SPORTS INJURIES
I found Brian when I was desperately seeking relief from an acute injury, and have continued to see him regularly for maintenance. Brian’s vast body of knowledge and incredibly gifted talent with structural integration are unparalleled. I particularly love that Brian really, truly, listens to me and observes my posture to tackle whatever matter of ailment I walk through his door with. I love that he has a family package and I can share his amazing work with my entire family. My children particularly enjoy having him work on them!
Brian has helped my family with shoulder injuries, Achilles heel injury, anxiety and stress, correcting and realigning postural habits of body, eye tracking and improvements in school with regards to reading, lateral and locomotion issues, energy movement/applied kinesiology, and allergy (vial) sensitivities.
The best thing about a session with Brian is getting to spend time with Brian! I completely trust his methodology, have experienced incredible results, and always look forward to giving my family and myself the gift of his healing touch.
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WORKING WITH FAMILIES
I have been seeing Brian for a year now and his help has been paramount to my health and wellbeing. I came to Brian with a shoulder injury that I sustained while training for an open-water swim. It was one week until race time and I was desperate for help. Well, not only did Brian alleviate the pain in my shoulder so that I could swim my race, but he became my number one go-to guy for my overall body/energy wellness.
During our sessions, Brian helps me to better understand the patterns my body has grown accustomed to that hinder my more integrated self. Best of all, he gives me simple but very effective exercises and/or tips for countering these habits and feeling my best.
I love that Brian offers a family packet of sessions because my husband and two young children also love to work with Brian. Here is just some of what he has helped my family with: lateral stability issues that have caused knee stress on my youngest son, bilateral integration to help improve my daughter’s reading and school work experience, a partially torn Achilles tendon (My husband thought he never plays basketball again and now he can!), emotional recuperation after the loss of a parent, addressing old injuries so that they no longer fester in daily habits of body, allergy (vial) testing, applied kinesiology to help move energy and clear obstacles, general integration and sense of wellbeing far beyond muscle manipulation.
To add to this incredible list, Brian Esty is just about the kindest, most generous person to work with. I look forward to spending time with him as much as I do receiving healing work from him.
Oh, GOOD! I am glad you are not too full and have space for others in need What you do is so important! I was talking to someone from the Waldorf school today. The child doesn’t cross the midline is homolateral¦ I told her to get on your waiting list:) Another friend’s daughter and son have super tight limbs, and feet that need attention.
I appreciate what you have done for all of us!
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FEET
Oh my gosh! The foot is back to normal. It has been swollen for years.
Can’t wait to come in for me!
A.G., Marin
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RECOVERY FROM INJURIES
The client tripped and fell while hiking. As well as many contusions, she hit her head. She was still in shock when I saw her and may have had a very mild concussion. I saw her 48 hours later. The next day she responded:
Brian Esty has been helping me with numbness in my hand and helping my son with the challenges of Asperger’s. He has a wide knowledge of how the body works and he understands how it connects with the mind. His grasp of Infant Reflex Integration and the Masgutova Method is subtle and extensive.
My hand has improved markedly since working with him.
He has taught me exercises to do with my son and he has shown me how to do them with great refinement, i.e. he shows you how to do them in the way best tailored to your particular child, not just the general technique that you might find in a book. I see very positive changes in my son’s ability to interact with others as a result of Brian Esty’s work.
His home office is very peaceful and looks out upon a green garden. One is really in another world there. He has a strong yet sensitive touch and an almost hypnotic voice that helps you let go and receive the strength of his healing.
I can recommend him for both children and adults.
A. A. Berkeley, CA 2012
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LOW BACK PAIN
I had lived with chronic debilitating numbness in both of my legs for years before I went to Brian. My doctors were pretty insistent that it was time for me to go in for spinal surgery, and that there was nothing else to do. Because I am in my late 60′s, I was afraid that I would never fully recover from surgery and that this would be the beginning of the end for me.
Instead, I talked to Brian, who suggested that we try some things before I scheduled surgery. After our first session, I felt better than I had in months. Within a few weeks of starting with Brian, I am now going to the gym every day and even playing Golf again! I still get a little occasional numbness, but it goes away quickly and just makes me pay attention to what I am doing. Brian helped me get my life back!â€
M. D. San Mateo 2011
I don’t know how I injured myself, but my right hip began to hurt. After two days it became a sharp pain that shot down my leg and up my back. I was unable to sit or lay down comfortably. I went to the UCSF Emergency Room after 3 nights without sleep and barely able to walk. They checked me out, prescribed some medications, and sent me home.
The next day a co-worker told me about Brian. I was still in so much pain that I decided to try him out. When I called Brian, he asked me a number of questions and told me he had an opening late that afternoon. I took it.
He told me that my body was really out of alignment. He said that it was my psoas muscle. I had never even heard of it. He did some deep tissue massage at various points in my abdomen and my back. There was no chiropractic work done. When I stood up after an hour of work I had little pain. That was the first night I slept at all in 4 days. I still had some aching that would flare up at night, but no pain. After two more sessions with Brian over the next week. I was totally pain-free.
It has been almost 6 weeks now and I have seen Brian 5 times. He is working on some other minor problems I have had for quite some time, but I have had zero pain in my hip, back, or leg.
I would highly recommend Brian to anyone who wants pain relief without all of the medications typically prescribed by doctors. Moving forward, I will be seeing Brian for annual checkups to ensure I stay in alignment. â€
J.S. SF
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KNEE SURGERY
I attended Brian’s Touch For Health class a few years ago and was impressed with his knowledge and manner. Brian inspires confidence and exudes a gentle healing.
In February of this year, I had total knee replacement surgery and the after-effects were debilitating. Immediately, I thought of Brian as a source of help and relief.
After the first visit, I was walking pain-free along the outer edge of the surgical leg. We had a few more sessions and most recently Brian was able to clear a problem along the outer edge of my knee – a problem that I’d been speaking about with my surgeon and the physical therapy staff since the day of surgery.
I visit with Brian every few weeks and I cannot wait until the next visit for I know that I will benefit from the experience physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Without reservation, I recommend Brian Esty for your aches, pains, hurts, and body/mind needs.
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PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
Also, I’m hosting an old friend in town from Oklahoma City, and he is constantly commenting on how much more confident and focused my posture and presence are. Thanks for working magic with me! I’ve been feeling like a vastly happier person, and the results I’ve gotten are many and nearly unquantifiable in their scope.
MP;SF
Since I began working with Brian Esty, I have noticed that things bother me much less than they did before. Before starting this work, I couldn’t enumerate the myriad of things, large and small, that used to bother me, upset me, scare me. Now I can honestly say that the circumstances of daily life are much less daunting and life has become sweeter regardless of circumstances.
My circumstances have not changed, I have changed.†CZ SF
I wanted to thank you for the session last evening. It really made a difference to me and my well-being. You are truly gifted and your healing prowess and spirituality are second to none. I am honored to work with you.~
I just went to a networking event. Before I came, I did that lean/ fall facing the wall posture and that deer turn posture that you taught me. I was amazed at how much of a social butterfly I became. I made a lot of contacts and got a lot of business cards. Couldn’t have done it without you!†JW SF
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Partial or complete paralysis after a stroke is common. Regaining motor control afterward is an iffy proposition. Traditional physical therapy is helpful, but there is more that can be done. Reflex integration exercises intensively focused on the hands and feet can help the brain re-connect with the lower-level motor control systems which are usually left intact. Because of the strong association between the hands and mouth, it is common for speech to also improve from these exercises.
“B is doing so much better. She actually shouted at J yesterday! Amazing. We cannot wait to get new exercises!â€
(Blog post with video demonstration of these techniques)
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NECK PAIN
I went to see Brian after working in an orchard for several days pruning trees. Looking up all day had left my neck extremely painful and with limited mobility. Brian worked on it for five minutes or so before I heard an audible soft pop, it slid back into place and the pain went away for good.â€
SH SF
45 year old client had a classic head-forward posture that had over time resulted in a hump of hardened tissue over the spine at the base of the neck. They complained of chronic neck pain and stiffness. Sessions initially focused on posture and releasing long-held muscle tension using Myofascial Bodywork. The intent was to move the head back over the torso and to reengage the supporting musculature. The hump of hardened tissue was also consistently worked on the break it up. After seven hours of Myofascial Bodywork, there was substantial improvement and after this, the sessions included more postural retraining. After seven more hours, the neck issues and hump of hardened tissue had pretty much dissolved.
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SHOULDER INJURIES
Shoulder Joint: An injury from several years earlier had left this client with continual low-grade pain in the right shoulder. Massage, acupuncture, and other modalities had not been effective with this specific injury and the client was pretty much resigned to remaining in pain. I performed a standard Touch for Health balance with some reactive muscle work on the muscles of the shoulder girdle and the rotators of the right shoulder. At the end of the hour, the client was pain-free and remained nearly so in the week interval to the next session. After the second session, the client was pain-free and remained so at an 18-month follow-up.
Collar Bone: A side impact car crash followed by a car/bicycle crash where this client was riding the bicycle left him on disability with a broken collar bone. When the break had healed the shoulder on that side was higher with the collar bone rotated up in such a way that it appeared as if it had not healed properly. I performed substantial deep tissue bodywork to free up the movement of the joint and AK reactive muscle resets in both shoulders. After the initial session, the client reported that the shoulder had dropped level within an hour and that there was much less pain. At the beginning of the second session, the collar bone had dropped back into its proper position and was obviously well aligned. After approximately six sessions of Deep Tissue Bodywork with Specialized Kinesiology, enough re-balancing had developed so that the client was able to return to his physically demanding job.
Dislocation: Shoulder dislocation followed by surgery to shorten several muscles of the shoulder complex left the client with chronic pain in the shoulder blade. Physical therapy, massage, and many other treatments did not have any long-term effects. After five years shoulder was again dislocated. I saw the client shortly after the second trauma and found very little organization of the shoulder joint muscles and extreme sensitivity and reactivity to stimulus. Therapy focused on the finest level of manipulation of the individual fiber clusters of the muscles on the scapula, guidance to organize the clusters to function together as a unit, and integration of the scapular muscles with the other muscles of the shoulder complex. Three hours of therapy spread over three weeks resulted in much lower pain, better flexibility and strength, and the client expressing confidence in training for and competing in a Triathlon.
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CEREBRAL PALSY
Teasing out spasticity from other muscle issues can be challenging. However, it is often found that Cerebral Palsy is only a portion of the frozen muscle issues. Much can be improved with manual Techniques.
My son was chronically bent over sideways at nearly ninety degrees when Brian first saw him. Working in combination with Physical Therapy, my son is now able to straighten out and stay straight for long periods
POST ON CURRENT RESEARCH ON STRUCTURAL INTEGRATION AND C.P.
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CHOLIC
My newborn girl had a lot of trouble getting to sleep and staying asleep. After seeing Brian she was able to rest better and cried much lessâ€
CV SF.
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HORSES
It was a pleasure meeting you. I hope the chaos wasn’t too much. The horses and donkey had a very positive response to your technique.â€
CM, San Mateo
After we did a goal balance for my horse, I went home and found her eating for the first time in three days!â€
AG, Palo Alto, CA
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CATS
“Brian was able to help my cat with her hip problem, and the points he showed me to rub really helped her stay calm and happy.
CK, S.F.
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STANDING AND WORKING
I have been in the hairdressing industry for 25 years. Over the years the standing and repetitive motions have taken a toll on my body. My weak points tend to be my lower back and right shoulder. I met Brian about 2 years ago and he has really helped me with my posture and becoming aware of how I hold my body when I am working with clients, and where I tend to also hold tension. Since working with him I feel that my body stays in correct postural alignment. Because of Brian, I have more energy at work, and less overall pain in my body at the end of the day, and I notice I even breathe better and handle the daily stress of working with clients much easier. Working with Brian is now a maintenance tool I use so I can continue being creative and working in the field of hairdressing for years to come.
LL San Mateo, CA
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CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME
Client presented with severe pain in the right wrist. The assessment found that the muscles that extend the hand at the wrist had a great deal of hardened connective tissue that had developed a ropey feel and that actively prevented the hand from closing all of the ways. We did 3 sessions spaced a week apart from 20 minutes of deep tissue bodywork on the forearm followed by 10 minutes of reactive muscle reset to restore the balance of the extensors and flexors of the hand. By the third session, the pain had greatly diminished and the grip was nearly normal
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TMJ/TMD:
Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) dysfunction is a diagnosis for a range of neuromuscular imbalances rooted in miss-calibrated neural feedback from muscles of the jaw, cranium, and/or neck, resulting in chronic pain. Standard options for treating TMJ include retraining using mechanical appliances, drugs, or surgery. Fortunately, many cases of TMJ can be treated quickly with long-lasting results using Craniosacral Therapy and other manual therapy techniques.
There is a strong correlation between Reflex Integration and TMJ
I use gentle, hands-on techniques to reset muscle tension for optimal function, eliminating pain, teeth grinding, headaches, etc. These techniques are safe, painless, and often quite pleasurable, eliminating TMJ pain without surgery, drugs, or appliances. I pay attention to treating the root causes of stress and other factors that have an effect on jaw tension as part of the long-term solution. I am very successful at quickly getting relief from pain. I also successfully treat post-surgical or appliance use trauma.
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FROZEN SHOULDER
Frozen Shoulder: Also known as adhesive capsulitis. The root cause is inflammation of the shoulder joint capsule from any cause. The secondary effect is tightening and hardening of the soft tissues that surround and cross the joint. This shortened tissue can aggravate the joint further, creating a chronic condition, that does not seem to get any better. Myofascial treatment is very effective at opening up the soft tissue, which removes pressure from the joint capsule, allowing it to recover. I can usually get an immediate improvement in range of motion and function, and with continued work, continued improvement. Complete recovery is contingent on the tissue’s inflammatory response subsiding, which may take some time.
Client presented with a long-term reduced range of motion of the right shoulder. I did several hours of Bodywork and Kinesiology. Increased range of motion from 50% to at least 90%.
“Good job, Brian!â€
PK Bangkok, Thailand
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FOOT INJURIES
Hey Brian-
I woke up this morning, and there is a noticeable difference. last night, after I left your house, I concentrated on not limping/favoring and breaking that pattern. then D. brought my “good shoes†home from the health club which fit me properly. that helped too.
my body feels the most normal it has since pre-accident. so i wanted to thank you. i am walking slowly, but more normally and more “centered†in my body. yea!
thanks again for your work!!!
SW SF
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YOGA
Client was doing Yoga on the Wii Fit and found that after doing a series of Myofascial bodywork their center point was much more aligned and stable. I also used Goal Balancing with this client.
Hi Brian,
Just a short note to say, THANK YOU! OMG, my body feels so good! I had a session with my yoga teacher this morning and we were both amazed at how different my body moved and felt! Can’t wait to see you again! S.B. S.F.