Spinal reflex analysis, or SRA, is the technique that the therapist is performing. This is the description from spinalreflexanalysis.com:
"Where all other therapies currently focus on simple reflex reactions, Spinal Reflex Analysis (SRA) focuses on the ASR, the root cause of these reactions. SRA is a fast and extremely accurate system of identifying the involved axial spinal reflex and 'turning them off' through specific SRA based treatment programs."
Basically, she's working directly with the nerves to "turn them off". What this means is, my muscles won't hurt nearly as much. I also think that it will prevent them from getting to the pain stage so easily.
I have only had one treatment, which was last Friday. I didn't say too much about it then, mainly because I wanted to have the information in once place. I did find the one site dedicated to SRA, but i didn't find a whole lot of information besides that. This is a new treatment, so I'm really not that surprised. I will post the link in the sidebar and try to describe it as best I can.
She places her finger on a specific nerve, in a specific pattern. To begin with, the pain level is about a 4 or so...just under flinching away stage. She keeps her finger on that place, and asks me to move my eyes in a certain pattern. The way she explained it to me, moving the eyes stimulates the nerves in your brain, and the pain gradually fades to nothing. She continues this through a certain pattern for about an hour. I looked for a graphic of this on the internet, but I didn't find one in the couple minutes that I looked. I will try to get the copy of the one she gave me on here eventually.
When I went in last week, I was really sore and really tense. When I left, I was pretty relaxed. That night, and the next day, my muscles felt okay, but my skin was really tender. I think it might have something to do with the release of lactic acid and other chemicals from my achy muscles. My eyes also hurt a little, I'm assuming since I moved them around so much. We will see if this happens again, and if that reaction is normal.
I have not taken my painkillers for a couple weeks now. Not that I haven't been in enough pain to take them: I have. But I think that my t'ai chi, combined with the SRA is helping me to remain relaxed enough to keep the pain at a bearable level. I hope this will improve over time.
My second SRA appointment is today. I'll post sometime after that.
1 comment:
Hello Amy,
My name is Dr. Frank Jarrell. A collegue of mine in Atlanta, GA forwarded your blog reference to SRA and indicated that you were new to SRA and that I may want to assist in explaining the process to you.
First, I want to compliment you on a tremendous looking wabsite/blog. It is very professional in design.
SRA Attachment Point Therapy (APT) is one of several procedures available to various professions to reduce the Axial Spinal Reflex (a cord mediated withdraw reflex) and its' adverse effects on nerve, muscle and joint.
When your therapist is applying mild pressure to the tendon attachment points in a given reflex pattern, he or she is stimulating receptors in the muscle, tendons and deeper tissues in a controled fashion to produce a specific physiological response in the muscles, joints, and nerves.
One receptor stimulated in this procedure, that for low grade pain, conveys information through the spinal cord and on to the pain analgesic centers of the brain.
More specifically, the paraaquaduct grey portion of the Thalamus, a part of the brain stem. This area will release neurotransmitters and analgesics that are transported back to the spinal cord and cause the "fading pain" effect of this technique. As the point is held longer the chemical build-up will cause a drop in tone or tightness in multiple muscles associated with the reflex ("lengthening response").
Although it is a procedure that triggers nerve stimulation and nerve induced nerotransmitter release, the actual pressure is not on the nerves per say, it is on the muscle and tendon end points.
The level of pain should be well below the "splinting" or tension reaction stage and should be relatively comfortable. Pain that causes splinting (as in deep tissue work or injury) releases a different set of neurochemicals that trigger adrenaline and other fight or flight responses.
All ppoints worked are specific to the assessment she performed in the beginning of the session. Not following the charts would be completely ineffective.
The web site is devoted mostly to proffesional continuing education and therfore does not have a great amount of information available to the general public. We will provide more access in the near future as people indicate the need.
Mild soreness after the first or second session is not uncommon and is noted more in those with lower than average core body tempuratures. Please inform your therapist if this persists. She will need to apply a lighter pressure during your sessions.
I hope this information helps in your understanding of this exciting and new approach to pain and dysfunction.
Please feel free to discuss this more with your therapist or contact us at info@spinalreflex.com.
My staff and myself will assist you as best we can.
Sincerely,
Dr. Frank Jarrell
Director of Spinal Reflex Institute, Intl.
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