Something to Hit the Spot
By Anita Boser, LMP, CHP
From the Spring 2002 issue of Keeping in Touch, Anita's client newsletter

Where is your spot? Everyone has a spot. It is uniquely theirs as their personality. It can be described as a
chronic pain, discomfort or twinge. It is definitely real, but elusive. The spot defies investigation and may move
from neck to shoulder or from low back to hip. Since nothing seems to help, we do our best to ignore and avoid it.

Hellerwork is a great treatment for these spots. Many clients try Hellerwork hoping, but not really believing, that it wil
l help the pain. Their disbelief is based on the very reasons that makes Hellerwork effective.

Hellerwork does not see the spot as a problem that must be fixed. Instead, it is seen as an important part of the client to be understood. As a practitioner, I see a pain as a symptom, a symptom of another injury or misused area, a symptom of a poor movement pattern, and/or a symptom of a belief.

Every spot on the body is con-nected to many other parts. Body-work that treats the entire body releases tension in other areas, therefore easing the spot's burden. For example, some people have chronic back pain that does not respond to treatment. For some people, the cause of back pain is tight legs. No amount of work on the back will provide a long-term solution if the back is compen-sating for tight legs. This is why the Structural Integration series developed by Ida Rolf and used in Rolfing and Hellerwork gives relief.

Many people who live with sore necks commonly carry their heads in front of their bodies, especially when sitting. As a
result, the neck is con-stantly strained. In this case, the spot is a reaction to a movement pattern. Bodywork in combination with move-ment education provides relief by creating new awareness of the rela-tioship between the head and body.

I see quite a few raised eyebrows when I explain that a pain can be related to a belief. People think that beliefs are in the brain, not the body. I will just tell you about one of my beliefs that affects my body. Deep down, I think that if I want to achieve something, that it must be very hard work. This belief lives in my body around my spine and jaw, creating stiffness. Letting go of this belief is one of the most difficult things I have ever done. But, when I let it go (which isn't all the time), my spine and neck let go and I have a new freedom to achieve with less effort.

The tri-fold approach of using bodywork, dialogue and movement education is so comprehensive that it reaches spots
on a very deep level. Trying to "fix" pain creates resistance. Understanding the spot creates the opportunity to grow through it.

Quote of the Quarter
Have faith in your body. It wants to heal and knows how to do it.
-- Diane Poole Heller, Ph.D.