P.A.T.H.E., (Progressive Acupuncture, Therapeutics, And Harmonizing Exercise) is a unique program designed to restoring optimum anatomical, physiological and neurological function to the body. This is accomplished by reeducating the body to operate as it was designed utilizing acupuncture, physical medicine, kinesiology, and therapeutic exercise through graduated steps to reach your goal. Structural/mechanical deviations are reduced, which results in a body that readily heals and functions more efficiently.

Our goal is to bring about a state of muscular balance and internal homeostasis. The objective is to eliminate each client’s personal dysfunction. The human body’s “blueprint” is familiar – the standing anatomical position: axis of the hip, knee and ankle joints are directly aligned, the head sits evenly between the shoulders and the hips are level. There should be no rotation of the torso on a fixed pelvis.

An individual whose body deviates from the basic “blueprint” does so for a reason: a muscular imbalance in strength and flexibility (in cases not involving past trauma). Standing posture, for the sake of argument, is a static position. It provides essential information to the therapist for predicting what the body will do dynamically. These predictions can be confirmed and reinforced by observing the client’s gait pattern. Because energetic and structural changes occur over time, the length-tension relationship of the muscles is part of the change. Also occurring as part of that change is atrophy of unstimulated muscles and compensation by other muscles and muscle groups. The postural changes directly impact joint mechanics.

The P.A.T.H.E. Program initial assessment of a symptomatic client is markedly different than that of an orthopedist or physical therapist. Their procedures include evaluation of the exact structures involved and development of a plan to provide relief through all modalities (i.e., drugs, electric stimulation, exercise, massage, etc.). The rehabilitation plan then focuses specifically on the affected area, and if applicable, the joints above and below.

Many times the P.A.T.H.E approach is to ignore the symptoms as it relates to the cause of pain. The symptom or limitation does not always dictate the approach to therapy. Why? The body is a highly integrated structure. Conventional assessments focus on a particular area of pain or abnormality (i.e., edema, muscle tension, etc.), while ignoring the rest of the factors in a very large equation. A compensation that has occurred in one area as a result of an individual’s dysfunction appears as a symptom in another area of the body. It is possible, therefore, that the cause of the particular symptom is a structural/mechanical/energetic problem on the other side of the body. The body has a tremendous capacity for self-healing; to help facilitate this, the noxious stimulus that has disrupted normal function must be removed.

Improving structural/mechanical function depends upon four primary components:

1) the proper P.A.T.H.E. evaluation;

2) the design and application of treatment modalities/exercises to an individual’s dysfunction, not symptoms;

3) the progression of those modalities within a specific routine which is developed to meet pre-determined objectives; and

4) the performance of each group of take-home exercises between treatments.

P.A.T.H.E. is the program that offers a professional, common sense approach to helping people overcome their physical ailments. It is successful because a person can see and feel the physical changes as he or she takes part in the healing process and realizes the result of their efforts. Common dysfunctions & pain treated by the P.A.T.H.E. Program: