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Prospective Clients

Integrated Body Works offers cutting edge corrective bodywork and exercise for people suffering from common muscle and joint complaints or those who want to avoid them.  From professional athletes to non-active individuals, we all rely on our bodies every day.  We all have injuries and develop musckuloskeletal problems sooner or later and need help to get things back to normal.  There are a wide variety of treatments out there that claim to have the answer to your problems, which makes it hard to know which option/s to choose.  Eric Hodgson’s Integrated Body Works offers a unique integration of many corrective systems and techniques focused on restoring function and reducing/eliminating musculoskeletal symptoms.  If I think another treatment option that I don’t offer will help you more, then I will make referral recommendations to you.

The ‘Reactivate…Release…Strengthen’ concept.

          You must prepare the body for what you are going to ask it to do!!!  Before you start doing activities such as resistance-based exercise or activities (anything and everything), you must be sure that all of your muscles are ‘online’ with your nervous system.  It is also important that your soft tissues are free and clear of trigger points, adhesions, ischemia ( lack of blood/oxygen supply ), and reflexive hypertonicity ( excessive tightness/tonus ).  These common problems must be addressed in specific ways and in a specific order.  Just like exercise, you must start out at point A before trying to move to point B and so on.  This is called the ‘Corrective Program’, which is done in 3 phases.  This website explains why this approach is a better and more comprehensive way to addressing causes and symptoms both while offering long term solutions for your body. 

What makes Eric’s approach so unique is that  ‘Muscle Dysfunction’ is addressed, which most other treatment options completely miss.  Click on the link above to learn more about this extremely common problem that is a major contributor to most muscular/joint complaints. 

Muscle Dysfunct ion………..ignorance is not bliss!

          Most people have it and don’t even know it!  In fact, most people are completely unaware that they may have muscles that have become functionally dormant.  Muscle dysfunction is a very common condition in which a single muscle losses its ability to contract and respond when needed.  This happens when the body is over stressed, past its point of tolerance and losses its normal communication with the central nervous system.  This is analogous to your home circuit breaker box.  If you turn on too many appliances in your kitchen at the same time, and if the demand is more than that circuit can handle, the circuit switch goes to the ‘off ’ position.  This protective mechanism in your home is similar to the one in your body.  The problem is that when a muscle shuts off, it’s not as obvious because your body is a great compensator. 

          The second problem is that muscles typically remain dysfunctional until very precise stimulation is made so that the nervous system recognizes the lost pathway of communication.  Most therapy options offered today DO NOT correct muscle dysfunction!  The third and worst problem about having muscle dysfunction is how the body if forced to compensate and its long-term consequences on your joints.

          Although it’s good that our bodies are magnificent compensators, here is a list of some of the consequences of muscle dysfunction:

·            Joint instability.

·            Muscle pain and tightness.

·            Decreased muscle strength, power, and endurance.

·            Decreased range of motion.

·            Decreased athletic performance.

·            Decreased energy levels.

·            Increased risk of injury.

·            Increased rate of joint degeneration/arthritis.

If not addressed, muscle dysfunction will undermine the results of all other therapies such as chiropractic, massage, and physical therapy as well as all exercise therapies such as pilates, yoga, and weight training.  I invite you to a free fifteen minute muscle dysfunction assessment, which is a perfect time ask questions and to see if Muscle Reactivation Therapy can help your particular complaints.

For a more in-depth and scientific description of muscle dysfunction, visit  www.muscleactivation.com  and go to ‘The science behind MAT’.

Phase One

Muscle Reactivation Therapy…

….The missing link to all physical therapies!

Muscle Reactivation Therapy (MRT) is a combination of several cutting edge neuromuscular and neurological integration techniques/systems that is focused on reinstating normal communication between the body and the nervous system.  Correcting muscle dysfunction is the primary goal of MRT.  This unique therapy is based off of Greg Roskopf’s Muscle Activation Techniques (MATtm).  See www.muscleactivation.com .  MRT is simply MATtm with the addition of several other corrective systems all integrated together synergistically. 

MATtm concepts:

·       Muscle tightness is usually caused by muscle weakness/dysfunction.

·       Muscle tightness is your body’s way of guarding against joint instability created by muscle dysfunction.

·       Must restore stability before trying to increase mobility.

·       Muscle tightness is a symptom.

·       Massage, stretching, exercise etc. usually do not correct muscle dysfunction.

·       Muscle dysfunction can lead to more serious injuries.

·       When a muscle can’t fully contract, its antagonist can’t fully relax.

Muscle Reactivation Therapy is considered phase 1 of the ‘Corrective Program’.  MRT is a manual hands-on treatment in which the client participates throughout the session.  The client goes through a multitude of tests and assessments, which include range of motion, isolated muscle strength tests, and muscle response testing (done with the clients arm).  It is better to restore muscle function and therefore joint stability before attempting to release, loosen, and lengthen muscles in order to increase range of motion.  If stability is not restored first, results from the soft tissue release methods may be short lived.  In essence, by implementing massage techniques without reactivation therapy, you may be undoing your body’s own protective mechanisms.  If stability is restored first, then the benefits of soft tissue release methods have a greater potential to be effective and longer lasting.

Before Your First Visit

It is best if you can read the ‘Muscle Dysfunction’ and ‘Muscle Reactivation Therapy’ pages prior to your first treatment.  This will give you a basic understanding of the concepts going into the treatment and give you a chance to come up with questions to ask me. 

Men should wear gym/running shorts and a shirt, and women should wear tight fitting exercise shorts, sports bra, and a shirt.  If you have X-rays or MRI reports please bring them in.  If you own orthotics or heel lifts, please bring those as well.

After Your First Visit

What should you expect after your first visit?  Remember that everyone is different and has different complaints, ages, and injury histories etc.  Some clients experience dramatic results after their first ‘Reactivation’ treatment and some don’t.  There are many factors to consider such as how long the problem has existed, age, fitness level, and overall health. 

Can I exercise after my treatments?  The rule of thumb is to only attempt activities that you’re used to doing and to do them conservatively.  In time you can slowly increase exercise frequency, intensity, duration etc. if your body feels ok doing so

What can I do to prevent muscles from shutting down again?  There are many reasons why muscles ‘shut down’.  Here is a list of possibilities;

·       Dehydration and nutritional deficiencies.

·       Local strain.

·       Organ and gland stress/overload.

·       Lack of proper exercise and conditioning before activities.

·       Lack of sleep.

·       Emotional stress.

·       Toxic overload.

·       Repetitive motion stress.  

·       Having other muscles shut down – forcing other muscles to over-work.

Improving your lifestyle is the simple answer to the question.  You must increase your body’s tolerance levels by giving your body what it needs - exercise, rest, hydration, and nutrition.  And did I forget to mention bodywork?  It is smart to partake in maintenance bodywork to prevent imbalances and dysfunctions before they build up over time again.

How many times do you need to treat/reactivate a muscle before it holds?  Typically a muscle only needs to be treated one time for the correction to last long term!  Remember, if you go out and over do yourself in one way or another, things can be overstressed again.  You must progressively prepare your body for what you are going to ask it to do!!!!!

There is no way of predicting what you will experience after your treatments because everybody is so different.  After the muscles have been brought back to function, your body must now adapt to the many changes/corrections placed upon it.  Give it time! 

Phase Two

Soft Tissue Release… 

Once all muscles have been reactivated, the next step is to get the soft tissues of the body (muscles, fascia) healthy again.  This is done by implementing an array of manual and neuromuscular methods to diffuse the many side effects of muscle dysfunction and wear and tear on the body. 

Long time tension patterns and hypertensive points within the muscle tissue don’t always spontaneously diffuse after muscles have been reactivated.  Soft tissue release modalities help to return the tissues back to a balanced and healthy state.  Advanced massage methods often result in increased range of motion and a decrease in discomfort in most common conditions.

Soft tissue release is administered based upon symptoms, range of motion limitations, and postural deviations.  This is the point in the Corrective Program that many people notice dramatic reductions in symptoms.

Phase Three

Corrective Exercise…

          Now the body is prepared for strengthening and conditioning!  Even at this stage, a person’s body will most likely have physical weakness (not to be confused with muscle dysfunction).  In this phase, a customized resistance-training program is implemented to target ones unique asymmetries and weak areas.  Corrective exercise is designed to once again prepare the body for traditional strength training by emphasizing stabilization, balance, proper form, and endurance first. 

          This approach is perfect for people who want to go to a personal trainer and or exercise but are afraid that their musculoskeletal/orthopedic problems may be aggravated in the process.  If you continue to do what you have always done, then you will continue to get what you’ve always gotten.

The Corrective Program is a micro-progressive process that establishes a foundation to build upon in a sequential and prioritized manner.  It only makes sense!

GENERAL INFO

Contact:

For appointments – 801-712-8108

Email – ehibw@q.com

Address – 4010 S.  2700 E. Holladay, Ut. 84124.  Located inside the Personal Training Zone studio at the Oakmont Plaza strip mall.

Hours – Mon. through Sat.  Hours are negotiable.