Dorn method
Back & Joint care – safely, naturally & gently
Dorn Method is a gentle, safe and effective treatment designed to
alleviate
back and joint pain in people of all ages. It is used to to correct
misalignments of the spine and other joints, thus addressing many
health issues from back pain and sciatica to migraines.
The Dorn
method focuses on restoring balance to the body and promoting long-term
health through a combination of three elements: the actual
treatment, encouraging better posture and a set of self-help exercises
to practice at home.
The key to success
One of
the key features of Dorn's effectiveness is its approach to getting
joints to move more readily back into their correct, natural position
and then stay there. A twisted or badly seated spinal column may have
vertebrae that are being held out of place by muscles under strain. Any
attempt to move the joint back into position will fight against the
muscle. Rather than forcefully trying to move the vertebrae Dorn works
by cleverly distracting muscles while corrections are made.
“At 31, I had experienced quite painful lower back pain for
some 9
years, been diagnosed with an inflamed sacro-iliac and bursitis in both
hips. Chiropratics had worked temporarily, but I moved so often from
place to place that the treatments never lasted for very long. Chronic
pain was a daily experience for me, until I discovered Regina's
website. I enquired about the Dorn method and the Breuss massage and,
after four treatments, feel well for the first time in almost a decade!
Regina is a wonderful masseuse and, most importantly, an excellent
listener. The treatments have been tailored to my history and also how
I'm feeling at the time, and both the Dorn exercises and the Breuss
massages are extremely gentle and relaxing. Since the Dorn exercises
can be done at home on a daily basis, I also know that I can help
myself, and I am always surprised how such gentle movements can make
such a difference. I feel balanced again, and recommend to others to
give this a try!
Tania, Wollaton, Nottingham
History
The Dorn method was
developed by Dieter Dorn more than 35 years ago in
Bavaria. Dieter Dorn, a saw mill owner, injured himself by lifting a
heavy log and suffered lumbago. He was helped by an old farmer who was
locally known as a healer. Intrigued, he asked to learn the healer's
techniques, who replied: “you already know them”, implying how easy
they were to learn and do yourself.
"Dorn's first patient was
his wife who for several years had suffered from severe headaches.
According to some doctors, the transverse processes of her cervical
vertebrae were too long and could be shortened by surgery but she
refused to be operated upon. Dieter Dorn checked his wife’s neck and
found that the vertebrae were only twisted and that the x-ray was not a
correct reading. He gently pushed the vertebrae back into place and
since then her headaches have been history. She has since became the
most prominent patient of Dieter Dorn.
That was the beginning of the DORN METHOD!
Soon
after, Dieter Dorn helped many people in the neighbourhood by
correcting their unequal leg length and aligning their joints. To his
surprise many other ailments like knee pains, heart problems, hearing
problems and others also seem to have disappeared.
The answer to
all this he discovered by coincidence in a book about Traditional
Chinese Medicine (TCM), where acupuncture and acupressure were among
the techniques used to cure many ailments.
During the course of
his treatments he observed that he was also addressing the meridians
(nerve pathways) along the spine. Because of the connection between the
spinal cord and the inner organs connected through the spinal nerve
pathways, many problems disappeared when the misaligned vertebrae where
corrected.
Some years later, Dieter Dorn decided that it was time to teach other people this wonderful method, and he started to give seminars. Many learned from him and are now following in his foot steps with equal success. Dieter Dorn still has his sawmill, which makes him independent and his simple and very kind personality keeps on impressing his students.” (from Thomas Zudrell: “The Dorn Method”).
He died on Wednesday, 19 January 2011.
What happens in a Dorn session?
A Dorn treatment starts with checking leg length (after taking history). Many clients suffering from back pain also show a difference in the length of their legs. Mostly this is not due to a physical difference in leg length, but because of bad joint seating in the hips. This can lead to an imbalance of the pelvis and therefore results in an asymmetrical, crooked or displaced spinal column. We will then proceed to correct the leg length (and often succeed) and show you a self-help exercise to help in this process.
Then the pelvis is checked for misalignment followed by lumbar, thoracic and cervical vertebrae and corrected if necessary. We can then work on other joints, for example the shoulder, knee, elbow or jaw joints.All corrections happen in a dynamic way with the client actually assisting the Dorn therapist by swinging either his or her leg, arm or head, depending on the area being worked on. This helps the bones to be brought back into their proper positions. This also makes it an absolutely safe and gentle treatment.
The treatment often starts or ends with a Breuss Massage. This is a very gentle Spinal Massage that safely stretches, nourishes, aligns and energizes the spine.
Example of a Dorn Exercise
Place your hand underneath your buttock and pull upwards. Lift your knee up and down about five times. Repeat on the other side. This can keep your pelvis sitting horizontal and therefore your spinal column upright. Do a few times a day.
Training
In September 2010 I trained with Brigitte Nath, an authorised Dorn Instructor in Stratford upon Avon. She kindly allowed me to use descriptions from her website in the above text. Thank you.
