RATINGS
 Evidence
 Medical Opinion
 Practitioner
 Self-Help
 Compatibility
A
gentle therapy aimed at reintegrating body and mind, Tragerwork, or Trager Psychophysical
Integration, was developed by Dr Milton Trager in the United States. Light,
gentle, nonintrusive movements, such as rocking and stretching, help the body
to enter a state of profound relaxation. This facilitates the release of
deep-seated patterns of physical and mental tension created unconsciously by
past traumas and experiences. The approach has gained popularity, particularly
in the US, with over 800 practitioners
worldwide
treating a variety of conditions from poor posture to asthma.
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HISTORY
Milton
Trager, born in Chicago in 1908, was a professional boxer who found that by
working on people intuitively with his hands he could ease pain, even helping
polio sufferers to walk. He trained as a physical therapist and in 1955 became
a doctor, practicing in Hawaii. He also took up Transcendental Meditation which
greatly influenced him. In 1975 Trager demonstrated his approach at Esalen, the
center of the holistic growth movement in California. It was so successful he
set up a practice in California, founding the Trager Institute in 1980. EVIDENCE & RESEARCH
In
the US, a 1993 study in the journal Spine showed that Tragerwork could
ease pain, and in a 1986 study, symptoms of lung disease eased after two weeks
of therapy.
MEDICAL OPINION
Most
doctors remain neutral toward Tragerwork: they feel that it is unlikely to do
any harm, and would not object to it as a method of relaxation.
CONSULTING
A PRACTITIONER
A
session lasts 60-90 minutes and begins with an assessment. Treatment involves
bodywork and may also include instruction in "Mentastics," a
self-help movement therapy designed to instill a feeling of freedom and grace
in the patient.
For
bodywork you undress to your underwear. No oil is used, as the skin is not
massaged but cradled, stretched, and rocked. The practitioner enters a state of
relaxed, active meditation called "hook up," which makes him aware of
patterns of tension in the patient's body.
When
areas of tension are located, the practitioner eases the contact pressure (most
bodywork increases it) to transmit a sense of freedom and lightness to the
patient. The effect is subtle but cumulative; a typical session includes
thousands of movements, encouraging the patient to surrender muscular control
and "let go." Treatment sets up a ripple effect in tissues, and is
said to reach organs inaccessible by conventional massage. One session may be
sufficient. Many patients claim to feel lighter and freer from pain after
treatment. A Chinese philosopher said he felt like a "dancing cloud"
after therapy, and the Chinese ideogram for this often appears on
practitioners' T-shirts.
PRECAUTIONS
• Tell
your practitioner if you have osteoporosis or thrombosis. |
