The Motion Dynamics Ltd. stretch therapy system combines the best parts of Active Isolated Stretching – The Mattes Method, fascial stretch and neuromuscular release techniques. Our signature Stretch and Align protocolreturns your body to anatomically correct posture, reducing pain and maximising mobility. Results driven, individually designed treatments.
Chris recently shared an example of how effective this work can be.
“Recently, a surfer client walked through the door here at Motion Dynamics Ltd. looking like the leaning tower of Pisa. He was hobbling, tipping to the right and dragging his left hip. This was a man walking as if his handbrakes were on and one of his wheels was about to fall off.”
The client suffered from total hip/lumbo/pelvic dysfunction. He was physically exhausted from the excruciating pain it was causing in his lower back. Not a happy surfer.
Managing acute pain
With such acute pain, Motion Dynamics Ltd. would normally refer the client to a pain management specialist. But this client has experienced how I work mechanically and structurally on realignment. Every time he enters our facility with another sports injury, we succeed in sending him out walking bolt upright with only a trace of the irritation he came in with.
As a keen surfer, he is broad shouldered, brawny from all the paddling and one of our most fit and body savvy clients. Last year he had a surgery to remove a disk at Lumbar 3 and a laminectomy at the same joint to allow the nerve to pass freely through. His back extension from all the years of surfing had caused so much compression on that joint that it had completely dried out and crumbled from the overuse.
Our Core
At the core of the Motion Dynamics Ltd stretch therapy system is our Stretch and Align protocol. It always starts with a postural analysis to evaluate mechanical and structural alignment. This identifies how the body has compensated for misalignment, what tissues are short and restricted, and what muscles are deficient, inhibited and weak.
This is performed in both weight bearing and non-weight bearing positions to assess the differing effects of gravity on the body. The first step is to use muscle energy and positional release techniques to reduce the neural tension on the joints and soft tissue. This will release some of the compressive forces on the nerves and ligaments that are guarding the movements and causing the discomfort.
The postural analysis revealed the pelvis was anteriorly (forward) tilted 20 degrees on both ilia. The lower back was so hypertonic (overworked and constricted) that not even a finger could get past the epidermal layers. It was like a bullet proof vest wrapped around his lower back. He is only 42 years old.
With the Motion Dynamics Ltd stretch therapy system, recovery from sports injuries and scar tissue is fast and functional. This is an active and dynamic assisted movement program that gets the client completely involved in their own rehabilitation. It is very empowering.
Once the body is Stretched and Aligned then it is time to re-set the stretch reflexes by “turning on” the muscles and tissues that have become dormant and deficient. This is assisted stability training. We use light resistance with precise focus on form and function.
After 90 minutes of gentle assisted flexibility and stability techniques to realign, rebalance and retrain the Hip/Lumbo/Pelvic region, I asked our intrepid surfer to walk around and get a sense of his new posture.
He arrived with a distorted grimace and a discernable grunt from the pain. He left with a very happy disposition and only mild irritation in his left lumbar quadrant. More importantly, he knew that with careful attention to movement and alignment, and gentle Active Isolated Stretching, he can maintain and improve what we started on his own.
The results are always gratifying for all parties
Chris Watts introduced this functional and remedial manual therapy modality to Hong Kong and is Asia’s pioneer in stretch therapy. With over 35,000 clients, Chris has a track record of successfully relieving pain syndromes, improving movement patterns, and re-habituating poor posture.
Chris Watts, Founder and CEO, Motion Dynamics Ltd.