We’re experiencing a paradigm shift thanks to the fields of modern medicine and science. Dr Trager’s first description of his work, “Psychophysical Integration with neuromuscular re-education through Mentastics [mental gymnastics]” is an apt introduction, and self-explanatory. People I meet for the first time are receptive when I explain it this way, and want to experience the work in the clinic where I work.
One of the best examples of this description happened to Bobbie Nehmann and I when we went to Austin to talk to the chairman of the Texas Board of Licensing and Regulations to explain why Trager Practitioners should not be lumped in with other professions when problems of prostitution and sex trafficking surface. Jim Noriega sent him a letter in advance to our requested meeting that paved the way for a pleasant experience. He told us right away that he was impressed with the letter and as far as he was concerned we were not on his radar, but it wasn’t up to only him. He then said the whole Board would be meeting with us in the conference room and there were nine or ten of them. They placed us on opposite sides of the table and began to introduce themselves with their titles. When they got to me, I WAS concerned and not only told them my name, but my work history and all about Trager work with the above description before I took a breath. They laughed and said all their questions were just answered and wanted to book sessions. Bobbie validated us to them with her years on the board and as a Tutor. We are proud that continued education requirements promote on-going trainings that are face-to-face, and with tutorials. That speaks volumes in establishing oversites, and raises the standard higher than groups who never come together to grow together. So far, legislation has not forced us to become massage practitioners. The board member who walked us out gave us his card that said Communications Transparency and said we were not their focus and he enjoyed meeting us.
One of our greatest strengths as a Trager Family and as a Profession is in the diversity of our backstories woven together in an amazing tapestry of insights, talents, and knowledge creating far-reaching skills to bring this work into fields we haven’t realized. For these reasons we need to stand tall as a Profession unto itself so there is clarity in who we are.
I trained, years ago, to work in the operating room in the second largest trauma hospital in the country as a certified surgical technologist handing instruments to the surgeons. When I became certified as a first surgical assistant, I worked for an orthopedic surgeon in surgery and in the sports clinic. The experience there allowed me to observe the aftermath during recovery following surgery. I began to search for the answers to two questions. “How can we support the body to heal?” “How can we reset the alarm in the body after the body heals to eliminate hyper guarding every time one small move reminds it of the old injury even twenty years later.” My search began in 1980 and in 2007 in a Level One Trager Class, I had my answers.
When movements and pauses are refined to” nothingness”, eliminating a guarded response, it is the basic groundwork needed to provide the framework for lasting changes to take place in any field of specialty and daily living.
Bruce Lipton, in his book, “Biology of Belief”, said he thought the brain of the cell was the nucleus but realized it is the membrane. The membrane gathers data from the environment and responds to it accordingly.
I work as a Trager Practitioner in an International Holistic Dental Clinic, and have had the opportunity since 2011 to do hundreds of sessions a year as part of our protocol toward whole body support to dental patients having restorative dental procedures.
Deane’s resistance/release class really gave me the tools to help patients with subluxation of the jaw. One quick story: A senior couple came in and the wife’s jaw was severely subluxed and had been that way for five days. One of the dentists told me she was going to call an oral surgeon a block away to see her since it was so acute, but asked me if I’d like to try to help her while she made the call. She knew I had been able to help four other ones but not that severe and not to feel badly if I couldn’t. Sure enough, after trying twice without success, we sent her down the street. Six months later, she came in to have a tooth removed and came into my room post procedure. She did not seem to recognize me and I didn’t mention her jaw. The moment I touched her, she looked at me and said, “you’re the one who fixed my jaw”. I said no mam, we sent you to the oral surgeon. She said, “No, I didn’t see him. When my husband backed the car out of the parking lot, my jaw went back into place. We never saw that Dr.” I told her that when her jaw felt safe enough it knew where it belonged and her own body fixed it.
Based on my observations, in a simplistic view…… could it be:
The unconscious mind is the intelligence of the autonomic nervous system and the first broad-based responder to stimuli from the five senses and the environment, just like the membrane is to the cell, but on a larger scale, and makes the choice which mode sympathetic, parasympathetic, or enteric is called for as needed, and tied to instinct with instant recall and memory? It will have you pull your hand off a hot stove before your cognitive brain knows you did it. So, who’s in control?
Is this why Dr. Trager addressed everything to the autonomic nervous system and said, “unless you reach the unconscious mind you are doing nothing”?
The data is received here then sends appropriate signals like sorting the mail.
Dr. Trager was ahead of his time and his concepts are standing strong today, validating his every word.
He had a reason for holding fast to the purity of the basics because he understood the autonomic nervous system and what it takes to leave a quality imprint. If I am not “present” with a patient and connected with a soft focus, it’s a temporary performance. It won’t bring that person out of “fight or flight” mode in preparation for a procedure unless he experiences a feeling of safety and trust without discomfort. My mentastics determines the quality of the work. I have to let go of tension, and consistently let the autonomic nervous system take the lead. Through pauses letting his system process what to do in each area and simply being that subtle support system, he will unconsciously shift into relaxed parasympathetic mode.
This week, a physician came to the clinic for a dental procedure and I did the first Trager session to establish the above. He came back to me post procedure immediately afterwards to very gently re-establish relaxation in the face, jaw, neck and shoulders. This session was for one hour. I saw him for his third and last session to softly support the whole body the next morning after his follow up visit. He had no pain, swelling, or bruising and took no meds. I was not surprised because we usually hear that, but what he did not share with me in the first session was his fear his blood pressure would be too high to do the procedure. He said after he left my room and settled into the dental chair, he watched his pressure go to normal on the monitor and he was relaxed.
The sessions in the clinic are specific to the needs of the situation. I have an electric bed that goes down to wheelchair level, has a little extra width and length, and the back can be raised to a sitting position for those with breathing or anatomical issues. They are clothed, no belt, shoes, jewelry, and empty pockets.
For the intake as I become acquainted with an anxious weary traveler who is pacing and saying he can’t lay on his back, and that applies to most of them, I position all of my patients initially in the following position. Later I may show him a neutral position laterally and may do some sideline work in the first session.
Within about eight minutes of being in the neutral position, this person who couldn’t settle down by trying cognitively to relax will be so ready to fall asleep and is totally still and comfortable. EVERY person responds this way [ as long as I’m consistent] and that feeling carries them in to the dental chair. Their autonomic system took inventory of what it needed to protect and when there was nothing to guard or change, it shifted to para sympathetic mode while we were talking about post op instructions, etc. and let go.
A warm blanket works well while I position the patient in a neutral position, back slightly raised so they are not flat feeling vulnerable, with legs supported with pillow underneath laterally, from thighs to knees, and another under calves from knee to ankles providing a nice curve to flatten the small of the back, no pressure on back of heels. Suspend the heels off the pillow. I place a thin pillow under head, neck and two inches of the shoulders. Within eight minutes……..in that state, you will find no resistance and the work is fluid as long as I maintain a soft, supportive touch ALWAYS letting the autonomic nervous system do the work.
This one little part, you may ditch the pillows later in order to work, but it opens the process in a positive support to any situation where one is stuck in sympathetic mode. A patient can duplicate the position in the hotel room after dental procedure to promote healing.
The patients I see may be the same people you see. It’s a global practice so their home may be in your area. Some refinements here are tailored for specific needs and so will yours be at times, but what I have learned through volumes of sessions and always working within the core principles of Trager is a predictable, replicable response of the patient shifting out of sympathetic to parasympathetic mode when my quality of touch and personal Mentastics is the same.
There are three one-hour sessions in the dental clinic: pre-procedure, post-procedure, and follow up session the next day. The pre-session is designed create a calm, supportive environment, to establish a sense of safety and trust by introducing those qualities of my touch to the “fight or flight” response of the autonomic nervous system and inviting it to shift to the relaxed, para-sympathetic mode. Cognitive permission is important at the start but it is of equal importance to honor the unconscious mind of the autonomic nervous system by taking the time be mindful of the quality of the first touch. To ignore this step would be like a stranger coming to my home and entering without knocking. I begin by gently moving the knees [a less vulnerable place to start]. Pausing to allow the unconscious mind to see that I can be trusted not to take over. Feeling the weight of each leg, pausing, then adding gentle movement establishes freedom of movement and my integrity. The rest of the time the guarded response is not present.
The post op session is right after the procedure, their mouth, jaw and neck may be tense and gentle support moves in that area, taking the weight out of the skin and muscle, minute noodling of neck and shoulders are some helpful moves. The work is very refined in this session to support healing. Helps with minimizing pain, swelling and bruising.
Follow up session is gentle to address any soreness, fatigue, headache or nausea the next day.
If any of my patients go home and find you for a session, they will be in heaven with freedom to enjoy a session without dentistry.