PUSH^® Treatment FAQs

What does a typical PUSH treatment feel like?

It depends on the patient and the patient's quality of tissue. If your tissue is tight or rigid (myotonic) you may just feel pressure. The tissue could also be hypersensitive. Hypersensitive tissue will be sensitive to the touch and will be treated on a layer by layer basis. Pressure is only applied to the most superficial layer of tissue that needs the work. Once this layer is treated and restored, the tissue will regain its suppleness allowing the therapist to access the next layer of tissue without applying additional pressure. This pattern is repeated until all layers of dysfunctional tissue are restored and the tight, rigid tissue is replaced with supple and mobile tissue. Supple and mobile tissue will be free of pain, not sensitive to the touch and have a greater range of motion. When working soft and supple tissue, the treatment feels pleasant and will result in structural changes to the body and increased mobility.

Will I see physical changes in my body during the treatment?

Many people both see and feel dramatic physical changes to their bodies during and after treatment, however, every body is unique. Many patients see dramatic changes even from the first treatment. Some individuals have physical changes that they cannot feel right away because the affected tissue is somewhat numb from being chronically tight for a long period of time. Some patients have muscles that take a little longer to release than others. The body will respond and heal at its own pace. The key to any successful treatment is providing the maximum relief that can be achieved at any one treatment, then providing the follow up tools to make those changes last.

Is PUSH^® therapy just for athletes?

While many professional athletes receive PUSH therapy for pain relief and performance improvement, PUSH treatments can benefit anyone who suffers from chronic pain. PUSH therapy patients range from teenagers to the elderly, and from the highly athletic to the very sedentary.

Do you have standardized series of "sessions?"

No, PUSH treatments do not follow a set series of sessions. Each patient is provided an individualized treatment plan that follows particular treatment protocols designed to address the patient's pain at its source and provide maximum relief in the shortest time possible.

Will I need to disrobe?

No, PUSH treatments are applied with the patient fully clothed. We recommend that patients wear loose, comfortable clothing such as sweatpants, cotton t-shirts, etc. Heavy clothing or clothing with thick seams, such as jeans, is not recommended.

Are any oils or creams used during a treatment?

No, PUSH treatments are performed without any oils or creams. Since the purpose of the technique is to actively engage the patient's tissue and muscle, the use of creams and oils would be counterproductive, causing the therapist to glide over areas in need of work.

Do I need to do anything after I've had a treatment?

It's a good idea to drink a fair amount of water after a treatment to hydrate the muscles, especially if your muscles have released a lot of toxins and lactic acid. In general, a treatment does not affect your ability to engage in activities later in the day.

Can you teach me how to work on myself?

Yes, we believe it is important that patients be empowered to keep themselves healthy and pain free as much as possible. As a PUSH therapy patient, you will receive a customized PUSH Treatment Plan program. The program includes instruction in self-treatment as well as mobility training. This allows patients to relieve symptoms on their own and prevent their reoccurrence.

Does PUSH Therapy have any contraindications?

Manual muscle therapies, including PUSH Therapy, have indications and contraindications which cannot be entirely imparted online, however, PUSH is not recommended if any of the following currently apply: bone fractures, bone spurs, open skin lesions, severe osteoporosis, 3rd trimester of pregnancy, recent surgery, slipped ribs, torn soft tissue (muscles, tendons, or ligaments), or any kind of cancer in which mobilization of the lymphatic system may contribute to metastases. Please see our disclaimer for additional information.

Can I be treated even though I've had arthroscopic knee surgery?

Yes, once a patient has been cleared by their physician for post-surgery rehabilitation, the knee treatments can begin. The source of knee pain is often chronic passive tension from the thighs, pulling on the attachments at the knee. This results in compression on the knee, compromising the ligaments at the knee joint. Once the tension on the knee is released, the compression on the knee is relieved and pain is eliminated.

What is PUSH Mobility^SM Training?

PUSH Mobility^SM training is incorporated into the PUSH Treatment Plan^SM program. Where treatments and self-treatment techniques treat pain and tension symptoms, PMT uncovers the source of tension buildup from daily usage or athletic performance. Using a dynamic model based on the natural anatomical alignment of the body, PMT teaches patients how to be strong without losing mobility or suppleness in tissue. PMT also teaches patients how to move from the core of the body while staying supple and mobile in all daily activities, even while sitting at a computer! Athletes will learn to use the body more efficiently to improve performance and prevent injury. PUSH Mobility training also includes core strengthening and aligning exercises that retrain the old, rigid muscle memory patterns into stronger, more supple and mobile patterns. Poor muscle memory must be retrained and replaced if old patterns are to be eliminated. These exercises strengthen the core while maintaining suppleness in the spine and teaching proper body alignment. These exercises take only 3-5 minutes per day!

Is PUSH^® therapy like physical therapy?

While some of the goals are the same and the therapies can be highly complementary, the modalities are different. PUSH therapy's focus is on lengthening and loosening tight, contracted, rigid tissue by applying pressure to specific areas of concern as well as to associated large muscle groups. The goal is to relieve pain, improve muscle tone, and change the physical structure of the body.

Is PUSH^® therapy like chiropractic treatments?

PUSH does not attempt to directly manipulate the skeletal system. PUSH is based on fundamental principals of anatomy and physiology, which state that muscles move the bones of the body. Once the body's muscles are returned to normal structure and function, the skeletal system naturally falls into alignment, pain is relieved and mobility is restored.

Is PUSH^® therapy a type of massage?

No. The PUSH techniques and goals are very different from massage. PUSH is a system of manual muscle therapy and patient education, which is based on the structural anatomy and physiology of the body. While massage can create a pleasant feeling of relaxation and stress relief, the goal of PUSH is to make permanent changes to the soft-tissue structure of the body. This is achieved by following the PUSH Treatment Plan^SM program which includes customized treatments, teaching patients PUSH self-treatment techniques, and training patients in PUSH Mobility training.

Why doesn't stretching eliminate my chronic tension or chronic pain?

When a muscle is voluntarily stretched, the active range of motion of that muscle is increased or maintained. This is why it is important for athletes to stretch regularly. Stretching does not, however, effectively increase the length of a muscle when it is at rest, known as the passive resting length of a muscle. What happens to a muscle after the stretch stops? The muscle tension bounces right back! It is the passive resting length of a muscle that governs how much chronic tension and chronic pain the muscle holds. Increase the passive resting length of a muscle, and chronic tension and pain will be relieved or eliminated. This is the reason PUSH Therapy treatments are so effective. The treatments lengthen muscle resting length, change muscle tone and, thus relieve chronic passive tension, eliminating the source of pain.

Why are my muscles not "supporting" my body? Am I not strong enough?

Many people try to fix their chronic pain and tension by "strengthening" their body. Unfortunately the causes of this chronic pain and tension are often not understood. These conditions are often accompanied by tight, rigid and immobile tissue. Trying to strengthen this type of tissue often makes tight tissue tighter. In PUSH therapy we believe all muscles support the body best by being both strong and supple. Strong muscle fibers that are chronically short and tight lose mobility. This becomes a bigger problem as people age. Loose muscles that do not have enough mass fatigue easily, resulting in chronic passive tension and dysfunction. To truly support the body or the spine, muscles must have both strength and suppleness. The PUSH Treatment Plan^SM program supports each patient in achieving this goal.