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Can You Use SMRT on the Hips?
I recently was teaching a class on the lower extremities, and many of the therapists were focused on the hip. We were changing the hip balance by working on the lower extremities. One therapist came in with TFL pain that he had been foam rolling constantly for months without lasting pain relief. He was working with a personal trainer and could not get lasting relief.How SMRT Can Help
For 10 minutes, I used SMRT to work on his abdominal muscles, hip position, and femur position. Then I coached him in how to move from a bone level to engage his glute max muscle, which lacked tone. Without the bodywork he would have been unable to fully engage his glute max and would have (as had been the case for awhile) gotten limited or no relief. He approached me half an hour later to say that he had engaged the glute by moving the bone multiple times and he already felt significantly better.
Another student was complaining of posterior sacrum pain. SMRT work on her rectus abdominis and pubic symphysis (which took all of 2 minutes) did the trick. Her pain completely alleviated.
SMRT as a Tool for Elderly Care
Today, I worked on the mother of a client. She is an 85 year old woman with bilateral knee replacements and a right hip replacement. She has been in pain for quite some time and gone to multiple docs and physical therapists. I began by working on the right side of her abdomen, then moved into the lateral and posterior hip. With SMRT I was able to work through her clothes, which would have been difficult for her to remove, and unlock the bound up muscles along her right side.
When she got up off the table, she stood straight up and said she didn’t feel the need for her cane. I later received a text from the client that reads, “Thanks so much for today. My mom said she was pain free and so excited…it means so much to all of us!!!” Feeling accomplished!!!
Ready to Learn?
I would love to teach you to do this! Find a SMRT class near you or check out our home-study course.
Tags: anatomy, hips, massage, massage therapy, SMRT, spontaneous muscle release technique
