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couple of
months ago, someone suggested I try Body Stress Release
(BSR). Both my parents were ill and I was working six
days a week - I couldn't have been a more suitable
candidate. |
BSR
practitioners believe that when we are faced with
mental. emotional, mechanical or chemical stress,
unless we do something about it, the resulting
tension remains in the body. 'Muscles respond in one of
two ways,' says BSR practitioner Peter van Minnen. 'They
can either be supportive, which is their natural design,
or adopt a protective mode. When there is excess
tension, muscles become "defensive",
effectively creating a splint around the area. And this
tension can remain in the body for years after the
original trauma.' Rather than loosen a contracted
muscle, as with massage, BSR aims to stimulate the body
into releasing in its own time.
At the first appointment, van Minnen makes
an assessment of where stress is held by monitoring the
body's response to pressure.
'What sets BSR apart from chiropractic is that we use
muscle testing to determine where the tension is,' he
explains. 'When I apply slight pressure to an area of
tension anywhere in the body, one leg will shorten. If
there is no tension, there will be no response.' leg
length is constantly checked throughout the treatment.
To create a healing reaction in the body,
practitioners apply gentle, but firm pressure in the
opposite direction to the one the muscle is contracting
in. 'We use minimal pressure, so this doesn't release
the tension itself, but it is sufficient to elicit a
response in the muscle.'
Sometimes the effect will be
immediate, and in other cases, it can take for to seven
days. 'We usually see a complete clearance in three to
four sessions,' he adds.
My treatment is surprisingly short and,
although I felt more relaxed, I didn't really expect it
to make much difference. It was while eating supper an
hour later that I began to feel its effect. |
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I became more relaxed, I began to experience an odd
sensation in my arms which made it an effort to lift my
knife and fork. I realized it war if I had no muscle
tension in my arms.
HISTORY
BSR was founded in the 1980s by South African
chiropractors Ewald and Gayle Meggersee. At the age of
five, Ewald fell out of a tree and was in a coma for a
week.
Throughout his childhood and early adulthood he suffered
severe cramping and shooting pains. Eventually, he lost
sensation in his lower body on several occasions. The
fear of becoming paralysed made the couple decide to
move to the US and train as chiropractors. While there,
they met retired chiropractor, Dr Richard van Rumpt, who
introduced then to biofeedback, a technique that uses
signals from the body to determine treatment options,
which they used to develope BSR. As a result of BSR
treatment, Ewald, now in his 50s, no longer has pain,
and all sensation has returned to his lower body. |
EVIDENCE
The therapy is too new to have had any major studies
conducted into its efficiency, although there is a large
body of evidence in the form of case studies, which can
be read on the website (see Resources). Practitioners in
South Africa are keen to conduct trials on BSR, so more
formal research may be available in the future. |
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WHO
SHOULD USE IT?
Van Minnen stresses that BSR doesn't claim to heal
medical conditions, rather it releases tension that may
be causing pain or inhibiting the effective functioning
of the organ. The most common complaints he works with
are back pain, sciatica, headache, neck and shoulder
pain, work-related stress and sports injuries. However,
he says 'As most of the population suffers from stress
at some point in their lives, the therapy is suitable
for anyone, whether it's a baby with birth trauma, or a
pensioner with osteoporosis.'
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CONTRADICTIONS
People who have had a recent operation should wait for
three months before having BSR. Pregnant women can be
treated but, during the third trimester, extra care will
be taken to avoid the diaphragm area. If you have a back
problem, van Minnen advises seeing a back specialist for
a diagnosis before beginning treatment with him. |
COSTS
Treatments cost around £35 a session, and last for 30
minutes. Van Minnen also offers concessions, at £25,
for pensioners, children and the unwaged. |
RESOURCES
Call Van Minnen, on 020 7379 7662 or 01959 565926. To
find a practitioner, visit
www.bodystressrelease-uk.co.uk. |
CASE
STUDY
Artist Richard Hook met Peter van Minnen at a party. 'I
suffered from back problems and had been to an
osteopath, but van Minnen could see I still had
problems. I made an appointment to see him and, quite
simply, I went in with pain and came out without it.
Because the nature of my work is stressful, I go to see
van Minnen regularly - he puts me right and I feel
wonderful. With van Minnen, there's no crunching and it
works.' |
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