Necessity is the Mother of Invention

by David Zemach-Bersin 

While developing a series of Feldenkrais classes to help people improve the health of their joints, I've been remembering my teacher, Dr. Moshe  Feldenkrais. He had been a scientist, living in London and working in the highest level of physics, when he found himself unable to walk due to excruciating pain in his knee joints. Feldenkrais went to respected doctors hoping that they could help him but learned that due to the extent and type of damage in his knee joints, medical help was not likely. Faced with the prospect of having to use a wheelchair for the rest of his life, Feldenkrais turned his attention to the project of finding a solution to his painful predicament. He was determined, curious, and personally motivated as he focused on his studies.

With a keen scientific mind, Feldenkrais explored the fields of neuroscience, psychology, infant motor development, and physiology and made a series of discoveries about how our patterns of posture and movement are organized in our brains. These discoveries led him to the answers he was looking for. Feldenkrais figured out ways to work with himself so that he could solve his joint problems and walk comfortably for the rest of his life. Fortunately for us, Feldenkrais didn't stop there but went on to develop the approach we know today as the Feldenkrais Method, which now helps people all over the world with a myriad of challenges. 

As a Feldenkrais Teacher, I work with many people who have joint pain. Sometimes, it is caused by inflammation or injuries. Other times, it's related to arthritis, lupus, or fibromyalgia. But from my perspective, all joint pain can be reduced by improving our movement and postural habits. When our movement and posture are better organized, then the mechanical stress or pressure on our joints is much, much less.

For example, if someone develops an unconscious habit of tilting their whole body to one side while walking and sitting, over time, there will be more wear and tear in one of their hip joints, one of their knee joints, and the joints in one of their feet. Asymmetrical self-use will have asymmetrical effects throughout our entire self. In other words, our joints themselves are often not the central issue, but instead, our habits of self-use.

To my mind, a Feldenkrais-based approach to reducing joint pain involves two things: improving our muscular-skeletal organization so that we can move and carry ourselves more symmetrically and encouraging safe and comfortable movement. Discovering better ways to move can be extremely helpful because movement improves circulation inside our joints. 

The strategies Dr. Feldenkrais developed to solve his joint problems are now available to all of us. Feldenkrais lessons use slow, small, safe, and easy movements to communicate with our brain and its natural capacity for learning. As we form new neural pathways, new, more optimal ways of using ourselves become available to us. With new, effective ways of moving and new ways of organizing our posture, we can reduce our joint pain and discomfort. 

If you have joint pain and are interested in trying this approach, please try the first class of my new series, Joint Health and Recovery. The first class is always free. If you have any questions, please feel welcome to write to us.