Christine Duffy, Amatsu practitioner, uses Japanese natural medicine to treat patients with back, shoulder or neck problems.
I start my day at 8.30am when I have my first client. I take a break at 10 am to have breakfast.
My clinic is based near my home in Sandycove, Co Dublin, so I can go home, eat and see my dog. My day usually finishes at around 7.30pm.
Amatsu is a physical therapy with a holistic approach. It is Japanese natural medicine, which is essentially derived from Chinese medicine. These traditional medicines are many thousands of years old and are still going strong today.
The techniques I use to treat a patient include kinesiology, which gently and effectively elicits response from the body. The body and its muscular structure give the answers to specific tests on muscles and reflexes, which can then assist in making a diagnosis.
I also apply craniosacral and cranial balancing therapy, neuro-muscular re-patterning, acupressure and massage to help eliminate any problems I may find. I also include dietary advice and guidance on relevant exercise or postural techniques.
Neuro-muscular re-patterning targets the muscles and ligaments of the body to try to discover where the problem is in order to free this constriction and restore the nerve and circulatory flow and assist the release of toxins, acid and fluid retention.
Most of my patients come to me with structural problems; they may have back, shoulder or neck pain. Firstly I have to ascertain why there is pain and how it occurred. It's very important to discover the cause of the problem in order to protect and re-educate for the future. I then apply the Amatsu techniques, starting from the feet and working up through the entire body to the head.
It might only take one treatment because some people recover quickly, for others it may take up to six treatments. It depends on the client and the problem.
When used for regular maintenance, Amatsu can be true preventative medicine.
(In interview with Patricia Weston)