Garfield Soft-Tissue Therapy
Bowen Therapy

John Garfield

Burleigh Natural Therapies
Pain and Injury Clinic

Rid yourself of Pain now!

Gentle..Effective.. Take the first step towards being pain free!

*Call John now on (07) 55 200 644 for an appointment.*

Garfield Soft-Tissue Therapy

Effective control of Musculo-skeletal & Neural Pain

Garfield Soft-Tissue Therapy is a gentle and effective therapy suitable for all ages. It is said that with the right key the door will open easily, and this is the philosophy of Garfield Soft-Tissue Therapy, believing that the therapist should work with the body, promoting it to heal, instead of forcefully trying to make a change and risk putting the body into stress.

There are many bodily systems, all of which are capable of causing musculo-skeletal pain. These including the muscular, neural, skeletal, fascial, cranio-sacral, lymphatic, and visceral systems. While there are excellent therapies available that address several of these systems it is not uncommon to have, to some extent, many or all of the above systems involved to a greater or lesser degree when you are dealing with pain and injury.

Garfield Soft-Tissue Therapy, as named by soft tissue therapist John Garfield, was born out of necessity, as a way to address the complex nature of musculo-skeletal and neural pain in a more effective way than commonly available. It has strong foundations in many respected healing modalities, including the soft tissue therapies of Bowen Therapy and Osteopathy (Cranio-Sacral Therapy, Strain Counterstrain, Visceral Manipulation and Muscle Energy Technique) along with effective methods that John has developed from over a decade of clinical practice and much research.

The need for a name for John’s treatment method eventually became apparent as many visitors to his clinic, after having a successful resolution or improvement of their condition often asked if there were any similar therapies in their home town or city to continue their recovery or maintenance program.

They were often disappointed in their attempts, and he realized it was time to give his treatment method a name to avoid confusion, as it was definitely different to Bowen Therapy that John provides and highly respects, having trained to the highest level. As a result John now practices two separate modalities, Garfield Soft-Tissue Therapy and Bowen Therapy.

An important part of John’s treatment is his ability to often identify the originator of the musculo-skeletal or neural pain and incorporate rehabilitation exercises into your recovery & preventative program. This method is especially effective for the control of chronic (long term) injuries where muscle shortening through structural adaptation has programmed these over contracted muscles to stay that way and unless skilfully reprogrammed, full recovery will be short lived.

Garfield Soft-Tissue Therapy does not claim to “fix” everyone, although it has a very high success rate. John has a strong referral base of health & medical professionals and will not hesitate to refer you should he believe your condition is out of his range of expertise, or that your condition may be better suited to another form of treatment.

What can I expect of my Treatment?

Garfield Soft-Tissue Therapy or Bowen Therapy

Garfield Soft-Tissue Therapy & Bowen Therapy (See individual brochures for a detailed explanation) briefly works by releasing contracture of the neurological tension gauges in our muscles & tendons that control our muscle tone. When these gauges are overly tight through physical and/ or emotional trauma, muscular pain & joint restriction often result. Garfield Soft-Tissue Therapy and Bowen Therapy, by releasing these gauges, allows the muscles & importantly the skeletal structures to return to a neutral, less painful position which gives the body the opportunity to heal. This is usually not instantaneous, just as a small cut will always heal given the right conditions, there is also a time frame that the body requires for the inflammation & healing process to be completed.

During your initial consultation of Garfield Soft-Tissue Therapy or Bowen Therapy I will advise you of my findings and suggest a treatment regime that offers you the best chance of reduction or elimination of your complaint. A very high percentage of people report improvement after the first or second visit. Treatment frequency is individualised, averaging 1 to 2 treatments a week for 3 to 6 weeks.

The treatment consists of a series of moves or holds across these tension gauges with medium digit pressure applied. It is very relaxing & also benefits many systems of the body aiding to improve health & wellbeing. You may stay fully clothed if you are wearing loose fitting clothing or they have some stretch. If not you will be asked if you would mind partially disrobing & be draped appropriately.

The treatment has pauses or breaks in working on the body. This is a unique & important part of the healing process of Garfield Soft-Tissue Therapy and Bowen Therapy. Thomas Ambrose Bowen (Bowen Therapy’s originator) proved beyond doubt that these pauses in treatment give superior results. During these rests, averaging for 30 seconds to 2 minutes I allow your body to rest and start its healing process.

How can such light & minimal touch be effective? There is scientific research supporting the many components of Garfield Soft-Tissue Therapy’s and Bowen Therapy’s efficiency. This is reinforced by John’s full time clinical results of over a decade helping people. There is a saying that "With the right key the door will open easily." Put another way we have all experienced a drawer that became stuck. As hard as you pulled to make it open the more jammed it became. It was not until you pushed it in the opposite direction (closing) that on your next attempt it opened easily. So it is with the human body. It often just needs a skilful, gentle and persuading hand to heal. There are much better ways available than to use force.

The treatments are quality based & long duration is definitely not conductive to optimal results. Because of this I don’t have a set treatment duration for every client. You are an individual with individual needs. When I have reached the optimal result for the treatment I cease work. To continue would jeopardise an optimal outcome. The average time with me for a treatment ranges from 30 to 45 minutes duration. Fees are per treatment not by time for this important reason.

“Garfield Soft-Tissue Therapy” and “Bowen Therapy”
by John Garfield

“Maximum Precision - Minimum Force – Optimum Outcome”

MUSCLES MOVE BONES

How can a Soft Tissue Therapist trained in Garfield Soft-Tissue Therapy and Bowen therapy put your spine back into alignment without using a fast, sudden manipulation as performed by a Chiropractor?

Dr Warren Hammer a world renowned chiropractor & author who lectures & trains chiropractors throughout the world in the importance of working on the soft tissues of the body (muscles, tendons, ligaments & fascial connective tissue) has this to say about the spine and its movement ....

To quote Dr Hammer....

“The spine does not support the human body. A tent pole cannot hold up a tent by itself. It is the guy wires that attach to the tent pole that are responsible for the shape and movement of that pole. Movement of the tent pole is limited by the attached guy wires. If the guy wires (muscles & fascia) are stressed due to shortness or tension then the tent pole no matter how it is moved will not be able to substantially affect the guy wires. A subluxation (joint misalignment) does not exist in a vacuum. A vertebral segment is a passive structure made up of bones, discs, cartilage and ligamentous structures. Adjusting this segment cannot adjust all of the supporting chronic soft tissue stress that surrounds it.

Soft tissue treatment of the muscles and fascia is a method of preventing subluxations (joint misalignment). Soft tissue treatment is a method of preventing subluxations from returning after they are treated. An adjustment often cannot prevent a subluxation from reappearing unless all the forces responsible for its appearance are modified.

As a practicing doctor of chiropractic for over 40 years I (Dr Hammer) have realized that the most satisfying part of my practice has been to release patients from care as soon as they have reached maximum improvement. As a famous mentor of mine once stated: "Find it, fix it and leave it alone." For their own benefit, it is necessary to make patients less dependent on the doctor and teach them active care to maintain their progress.

The second most satisfying aspect of practice has been the incorporation into daily practice the constant flow of new scientific information that relates to the clinical improvement of the patient. Of critical importance has been the incorporation of all valid methods and techniques of soft tissue evaluation and treatment.

I believe that all joint manipulations of the human body require evaluation of the soft tissue attachments to these joints. Joints cannot move themselves and the relationship of surrounding muscles and connective tissue both near and far from the sources of pain must be analysed and treated. Soft tissue techniques increase the effectiveness of chiropractic manipulation and are essential for the treatment of extremity lesions i.e. shoulder, hip, knee.” end of quote.

Dr Warren Hammer D.C.
Reference material from Dr Hammer’s Articles.

Drawings of some of the muscles that give our spine its finer movement which also can lock it out of position.

Visceral Manipulation -
The missing Link in Musculoskeletal Pain & Healthcare

What is Visceral Manipulation?

Visceral Manipulation (VM) (Viscera—internal organs/ Manipulation– gentle correction by hand) is an exciting breakthrough in the treatment of muscular, organic & skeletal pain & conditions. Developed by renowned French Osteopath, Jean– Pierre Barral (pictured). His claims have been validated by medical research. Citing his development of Visceral Manipulation, Time Magazine named Jean-Pierre Barral DO, one of the Top Healing Innovators to watch in the new millennium. Some 30 years ago Mr Barral was working as an osteopath when he bumped into a client down the street who he had unsuccessfully tried to relieve his back pain. He was pain free. On enquiring he was told he was fixed by an old man up in the mountains who had worked around his stomach which resulted in a prompt resolution of his pain. This lead to Barral’s 30 years of research & the current refinement of Visceral Manipulation.

Just a few examples of how our organs connective tissue can affect our body.

Sciatic pain - Colon
Back pain - Kidney or Liver
Whiplash - Lungs
Lower back pain - Bladder
Period , sacral, side of leg pain - Uterus
Neck pain - Colon pulling down on diaphragm. Pleural attachments.

Is it safe, does it hurt?
VM is very safe .The delicate moves of VM are pain free.

Who can benefit?

Often VM is the missing link and is successful where other attempts have failed. Your organs must move freely for optimal health of that organ and for overall healthy wellbeing.

How does Visceral Manipulation work?

All our organs are held in position by connective tissue. Some of these tissues have a contractile component to them & from physical, emotional, or operative stress they can tighten up (similar to our muscles) & restrict that organs movement which can lead to muscular & skeletal pain and also potentially affect that organs optimum function. The organ only needs to be slightly restricted to have an adverse affect and due to our organs inter-connectiveness its neighbouring organs can also develop symptoms.

As an example the diaphragm moves approx. 24,000 times a day and directly affects the lungs and abdominal viscera with each breath. Even the smallest visceral restriction can take on considerable importance as it is stressed 24,000 times a day! Along with the principles of Osteopathy, Bowen Therapy and Garfield Soft-Tissue Therapy (maximum precision/ minimum force) only the gentlest of pressure is applied. "With the right key the door will open easily"

Every organ must be suspended freely enough to allow for its movement as we go about our daily activities and also allowing for the inherent involuntary movement as each organ moves around its own unique axis, even while we sleep.

If this is hindered musculo-skeletal pain can result along with referred pain to certain muscles or via the organs nerve supply back to the spine.

Barral claims that 90% of all musculoskeletal pain has a visceral component and unless addressed often complete resolution of the problem won’t be achieved.

What is a VM session like?

The VM Therapist is trained to identify the symptoms associated with each organ and verify through gentle palpation to skilfully determine if that organs movement is impaired.

Correction involves gently working around that area, be it in our abdominal region or perhaps the rib cage or neck. VM is usually incorporated into musculoskeletal treatments (Garfield Soft-Tissue Therapy) if only minor corrections are required but can also be a standalone therapy for more involved conditions.