Dorn Spinal Therapy offers your patients a safe gentle means of correcting spinal abnormalities. With only minimal training and some practice, this therapy can be included in your practice in conjunction with your other services for your clients’ overall well being. You may opt to start Dorn Spinal Therapy with a Breuss massage (recommended) to soothe the patient’s muscles and to create optimum conditions for spinal realignment.

To begin the Breuss massage you will want to have a relaxed, soothing atmosphere. Include aromatherapy and music to encourage the patient to relax and enjoy the massage. Place the patient face down, so their neck is straight. You should be able to reach the spine from all sides so adjust their clothing as needed. Stay to the right of your patient or to the left if that is your dominant hand. Keeping your right-hand flat against the spine with your left hand atop the right, make smooth, firm strokes from the neck to the tail bone. This should be a gentle stroke and should cause no pain to your patient. You will want to do this without oil to ensure a stretching effect and this stroke should be done at least ten times. The next stroke called the “pincer grip,” is used to further stretch the spine. Starting on the middle of the spine, move your hands up and down the spine at least ten times also. Now, using a good amount of St. John’s Wort oil, repeat both of the above steps to revitalize the spine and give it a good stretch.

Now begin the healing strokes. Using the middle and index finger on each side of the spine, rub downwards with gentle pressure. Use your left hand to force additional pressure on your fingers as the move downward. The next stroke will start on the hip area and move up to the neck, mimicking drawing a heart shape, then moving back down with the fingers closed and applying firm, gentle pressure to both sides of the spine. Again, this should be performed for a minimum of ten minutes. There are further steps using silk paper you may opt to take or you may begin the Dorn Spinal Therapy at this point. Further instruction is available by formal training or even by searching online.

To begin performing Dorn Spinal Therapy, it is important to understand your patients’ main complaints and offer them compassion and understanding. Explain exactly what you will be doing, how it may correct their problems and the importance of their participation in the process. They must allow you to freely move their limbs and move themselves with your direction throughout the therapy and be asked to perform exercises at home to achieve maximum results.

The first step in Dorn Spinal Therapy is to evaluate the patient’s leg lengths. With your patient on his back, pick up both feet and using the heels of the two feet determine which one is longer. Take the first leg and hold the bottom half almost as if you were holding an infant. Bend the leg at the knee while applying gentle, firm pressure to the hip/buttock area during the leg movement. Show the patient how to perform this move on themselves to maintain their pain relief. Move onto the knee joint and ankle joint correction. Using the same bending movement, apply gentle pressure to the top of the knee. For the ankle, move the foot back and forth while applying pressure to the heel to realign the ankle joint. To help properly place the sacrum and lower back of the patient, first check the sacrum’s placement. Use your thumbs to line up on each side of the sacrum and check for inconsistencies. Once you locate problem areas you will need to treat both sides. Instruct the patient to swing the leg opposite the side you are standing and gently apply pressure using the heel of your hand. Checking further up the spine, use the same technique of applying pressure with just a few fingers as the patient swings their leg. Remember, as you are practicing the technique the secret to safety is to have the opposite side muscle actively distracted. Use the same technique to correct upper spine misalignment only with the arm swinging instead of the leg. To end the appointment, emphasize the need for good hydration and self care exercises at home.

While Dorn Spinal Therapy is not difficult to learn, you will want an experienced therapist to teach you the technique before performing it on anyone. It is extremely safe when done correctly and can benefit your patients greatly.

Author's Bio: 

Barbara Simon is a Natural Therapist, specialised in Dorn Spinal Therapy - consultation as well as training on an international level. Barbara lives and works in Australia where she moved in January 2000 from Germany. She introduced Dorn Spinal Therapy to Australia, having trained with the master himself in Germany, Dieter Dorn. She has also published a book "Let's Talk Back - new simmple exercises reveal the secret to a pain free back" which shows easy exercises to conquer and manage back pain, based on Dorn Spinal Therapy. Her company, Back Care Solutions, provides consultation as well as training.