BY LUANN OVERMYER
Ortho-Bionomy is a system of working with innate reflexes. Ortho-Bionomy bodywork introduces the concept of self-correcting reflexes as the basis for stimulating structural balance and client awareness. Gentle positioning is used to relieve joint and muscle pain and reduce stress. The work is non-forceful and indirect. Through the action of the proprioceptive nerves, natural self- corrective reflexes are stimulated, allowing the client to sense the releases and relaxation of patterns of tension and distress. Due to the gentleness of the techniques, acute pain can be addressed as well as chronic conditions that require more of an on-going process of rehabilitation. The client feels a part of the healing process and is encouraged and empowered to awaken to the potential within him or herself.
Developed and founded by Arthur Lincoln Pauls, a British
osteopath, Ortho-Bionomy has its roots in osteopathy.
Osteopathic principles emphasize structural alignment and
unimpeded circulation of blood and lymph for physical
health. In 1964, an American osteopath, Lawrence Jones,
published an article titled Spontaneous Release by
Positioning. Jones found that by slowly and carefully
exaggerating an abnormal bony posture in such a way as to
make the patient maximally comfortable, an amazing process
unfolded. The patient treated in this gentle fashion
spontaneously relaxed those muscles whose spasms had been
keeping the bones in an abnormal position without force and
without cracking or crunching.
As a Judo instructor, Pauls had often visited an osteopath
for structural manipulation treatments. Although helpful,
the beneficial effects did not last. In order to understand
more about how structure could be corrected and how
function could be lastingly restored, Pauls became a
student of osteopathy. Here he encountered the article by
Jones that intrigued and impressed him and led to his
dedicating himself to the principals of non-force
manipulation as his life's work.
Recognizing that spontaneous release by positioning works
by exaggeration of the lesion, Pauls theorized that the
greater the exaggeration, the longer the release time.
While working with someone whose pain prevented him from
using the standard Jones techniques, Pauls discovered that
subtle exaggeration with slight approximation of the
articulate facets reduced the release time to 30 seconds.
This became Phase Four of Pauls research.
By 1976 Pauls had developed the Phased Reflexed Techniques
of Ortho-Bionomy. The term Ortho-Bionomy means "correct
life studyor science of laws pertaining to life." Pauls
defined the techniques as "the correct application of the
natural laws of life, "Originally the term "phased" was
used because the techniques were developed in stages. Phase
One was Jones' work, Phase Two and Three were early
attempts that proved impractical and difficult to
demonstrate to others. In addition to referring to the
development of the techniques, time and experience has
shown that the term "phase" actually describes the onion
skin effect of the work.
People release in phases, and at a pace that allows their
body to support the structural changes. The term "reflex"
is used because Pauls believed the self-corrective reflex
to be the key factor. While Jones demonstrated that force
is not necessary for correction, the Phased Reflex
Techniques recognized and further developed the potential
for self-correction through increasingly subtle
exaggeration and slight approximation.
These techniques educate the client through awareness and
active involvement to understand how to recognize which
positions relieve the pain, and how to find the optimum
position to stimulate self-correction of the reflex arc
that perpetuates the pain cycle. This is especially
important when the client's compensations become
incorporated into the bodys proprioceptive understanding.
The proprioceptors are nerve endings that give information
concerning movements and position of the body. They are
located primarily in the muscles, tendons and labyrinth of
the inner ear. Proprio means of ones own. Through the
proprioceptive system, the person integrates their
physical, emotional and mental experiences into their own
movement patterns.
In the case of compensations from injuries, a person may
proprioceptively incorporate the trauma pattern into his or
her functioning. For example, a woman has an accident that
injures her normal, healthy structural pattern of movement,
yet she adapts to the trauma and develops patterns somewhat
more limiting, yet still functional.
Pauls found that if you follow the movement patterns
inherent in the tissue and are guided by the persons own
proprioceptive movement, they will come to self-correct
their own structural faults with your support. At the same
time, they can also release emotional and mental trauma
that was generated by the injury. This work he called Phase
Five. He developed Phase Five techniques to allow the
person to direct their own self-correction while the
practitioner follows and supports their autonomic
proprioceptive movements. Pauls described this technique of
self-correction as a mentally-patterned, proprioceptive,
neuro-etheric, muscular reflex.
He also found that these patterns could be sensed by his
proprioceptive nervous system even if he wasnt touching
the person. He found that the self-corrective reflex could
be stimulated within the person by working with his hand
Phase Six proves useful for those whose trauma seems to be
incorporated into their energy system. Yet, these reflexes
can also correct the persons structural faults, as well as
bring them to a clearer understanding of the "accident" or
injury. Since the techniques are non-force and non
traumatic, the client has the opportunity to consciously
remember the original incident that caused the tension, and
to recognize the position that releases the pattern and
pain. Unlike rapid adjustments that try to correct the
lesion before the person has a chance to realize what is
happening, Ortho-Bionomy allows the timing to be a vehicle
for consciousness. During the positioning the person can
experience what causes pain, tension and stress and what
relieves it.
Pauls looked upon this work as an "education of the
structural faults of the body." In his writings he said,
"Remember (that) most manipulative practices are based upon
forceful approaches. It has been proven that the body
responds better when it is given the corrective motive for
change. Change can only come about when the instincts of
the body are summoned up in such a way that the body does
not resist this change. Anything beyond this is force,
which when applied too much, leads only to rebellion of the
self instead of a re-unification of the harmonic whole."
Society of Ortho-Bionomy® International, Inc.