With so many types of massages and physical therapy available, figuring out how to help your back pain and body aches can be almost as painful as the aches and pains themselves. Sometimes the solution is as simple as fixing your posture. That said, just sitting up straighter doesn’t always solve things, and sometimes it even hurts more.
Postural integration therapy (PIT) is a form of massage therapy meant to help you “straighten out” your postural habits to live a healthier, pain-free life.
What happens in postural integration therapy?
– Your therapist will work with the fascial planes of your body. No, that doesn’t mean your face. “Fascia” is a type of tissue that wraps around your muscles and is malleable, like plastic. It holds your muscles together in bundles.
– Fascia molds to hold your muscles in a position built from your daily life experiences. That means if you are constantly hunched over, even though that’s really bad for your body, your fascia grows used to it. So, when you try to sit up straight, you’re actually straining your muscles against the “plastic” that has held them in one position for so long.
– It’s kind of like if you take a 12-inch ruler made of plastic and bend it every day. Eventually, it will just stay in that bent position, even though you know it is supposed to be straight. When you try to straighten it, you can’t do that very easily, because the plastic is now used to the new position and fights against the change.
– In postural integration therapy, your therapist works in steps to fight this unhealthy position your muscles have gotten used to holding. This is not a one-time thing; you come back for multiple visits, getting better little by little.
– Unlike some types of massage therapy, postural integration therapy is not intended to feel relaxing. You are doing work to your muscles to get them back to a healthy state. It’s kind of like how going for a run or working out doesn’t necessarily feel good because you’re pushing your body and exerting yourself. Afterwards, though, you do tend to feel better and healthier.
Find PIT In Your Area
Not all massage therapists are trained in PIT. You need to make sure you find a professional that knows what he or she is doing and can actually help you. TalkLocal can connect you to the professionals in your area who can help you get your posture back and make your muscles love their healthy, natural position.
