How Effective is SRT?
This is where I am supposed to wow you and say you will fix your patient in one or two treatments. The principles of SRT are simple, but the body and its ability to move is a complex mechanism.
First, when we use SRT to reprogram involuntary muscle contracture, we are treating the most recent involuntary muscle contracture. So there are layers of contracture that need to be released over time. Therefore, it depends on how many times we have gotten stuck in contracture. The body is complicated and it takes time to figure out what the body needs. You would love for me to say, “It only takes one treatment!” Ha! As therapists you and I both know that would be a lie.
SRT is an incredible tool that every bodyworker needs. It does not replace other forms of treatment, but many times it is just exactly what your patient needs.
Second, we must consider the patients state of health. Soft tissue is very sensitive to our general health. If a patient has a chronic illness or poor health habits, SRT can be effective but it must be used much more sparingly. WHY? Because if the tissues can not easily move out the trapped inflammation that is released with SRT, the patient can experience some unpleasant symptoms. These symptoms can include soreness or an increase in the very illness they are coping with.
If the patient is in fairly good health and there are not many previous accidents, SRT can be incredibly effective. You can also teach your patients how to use SRT for self-treatment.
We can get stuck with involuntary muscle contracture in several ways.
Accidents: This occurs when the movement of our body is very fast, like whiplash. Also in a stress mode, our fight or flight chemicals are activated, and our body is very tense trying to keep us safe. It can be a big accident in a vehicle or a small accident like a slight slip or trip. Our muscles get caught in involuntary muscle contracture because there is not enough time for the brain to signal to the muscles and for them to signal back to the brain.
Sleeping: Our body can become stressed while we are sleeping. This stress can be from dreaming or trying to work out our emotional issues. Stress can also be from external sources such as noise, a change in the weather, a crying baby, or even an earthquake.
Prolonged Posture: This can be from sitting at a computer, talking on the phone, or doing a repetitive movement especially under stress. This prolonged posture can also result from the stress of a big emotional event such as grief, hopelessness, worry, anxiety, or anger.
Since SRT is treating the most recent involuntary muscle contracture, it is not unusual over the course of several treatments for a patient to remember events from their childhood. When we release the involuntary muscle contraction, that “muscle poop” retains some of the chemicals that can stimulate a memory. A patient might say, “I remember playing as a child and falling out of a tree.“What are the principles of SRT?