» About The St. John Method of Neuromuscular Therapy
The St. John method of neuromuscular therapy was developed by Paul St. John in 1978 and is based on the Receptor Tonus Technique* - a method that states there is much within all of our tissues (not only bone on nerve) that causes much pain and stiffness and an inability to move properly. St. John took what he learned from the Recptor Tonus Technique and created a streamlined, very specific modality to address musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction. St. John sums up 5 areas to address:
- A lack of blood within tissue causing it to become hardened and sensitive to the touch (ischemia)
- This hardened tissue that, when pressed on, creates pain in unrelated areas of the body (trigger points).
- Possible impingement on nerve fibers by either soft tissues (muscles, ligaments, joints), or bone tissue
- Postural distortion (torque and/or other imbalances in the bony framework of the body, i.e., one shoulder higher than the other)
- Poor gait; i.e., inability to move efficiently
Numbers one through four are addressed through muscle specific massage techniques, along with stretch/strengthening movement patterning to aid in the balancing of the structure. Number five is addressed with gait evaluation and awareness.
The objective of the St. John method is to relieve muscular pain through a systematic program that includes first, an evaluation of the person’s posture, then a specific routine using massage and movement therapy addressing the 5 factors above (in order). Following this protocol is extremely effective in releasing contracted areas of soft tissue which pull our bony structures out of proper balance, make efficient movement difficult, if not impossible, and produce mild to debilitating pain.
* The Receptor Tonus Technique was developed by Raymond Nimmo, DC sometime after his graduation from Parker College of Chiropractic in 1931 (Nimmo died in 1986). Nimmo was “ahead of his time” discovering that the bone out of place theory was not all there was to the story of musculoskeletal pain (pain caused by muscle and skeletal problems). Thus, the Receptor Tonus Technique was born.