Organ Prolapse and Myofascial Release

January 18th, 2012 by Walt Fritz, PT

One of the many things I love about my work is the opportunity to interact with and treat a very wide variety of conditions. If I dealt with nothing but low back pain all day/every day, I would be bored rather quickly. Women’s health issues have always been a strong part of my practice, including pelvic organ prolapse. I recently came to know Sherry Palm, who heads a wonderful non-profit organization called the Association for Pelvic Organ Prolapse Support, Inc.  (APOPS). Sherrie acknowledges the benefit of myofascial release in the treatment of pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and even provides a list of MFR therapists on the website. Also, she has written a book, titled “Pelvic Organ Prolapse: The Silent Epidemic”. Myofascial release has the ability to address issues of tightness within the abdomen and pelvis which can lead to organ prolapse.

Please check out the APOPS website. There is a huge amount of information there that may benefit you or your clients.

For now,

Walt Fritz

Posted in Body Work, Food for thought, Massage, Myofascial Release | 1 Comment »

How ……… Can Wreck Your Body

January 13th, 2012 by Walt Fritz, PT

A recent New York Times article, titled “How Yoga Can Wreck Your Body“  has gotten a huge amount of coverage around the internet. Posts from some people are accompanied by an “I told you so” while those from others call it junk journalism. Whichever your belief, it is an interesting read and, to me, simply represents a trend of injuries “acquired” from any popular exercise routine. I wrote an article on my blog a year or so back about “My Issue With Core Strengthening“, that called into question some of the practices that are utilized by the therapeutic community and the popular modality of Pilates™.

When I began my private practice years back, combining myofascial release with my background as a physical therapist, exercising at Curves™ was quite popular. My caseload quickly became populated by women (Curves is a women only program) who injured themselves while working out at Curves. Initially I cast dispersions on Curves, thinking there must be something inherently wrong with this style of workout. But as trends changed, so did choices in exercise. Weight training, core strengthening/Pilates, Yoga, and even simple exercise walking emerged as more popular choices. But, curiously, my injured population did not dwindle. Each new exercise option seemed to produce its fair share of injured participant. My rocket science degree taught me to look at the patterns and trends. It was more about the people who were pursuing exercise that it was about the exercise modality itself.

Now if you read the Yoga article, you will see some specific and valid concerns about certain Yoga positions and practices. I’ve highlighted some of my own regarding Pilates and Core strengthening in the referenced blog. These are real concerns and are independent of t relative level of fitness of the participant. EVERY modality can be dangerous, even in our line of work. Beware of anyone in life who tells you that anything is completely safe.

So, what does this all have to do with myofascial release? Maybe nothing, though these are trends you will be exposed to daily, if you pay attention.

For now,

Walt Fritz

Posted in Body Work, Food for thought, Massage, Myofascial Release | 1 Comment »

What do you see? Leg Length Discrepancies

January 11th, 2012 by Walt Fritz, PT

Sometimes a person can write things that no one seems to read, or at least no one seems to acknowledge reading. Other times, you know you hit your mark. I posted a photograph to my Facebook wall yesterday, as well as to a few different groups:

Leg Length Check

I asked the following questions:

1. What do you see?

2. What might be the cause?

3. What, if anything, need be done?

You can always look up the thread on my Facebook wall, but it might also be interesting to post your thoughts here.

For now,

Walt Fritz

Posted in Body Work, Food for thought, Foundations in Myofascial Release Seminars, Massage, Myofascial Release | 8 Comments »

A New Perspective, Part II: Humility

January 4th, 2012 by Walt Fritz, PT

I opened my blog series with a few comments regarding what make my “brand” of myofascial release different, or new. Over a few posts, I want to elaborate. And, I believe that the concept of  humility is a great place to start.

What does humility have to do with myofascial release? Lots! Myofascial release is a strong modality, but it is not the answer to world peace. (For a very good perspective on our overplaying fascia’s importance/significance, please read Sandy Fritz’s recent blog post on “Fads, Trends, and Gimmicks”. No, we are not related, I just have to support someone who has the same last name as mine!) There are many therapists who condemn the “Tool Bag” approach to therapy. Some feel that understanding the science behind a modality is of the utmost importance and simply adding another tool to the tool bag is pointless without a well grounded explanation for how that modality works. I understand where they are coming from; but having options, or tools, is also needed.

There are some in my field who will have you believe that myofascial release (MFR) is the ultimate treatment modality. While I have witnessed some amazing things happen as a result of my MFR sessions, I am humble enough to know that I cannot help everyone, and it has nothing to do with them “being ready” for my treatment. I am also humble enough to know that my close group of associates in the chiropractic, acupuncture, massage, physical therapy, traditional medical, and other fields are, at times, more able to help someone whom I cannot. Marketing within the filed of MFR has made some folks believe that they are the top of the therapy food chain. If that is what brings more therapists into a seminar, so be it. I think honesty and humility work better. Myofascial release IS a powerful modality, but it, like all modalities, it has limitations, or at least the therapists learning this work should be made aware of them.

Humility is the quality of being modest and respectful. I believe I can be a powerful therapist without moving beyond modesty. I believe Sandy Fritz is correct in how fascia has become the amazing tissue that is the cause all ills (my words, not hers). There just has to be a balance. What are your thoughts?

For now,

Walt Fritz

Posted in Body Work, Food for thought, Marketing, Massage, Myofascial Release, Uncategorized | 4 Comments »

What Makes a Great (MFR) Therapist?

December 29th, 2011 by Walt Fritz, PT

I was asked this question a few weeks back on a Facebook group to which I belong. I do not intend to list every trait that a successful (MFR) therapist should possess. (I put MFR in parentheses as I feel the traits are not mutually exclusive to myofascial release therapists.) I titled this post as I did to talk about a specific character trait.

A friend of mine, Hamid Shibata Bennett, an LMT and MFR therapist who lives in Portland, Oregon, writes a blog as well. He wrote a post recently that is so raw and touching that I wanted to share this with you. You can read it here, but be sure to come back!

“It’s taken a long while to craft myself into someone worthy of this lifetime. To survive cancer and to begin truly thriving in life, I had to face myself. I continue to strive to learn and grow from every experience with compassion, empathy and honesty, while embracing the wonder and beauty of life.”

Facing oneself, for all of the good and bad, for all of the strengths and weaknesses, is what makes a good MFR therapist/massage therapist/human being (you choose which fits). Facing the obstacles without dropping into blame or victim-hood; truly learning from the experiences that have brought you to this point. Forget the tools in your tool bag of therapy modalities; they mean less, as anyone can learn a new technique.

Thanks, Hamid, for this reminder.

For now,

Walt Fritz

 

Posted in Body Work, Food for thought, Massage, Myofascial Release | 1 Comment »

For what do YOU wish to be known?

December 22nd, 2011 by Walt Fritz, PT

Massage therapists and body workers have a vast number of reasons for doing what they do. Your list would be different from mine. Long ago I realized what I was very good at and what I wished to specialize in; treating pain. When I broke away from the mold of traditional physical therapy and entered into a world that is more commonly populated by massage therapists, I felt that I needed to educate the world, or at least my small corner of it, what myofascial release was. Not only what it was, but how great it was. I sent out mailings to doctor’s offices, made phone calls and visited those offices. I pleaded for articles in the local newspaper, touting my successes with myofascial release. All of these efforts paid little dividends. My best referral source were satisfied clients (they still are to this day). For what did I wish to be known?

I took some time and stepped back from my “marketing” efforts and realized it was not what I did that was most important, but what I was able to accomplish. I am very good at reducing or eliminating pain. This was what was important to prospective clients and referral sources, not what modality I used. For what did I wish to be known?

Being a generalist is fine. The world needs them, whether it is a physician or therapist. But specialists are also needed and SKILLED specialists are in high demand, again, no matter the profession. Do you have a specialty? How do you market that specialty?  Is your specialty designated by the modality which you use or the skill that that modality gives to you? There is a huge difference between the two and I believe when you make the transition from the former to the latter, your success will shift dramatically as well. For what do YOU wish to be known?

We all compete in a saturated market. Make yourself known. Know exactly for what YOU wish to be known for.

For now,

Walt Fritz, PT

Posted in Body Work, Marketing, Massage, Myofascial Release | 6 Comments »

A New Perspective

December 21st, 2011 by Walt Fritz, PT

In my first post here on Massage Magazine I wanted to introduce myself and tell you why I am here. First off, a big thanks to Massage Magazine for extending an invitation to blog here. Seeking fresh perspectives is always helpful, no matter one’s specific interests. So, what why does a physical therapist belong here on a massage website? That one is easy; my passion, both in treatment and in teaching, is myofascial release. I bring to the table a different approach than others. I won’t be so bold or brash to say better, just different. I hope to bring this across to you, through this blog. Through my seminars, I come in contact with massage therapists, who have embraced this work, as well as my teaching style.

Myofascial release need not be difficult to learn, nor expensive. It is a modality that can easily complement your existing practice, or take it in another direction entirely. I spent the first 10 years of my career as a jack-of-all-trades, working in pediatrics, orthopedics, developmental disabilities, and home care.  During this time I began exploring continuing education in myofascial release, as well as craniosacral therapy and Zero Balancing ® . Over time, my path led me toward a private practice, but not a typical physical therapy practice. Traditional physical therapy tends to emphasize exercise or strengthening when dealing with issues of pain. As I now saw the body, the problem was not a strength issue, but more of a (tissue) length issue. My practice took off, slowly at first, but like the rings when a pebble is dropped in a pond, word spread of the type of myofascial release I performed.

There are some great teachers out there, and I had the chance to study with a number of very good ones. I believe my approach is an eclectic mix of what I’ve learned from each of those teachers, as well as a large dose of my own discoveries. I hope to be able to pass some of this onto you, if you are interested. I hope you will join me here, as there is much to learn for all of us. I will be talking about a number of common (and uncommon) conditions which present to us, as therapists. I, for one, believe that treatment recommendations CAN be made without actually seeing or touching a person,. While each client is unique and deserves a completely open mind when it comes to assessment and treatment, there are trends that one can follow in order to guide you through this process.

For now,

Walt Fritz, PT

Posted in Myofascial Release | 6 Comments »

Walt Fritz, P.T. is the founder of the Foundations in Myofascial Release Seminars. Specializing in small group trainings with a high degree of one-on-one attention, Foundations Seminars bring a real-world approach of teaching myofascial release to massage therapists and other health professionals. Walt presents an approachable, easy-to-understand style of teaching; one that can easily be assimilated into your treatment regime. Full details are at www.FoundationsinMFR.com.