Health and Fitness - September 2003

A couple of months ago, someone suggested I try Body Stress Release (BSR). Both my parents were ill and I was working six days a week - I couldn't have been a more suitable candidate.

BSR practitioners believe that when we are faced with mental, emotional, mechanical or chemical stress, unless we do something about it, the resulting tension remains in the body. 'Muscles respond in one of two ways,' says BSR practitioner Peter van Minnen. 'They can either be supportive, which is their natural design, or adopt a protective mode. When there is excess tension, muscles become "defensive", effectively creating a splint around the area. And this tension can remain in the body for years after the original trauma.' Rather than loosen a contracted muscle, as with massage, BSR aims to stimulate the body into releasing in its own time.

At the first appointment, van Minnen makes an assessment of where stress is held by monitoring the body's response to pressure. 'What sets BSR apart from chiropractic is that we use muscle testing to determine where the tension is,' he explains. 'When I apply slight pressure to an area of tension anywhere in the body, one leg will shorten. If there is no tension, there will be no response.' Leg length is constantly checked throughout the treatment.

To create a healing reaction in the body, practitioners apply gentle, but firm pressure in the opposite direction to the one the muscle is contracting in. 'We use minimal pressure, so this doesn't release the tension itself, but it is sufficient to elicit a response in the muscle.'

Sometimes the effect will be immediate, and in other cases, it can take four to seven days. 'We usually see a complete clearance in three to four sessions,' he adds.My treatment was surprisingly short and, although I felt more relaxed, I didn't really expect it to make much difference. It was while eating supper an hour later that I began to feel its effect. As I became more relaxed, I began to experience an odd sensation in my arms which made it an effort to lift my knife and fork. I realized it was if I had no muscle tension in my arms.

HISTORY

BSR was founded in the 1980s by South African chiropractors Ewald and Gayle Meggersee. At the age of five, Ewald fell out of a tree and was in a coma for a week. Throughout his childhood and early adulthood he suffered severe cramping and shooting pains. Eventually, he lost sensation in his lower body on several occasions. The fear of becoming paralysed made the couple decide to move to the US and train as chiropractors. While there, they met retired chiropractor, Dr Richard van Rumpt, who introduced them to biofeedback, a technique that uses signals from the body to determine treatment options, which they used to develop BSR. As a result of BSR treatment, Ewald, now in his 50s, no longer has pain, and all sensation has returned to his lower body.

EVIDENCE

The therapy is too new to have had any major studies conducted into its efficacy, although there is a large body of evidence in the form of case studies, which can be read on the website (see Resources). Practitioners in South Africa are keen to conduct trials on BSR, so more formal research may be available in the future.

WHO SHOULD USE IT?

Van Minnen stresses that BSR doesn't claim to heal medical conditions, rather it releases tension that may be causing pain or inhibiting the effective functioning of an organ. The most common complaints he works with are back pain, sciatica, headache, neck and shoulder pain, work-related stress and sports injuries. However, he says As most of the population suffers from stress at some point in their lives, the therapy is suitable for anyone, whether it's a baby with birth trauma, or a pensioner with osteoporosis.

CONTRAINDICATIONS

People who have had a recent operation should wait for three months before having BSR. Pregnant women can be treated but, during the third trimester, extra care will be taken to avoid the diaphragm area. If you have a back problem, van Minnen advises seeing a back specialist for a diagnosis before beginning treatment with him.