WHAT IS BATES THERAPY?

Bates Therapy aims at the root of NON-SPECIFIC pain.

The approach to pain is holistic, working in the belief that all parts of the body are connected and interrelated.

The roots mean the original accidents we have experienced in our lifetime. Maybe as toddlers we fell down the stairs, off chairs, tables and benches. As children we may have fallen off our bikes, out of trees, off fences, the roof of the house, or perhaps hit our heads under the house.

The child receives a pat on the head, kiss it better, and if lucky some ointment or a band-aid to pacify them.

A large number of injuries occur in our younger years from playing sport, rugby tackles, basketball leaping in the air only to crash on the court, fallen off horses, ladders, snow and water skiing accidents, slipping on hard surfaces, car accidents and any number of other accidents. After a few days of soreness, we begin to feel better and believe we are over the injury.

Most of us have watched the T.V. show, "Funniest Home Video’s," and laugh at the unexpected misfortunes of children and adults. Have you noticed how the bodies have impacted on a sudden stop? For example; landing on the head severely impacts the vertabrae in the neck and upper back, and severe whiplash of the neck may result. Landing on the tailbone impacts the lower spine, not to mention the broken bones and sprains.

Later in life, we have stiffness and pain, so we go to the doctor, physiotherapist, chiropractor, osteopath, or massage therapist for relief. For a short time we feel relaxed, stand straighter, and again, we believe we are over the injury. After a period of time, days, weeks or months the pain returns, like a nagging toothache until one day, something as simple as picking up a newspaper off the floor, leaning over to clean teeth, or reaching into a high cupboard, you suddenly find yourself unable to move!

Bed rest has little benefit, surgery for extreme cases, traction and corsets often make the problem worse, and anti-inflammatory drugs all too often have little long term relief from pain.

Many of the treatments concentrate on relieving the present attack of pain, but do little to prevent future attacks.

I believe we should be looking beyond the present attack of non-specific pain to the deep-rooted cause. When a patient has intermittent skeletal or muscular pain the basic problem is there ALL the time.

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

IF YOU DON’T MAINTAIN YOUR BODY WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO LIVE?

We maintain our homes, clean, paint, mow the lawn, and trim hedges. We maintain the computer, TV, dishwasher and furnish our homes to make us feel comfortable and relaxed. Or, we sell the house and buy another! The house may fall into disrepair through lack of maintenance. We need another home to live in so we build or buy another home!

What’s the difference with our bodies?

We can’t buy another muscle, tendon, ligament or bone..yet!!!!