It’s all about balance! If a vehicle’s tires are out of balance, they don’t wear evenly on both sides and the car can’t reach optimal performance. Same thing with the human body: If one side of the body is out of balance, then other parts compensate for the imbalance. Ninety percent of the conditions we suffer from today are from core distortions, including scoliosis, plantar fasciitis, low back pain and knee pain. A core distortion is when the top of the left hip rotates forward more than 15 degrees, and the top of the right hip rotates backward. 

As we go through life, each one of us experiences events that cause physical, mental or emotional stressors. These stressors affect the body in fascinating ways. They can cause a structural collapse in the body as well as an emotional collapse or a physical collapse. Stressors are felt in the body as pain, pulling or feeling “off” or out of balance, which can be difficult to describe and put into words. 

A lot of athletic people experience injuries caused by an out-of-balance pelvis. They usually believe they just “need to get stronger” to get past the injury. In fact, what they need is to balance their hips and body so they don’t cause further injury by compensating.
Structural Energetic Therapy can help these tendencies toward imbalance. It has helped many people in acute and chronic pain rehabilitate back into balance. It helps them take control of their bodies so the pain doesn’t control them.

What is it?

Structural Energetic Therapy (SET) was developed by Don McCann in 1978. He combined kinesiology and muscle testing, postural analysis, cranial structural techniques, directed myofascial unwinding, emotional energy release, acupressure, scar tissue and adhesion release, deep tissue therapy and other therapeutic bodywork techniques. These all integrate into SET.

SET therapists first attend massage school to become licensed massage therapists, then undergo a one-year SET training with extensive hands-on supervision and a certifying process. Most SET therapists have years of practice in the massage field before moving on to SET training.

What sets Structural Energetic Therapy apart from other modalities? 

• The integration of cranial/structural releases, which initiate the unwinding of the structure of the core distortion into long-lasting balance to provide structural support (this differs from craniosacral)

• Specialized myofascial soft tissue protocols that release myofascial holding patterns, scar tissue and adhesions that maintain distortions and cause pain and dysfunction

• Energetic healing techniques that release energetic and emotional blockages that create pain, distortions and dysfunction

Cranial/structural differs from craniosacral because the main focus of cranial/structural is restoring structural balance throughout the body. This is accomplished by releasing the soft tissue restrictions within the cranium that maintain the imbalanced distortion of the cranial motion. The release results in an expanded and balanced cranial motion. Craniosacral therapy typically does not release the soft tissue restrictions, so there may not be long-term structural change.

The ultimate goal of SET is to be able to resume normal activities pain-free. As your structure integrates into balance and support and away from habitual dysfunction, you will start to use your body more fully in your normal day-to-day activities. Anyone who wants to feel better from head to toe, and who wants to experience the peace, love and joy that are possible with maximum rehabilitation from pain and limitations, can benefit from Structural Energetic Therapy.

Melisa C. Kimball is a structural energetic therapist with offices in Brookfield and Westport. For more information about SET, contact her at 203-733-2258 or [email protected].