P-DTR Pain Therapy
P-DTR (Proproprioceptive Deep Tendon Reflex) Therapy is an innovative, cutting-edge neuromusculoskeletal therapy that involves not only the treatment of muscles, tendons and ligaments, but also turns off pain signals through the central nervous system and brain. In order to better understand how PDTR works, it is important to understand why and how we feel pain.
What is Pain?
Pain Is A Defense Mechanism To Protect Your Body. The reason you experience pain is to motivate you to protect yourself. It is a warning signal. If you feel pain, your brain thinks that your health is threatened, and that you need to protect the damaged body part.
It's All In Your Head
Pain is created in the brain, not the body, although it may feel that way. When a body part is damaged, nerve endings are triggered and send warning signals to the brain. You actually feel no pain until the brain interprets this information and decides that pain is necessary to encourage protective behaviors to minimize further damage and allow time for healing. The brain also sends a signal for action to your spinal cord and on to your muscles, which contract or expand to cause movement that will prevent further damage. (This is the major reason for muscle guarding.) So, pain is not actually a measurement of damage, it is an impulse that encourages corrective action.
Most tissues in the human body heal in less than a month. It is now well established that ongoing pain is more due to a sensitive nervous system than being an indication for the extent of damage to a body part. In other words, with some people, the central nervous system stays in alarm mode, even after the injury has healed. This is why ongoing manipulation of tissue (such as through massage) may make you feel good, but the pain often returns.
What Is P-DTR® And What Does It Do?
P-DTR a two-fold therapy that uses a neuro-scientific approach to correct dysfunction in muscles, ligaments and tendons AND disrupts the pain signal. This is done by manipulating the nerve endings in your tissue via different stimuli such as vibration or compression, thus sending a corrective message to the brain that stops the pain signal. (See below how a typical session works). This therapy may seem strange when compared with traditional medicine, but it is based on neuro-scientific research, and very effective at eliminating pain.
P-DTR provides a new code to the brain which indicates that the danger has passed and there is no more need for the brain to continue to emit pain and corrective signals which cause discomfort and dysfunction. P-DTR Therapy does not require any medications or supplements, no machinery is used, and the treatment does not cause any pain.
What are the Benefits of P-DTR?
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Treats the cause of pain, instead of the symptoms.
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Pain can be significantly relieved in a matter of minutes.
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Can treat injuries regardless of when they occurred. (Do keep in mind that injuries that occurred several years or decades ago may take longer to correct.)
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Very helpful for chronic pain
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Accelerates recovery from acute injuries
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Optimizes athletic performance
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Restores muscle function and coordination much faster than other therapies
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Increases range of motion, strength and stamina
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Maximizes stability and balance throughout the entire body
In 2014, this patient suffered a traumatic brain injury. Her health rapidly deteriorated, and walking became laborious. She was unable to support her own weight any longer and had to use a wheelchair. At the advice of her chiropractor, the family decided to drive from New Jersey to Chicago for PDTR treatment. After one session, she was able to support her own weight and walk with increased stability.
A Typical P-DTR Session at Balance in Motion
P-DTR involves no extended manual manipulation such as with massage or physical therapy. There is only minimal, brief touching involved (and you remain fully clothed) so I can work on even the most painful areas without causing further pain.
A typical session may begin with an orthopedic gait and posture assessment. Is your body correctly aligned? (Are your hips and shoulders level, are you walking with an even gait, etc.). I will then discuss with you where your pain is located and where your motion is inhibited, and what may have originally caused the problem.
The next step is finding out where your muscles are responding incorrectly. This is done through a muscle strength evaluation, which is completely pain free.
Once I have identified where the dysfunction is originating, I determine which stimulus needs to be sent to the brain to turn off the pain and correct the dysfunction. I will then apply a combination of stimuli to certain areas of your body, which the nerve endings will transmit to the brain. (Signals are applied by hand and may consist of light pressure, tapping, vibration, etc.) I may also occasionally check the condition of your nervous system by checking your reflexes.
Finally, I will retest the muscle to make sure it now gives me a healthy response. At this point, your pain and range of motion should be improved, even after only one session. I will ask you to walk or perform certain motions that indicate how much range of motion you have regained.
In conjunction with P-DTR, I may also use manual release therapy such as Myofascial Release and Trigger Point Therapy, as well as Lymphatic Drainage, Tuina, and Cranial Massage, to complement treatments and calm the central nervous system.
Please feel free to ask questions anytime during the treatment!