SM(a)RT for short. I use this modality in my massage practice more than any other. I love the results it achieves for chronic pain and so do my clients! But what is it?
Dawn Lewis, the cultivator of this wonderful technique, describes Spontaneous Muscle Release Technique as a “positional release modality.” In SMRT, your therapist moves the body into its established pattern using an activating force to stimulate a positive change. What this looks like without the jargon:
Find the position in which the muscle is most comfortable (direction of ease)
Add some compression
Hold
Feeling a little skeptical that something so simple - and gentle - could be effective for pain relief? That's all good. Let's talk about why it works.
Approach Under the Pain Threshold
Whether you have a frozen shoulder, a weak ankle, chronic low back pain, or a recurring crick in your neck, more than likely you are carrying a little bit (or a lotta bit) of anxiety that the treatment itself will cause pain. In many bodywork practices such as traditional trigger point therapy or even some exercises in physical therapy, this initial increase in pain is a necessary component to healing and it can be a little intense.
SMRT allows us to come in underneath your pain threshold meaning there is extremely little to no pain. Because the movements are small and we are going with the pattern your mind/body already determined to be safe, there is no reason for the physiological alarm bells to ring. Working in this way helps to dissociate the limbic, or survival/emotional, response that was linked to the area or movement, decreasing pain. The small movements also allow us to work deeply without painfully pounding through the superficial tissues.
Talk to the Brain
In a world filled with endless demands, noise, and visual stimuli, isn't it great to come home, sit in the quite for a few minutes, and give yourself some breathing room? Your mind/body craves that same peace. Most other modalities work through their movements. Conventional deep tissue techniques rely on friction or stripping. Thai works through reaching full range of motion. Even Swedish affects through the continual motion of the strokes. These are all wonderful and work - and give your body more things to process. In other words, many of our pain relief massage skills continue the go-go-go of life, albeit in a much more relaxing way.
Most of the work done with SMRT, on the other hand, happens in the stillness of the hold. Think of it like a mini meditation for your tissues. It provides the quiet that the mind needs to assess its body map and determine if the tone or lack thereof is appropriate for the current environment ie laying on a massage table. When it is found that your body is over or under reacting, the bodymind will correct itself. Added bonus: the calm quickly activates the parasympathetic nervous system creating deep relaxation from almost the first hold.
Work Multiple Systems
Dysfunction always affects multiple systems in the body. SMRT addresses them all, often simultaneously. For example, shoulder tension will involve not only the muscles but the fascia and the nerves and can also involve the lymph, skeleton, and ligaments. Leveraging the first rib, for example, with a SMRT move can rebalance the ligaments, unwind the fascia, release tension from the muscles, and allow the lymph to flow more freely all at the same time. Because we can stimulate several systems at once, it is not unusual for an entire body region to relax during a from a singular hold. It is also common for clients to experience releases happening in parts of the body seemingly remote from the area being worked because the entire body is connected. One client told me her left ear started tingling as I was working on her right ankle!
Other Cool Things About SMRT
Clothed sessions are just as effective - no need to get undressed
“Full frills” massages are enhanced by this modality - for those that love the oil and flow
Results tend to last longer - take away the reason for guarding while working all of the systems and the body will hold onto the changes
Receiving SMRT is still one of the best bodywork experiences that I can have as a therapist. Offering it to clients and seeing the “Eureka!” moment when they have better range of motion and less pain with just a few light holds is hugely gratifying.
Want to experience the magick for yourself? Book Your Session Now
And of course, share this article with someone you think SMRT could help!
_________________________________________
Rhiannon Flores-Drennen
LMBT & Founder of Philosopher's Stone Therapeutic Massage
Serving Haddonfield, NJ and Surrounding Areas
Rhiannon loves helping you solve your pain puzzles! A chronic pain specialist with a sub-specialty in pelvic dysfunction, she understands the huge impact pain can have on your life and is dedicated to helping you reach your health goals so you can enjoy your life fully and whole. Though her style can sometimes be described as "therapeutic fluff," she is not the therapist to see for a "just to treat myself" massage.
Augmenting her initial massage training with multiple courses and certifications including SMRT, ATMAT, and IHPS she has the skills to create effective and lasting change for you. But don't go on blind faith - check out her amazing reviews!
Comments