Page 470 - Total War on PTSD

minutes of Mentastics is measurable in Heart Rate Variability studies (Dr Gebhard Breuss, Heidi Stieg-Breuss, Dr Alfred Lohinger, www.autonomhealth.com). The Heart Rate Variability of the client is also measurably changed. Heart rate variability is a well- known measure of emotional resilience and relaxation/stress measurement. Shifts in mind states to enhance relaxation increase levels of comfort whereas stress is known to exacerbate pre-existing painful conditions.
Dr. David Hubbard, formerly Medical Director at Sharp Pain Rehabilitation Services, Sharp Health Care, San Diego, CA, published studies in Spine, (18, 13, 1803-1807, 1993) that showed that intrafusal muscle fibers that figure prominently in fibromyalgia were innervated by the sympathetic nervous system. It was found that painful muscular conditions were exacerbated by sympathetic nervous system arousal. Dr. Hubbard used The Trager Approach in his clinic to facilitate the release of these sympathetically stimulated mechanisms that were causing pain. He found that The Trager Approach, with its invitatory touch dialogue which includes compressions and elongations of the muscle spindles, elicited relaxation responses.
Muscular changes may also be elicited through the mental movement
explorations, Mentastics, of The Trager Approach. Utilizing self-inquiry, Mentastics helps to keep a moment-by-moment awareness of what is occurring within the framework of the body, the mind in relationship to the environment and how that is feeling to us. An important component of these movement explorations is to stay within pain-free ranges of motion to reinforce movement without painful consequence. The range of motion expansion should remain acceptable and comfortable. Much like the table-work
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