certain point, we reach our limit and begin to feel like a ‘train wreck.’
Body work can help you fi nd your homeostasis. By eating fewer infl ammatory foods and reducing your body’s exposure to harmful chemicals, you allow your body to heal itself. But if your internal body is in chronic dysfunction, you probably need a little help. Body work can push you in the right direction.
Gentle Therapy One form of body work is Integra-
tive Manual Therapy (IMT). IMT is a gentle hands-on therapy that can identify underly- ing causes for pain and illness. By using IMT to treat these underlying problems, relief from pain and illness can be achieved.
For example, when there are biome-
The world is beginning to understand us. Is it time for you to live the life you want?
Graduate Programs
• Integrative Health and Healing • Consciousness Studies • Learning & Thinking • Organizational Leadership • Writing and Oral Tradition • Conflict
• Conflict Transformation Certificate programs • Ecotherapy
• Integrative Health Coach & Patient Navigation
• Integrative Health & Healing • Applied Storytelling • Social Harmony Coaching Programs • Tranformative Coach Training • Enhanced Transformative Coach Training
chanical or joint problems at the pelvis, sa- crum, and low back, a traditional approach of stretching and exercise can stretch out stiff muscles and looser joints, but this type of approach typically does not affect the tight joints which might be the true cause of the person’s pain and symptoms. Smooth and painless movement comes from normal joint mobility and alignment. IMT addresses this.
Restore Alignment and Mobility, Reduce Infl ammation
Muscle spasms that often accompany long-standing pain may be symptomatically helped with heat or cold. When a muscle is in spasm, stretching and/or exercise does not release the spasm. Gentle hands-on techniques such as IMT can restore mobil- ity to the spine and lower back, correct the position of the pelvis and the sacrum, and restore normal alignment between the lumbar spine and the sacrum. Once the joint alignment is restored, and there is less infl ammation in the region, stretching and exercise will be much more effective to help create more movement. After the muscle spasm is released, the normal muscle tissue helps to maintain joint mobility, which can then allow you to return to stretching and exercise programs.
Finding the Underlying Cause
In addition to treatment of joint align- ment with IMT, there are many underlying reasons why a person might experience pain that’s not necessarily related to a particular injury. Often, pain is compounded by in- fl ammation, digestive problems, circulation issues, and much more. When something in the body requires protection (for example, something related to circulation or immu-
22 Natural Nutmeg - April 2015
The idea that we can be energetic and pain-free into our later years is a foreign concept for many. How many of us feel like a train wreck most of the time? The ability to participate in leisure and sports activi- ties with your friends and loved ones can be a reality when you implement the right changes in your diet and make some simple changes in your lifestyle. Finding the right manual therapist or body worker can aid in this process.
We all know that change is never the easy route and often unwelcomed. At a cer- tain point, we all seek out change when we feel ‘bad enough.’ Eating fewer infl amma- tory foods, reducing harmful chemicals in your environment, changing your cleaning and body products, and receiving manual therapy will lead you in the right direction and provide the resources that allow your body to heal itself.
Ayelet Connell-Giammatteo, PhD, PT, IMT,C is the President and Owner of Integrative Wellness and Physical Therapy in Bloom- fi eld, CT, a wellness center specializing in holistic Physical Therapy, Integrative Manual Therapy (IMT), and nutritional wellness. Dr. Connell-Giammatteo is a Physical Therapist and Certifi ed Integrative Manual Therapist. She has been practicing in the fi eld of IMT for over 15 years. Dr. Connell-Giammatteo is a graduate of the Institute of Functional Medicine’s program “Applying Functional Medicine into Clinical Practice” focusing on nutritional wellness. She has written many articles on the subjects of IMT, healthy living, natural parenting, and nutritional wellness. She has been living in the Greater Hartford area for many years, where she in- tegrates a healthy lifestyle at home with her wonderful family. See ad on page 21.
nity), the body’s tendency is to inhibit move- ment—to ‘lock up.’ This lack of movement can cause persistent pain and stiffness. IMT uses a comprehensive, hands-on assess- ment process to identify underlying causes of pain. Once these sites of dysfunction are found, a customized IMT treatment plan is developed to treat the underlying issues and restore normal movement in the body. The treatment plan consists of gentle hands-on techniques to promote greater health and a pain-free lifestyle.
171 Amity Rd., Bethany, CT, 06524
203-874-4252
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44