In our relentless interconnected 21st century world that never powers down operating 24/7 every day of the year our bodies are subjected to extraordinary physical demands. There is the ancient and famous riddle of the Sphinx: “What is it that has one voice and yet becomes four-footed and two-footed and three-footed?”. In Greek mythology Oedipus provided the correct answer: the human being who crawls on all fours in infancy, walks on two legs in adulthood, and leans on a cane in old age.
But does getting older really have to be like this? Why does it happen in the first place? And what can we do to retain our ability to walk upright and with ease? Despite 21st century scientific breakthroughs in treating numerous diseases and the widespread availability of pain relief medications, more than a third of the world’s population are in some type of pain most or all the time. In the 2017 Health Survey for England, the survey highlighted the prevalence of chronic pain increasing with age, ranging from 18% among those aged 16-34 years to 53% among those 75 years and over. Women (38%) reported a higher prevalence of chronic pain than men (30%). Chronic pain is defined as pain that persists or recurs for longer than 3 months.
For people living in pain for an extended period of time, it can significantly impact emotional wellbeing, concentration, and daily activities, often necessitating lifestyle adjustments.
So what’s the solution? The answer lies in the practice of Clinical Somatics, a core practice at Bodymanoeuvres where Jane Basley uses this profoundly effective therapeutic technique to alleviate clients’ pain and restore their mobility and enjoyment of life. Clinical Somatics focuses on the sensory-motor system, and clients learn how to regain control of their muscles through movement and awareness. Grounded in the principles of neuromuscular education, it addresses the root cause of most musculoskeletal pain - chronic muscular contraction. This happens when we repeat unhelpful movements such as excessive mobile phone use or prolonged desk sitting. By retraining the nervous system to release involuntary muscle tension, Clinical Somatics not only eases pain but also improves mobility, flexibility, and overall bodily function.
Unlike treatments that offer temporary relief, Clinical Somatics empowers individuals to make lasting changes to their physical and mental health. It teaches clients to become active participants in their healing journey, fostering a deep connection with their bodies that transcends the physical aspects of health. The technique utilises pandiculation to relieve chronic pain. As human beings, we pandiculate when we stretch or yawn, especially when waking up. If you’ve ever seen a dog or cat arch their back when they get up from a nap, or watched a baby stretch their arms and legs as they wake up, you’ve witnessed the pandicular response.
Clinical Somatics engages the nervous system in an active learning process that consists of very slow, focused, conscious movements. The exercises used teach the nervous system how to release chronic muscle tension so that we can learn to stand and move in a more natural and efficient way.
It’s effective because it addresses the underlying cause of most muscle and joint pain: the way the nervous system functions. Clinical Somatics has proven effective in treating a wide array of conditions such as back pain, breathing issues, disc problems, forward head posture, hip and knee pain, neck and shoulder tension and pain, plantar fasciitis, and sciatica among others. Importantly, once learned, the exercises can be continued at home, eliminating the need for frequent, costly visits to practitioners.
If a medical practitioner has ruled out disease, infection, or structural damage as being the cause of chronic pain in the body, it’s fairly safe to say that the pain is a result of the way the body is being used. Thomas Hanna, the movement theorist that developed our modern-day somatic exercises, believed that as we age, our bodies and our lives should continue to improve right up until our final moments. This philosophy underpins Clinical Somatics, offering a hopeful perspective for those seeking to reclaim their mobility and quality of life, no matter what their age.
