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SpecialtiesTandem Point

Problems Most Suitable for Tandem Point Therapy

Tandem Point therapy is adjunctive care and does not replace conventional medical care. Clients are most strongly recommended to see their physicians for physical problems including those listed below.

The following pain problems may be suited for Tandem Point therapy. Please consult with your physician about Tandem Point therapy.

   dot Abrupt-onset neck pain.
dot Neck torsion syndrome caused by cradling the handset of a phone between the ear and the shoulder.
dot Chronic tension headaches.
dot Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) syndrome.
dot Cysts
dot Pain subsequent to surgery, such as sacrum-level low back pain subsequent to Caesarean section surgery, even twenty years subsequent to surgery.
dot Frozen shoulder (unless caused by osteoarthritis that is confirmed by an x-ray).
dot Pain in the upper back that appears or worsens when the neck is rotated or when the torso is rotated.
dot Other loss of rotation in the neck (not related to osteoarthritis confirmed by an x-ray).
dot Other loss of range of motion in the shoulder (less than 90% of normal) and other muscle pain near the shoulder.
dot Abrupt-onset low back pain.
dot Knee pain centered under, medial to, or lateral to the patella (knee cap), or behind the knee, whether diagnosed as a strength problem, a weight problem, or arthritis.
dot Other chronic pain without an abrupt onset. While clients may notice reduced pain for long periods following a therapy session, there may be non-muscle factors, such as posture and structural problems, which contribute to a chronic pain pattern. Clients who have committed to a daily stretching program following Tandem Point therapy have obtained substantially superior long-term control of chronic patterns.
dot Tendinitis. Tandem Point therapy cannot address tendinitis directly. However, it can address antagonist muscles that may be contributing to a tendinitis problem. Clients are most strongly urged to consult with their doctors about appropriate medication to reduce inflammation.
 

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Detailed Information on Some Problems Most Suitable for Tandem Point Therapy
Abrupt-onset neck pain:
Abrupt-onset neck pain can develop as a result of an accident and includes rear-impact or side-impact whiplash. Abrupt-onset neck pain can also follow surgery. If you have been in an accident within the past nine months, you must obtain x-rays to exclude the possibility of a neck fracture. If your x-rays are negative, you must be cleared by your physician for physical therapy before beginning Tandem Point therapy. Also, please wait until all inflammation has disappeared. If you must take anti-inflammatory medication 24 hours a day, you are not ready for Tandem Point therapy. Please do not take anti-inflammatory medication on the day of your appointment. You may require more than three sessions of Tandem Point therapy if your accident occurred more than 15 years ago. Usually physical therapy is covered by your insurance, while Tandem Point therapy is usually not covered, and therefore clients are encouraged to at least try physical therapy before trying Tandem Point therapy. In addition to physical therapy, complementary approaches include acupuncture and the nightly use of a liniment such as White Flower Analgesic Balm, Tiger Balm, or Po-Sum-On Oil. White Flower Analgesic Balm is available for sale at Rena Margulis's Haddonfield office.
Neck torsion syndrome:
Neck torsion syndrome caused by cradling the handset of a phone between the ear and the shoulder is usually treated by a one-session Tandem Point protocol. Experience has shown that clients who feel better after Tandem Point therapy can re-injure themselves if they return to poor telephone habits. Clients who have poor telephone habits at work are encouraged to obtain a headset for work before scheduling an appointment. Headsets are available from Hello Direct, www.hello-direct.com. If you have poor telephone habits at home, consider obtaining a "Softalk" for each phone in your home, again, before your appointment. A Softalk is a rubber pillow shaped like a banana that attaches to the handset of a phone--should you revert to poor telephone posture, at least the angle between your head and shoulder will be increased. Softalk shoulder rests are available from many suppliers on the Internet, and a search on google will locate them.
Chronic tension headaches:
Treatment of chronic tension headaches is a one-visit protocol involving pressure on points in the neck and the feet. Clients will be instructed how to perform a Tandem Point release to combat future headaches. Complementary approaches include increasing daily water intake, massage therapy, meditation, yoga, hypnotherapy, and acupuncture.
Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) syndrome:
Treatment of TMJ is a one-visit protocol. Tandem Point therapy does not eliminate chronic TMJ pain for the long term. However, clients will be instructed how to perform a Tandem Point release to reduce TMJ pain when it returns. Please wear loose sweatpants for this protocol. This protocol involves pressure to points on the face combined with pressure to points on the lateral (outside) edge of the pubic bone.
Cysts
Tandem Point therapy has swiftly resolved a variety of palpable cysts, including numerous cases of breast cysts and ovarian cysts. In three cyst cases, surgery had been recommended but was rendered unnecessary when the cysts resolved entirely during one or two Tandem Point treatments: (1) a “ganglion cyst” at the medial wrist, which had caused numbness distal to the cyst; (2) a “Baker’s cyst” posterior to the knee, which caused pain and loss of knee motion in a young gymnast; and (3) a painful cyst at the superior gluteal cleft. Unlike treatment of myofascial trigger points, where pressure is applied to the center of the point, in cyst treatment it is essential to work from the periphery of the cyst, and locate and treat sources of dysfunction in the fasciae (including distant scar tissue) external to the cyst. Serge Paoletti explains why addressing the fasciae may be effective: “. . . if the fascia is in a state of abnormal tension, it is easy to understand that the associated vascular system will be subject to sustained pressure, which will induce stasis. The lymphatics and veins perforate the fasciae through more or less rigid ring structures that let the tubes traverse the fasciae without encumbrance. However, if any of these annular openings is ever put under great tension, it can be converted into a tourniquet.” From: The Fasciae: Anatomy, Dysfunction & Treatment, page 156. For treatment with Tandem Point therapy, cysts must be palpable: a therapist must be able to feel the cyst, so cysts located within the rib cage are not suited for for this approach. Tandem Point therapy will not be effective for all cysts: if the client does not feel a clear, dramatic difference in the size and the pain level of the cyst immediately following the first session, he or she will not be scheduled for a second session. This approach is not applicable for treatment of lipomas. An alternative treatment for cysts is Korean Hand Therapy.

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P.O. Box 1023, Haddonfield, NJ 08033