Postural Therapy

ISP has North Carolina’s ONLY certified Egoscue Certified Postural Alignment Specialist

Amy has completed the certification requirements of Egoscue University to be the only Certified Egoscue Method Therapist in NC!

Postural Therapy recognizes that fundamental anatomical, physiological and biomechanical principles govern the human musculoskeletal system. By using a blueprint of this extraordinary platform as a guide, the goal of the Method is to eliminate disparities that can occur when injuries or negative lifestyle conditions affect the way the musculoskeletal system actually moves as opposed to its underlying structural parameters.   By restoring muscular balance, skeletal alignment and the harmonious interplay of internal systems, the body takes a quantum leap in healing power, stamina and physical capability. Postural Therapy is not a form of treatment that chases after short term, symptomatic relief. Rather, symptoms provide a common sense starting point, a working frame of reference based on each individual’s unique combination of strengths and limitations.

Our primary objective applies to everyone we seek to help—to eliminate musculoskeletal system disparities and the resulting postural dysfunctions that interfere with pain-free living. A key part of the “blueprint” we refer to is familiar to all health professionals—it is known as the standing normal anatomical position. An individual whose body deviates from this design must do so for a reason. That reason is, (in cases that do not reflect past injuries), a muscular imbalance in strength and/or flexibility.

Here’s a great analogy…..If your right front tire keeps going bald from that pothole you hit a few months ago, you don’t replace the tire over and over again, right? You go to a trusted mechanic for an ALIGNMENT!!!! So the same can be said for the frame of your body~ Out of whack means a joint is grinding or a muscle is sleeping at the switch somewhere. So pain is the red flag, listen up! Go to the source and fix the reason WHY the pain has developed!

The process begins with an alteration of normal joint mechanics. This alteration, or compensation, leads to a decrease in performance. That decrease in performance could be expressed in the way you deliver a curve ball,or to a person having difficulty rising from a chair. Often these changes go unnoticed because the body unknowingly avoids the pain stimulus or the extra muscular demand. The mechanical changes eventually manifest themselves into a variety of pathologies and disorders if allowed to continue. These can include, but are not limited to, inflammatory responses to overstressed tendons and bursa, non-congruency of joints surfaces, unequal loading of the intervertebral discs, laxity of ligaments, muscle pain and ischemia.   

These problems are not limited to the musculoskeletal system. As the foundation of the body is removed from its most efficiently functioning position, the nervous, circulatory, respiratory and digestive systems can all be affected. The internal organs can become compressed, neural pathways are disrupted or impinged and venous and arterial blood flow can be compromised. Any one or a combination of these scenarios can contribute to a multitude of medical problems.

When our Egoscue University Certified Therapist is presented with a symptomatic patient, our initial assessment is markedly different than that of an orthopedist or physical therapist. Conventional procedure would entail evaluation of exactly which structures are involved and then developments of a plan to provide symptomatic relief through all available modalities (i.e. drugs, electric stimulation, therapeutic exercise, massage, etc.) Then a plan for rehabilitation would focus specifically on the affected area and, if applicable, the joints above and below. Solid thinking, so why doesn't it work?

Our assessment is to ignore the symptom as it relates to the cause of the pain. The symptom never dictates our approach to therapy, but it is instead a temporary limitation. The body is a highly integrated structure. By focusing on an area of pain or abnormality (i.e. edema, muscle tension), we are ignoring the rest of the factors in a very large equation. The compensation that has occurred as a result of the individual’s dysfunction has appeared as a symptom in another area of the body.

It is possible that the cause of a particular symptom is a structural/mechanical problem on the other side of the body.   It’s important to note that the Egoscue University Certified Therapist does not administer “hands-on” therapy. The goal of this therapy is to give the client tools to help themselves. The patient is instructed in a series of personalized exercises and then is expected to continue them on their own at home. Modifications are readily made whenever necessary. The home program prevents the patient from developing a dependency on someone else while pursuing their own well being. Instead, they assume responsibility for their own health.