A Look At ISHTA Spinal Touch®

ISHTA Spinal Touch® Wolverhampton & Staffordhsire with Lynne Hancher

what is spinal touch? how does spinal touch work? history of spinal touch uses of spinal touch treatment side affects costs comments faq

What is ISHTA Spinal Touch®?

ISHTA Spinal Touch® is a simple yet powerful technique for re-aligning the body's centre of gravity. ISHTA stands for Integrating Spinal health with Therapeutic Approaches. Re-alignment is done solely through a unique muscle relaxation technique. I practice ISHTA Spinal Touch® in Walsall, Wolverhampton and Staffordshire, but there are many therapists throughout the country.

Press play for a five minute demonstration of an Ishta Spinal Touch alignment

Video courtesy of Ishta Spinal Touch main website

A Brief History of Spinal Touch

The origins of Spinal Touch relate to two American chiropractors called John Hurley and Helen Sanders. John Hurley was in fact a structural engineer who became fascinated at applying his knowledge of structural stresses to the human body. He trained as a chiropractic, met a fellow student, Helen Sanders, and they married. Together, they developed a technique for postural reintegration using engineering principles, laws of leverage, physiology and chiropractic. They called it Aquarian Age Healing. Eventually they divorced but Dr Hurley continued to teach the technique until his death in the 1950s.

One of the instructors trained by Hurley was a chiropractor called Francis Goes, who in turn taught another chiropractor called LaMar Rosquist. He changed the name to Spinal Touch and improved and redefined the technique to the one practiced today.

How does Spinal Touch work?

Are your shoulders and hips level? Would a line down your side connect your ear, shoulder, hip, knee and ankle: Or does your body show hidden signs of distortion and distress? If you're not standing erect, you could be candidate for health problems.

The body's centre of gravity is located around the junction of 5th lumbar vertebra and the 1st sacral segment. If the centre of gravity is displaced, then the balanced, dynamic tension of the paraspinal muscles is disturbed. This, in turn, can affect the nerves, leading to pain and dysfunction. Also the balance of the body can be affected, so that the body's innate healing abilities are also affected. Spinal touch assesses the positions of the centre of gravity and any postural distortions. Stress and strain often lead to these distortions. This simple technique restores the balance of the centre of gravity and corrects posture. This frees the paraspinal muscles and, in turn, the vertebrae, nerves and innate healing abilities of the body. As a result pain reduces and functionality increases.

The motto of Ishta Spinal Touch is "in soma vis medendi" meaning "in the body there is healing". This refers to the fact that Ishta Spinal Touch works solely by potentiating the innate healing abilities in the body - it does not treat conditions or illnesses, but people.

What is Spinal Touch used for?

Ishta Spinal Touch® is primarily concerned with creating a healthy, balanced state on all levels. It may, therefore, help most people, especially with:

Spondylitis, stress management, anxiety, arthritis, asthma, back pain, balance problems, digestive problems, fatigue, frozen shoulder, whiplash, joint pain, kyphosis, multiple sclerosis, neck pain, pins and needles, problems during and after pregnancy, strain injuries, scoliosis, tension, tennis elbow, visual disturbances, sinus problems, sports injuries.

Are there any side effects?

If the body has been distorted for some time, several treatments may be required to avoid releasing too many toxins into the body at the same time. Some people can experience a feeling of stiffness or soreness for a day or two but most people find the technique relaxing.

What a typical Session entails

At the first session, I will take a detailed medical history, explaining in detail how the treatment works.

Generally, the treatment is done with you in your underwear with a treatment gown. You will be assessed standing at a plumbline and some discreet marks will be made on your body. A contact point will be found and tested, which is usually around the gluteal fold (where your bottom meets the back of your upper thigh). You will then be asked to lie on your front for about 15-20 minutes whilst the treatment is given. You will find this to be a very gentle massage - many of my clients find it very relaxing. After getting back up, you will be checked at the plumbline again where your new posture will be compared against the marks first taken.

The treatment can be used alongside other complementary therapies to give an holistic approach.

How much does it cost?

Costs can vary depending on time and location. Please contact me initially for a brief discussion and appropriate prices.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here is a list of some typical questions I'm frequently asked. Hopefully anything you might want to know is covered somewhere on this page. If it isn't, don't hesitate to contact me.

coming soon...

Patients Comments

You said it would hurt a bit. It did the whole of yesterday afternoon and last night. But today OH WOW. For the first time in years I can nearly walk without a limp, and the sharp pain from the sciatic nerve isn't anywhere near what it was. THANK YOU very much. Wish I had met you years ago.
Clive from, Bilston - first letter of thanks.

Don't know how to tell you this but, since the last treatment, I have had no pain from the sciatic nerve. Yes I still have back pain but that sharp pain that I used to get from any twisting movement has gone. THANK YOU
Clive from, Bilston - second letter after further treatment.

Useful Links

ISHTA Spinal Touch®