lifestyle

Alternative fix

Dr. Margaret Houston, a family physician in Rochester, gets the same reaction.

“People roll their eyes because it’s an alternative therapy and nobody understands what it is, and it’s really hard to explain,” she said. “I explain that learning to relax the muscles in one part of the body can help them walk differently. I tell them to take it on faith. It works and it’s made a huge difference for me.”

Houston, who suffered neck and back pain, was introduced to Feldenkrais by her horse trainer. After she took classes, she said, the pain disappeared.

The change made perfect sense to her. “People often attribute pain to one thing,” she said. “They have pain in their knee or their hip but they don’t realize that everything in your body moves as a unit.”

Houston is quick to point out that Feldenkrais isn’t for everyone. “Some people just want a quick fix,” she said. “They want an injection or they want to see a specialist right away.”

And if that fails, that’s when they try Feldenkrais, said Pak.

 

Mary Lynn Smith • 612-673-4788