We know that the body heals through movement. From Alzheimer's disease to heart disease to arthritis…physical activity increases function, reduces pain and decreases medication use. What we have not studied is what movement is optimal but…imagine finding 3,000 (+) years of research on physical movement and the human body.
Quite possibly, there is no greater body of knowledge on how the human body moves than that found in the martial arts. In Asia , physicians realize this and have been taking advantage of this knowledge for thousands of years.
The ALT-MED Medical and Physical Therapy program was developed by me as a method of combining the knowledge of kinesiology found in martial arts with the accuracy of diagnosis found in Western medicine. In my 25 (+) years of practicing martial arts, I discovered that significant medical benefits. A number of my students would have significant improvement in their arthritis pain, joint function, high blood pressure…often being able to stop using medications. So, it was natural for me to combine my medical training with my martial arts training to produce a novel approach to health.
The ALT-MED approach utilizes specific parts of various martial art forms or exercises…adapted for the individual patient…with the expressed idea of getting a specific medical result. For example, the practice of specific martial art movements result in lowering blood pressure, others benefit balance and still others reduce acute and chronic pain. Practicing these movements over time (often a short period of time) can result in resolution of the medical condition. Weekly practice (15-20 minutes) often ensures that the specific medical condition does not return.
This is not merely a Tai Chi class nor are the benefits reproducible simply by hiring a martial art instructor. It is a more complex and exacting science. Imaging taking a martial art movement and breaking it down into its component pieces…and then matching those pieces with a specific medical condition…and then adapting those component pieces to the individual patient requirements and functional ability.
The movements stimulate circulation, increase range of motion of the affected joints, promote coordination of muscle groups, probably increase endorphin release, reduce muscle spasm, unsurprisingly realign the joints naturally and reduce stress. In Asia , this type of approach is not uncommon because many martial art masters are physicians and a number of physicians are also experts in the martial arts.
What diseases?
In combination with Western medicine, we apply the ALT-MED approach to a number of serious medical conditions including:
· Cancer therapy related conditions…nausea, fatigue, etc.
· Hypertension/coronary artery disease/cardiac rehabilitation
· Asthma/COPD
· Fibromyalgia and various chronic pain conditions
· Crohn's disease/ulcerative colitis
· Back and neck pain-including herniated discs with radiculopathy
· Migraine headaches
· Osteoarthritis…knees, hips, hands, shoulders
· Multiple sclerosis, autoimmune diseases
· Chronic fatigue
· TMJ
· Post herpetic neuralgia
We have treated >6,000 patients in the past decade. Our return rate is less than 3%. If they continue to do their specific exercises, 95% (+) of our patients remain symptom free, even 5-7 years post therapy. We focus on treating the patient but more importantly, on teaching the patient how to take care of themselves. A good medical approach is to treat disease. A superior medical approach is to prevent disease. The Latin root of the word “physician” does not mean “to heal”…it means “to teach”. Our goal is to teach our patients how to “heal” themselves.
The majority of our patients come from word-of-mouth. Many of our patients also come from physician referrals, because many of their physicians have been our patients. We regularly have patients come from out-of-state as well as internationally. We have had patients from as far away as Brazil and Tel Aviv.
ALT-MED clinical experience
Patients are initially evaluated by me and a treatment plan is discussed. Although the core of the program is the “martial art” therapy, patients also may recommend massage, acupuncture and even nutritional counseling. We know that the “martial art” therapy is the basis for the success because for the first 7 years, we offered only the “martial art” physical therapy and we had great success. What we have found is that adding other non-traditional modalities can greatly accelerate the healing process. Patients are usually seen for 8-10 visits. By that time, most (>90%) are symptom free and are able to continue their own healing process.
ALT-MED Patient Case Report
43 year old, very active man with several small children had a multi-level lamintectomy with fusion for a herniated disc. After surgery, the pain persisted. He failed physical therapy, several times, and had multiple epidural injections without benefit. No medications were helping except for high dose narcotics. He did not want to take those medications secondary to the side effects. After everything was done, and he had seen several physicians, he was told that he would probably be in a wheel chair before he was 50.
At ALT-MED, his only hope was that he would be able to walk a block without horrible pain. After 8 weeks of 1x/week therapy martial art-based physical therapy, he was essentially pain free (pain level of 1/10 even with activity). He could play with his children and returned to work full time. Recently, he saw Dr. Massey and told him that, for the first time, in a long time, he was able to “dunk” a basketball. That was 5 years ago. Since then, the patient has been able to increase his activities, without pain, and recently achieved a black belt in martial arts.
Bibliography
· Massey PB, A Perlman. 1999. Lasting Resolution of Chronic Thoracic Neuritis Through A Martial Art-Based Physical Therapy Approach. Alternative Therapies in Medicine 5:104-105.
· Massey PB, GM Kisling. 1999 A single case report of healing through specific martial therapy: Comparison of magnetic resonance imaging to clinical resolution in severe cervical stenosis. J Alternative and Complementary Medicine. Research on Paradigm, Practice and Policy 5:75-79.
· Massey PB. 1998. Medicine and martial arts. A brief historical perspective. Alternat Compl Therapies 4: 438-444.
· Massey PB, DK Massey, G.M. Kisling 1998. Martial art therapy for herniated discs and chronic pain Alternat Compl Ther 4:128-133.
· Massey PB, E. Thorner, W. Preston, J. Lee. 1993. Increased lung capacity through Qigong breathing techniques of the Chung Moo martial art style. J. Asian Martial Arts. 2:70.
· Kisling G.M., P.B. Massey MR evidence of persistent and severe cervical stenosis in a symptom free patient: mechanism for resolution of a chronic cervical neuritis with radiculopathy through a martial art-based physical therapy program. Midwest Pain Society, Chicago IL 1998.
· Massey, PB, WL Preston, G Kisling. Chronic Low Back Pain in the Elderly at Risk for Standard Medical Approaches: Results of a Specific Physical Therapy Approach. American Pain Society, New Orleans LA 1997.
· Massey, PB, WL Preston, G Kisling. Resolution of Sciatica in Patients with a Work-Related Herniated Disc through a Moo Doe (Martial Art)-Based Physical Therapy Program. American Osteopathic Association, Las Vegas, NV 1996.
· Massey, PB, WL Preston, G Kisling. Use of a Moo Doe (Martial Art)-Based Physical Therapy Approach for the Treatment of Therapy-Resistant, Post Lumbar Laminectomy Sciatica. American Pain Society, Washington D.C. 1996.
· Massey, PB, WL Preston. Alternative Therapy for Treatment of Chronic, Therapy-Resistant Sciatica using Specific Martial Art Movements. American Academy of Family Practitioners Annual Scientific Assembly. Anaheim CA. 1995.
· Massey, PB. Increased lung capacity through Qigong breathing techniques of the Chung Moo martial art style. Central Illinois Symposium for Alternative Health. Champaign IL. 1993
