Page 518 - Total War on PTSD

explore other alternatives to find relief. My body had rejected even muscle relaxants which left me with little latitude to journey comfortably forward.
Fortunately, through some serendipitous events, a unique method of psycho-physical integration or somatic movement re-education system called The Trager® Approach came onto my radar. Named after Dr. Milton Trager who developed the technique over his lifetime and professional career, it seemed like a good place to start. At that time, I had only the pain to lose. Though my symptoms were not Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) related, some are shared by those suffering from PTSD. Not being able to follow conventional paths for relief, I felt alone in my pursuit for an effective alternative. For those who may suffer from such symptoms, The Trager Approach may provide them relief.
Alternative approaches, including massage, were considered ‘fringe’ in the late ‘80s as they still lacked wide acceptance. Nearly a decade later, in 1995, hands-on therapies, including The Trager Approach, were cited as “Eye of the Newt Therapies” in the Market Place section of a Wall Street Journal issue. The Trager Approach has stood the test of time. My first experience with The Trager Approach was profound and would prove to be pivotal. Though I had arrived at the session with some discomfort, there was no time during the session that I experienced pain. In fact, most of what I felt was curiosity mixed with relaxation. I was feeling that most, if not all, of my body felt good, not heavy or restricted as it had an hour before. Often during the session, I wondered why the practitioner was working on a part of me seemingly not related to the pain I had been experiencing. Yet, when the session was over, all traces of functional limitation and discomfort were gone. “Where did they go,” I thought to myself, “If they were not worked on directly?”
518 of 1085