Beth Talks Family History of MS, 'Life in Progress,' & More!

Ira: You became a physical therapist before you became a Feldenkrais practitioner. What drew you to PT?

Beth: Some of my earliest childhood memories were of my father’s illness, of him going to the hospital, coming home, being in bed. I grew up with an awareness of disability and sickness.  Multiple Sclerosis was a common discussion in my family. My father had MS, his brother died of it in the 30’s, and my sister in the 70’s.  

I gravitated to volunteer work in hospitals and worked with some children who needed help at home.  I was elated in high school when I learned that I could make a living helping people with physical difficulties. 

Ira: What was your path after PT school? 

Beth: I got a job as a PT, and I loved it. I wanted to learn everything and do everything. I was very interested in how the brain knew how to move. That fascinated me. I took a three-month Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) training— a stretching technique that can improve your range of motion— with Maggie Knott. And then I began teaching it. I started working with people with MS at UCLA.

Ira: What drew you to the Feldenkrais Method?

Beth: I was always curious about the people who didn't get better. As a PT at the time, I tended to blame the patient if they didn't get well: they weren’t doing their exercises, or they weren’t working hard enough. But I knew it wasn't their fault. So, I just kept taking more classes about the brain and neurophysiology. One day, many years into my practice, I got a brochure advertising a weekend course with Mark Reese, who had studied with Moshe Feldenkrais, that would “answer all my questions about the brain and how people moved.” 

So, I went. At this point, I was not only teaching PNF but all of the neurophysiological approaches of that time. The first day of this workshop I thought, "I already know what he's talking about." But on that second day, Mark worked on somebody with a knee problem. He was so gentle, yet the person on the table got better. I was blown away. I decided that I needed to learn more. A few years later, I enrolled in a professional training. 

Ira: After the training, did you incorporate Feldenkrais into your PT practice? 

Beth: When I’d embarked on the training, I thought I was going away to add another tool to my toolbox, but somewhere in the second year, I had this moment of clarity where it felt like a gong was struck, and I realized, “This is not another tool in my toolbox. This is a new toolbox.”  

My new knowledge of the Feldenkrais Method did not lend itself to my work as a physical therapist.  I had learned that the two philosophies were different, with different goals and approaches to care. 

After my training, I taught Feldenkrais classes for my local MS Society Chapter, among other activities. Eventually, I created a workplace in my home and started a Feldenkrais practice in my house, which continues today.

Ira: What do you think the Feldenkrais Method can offer people with MS that is different than physical therapy?

Beth: In traditional physical therapy, the therapist evaluates to find what the patient cannot do.  Then, we work with them directly on that part to improve the deficits.  If the patient is weak, we give them strengthening exercises. If they are tight, we stretch the part, thinking it changes how a person moves or performs a specific activity. For me, it was disrespectful and didn’t cause lasting changes.   Treating in that manner is not helpful for people with MS, whose muscles don't work because of the disruption of the connection of the nerves to the muscles.  The myelin, the insulator, develops “scars. You can attempt to strengthen the muscles, but the weakness is not a muscular issue. The information is not being transferred from the brain, where it is initiated, to the muscle.  

A reason the Feldenkrais Method works is that we use what people can do. It's more important to bring your hand to your mouth than to have strong biceps. So if somebody can't bring their hand to mouth, we're not strengthening the biceps; we're teaching them to bring their hand to their mouth. We're teaching them how to use their whole arm, which uses their whole body. With the Feldenkrais Method, we use movement to “talk to the nervous system.” It's like saying to the brain, "Look, I can't do this the way I always did. I need to figure something else out.”

Ira: Starting February 1, you’ll be teaching Life in Progress, a six-week course for people living with MS and other neuromuscular diseases. Now, I know that “hope” is a word that—especially when it comes to illnesses—can be misused, so I want to be very careful not to seem like I’m trying to overhype the Feldenkrais Method with my next question, but you've worked with people living with these diseases for decades now, and I’m curious what someone signing up for your new series might hope to get out of it?  

Beth: MS is a progressive disease. Even with today’s medicines, there is not yet a cure that will allow people to get better and stay better indefinitely. However, the Feldenkrais Method can help them do what they want to do for longer. I have many stories from people who would wake up unable to move, and then they’d remember what we did in class and could get out of bed or get off the floor. 

Ira: Getting off the floor can be a life-saving ability! 

Beth: Absolutely. It is so important. I’ve always tried to help people learn how to get up off the floor. People with MS might not know which muscles are working at any given moment. A crucial aspect for people with MS is to learn that there are several ways to get off the floor or to do any activity, such as getting dressed, walking, or eating. Awareness Through Movement is about exploring different ways to move. If one does not work, a client has a repertoire of different ways to move. 

Ira: Will this course help people who aren’t currently experiencing any MS-related symptoms?

Beth: First of all, the more anyone knows about movement, the more they know about themselves.  People say, "I have MS, but it's not very bad." When “it’s not very bad” is an excellent time to start incorporating Feldenkrais into their lives! When someone’s got this diagnosis, it’s essential to get to know their body now. We tend to take for granted that we know how to move, but most of us don't really know how we actually do anything. And then, suddenly, we have these problems, and we aren’t prepared. Feldenkrais lessons can help you prepare for those moments.

Ira: Beyond movement, what other MS-related challenges can Feldenkrais help with? 

Beth: One area where Feldenkrais can help is around fatigue. MS fatigue is an overwhelming fatigue—it’s not just being tired. With Feldenkrais’ focus on being aware and moving slowly, we learn how to subtly sense when we’re doing too much. This is important because when we feel good, we tend to muscle our way through things. But with MS, one needs to learn to move in a sensible way so that they don't muscle through because what are they going to do when those muscles don't work? Pushing through a movement or activity requires ignoring how you feel or how that movement feels.  Life in Progress will explore how we can move with attention.  

Ira: That makes sense. It can be challenging to listen to your body when you’re trying to push through something. That pushing often requires ignoring. 

Beth: Being able to monitor yourself as you go through your daily life is vital. You have to be able to monitor yourself on the LA freeway or at the mall. You can't only monitor yourself at home in the quiet. That's one of the big things we’ll work on during our six weeks together— being able to quiet yourself in every situation, which, of course, is not just for symptoms of MS.

Ira: That's a life lesson.

Beth: We all need that. Life can be stressful, especially when it is difficult to perform everyday activities. 

Ira: Agreed! Beth, thank you so much for sharing your story and your time. I’m looking forward to your course.

Beth: I am, too. And for those curious about the series—the first class is free! You can find out more at: www.feldenkraisaccess.com/life-progress