Releasing Pain When physical therapist Nancy Griggs hit black ice on a mountain road years ago, the broken vertebrae she suffered left her with a back deformity and chronic pain. After raising her family, she returned to her profession with a major focus in mind: to help her patients better manage the type of pain and mobility she herself had experienced and overcame.
Releasing Pain presents a holistic approach to treating past and recent physical trauma, dubbed the Rapid Release Progressive Flexibility program. It’s an exercise system involving craniosacral massage to help release spinal and lower skull soft tissues, and neuromuscular deep tissue muscle massage. The exercises are performed within pain-free range of motion that’s easily accomplished by most individuals.
Griggs notes that early intervention to relieve muscle tension caused by injury is key to preventing chronic pain, which can manifest years after the trauma. Pain and poor mobility can also result from incorrect body alignment during normal daily activities. Rapid Release seeks to realign the injured body by performing specific exercises in the upper and lower extremities, neck and base of skull, and eyes.
Releasing Pain offers easy-to-follow directions supported by extensive illustrations. The author demonstrates how to address the entire spectrum of back/neck/jaw/ankle pain and mobility problems—from bulging disks to unsuccessful back surgery. She also offers exercises for those who spend long hours at a desk and computer.
Case studies and testimonial letters from patients not only affirm the success of Griggs’s technique, but provide real-life perspectives as patients discuss their pain challenges and how quickly the exercises improved mobility.
An index would be a helpful addition, but this isn’t a major detraction. While individuals with back issues should always check with their healthcare providers before beginning a remedial exercise program such as this, the successes the author describes make this book a must-read for those looking for a clearly explained, non-invasive approach to increasing mobility and releasing musculoskeletal pain.
Also available in hardcover and ebook.
