Spontaneous Muscle Release Technique Back & Spine

Note: This course is excerpted from the SMRT: Shoulder, Axilla, Ribcage, & Upper Back and the SMRT: Hips, Lower Back, & Abdomen courses.

Course Description: SMRT: Back & Spine video course will help you to work the entire back, including the posterior shoulder, spine, floating ribs, and lower back. You will learn to successfully work with:

• Kyphosis
• Rotation of the floating ribs in order to release QL
• Thoracolumbar fascia shortening
• Thoracic Degenerative Disc Disease
• Thoracic Spondylosis
• Costovertebral Joint Disorders (i.e. arthritis, sprain, overstretching)
• Lordosis
• Lumbar Scoliosis
• And more

SMRT is a positional release modality. The principles of SMRT are similar to Strain Counterstrain and PRT. When we use SMRT, we move the tissue or body part into a position of ease or comfort. In other words, if tissue is shortened, we shorten it further.  What we believe is happening when we do passively move tissue into its existing pattern is described in a theory called Proprioceptive Theory.

Proprioceptive Theory states, in simple terms, that when tissue is in a dysfunctional pattern there is an imbalance in activity between the golgi tendon organs and the muscle spindle cells that leaves the muscle spindle cells more sensitive.  This sensitivity leads to increased restriction and sustained contraction.  SMRT positions decrease muscle spindle cell activity and restore length to shortened tissues.

What is the benefit of SMRT for practitioners?

• faster results, we hold SMRT positions for 20 to 45 seconds
• easy on the therapist, positions should be done in a small, slow, controlled fashion.
• little to no pain for the client
• effective, lasting treatments

Clients receiving SMRT treatments have reported the following:

• that SMRT positions are incredibly relaxing giving them a feeling of euphoria
• that they feel like the smallest movements are working deep within their body
• reduction in pain while the position is being held
• decreased inflammation, typically after one or two positions
• increased movement when the session is over
• results that last longer then other therapies they have experienced

Where should you begin your SMRT courses?

There are 5 courses in our basic series. They are SMRT: Head & Neck (with or without Cranial Sacral Therapy); SMRT: Arm & Hand; SMRT: Shoulder, Axilla, Ribcage, & Upper Back; SMRT: Hips, Lower Back, & Abdomen; and SMRT: Lower Extremities. You may begin your SMRT training with any of these classes either live or through video.

You are on the page for SMRT: Back & Spine. This video course will teach you to work with all of the tissues in the upper and lower back to balance the muscle tone, alleviate or reduce pain, increase ROM, and much more.

More Benefits of Spontaneous Muscle Release Technique:

• Gets you into deep tissues, quickly and painlessly, without “digging deep.”
• Is extremely specific, giving you the ability to target even individual fibers within a muscle.
• Addresses structures beyond muscles; including, ligaments, tendons, and fascia.
• Is easy on your body.
• Is safe and effective for many otherwise contraindicated clients and conditions.
• Keeps your knowledge of anatomy fresh and working for you.
• Allows you to work in areas inaccessible to palpation (pelvic floor, inter-cranial tissues, joint interiors).
• Resets the neutral point between muscle spindle cells and golgi tendon organs.
• Resolves trigger points painlessly.
• Takes you to a new therapeutic level.
• Enhances all other modalities.

Benefits of DVD’s and Digital Downloads:

• Save the travel and tuition money of attending a class.
• No time off required to attend the class.
• Ability to review the demonstrations as often as needed.
• Control of how and when you learn the information.
• Convenience of being able to watch and follow the DVD with the client on the table.

Video course is NCBTMB approved, as well as NY sponsored, for 5 CE’s. Check your state regulations to see how many CE’s you can receive for technique classes done by home study.

What People are Saying About this Course

Evaluation Comments from Back & Spine Course in Couer d’Alene ID May 17-18, 2014

Participants share what they liked best about the Back & Spine Class:

• Everything!
• Always hands on — good demo — but not always easy to see. Wish we had more practice time.
• Very special and interesting!
• I like the demonstrations of release and the ability to practice on each other. Instructors walked around the room to constantly monitor practice.
• Thank you! Thoroughly enjoyed and learned a lot!
• Understanding of the instructor that most of the students need to be shown how to integrate SMRT into their style of work
• Well-informed, well-prepared teachers. Didn’t think I had enough time to practice.
• Well presented. Easily able to integrate into my practice.
• The integrative/SMRT demo. Need better muscular/skeleton visuals.