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Gyrotonic Stabilisation

I’ve always been slightly daunted about write about Gyrotonic in the newsletter mainly because it is such a complex and sophisticated system that at times you don’t know where to start or end. Gyrotonic for me is like a great movie or a fantastic painting or a trip to a favourite holiday destination – every time you visit it you discover something new. And just when you think you’ve nailed it, it offers up another dimension

So, where to start? Let’s start with a common misconception – it’s all about moving the body. For a balanced functional body we need strength, mobility, flexibility and endurance.  One cannot exist without the other and when this balance is disrupted we often have dysfunction and suffer pain and injury. So any modality worth its salt will incorporate all these factors.

Yoga, Martial Arts, Pilates – and many more encompass these factors. With this laid down it wouldn’t make for a great discipline for Gyrotonic to only focus on movement. For fantastic movement you need to be mobile – that is your moving parts or joints need to have good range. Above and beyond this the structures around these parts need to be flexible to allow the range of movement and the strength to hold them well in place. And without endurance in the body the movement cannot be sustained in quality or quantity.

Gyrotonic’s foundation is in stabilization not movement, moreover dynamic stabilization.  This is widely referred to within Gyrotonic and Gyrokinesis as Narrowing.  Narrowing encompasses focal areas essential for stability but in such a way it becomes organic in nature.  What do I mean by organic? Techniques are taught to encourage activation of deep stabilizing muscles, with the least amount of energy to create a balanced stable and open body.   This ability creates a feeling of not only strength but a lightness and length.

So now you have the magic every body needs for a great foundation – now you can move!  And then it is all about the movement and what great movement it is.  Organic movement and organic quality of movement.  What do I mean by organic movement?  Ahhh you have to wait for the next article on Gyrotonic – unless another dimension gets in the way!

Diagnostic Ultrasound

Diagnostic Ultrasound is a very valuable clinical tool in assessing soft tissue pathology. Diagnostic ultrasound involves the use of a scanner to send soundwaves into the tissue. They bounce back a signal from the tissues to create an image of the underlying tissue. We use diagnostic ultrasound in the clinic to help assess tendon and soft tissue pathology. It allows us to be more specific in our diagnosis and know when to refer or how to best rehabilitate the injured region.

It is an excellent tool for assessing shoulder pathology and helping to identify underlying rotator cuff pathology or a bursitis. We also use the ultrasound to assess other tendon pathology within the body. Commonly scanned tendons include the Achilles and patella tendon.

Diagnostic ultrasound can also be used in teaching deeper abdominal activation which is imperative to having a happy healthy lumbar spine.

Pilates Principles: Centering

Centering is an important concept in pilates. It comprises of finding your neutral spine and activating your deep tummy muscles to keep your spine in a safe stable position to allow you to move your arms and legs more efficiently. Neutral spine is different for everybody, as it depends on your individual spinal curves. Ideally you should have a small curve in the lower back. To find it you tilt your pelvis back and forth until you find the mid-point of the available range.

Your deep tummy muscles (transversus abdominis) are the only core muscles to attach directly to the spine via some fascia (tough connective tissue). It is thought that in people with back pain, the activation of this muscle is delayed. To activate this muscle imagine that you are drawing in your lower tummy, as if you are trying to squeeze into a tight pair of jeans.

By having a solid centre, you will be able to transmit force and movement through your limbs more effectively