What is Spinal Touch? 

It is a method of correcting postural distortion by adjusting the sacrum so that the body’s natural centre of balance is in line with its centre of gravity. The technique is deceptively simple and most clients are surprised at the excellent results gained with so little effort. 

Where does it come from?

This technique was developed by a Dr John Hurley in the 1920’s. He had been a structural engineer and considered that the same principles of balance and control of stress that could render a building strong or useless might well be applied to the human body. In a quest to pursue his idea he became a chiropractor receiving his degree from Palmer Chiropractic College in Iowa in 1918/19. He married a fellow student and together they developed this technique which is based on solid engineering principles, laws of leverage, physiology and acupuncture meridians.

 Why is posture so important?

When the body is in alignment it is at its most efficient.

This is because, in any structure when all parts are correctly aligned, the centre of gravity runs directly through the centre in the direction of the earth’s gravitational pull. The body’s centre of gravity is at the junction between the lowest vertebrae and the sacrum. It is a dynamic fulcrum and when we are balanced we are able to move with maximum efficiency and less strain. For this to happen, the sacrum must be correctly aligned.

Unfortunately life tends to throw us out of balance, injuries, repetitive tasks, long hours sitting at a terminal, unbalanced training and stress can create muscle tension which creates postural anomalies and pulls us out of balance. The result is pain, tiredness, poor mood and disease.

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How?

In practice the client needs to undress down to their underwear. He or she stands in front of a plumb-line on a specially made board. The practitioner then asses the posture by comparing the direct line of gravity (the plumb-line) with the centre of the clients body. This allows the practitioner to work out a point of correction; some marks will be made with a washable make-up pencil. ( I clean this off at the end although some like to keep the marks to show a partner at home)

The client then lies very comfortably face down on the couch while the therapist firstly holds a contact point, this is the area which influences the sacrum, then “rubs out” specific points on the body, this is a very light massage movement and is very relaxing. Many clients fall asleep and most are reluctant to get up!

The whole process take less than 30 minutes (I often let them sleep a bit longer)

The body is re-assessed at the plumb-line so that changes can be monitored.

Reaction Time

For many clients the body naturally adjusts in just a few sessions with no discomfort at all. All are aware of a change and report a feeling of renewed comfort within their body and an increase in personal energy. This energy increase often encourages a return to active physical activities, an increase in fitness and even an improvement in bodyweight. It is important to remember that despite the soft touch approach major changes are going on and some people will report a few days of feeling bad. If the existing distortion is long term and chronic there may even be a return of acute symptoms before the body becomes completely comfortable again.

It is important to be a patient patient. Distortions have happened over a period of years cannot be mended in a 30 minute session and an attempt to do so would result in a severe crisis for the body. 

Normal adaptation pattern is

You may have to go through the same route backwards to health however the acute phase is not so long and symptoms can be minimised using massage techniques. Sometimes therapies are mixed in order to maximise results the occasional deep tissue massage and Hyperton-X treatment will release adhesions, restore inactive muscles and break down scar tissue to ensure a more efficient recovery.

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