r/massage • u/Ok-Significance3223 • 2d ago

US Does primal reflex release technique work?

2 Upvotes

67% Upvoted

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4

u/quiet_fyre LMT 1d ago

So primitive reflexes definitely exist. My partner is an early childhood educator, and she is taking a continuing ed class on them currently. Listening along while I'm cooking dinner has been fascinating.

The startle or Moro reflex is a good example of a primitive reflex. When an infant is startled, they throw their head back, stretch out their arms and legs, and open their palms.

The reflexes are meant to go away after certain developmental milestones are reached, but some people retain them for years because they were never "integrated". A reflex is integrated when it is replaced by conscious, controlled movement. Retained reflexes can interfere with higher-level brain function and development.

All that said, I can't imagine any massage techniques that would be more effective than an occupational therapist's approach. That's the field that usually addresses these issues.

1

u/Lmtguy 2d ago

Commenting to follow. I've been getting so many ads on Facebook about them.

-5

u/Iusemyhands LMT, PTA - NM 1d ago

Do you have the theory behind the application? Like is it positional, stretching, tools? I've never heard of it and don't want to mess up my current algorithm by searching for it.

1

u/BouncingOutofmySkin LMT 1d ago

I'm not trying to be flippant here, and if people can reply here that's great and much more convenient, but if you ever want to look something up and "not mess up your algorithm", if you have a public library, see if they offer guest passes (versus having to log on with your library card). Using a guest pass doesn't tie it to your account or your Google or anything that would mess with anything.

That said, I know nothing about this primal release and it just sounds like some bs, but maybe I'll look it up later.

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u/Past_Ad_4059 1d ago

Also if you have chrome, you can use the incognito browser.

1

u/Iusemyhands LMT, PTA - NM 1d ago

No worries. I don't have time to get to a library, so I ended up using the front desk computer at work to look it up.

Apparently it uses light touch, repositioning, and muscle activation to reset the reflex responses. Trigger points are part of the assessment. The idea is to down-regukate the nervous system.

Here's a link to an NIH source source here

In this study regarding hamstring strains, it was found to be effective. There were a lot of limitations in the study, so more research with clear protocols is needed.