49 -0600

Introduction

Each therapy has treatments that fall into general categories. The categories refer to the primary mode of operation of the therapy.

By mode of operation we are referring to the method by which the treatment is believed to effect a change in health. For example some therapies are manipulative where the effect is brought about by mechanical means applied by a therapist. Some are pharmacological or chemical.