You Finally Found the Answer to Aches, Pains, Headaches & Limited Mobility in Your Muscles & Joints!
• Chronic (persistent) pain for years?
• Recent Injury?
• Surgery?
• Car Accident?
• Work-Related or Sports Injury?
• Migraines or Headaches?
• Chronic Fatigue or Fibromyalgia?
Active Modulation Therapy™ could very-likely help you relieve your pain, move easier and get back to living a fuller-life!
(To reflect our current understanding of our inability to specifically address fascia we are transitioning from our prior name "Active Myofascial Therapy" to "Active Modulation Therapy" . Our goal is to MODULATE your pain, movement, function, energy, performance, cognition and so much more!)
A 12-FOOT FALL STARTED AMT - THE DIAMOND METHOD...
AMT™ was developed over 30 years ago, by Irene Diamond, RT, an exercise and movement therapist and neuromuscular re-educator as a result of a spinal cord accident she sustained at age 15 while participating in acrobatics.
Due to a 12-foot fall off her partner's shoulders, she had a compression-fracture of her cervical 5th and 6th vertebrae and was completely paralyzed from the neck down. (A spinal cord injury at C-5/6 resulting in no sensation or control is considered a 'complete' quadriplegic.)
Irene could talk, breathe and move her facial muscles, but had no control over any other part of her body. She was placed in a halo traction with 50-pounds and 75-pounds of traction pulling her hips away from her head. Irene remained in that position, on her back for two months. The goal was to relieve the pressure of the bones and swollen tissue that was pressing on her spinal cord causing the paralysis.
FORTUNATELY...
After about 2 weeks the swelling and compression began to subside and the pressure started to release on her spinal cord.
A SLOW RECOVERY...
Irene slowly regained her ability to move and feel, but unfortunately, after the 63 days in traction, the bones had not healed. Irene was rushed into surgery and received a laminectomy and fusion to stabilize the bones.
Because this was decades ago before therapy was as evolved as it is now, Irene was released from the hospital after a single session of PT, Regarding her spinal cord injury, she is now considered an 'incomplete'. Luckily, she was able to regain full movement, with only slight residual symptoms.
Some of the remaining symptoms Irene experienced were chronic neck pain and migraines. Manual therapy with Irene directing the therapists as to how the session should be structured is what finally provided some relief. Diamond began to find relief for her own symptoms through the application of manual manipulation to specific areas of her muscles, combined with actively moving individual joints in a prescribed manner. Since Irene was still in high school, she had no scientific understanding of what was causing the improvement of her movement and reduction of her chronic pain. However, the therapist who was helping her began to also apply what Irene was having him do for her with his other patients, and saw impressive results as well.
She knew she was onto something and...
IT'S PERSONAL...
This personal experience led Irene to pursue a degree in Recreation, Rehabilitation & Movement Therapy, With her degree, Irene thought she would provide only movement and dance therapy but found she returned to incorporating the manual therapy as a component of the care she provided to patients and clients.
Over the years, Diamond fine-tuned the manual and movement method into what is now known as
Active Modulation Therapy ~ The Diamond Method.
Irene teaches AMT to therapists around the world through online digital trainings and in-person seminars and workshops. She continues to see a select number of clients at Diamond Pain Relief & Wellness Center in San Francisco, California, USA.
AMT's focus combines manual manipulation of the 'soft-tissues' of the body such as muscles, ligaments, fascia, etc, while addressing the psychological component of how we interpret and can reduce pain. Active Modulation Therapy - The Diamond Method encourages clients to become as self-sufficient as possible through understanding their own ability to make changes which builds confidence in themselves.
Each and every AMT & AMM session
incorporates the 7-step D.I.A.M.O.N.D. Method
D - Discovery / Define
What is going on for you, now - let's start to explore why you have scheduled the appointment and define your short-term and long-term physical, social and psychological goals.I - Initial Assessment /Investigate
We dive deeper into what your history is, what has worked, not worked, and what else you might have tried. We do an assessment of movement, strength, comfort-levels, and look at anything else that may be contributing to your current situation. Based on this, we design your therapy plan.A - Actions & Activation
You will be asked to move your neck, limbs or torso so you can start the process of relieving tension, pain and restrictions. The movement brings more blood to the specific area, strengthens and stretches the soft-tissue and most important, because we structure the movement in a specific manner, you find your attention and awareness is heightened to the areas of your body in a new, enlightened manner. The Diamond Method refers to this as Positional Awareness™️ also considered, neuromuscular facilitation. -- This is all done in a pain-free manner!M - Manual Therapy / Tissue Manipulation
You will be guided to slowly move a limb, or your body in specific ways, while your therapist applies manual pressure to a specific area of your body. For example, if we are addressing your migraine symptoms, we might press into 5 or 6 specific 'trigger points' in your neck. While holding the manual pressure, you will move your head according to the therapist's directions.
Everything about The Diamond method is ALWAYS at a comfort-level that feels good to you!O - Client's Perspective: Observe Physical, Emotional & Mental Changes
From your perspective: Observe any sensations or physical, emotional or mental changes you experience which are discussed and considered.N - Therapist's Perspective: Notice Physical, Emotional & Mental Changes
From your therapist's perspective: Notice any sensations or physical, emotional or mental changes that you experience which are openly discussed and considered.D - Deliver, Design, Develop & Determine Next Step & Future Therapy plan
(You and your therapist will participate fully to deliver solid, clinical results. Together, you will design a therapy plan to get you the best, fastest, most comprehensive short and long-term results. You will partner with your therapist to determine your goals and how to reach them.
Active Modulation Therapy - The Diamond Method, either alone or used in conjunction with physical therapy,
massage therapy, chiropractic, or other modalities is focused on getting you quick and permanent results!
Active Modulation Therapy™ will:
- Reduce or Get You Out Of Pain
- Improve Your Ability To Move Your Body With Less Stress & Strain
- Teach You Easy Steps To Reduce The Physical Strain Your Static Posture or Position Might Have
- Educate You On Effective Movement-Patterns, Biomechanics and Ergonomics (How to lift, bend, sit, work, etc, although much of what we now know, points to the understanding that there is no "Right" or "Wrong" way!)
AMT™ is for You If You Have Any of the Following:
- Pain during the day or at night which affects your ability to carry out your daily activities or get a good night sleep
- Injuries or mobility restrictions resulting from a car accident , sports or work related injury
- TMJ disorders
- Repetitive Stress Syndrome or Over-use Conditions
- Numbness or Tingling in legs, arms, fingers or toes
- Whiplash / Strain / Sprain injury
- Shoulder Impingement / Frozen Shoulder
- Headaches & Migraines
- Carpal Tunnel
- Thoracic Outlet Syndrome (T.O.S.)
- Sciatica
- Sprains, Tears, and Spasms
- Rotator Cuff Tears
- Degenerative Disc Disease (D.D.D.)
- Low back Pain
- Fibromyalgia (FM)
- Tendonitis
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Plantar Fasciitis
- Shin Splints
- Hunched-over Posture
We used to think soft-tissue dysfunction was because of an old or new injury, years of poor posture, or physical or emotional stress which led to a contraction of our muscles as a way for our body to protect itself or to compensate for a dysfunction.
Unfortunately, we now know, even if our injury has healed or the situation has changed, our brain doesn't always get the message to our nervous system to release the chronic contraction or protective compensation (called "splinting"). What may start out as a small limitation in movement, over time may result in severely restricted movement and a shortening of the muscles. If pain continues, it can set up a whole slew of compensatory movement patterns and what is known as a pain-spasm-pain cycle, which is hard to break. Our nervous system begins to be over-sensitized and even the slightest irritant can throw us into a flair-up or full-blown case of chronic or persistent pain.
And Guess What?
In Many Cases, Active Myofascial Therapy™ - The Diamond Method Can Reduce Pain & Limited Mobility by Modulating The Sensations!
Joan shares how her migraines are finally gone after years of pain and disability.
(after only a handful of AMT sessions)
Karen also got rid of her knee pain finally, when no one else could help her!
The Objective of Active Modulation Therapy–The Diamond Method™ is three-fold:
1-The First Objective:
"Re-educate" Your Neuromuscular System.
To function correctly, muscles need to be able to contract completely but more importantly to relax completely. Through guided conversation, awareness, breathing, relaxation techniques, manual therapy, and movement patterns your nervous system is "reminded" if you will, of how to function efficiently.
2- The Second Objective:
Develop Balanced Functional Strength and Joint Flexibility.
This is accomplished through AMT's corrective exercises which are called 'Actions'. Strong, stable, flexible joints and muscles are one of the keys to living a pain free, happy life.
It's important to be aware of how and where you hold your head, limbs, and trunk while standing, sitting, lying, and moving so you can move into more ease. (You could be tensing your shoulder muscles all day while at work with out even knowing it!) You will also begin to enhance your "Positional Awareness" a term coined by founder, Irene Diamond, which relates to your proprioceptive and kinesthetic awareness of your joint and limb positions. Since everything is inter-connected, there will also be an assessment of other factors that may contribute to your pain, such as your work/desk set-up, sleep positions, etc.
3- The Third Objective:
Develop Self-Efficacy.
Our goal is to help you become as self-reliant as possible. We are here to facilitate your improvement and teach you what to do on your own. We are not here to "FIX" you, and will support your improvement through partnership.
To have the greatest results, we have found:
- 50% of the key to success, through AMT is Awareness of body position (Positional Awareness™️ ) and mobility and breath, history of habits, and ) neuromuscular re-education and developing a client's ability to be self-reliant.
- 25% of the therapy success comes from Active Soft-tissue mobilization and manipulation (similar to massage) BUT, the client actively engages their muscles and joints while receiving the manipulation. Clients are NOT passive recipients, as in traditional massage, chiropractic, acupuncture, physical therapy methods.)
- And the last 25% is made up of the therapeutic movements we call, Actions (stretching, balancing, stabilizing and strengthening).
Note that AMT is not a therapy that is done 'to' you.
During your session you are not passive (unlike traditional physical therapy, chiropractic, acupuncture or massage). You are active.
You move in prescribed ways, press muscles up into the therapist's applied pressure, and do the gentle movements called, Actions.
We develop your therapy plan based on the results we find from your initial evaluation. This comprehensive approach provides long term results. It is not, however, realistic to expect a few sessions to undo 23 hours a day or a lifetime of stress and strain on your body! To enhance your therapy results, an individualized program of Actions is designed for you to do at home or throughout the day and some life-style changes may also be beneficial to incorporate daily.
To facilitate your healing, please note that after an Active Modulation Therapy – The Diamond Method™ session it is highly recommended you allow a minimum of five minutes to walk and move after your therapy session before sitting down.
(If this additional time is not available, please notify your therapist to finish your session a little early.)
To assure the best possible results, your therapist will be happy to discuss your treatment plan with your other health care providers. A prescription for therapy in most states is not required, however, it may be necessary to have your doctor write a prescription to help you receive reimbursement from your insurance company.
Most workers' compensation, automobile accident and personal injury cases will cover AMT under neuromuscular reeducation, myofascial release, and therapeutic exercise.
Active Modulation Therapists Guarantee Your Success!
Clients and Patients are treated on a select basis.
(Please look here for a list of therapists in your area.)
Use the directory to look up a local therapist in your area. They get very booked up, so call them today to see if receiving
Active Modulation Therapy – The Diamond Method™ would be a smart next step for you to begin your roadmap to wellness!