What Is Hellerwork?
Hellerwork is a form of bodywork developed by renowned somatic educator Joseph Heller, who has been involved with structural bodywork for over 50 years.
The Hellerwork treatment differs from traditional massage or physiotherapy treatments in that it brings into focus an intimate knowledge of the myofascia—the connective tissue that runs through our bodies. It is not always enough to know which muscles are involved in patterns of injury; the related fascial planes are also involved, and this is something that’s often missed in conventional treatment methods.
The Hellerwork-based process practiced at Cedar Creek Health encourages clients to make the connection between movement and body alignment. The potential for recovery and independence is well supported, as the work empowers clients to take responsibility for their health.
A client history reviews injuries, surgeries, medical conditions, medications, pain, current problems, biomechanical difficulties and goals.
We make an assessment of posture and movement patterns, and evaluate the body structure for alignment, symmetry and patterns of imbalance.
After discussing the client’s needs, and conducting a visual assessment and analysis of the history, an individual treatment plan is developed.
The treatment includes deep massage that deals, not just with the area of pain, but with its source, as well as with the source of misalignment, imbalance and connective tissue problems.
The massage is done with slow, deep pressure and often results in a sense of ease and relief. The client may be asked to make slow movements while the practitioner guides the tissue, releasing patterns of strain and tension. Darwyn is highly skilled at working with the client to determine the proper speed, depth and pressure.
The massage is followed by movement education, with clients given exercises customized for their lifestyle needs. The emphasis of the at-home exercises is on maintaining healthy posture and movement while walking, sitting and standing, and on awareness of chronic muscle tensions and how to change them.
Each session lasts 90 minutes and includes deep tissue manipulation, movement education and instruction for independence in healing.
My practice involves deep-tissue massage, and follow-up education, geared to improving the body’s flexibility, range of motion, alignment and efficiency. My work is based on the Hellerwork system, but I have developed and modified it over my 34 year career in the healthcare field.