MoonDragon's Alternative Health Information
Touch & Movement Therapy
TRAGERWORK
(Trager Psychophysical Integration)

INTRODUCTION

A gentle therapy aimed at reintegrating body and mind, Tragerwork, or Trager Psychophysical Integration, was developed by Dr. Milton Trager in the United States. Light, gentle, non-intrusive movements, such as rocking and stretching, help the body to enter a state of profound relaxation. This facilitates the release of deep-seated patterns of physical and mental tension created unconsciously by past traumas and experiences. The approach has gained popularity, particularly in the US, with over 800 practitioners worldwide treating a variety of conditions from poor posture to asthma.

MAIN USES OF TRAGERWORK

Stress-related conditions. Muscular tension. Persistent pain. Neuromuscular & spinal problems, sciatica. High blood pressure. Strokes. Migraines. Asthma.

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HISTORY

Milton Trager, born in Chicago in 1908, was a professional boxer who found that by working on people intuitively with his hands he could ease pain, even helping polio sufferers to walk. He trained as a physical therapist and in 1955 became a doctor, practicing in Hawaii. He also took up Transcendental Meditation, which greatly influenced him. In 1975 Trager demonstrated his approach at Esalen, the center of the holistic growth movement in California. It was so successful he set up a practice in California, founding the Trager Institute in 1980.

MoonDragon's Alternative Health Therapy: Mind & Emotion - Meditation

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CONSULTING A PRACTITIONER

A session lasts 60 to 90 minutes and begins with an assessment. Treatment involves bodywork and may also include instruction in "Mentastics," a self-help movement therapy designed to instill a feeling of freedom and grace in the patient. For bodywork you undress to your underwear. No oil is used, as the skin is not massaged but cradled, stretched, and rocked. The practitioner enters a state of relaxed, active meditation called "hook up," which makes him aware of patterns of tension in the patient's body.

Active Meditation: The practitioner's state of active meditation, or "hook up," allows him to sense any areas of tension in the patient's body. Pressure applied by the practitioner is very light.

When areas of tension are located, the practitioner eases the contact pressure (most bodywork increases it) to transmit a sense of freedom and lightness to the patient. The effect is subtle but cumulative; a typical session includes thousands of movements, encouraging the patient to surrender muscular control and "let go." Treatment sets up a ripple effect in tissues, and is said to reach organs inaccessible by conventional massage. One session may be sufficient. Many patients claim to feel lighter and freer from pain after treatment. A Chinese ideogram for this often appears on practitioners' T-shirts.

Treatment: The practitioner uses his hands to sense tension in the patient's body, and then aims to convey to the patient a feeling of freedom and weightlessness in that area. The practitioner gently rocks and bounces the shoulder in this image.

Gentle stretching or jiggling of the superficial muscles releases tension in the shoulder.

Cradling and rocking a joint encourages the patient to give up all conscious control of it.

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EVIDENCE & RESEARCH

In the US, a 1993 study in the journal Spine showed that Tragerwork could ease pain, and in a 1996 study, symptoms of lung disease eased after two weeks of therapy.

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MEDICAL OPINION

Most conventional health care providers remain neutral toward Tragerwork: they feel that it is unlikely to do any harm, and would not object to it as a method of relaxation.

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PRECAUTIONS

Tell your practitioner if you have osteoporosis or thrombosis.

GENERAL ALTERNATIVE THERAPY PRECAUTIONS

Consult your health care provider before embarking on any non-conventional form of treatment if you have any medical condition or symptoms of illness.

Do not stop taking any prescribed medication without first consulting with your health care provider.

Tell your complementary practitioner about any prescribed medication you are taking, and any other complementary treatments you are receiving.

Tell your health care provider about any complementary treatments you are taking. This includes herbal remedies and nutritional supplements as well as treatments.

Do not embark on vigorous exercise without first consulting with a health care provider if you have any serious medical condition, such as back pain, high blood pressure, or heart disease, or if you are pregnant.

Do not begin a course of complementary therapy without first consulting with your health care provider (or midwife) if you are pregnant, or if you are trying to conceive.

Advise your practitioner if you have any sexually transmitted disease.

Consult your health care provider before allowing babies or infants to receive complementary treatments, since some treatments, such as enemas and certain herbal remedies, are unsuitable for small children.

See your health care provider if symptoms persist or worsen.

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