Information About Body Stress Release Technique
What is Body Stress Release?
Developed by South Africans, Ewald and Gail Meggersee, in response
to Ewald’s own crippling adversity which had plagued him all his
life, since a fall from a tree when he was five, Body Stress Release
(B.S.R.) is an incredibly effective, complementary health practise.
Based on the work of Dr Richard van Rumpt, a retired chiropractor, who
had perfected a way of reading the body’s reflex responses and the
Meggersees own research based on numerous case studies, Body Stress Release
encourages the release of muscle stress and tension that may have become
locked into the body as a result of stress overload.
How does it differ to other stress-relieving therapies?
B.S.R. is a gentle, non-manipulative bodywork technique, carried
out on a client fully-clothed. It uses information provided by the body
to determine where abnormal muscle tension is undermining the efficiency
of the nervous system and disturbing the body’s ability to co-ordinate
its functioning. Once the tension – or body stress – is
detected, it is ‘released’ using light but definite pressure.
Why and how did you become a body stress release practitioner? Following
a redundancy from a career in public relations and having suffered from
inexplicable back pain since I was fifteen, I had heard about B.S.R. from
my mother, who had experienced great relief from it for her own back pain
and arthritis. I visited a practitioner in Surrey and was so impressed
with the results that I travelled to South Africa to retrain at the Body
Stress Release Academy in Rondevlei on the Garden Route. The five-month
training course attracts applicants from all over the world but they only
take 18 students a year.
What will happen during a treatment?
During the initial thirty minute appointment, a detailed medical
history is taken. Body Stress Release is carried out on the client
fully clothed, lying down on a special couch.
I carry out a series of tests to locate the exact sites of body
stress, watching the reaction of muscles to indicate where and in what
direction the tension lies. The stress is then gently released by means of
light but definite pressure, encouraging the body to let go. The
process may provide instant relief or require a number of sessions, depending
on the severity and duration of the stress. This is because tight
protective layers of muscle tend to relax by degrees back to their
normal tone.
I then provide feedback on my findings, suggest some simple self-help
techniques and advice on the importance of posture and correct exercising,
giving tips where necessary.
I’m feeling slightly under the weather. Could it give me a ‘pep-up’?
Most definitely by encouraging the release of stress and tension
that may otherwise be preventing you from achieving optimal health, no
matter how healthy your lifestyle!
What else can it help with?
Body Stress Release may help to alleviate musculo-skeletal pain such
back and neck ache, R.S.I., slipped discs, arthritis and frozen shoulders;
headaches and migraines; respiratory, digestive and gynaecological problems
and general fatigue.
How much will it cost me?
A thirty minute appointment typically costs about
£30.
Money’s a bit tight at the moment. Will I need
dozens of treatments or will one be enough to sort me out?
As B.S.R. is a process and not a quick fix, I always recommend that
initially, clients book in for three appointments; ideally on day
one, four and eleven. Effects may be dramatic, with instant relief from
pain. However, if the body stress has been present for a long time,
it may take more sessions to release the layers of locked in tension. Remember
your health is your wealth!
Where can I find out more about this treatment?
For further information or to book an appointment with Kerry Teakle, call
Medicalternative (www.medicalternative.com)
, Edinburgh on 0131 225 5656. To find a practitioner in your area, visit www.bodystressrelease-uk.co.uk
About the author:
Kerry Teakle (MBSRA) was Scotland’s first Body Stress Release Practitioner
and is Chairperson of the Body Stress Release Association (U.K.). She
is a member of the Executive Committee and a Board Trustee of BackCare,
advising on their PR and marketing, as well as being an Affiliate Professional
Member. BackCare, is an independent national charity committed to
reducing the impact of back pain.
Kerry practices at Medicalternative, a private GP clinic in Edinburgh. For
appointments, telephone 0131 225 5656 or visit: www.medicalternative.com