Hello, and welcome to ‘CastleBodyWork’.  I’m John Castle.

CastleBodyWork is the name of my manual therapy and movement therapy practices.  I have been practicing since 2008.  My therapy practice is an unusual combination of both hands-on manual therapy and rationale-based movement therapy.  The reasoning for this combination comes specifically from the famous quote by Ida Rolf, Ph.D.

“First, put the tissue back where it belongs, then introduce movement.”

For me, putting the tissue back where it belongs, is accomplished through the manual therapy component of CastleBodyWork, which is a combination of James Waslaski’s ‘Integrated Manual Therapy’ and Erik Dalton’s ‘Myoskeletal Alignment Therapy’.  You will be able to find me and the coursework I have completed with them, on each of their respective web sites.  This coursework has been augmented through my own studies of other highly respected practitioners that include:

• Michael John Boyle – Functional Training, Joint-by-Joint Theory
• Gray Cook, PT, BCOCS, CSCS – Functional Movement, Joint-by-Joint Theory
• Leon Chaitow, ND, DO, MRO – Positional Release, Muscle Energy Technique
• Serge Grakovetsky, Ph.D. – Spinal Engine Theory
• Philip Greenman, DO, FAAO – Principles of Manual Medicine
• Vladimir Janda, MD, PT – ‘Father of Rehabilitation’, Classification of Muscle Imbalance
• Lawrence Jones, DO – Strain-Counterstrain
• Thomas Meyers, LMT, ARP – Anatomy Trains, Myofascial Continuities
• Richie Mintz, Certified Advanced Practitioner-Rolfing
• Ida Rolf, Ph.D. – “Put the tissue back where it belongs, then introduce movement.”
• Shirley Sahrmann, PT, Ph.D. FAPT, Muscle and Movement Impairment
• Robert Schleip, Ph.D. – Guidelines for Restoring Connective Tissue
• Gordon Zink, DO, FAAO – Common Compensatory Pattern

Introducing movement is accomplished through the rationale-based movement therapy component known as TheCastleMethod.  This is my own body of work, which I am certain has been influenced by all the individuals I have listed.  This method includes:

• Active Range of Motion Routine -7 primary patterns, 29 secondary patterns
• Fascial Fitness Routine – 3 primary patterns, 15 secondary patterns
• Fascial Fitness BOSU Routine – 3 primary patterns, 17 secondary patterns
• Gait Pattern Routine (on the mat) – 4 primary patterns, 8 secondary Patterns
• Gait Pattern Routine (on the track) – 6 primary patterns, 11 secondary patterns

* Over the past 50 years, my practical experience in the fields of exercise and movement may also have played some small role.

It is important to understand that all types of movement do not necessarily produce positive outcomes.  Movement can be ‘rationale-based’, or it can be ‘random’.   Rationale-based movement is functional and coherent, and results in differentiated bodies where muscles, myofascial layers/continuities, are in balance and can glide freely and independently, producing proficient, skilled, adept movement. Joint centration is present. Random movement is often dysfunctional, incoherent, and often results in undifferentiated bodies where muscles, myofascial layers/continuities, experience an entropic condition known as ‘gluing’ (a layman’s term for hydrogen bonding).  Gluing, which results from the stress of random repetitive movement and aging, can result in a condition where the soft tissue layers no longer glide upon each other.  This condition of soft tissue impairment found in ‘the random body’ also leads to muscle imbalance, inefficient movement, loss of joint centration and eventually… pain.

This is how I understand rational vs. random movement, and work to accomplish the stated goals of Dalton’s Myoskeletal Alignment Therapy (MAT).  The primary goal of MAT is preventing pain.  The secondary goal is re-establishing ‘whole-body’ pain-free movement, especially during the walking cycle.

I consider myself extremely fortunate to have discovered and participated in the teachings of Waslaski, Dalton, Mintz, and others which have supported my interests and provided for the pathways and opportunities to acquire the knowledge and skills that enable me to provide my clients with both components of hands-on manual therapy and rationale-based movement therapy.

The tag-line for CastleBodywork and TheCastleMethod is ‘The pain-free movement experience’.

Here’s a takeaway:

When applied correctly, the actual changes that result from manual manipulation of the myofascia of the human body have been shown to be near-instantaneous.  This phenomenon, however, does not result in a completely plastic adaptation, meaning that the changes won’t hold permanently.  Adaptation, or permanent change in humans, requires the inertia of ‘rhythmic application’ of some action over a period of time.  It is the rhythmic application of rationale-based movement, that supports manual therapy, and facilitates the actual adaptation (permanent change).

In short, if you want the manual therapy to hold, you must introduce, and rhythmically apply rationale-based movement therapy.

Teaching movement skills cannot be accomplished through pictorial paper hand-outs or even video demonstration. These approaches are really just different forms of ‘lip-service’ provided by practitioners that either ‘don’t have the skills’, or just ‘don’t want to make the effort necessary’ for teaching movement.  The teaching of movement skills just isn’t that simple.  It requires the ‘creation of a kinesthetic memory’… through description, demonstration, verbal and touch-queuing, trial-and-error feedback, and coaching until the client knows how a particular movement pattern feels when performed correctly.  Only when the client can reproduce the correct kinesthetic patterns and sensations can it be ascertained that the movement skill been both taught and learned.  Then, is the only time it becomes of any value to the client.

I strongly believe that this is the only way teaching movement skills can result in success, and this is the basis of my practice.

If you are seeking the experience of pain-free movement, but not getting the outcomes you desire, maybe you just need some help putting the tissue back where it belongs and introducing rational movement.  I wish you success in your search for this experience.

My contact information can be found at the bottom of my resume.