MYOSTEOPRACTIC

Pronounced “My-Osteo-Practic”, the Greek words literally mean muscle and bone. This is then also the focus of a Myosteo-Practitioner, to address the stress and tension held within your own bodies structure ie muscle, bone, nervous system and organs.

The difference between Myosteopractic and Massage:

What is Myosteopractic and why is it so effective?

Myosteopractic was founded in 1996 by Body Health Practitioner and Mixed Martial Artist, Steve Mendonidis (South African). You can read more about his background at www.myosteopractic.co.za.

A common misconception is that Myosteopractic is often described as, or referred to as a massage – it is not a massage.

Myosteopractic is a whole body approach of which its primary focus is to assist the release of Related Held Tension™. This means that we recognise that the body works as a whole, and that tension and dysfunction frequently move from, and between, one structure to another. The structures referred to are muscles, skeleton, organs, nerves etc. (for example, from muscle tension to skeletal misalignment to organ imbalance)

The success of Myosteopractic therefore lies in the fact that we engage the body as a whole, not just working on one area or structure of the body. Various suitable techniques are applied for the different structures of the body resulting in better, and more sustained results, being achieved. This combination is what makes Myosteopractic so unique and effective.

What does Myosteopractic do?

Myosteopractic addresses the stress and tension that has been triggered by your body’s defence mechanism. When this tension becomes held, it can either create a problem, or aggravate an existing dysfunction or problem. When this tension is released, the body’s own self healing mechanism has a better chance to function.

In addition, due to daily bad habits (ie bad posture, sitting for long periods at a desk, repetitive movements) one’s body can create “bad” muscle memory as opposed to “good” muscle memory. This means that your muscles and body become locked in a negative pattern. Myosteopractic essentially helps to reprogram your muscles for your body to unlock and remain unlocked.

Tension and your body:

Tension is always present in your body; it is a dynamic part of our body’s natural processes.

Various factors can trigger your body’s defence mechanism, namely emotional stress, chemical stress (diet, allergies etc), illness, physical injury, posture and general wear and tear.

Tension can be triggered from something in the present, or it can be from the past. Present tension is obvious, past tension however, is not so obvious. Due to the fact that our bodies are adaptive, we can continue functioning in a normal, or “close to normal” way after tension has been triggered. This is known as compensation, which together with held tension can hamper our body’s self healing ability.

To illustrate this, imagine a stack of building blocks. Someone bumps a block, which causes it to shift, as it balances on edge – tension is created. To prevent the whole stack from tumbling down, another block now has to shift to counter- balance that block – this is compensation. This balancing act can continue but eventually no more blocks can be shifted and the whole stack will come tumbling down. Another analogy can be compared to driving your car with the hand brake on – you can drive it, but the damage you are doing to your car in the process is terrible, and one day your car will give out.

As Myosteo-Practioners we locate the areas of tension by using your body as a biofeedback indicator and by tracking lines of tension in your body. We are trained to release these areas of tension using a direct and firm approach. Thereby assisting your body’s self-healing ability to function optimally.

Who benefits from Myosteopractic?

Myosteopractic is beneficial to anyone of all ages, from children to the elderly. We see clients who are office workers, professional athletes, full time moms, scholars, retired, pregnant – the list goes on…

How often will I need a treatment?

After your initial session, a follow up is required within 4 – 7 days as your body will start responding as tension is unlocked and compensations are addressed. Initially three to five sessions may be required. However as soon as your body starts responding favourably, these sessions may be stretched out with bigger time gaps in between each session. This will be advised and discussed with you at each session.