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General Testimonials

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Howard -

I do almost exclusively the myofascial work I learned from you.

In terms of success stories, I have these:

One client, Rick Q., 67, had a career as a public utility lineman prior to retiring to the north country of NH. For the last 20 years he had been unable to lift his right arm over his head, experiencing a severe restriction in his shoulder. He'd had PT, x-rays and scans over the years that were inconclusive. He did not want rotator cuff surgery and so just decided to live with it (the restriction). We were fellow volunteers when we met and I expounded on myofascial release massage, sometimes ad nauseum. Eventually he decided to come to me for work. In the 3rd session of my doing full body myofascial release massage on him, I was working his shoulders and all of a sudden both of us heard a ripping sound, like velcro coming apart, from his upper right arm. He had no pain but the sound was unnerving to him. At the session's conclusion, he was able, for the first time in 20 years, to lift his arm over his head. For weeks afterward, every time he saw me he would raise his right arm over his head wave and smile. It's been well over 9 months since that session and he is still able to lift his arm overhead without restriction.

Michele G. , 45, an occupational therapist in the local school system, came to me as a result of my wife and I meeting her and her then husband by accident in a bar/restaurant in Bethlehem, NH. We struck up a conversation, finding out that the disability organization I was volunteering for had her as a member of its board of directors. I explained MRM to her and she said she'd give me a try. About a month later, she came to see me for a full body MRM. At the sessions completion, she said she felt lighter, centered and energized. She later told me that for a solid week after the massage she experienced an incredible amount of energy, a feeling of buoyancy, clarity of mind, and centeredness that she'd never felt before. An avid mountain hiker, she finds hiking much easier, less taxing and with much less difficulty breathing from the exertion.

Maurice F. is a 53 year old friend who is an avid bicyclist. He annually bikes up to the top of Mt. Washington (6288 ft) on the auto road for charity. Two years ago, about a week prior to his annual bike ride up the tallest mountain in the northeast, I gave him a full body MRM. He said afterwards that his breathing was so much less taxing than ever before and that his shoulders, back, forearms, and hands did not ache him at all after the ride. In preparation for a multi-day ride, just about a week prior, I gave him a FB MRM. He told me later that it was the easiest time he'd ever had doing that 3 day, 200 mile ride. His legs felt fresh at the end of each day and he had no stiffness or soreness in his body.

Sally P., 64, is a hairdresser. She finds her hands tired, sore and stiff after a day's work, even though she's now semi-retired and only works 2 days a week. A friend, I give her the myofascial work on her fingers, hands, forearms, biceps and triceps. The work relieves her of the pain she'd previously felt and her hands, she says, feel relaxed and loose.

Just this past week I had 2 new clients, husband & wife in their mid 50's, to whom I gave a full body myofascial release massage. Both exclaimed having easier breathing, better posture and a feeling of centeredness to them. The wife sings in a choir and she told me today she was pleasantly surprised to find her singing to be so much more easily accomplished. She felt like she had much greater lung capacity.

I've had other clients tell me of the benefits they'd derived from the MRM; in fairness, I've had several people for whom the massage seemed to make no difference. I guess you can't win them all.

I have several clients who use my work as an adjunct to their using a chiropractor.

Oddly, at least to me, I've had more than one person fall asleep on the massage table while I was giving them an MRM. It always surprises me when that happens as I preface the work by saying that much of what I do will be relaxing for them after I'm done.

Anyway, I found Tom Myer's Anatomy Trains to be helpful to me in terms of movement analysis and getting a fuller awareness of the relationship of the body to itself. I now have a better understanding of why when there's a pain in one's neck it may be related to something going on in their lower leg or foot.

I have added trigger point work to my massage base. I've been studying trigger points now for several years and find it to be an excellent companion to the myofascial work.

I can't thank you enough for teaching me this modality. It has made my massage work so much more effective and has given me a reputation in the community as a healer. Not all people like the work, finding it too intense, but for those who do, I have been able to effect some really dramatic and seemingly permanent changes.

Frank

I had a lady from 2 hours away that would come once a month to receive this work in particular because she found the benefits of it far outweighed any regular massages she had ever had in the past and no one in her area knew this kind of work. She was recovering from cancer and because of the treatments, she somehow developed a drag in her one leg that would cause her to trip and even fall down several flights of stairs. I worked on her only two times with MRM and the drag completely went away and has not tripped or fell in over a year and she contributes this all to this wonderful new work she discovered, thanks to Howard!!!

Hope that will work! I love taking these classes! It starts a fire under me again and gets me excited to work on people and change their lives! Looking forward to MRM part 4!! I will probably ride along with crystal in january when she takes the test so I will most likely see you then! Thanks again for a fun and informative weekend!!!

Richelle Garman

Hi Howard:

I finally had an opportunity to practice some of the strokes that you taught us over the weekend at Massage Envy. My first client just wanted a relaxing massage and medium pressure. She said just do the same thing as before, I liked it. I actually gave her a medium/firm pressure. So, I said to her while massaging her trapezius (using the myofascial release method), "I'm going to try a few different strokes today that I learned over the weekend." On the upper body, I performed at least seven of the strokes. When she was face up, I noticed that she couldn't turn her head even though she didn't complain about it. While I was using the strokes she said that her upper body was much looser. When I was finished, she could rotate her head fully on one side, the other, almost 3/4 of the way. She was very impressed with the technique and asked for a 90 minute session the next month. What a difference a three day intensive session makes.

I practiced different strokes on several other clients. One was experiencing pain in her lats. I noticed that her ql was very tight. So I turned her on her side and did the strokes. I didn't spend much time like I usually would following a routine to massage her entire back. I worked on her erectors that were tight, particularly in the lumbar area. When I finished with her, she said the pain was gone yet it had been hurting all night. I was so happy that I could make the pain go away.

I need to practice the breathing technique, but if I do several techniques a day while they are fresh in my mind I think that I will master them. Thanks so much for a great course and I will keep you posted.

Angie Purnell

Hi Howard,

Thank you for all of the great Myofascial Release classes. I've used the techniques this week that I learned last weekend at the Myofascial Release Advanced III. One client said it was the best massage that she has ever had, and she has had many. Another client came to me with a unique and painful hip issue that I would have had a problem resolving without the techniques that we learned in MFR III. MFR has enabled me, a male practioner, to separate myself from many of the 5000 female LMT's in Massachusetts. In my 6 years of practice in SE MA, I have yet to meet a therapist or client who has experienced MFR. This technique is responsible for the two new MT positions that I now have, one being my own business, the other being employed in a very high end, luxurious setting with a very large clientele base, surrounded by wonderfully supportive associates. I can’t thank you enough for bringing and sharing your knowledge to us.

I have had so much success in using the myofascial treatment, it's unbelievable! People are forming lines at my door! This work has made a huge impact on my life, as well as in the lives of all people I try to help in managing and relieving their pain!

Just thought I'd share the immense impact and positive outcome your work has achieved in such a short time in so many different ways! Wish there was a way of taking the lower extremity class!

All my best,

Amanda Potgieter

Hi Howard,

I hope this email finds you well. I just wanted to give some feedback since I took the upper extremity class.

Sincerely,

Jim Tebeau

Hi Amy,

Thanks so much for staying in touch. And thanks for the good word. Any "miracles" to share?

Regards,
Howard

Yes, of course!

Most recent was a 65 plus year old woman, usually very active and frustrated by limited mobility. I worked quads, hams, adductors and periformis. When she got up off the table, she lifted her leg and exclaimed "I haven't been able to lift this leg for months!"

Oh, more recently. . . today my farrier came for me to perform my half of our barter. Her shoulders were immobile. I did the standard upper body protocol without the seated work and with extra scapula work as well as modifying what you've taught us to include the serratus group. She had to rush out, but was exclaiming that her shoulders were finally free and sent a text asking where I'd been all her life, declaring this work to be 'Amazing'.

And. . . that 14 year old dog I practiced on after our first class? He's still moving freely enough to avoid euthenasia and can even scratch his own ears now, much to his delight.

Amy Delventhal

Hello Howard,

Hope all is well! Thank you again for that amazing class last week! I just wanted to write you because I've been incorporating more and more of MFR Massage with open minded clients.

In the past week I've seen a client who has scoliosis with a curvature which deviates to the right. The ab work did wonders for her discomfort. I also worked her legs and of course hip flexors to alleviate pain. After the session she compared the work to Rolfing and noticed a huge improvement.

I also saw a woman who is a first mate on a yacht. She came in twice, one 60 minute session and the second a 2 hour session. The 2 hour session gave me time to do the majority of the techniques learned from both classes. She too was amazed at the abdominal and hip flexor work. It made her realize how tight her hips and legs were. Along with that her back and neck pain which she had me work on initially had practically vanished.

Another client who I haven't seen in 2 months finally came in and she had a very tight neck with limited range of movement. Halfway through the 90 minute session she was able to turn over without any trouble as well as breathe deeper than she has in 3 weeks. When I asked her to lift her head like she was performing a crunch she lifted it with no issue and completely surprised.

I believe that what we do is validated specifically after 1 leg is worked on. The clients notice a huge difference between the 2 legs. Yes, I get excited as well! Of course I don't show it!

I'm truly begining to enjoy the treatments more and more. Initially I say I will do a customized session with a few MFR "moves". One becomes 10 in no time.

Thats all for now. My wife is surprised that I've written so much. Have a fantastic weekend!

Regards,

Amiel

PS- does this make us Fasciast?

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Howard Rontal demonstrates MRM Massage