Movement Therapy: Ancient Wisdom, Modern Approach

Movement therapy originated in the late 1940s in the United States, with pioneers like Mark Starks Whitehouse establishing it as a formal technique by the 1950s. This approach, rooted in the belief that the mind, body, and spirit are inseparable and interconnected to heal the patient. By focusing on movement as a therapeutic tool, it allows individuals to enhance their physical, emotional, and mental well-being.

It is used in both physical rehabilitation and mental health treatment, helping patients recover from various conditions. Whether you’re seeking to reconnect with your body, reduce stress, or manage a specific health concern, movement therapy offers a patient-centered, accessible way to promote healing and improve overall quality of life.

Benefits of Movement therapy

Generally helps to increase or improve self-confidence, self-awareness, attention, self-esteem, focus, and communication. In addition, reduces or eliminates stress, fears, anxiety, sadness, chronic pain, and depression.
Altogether, helps to increase the quality of life. Along with that, it is also used to cure diseases and health related conditions.

Conditions Movement therapy can cure

Movement Therapy can not only help you to prevent the severe health issues but can also be used as a cure. It can be very beneficial in below mentioned conditions.

• Hemiplegia: Paralysis of one side of the body.
• Trauma
• Cancer
• Fibromyalgia: A rheumatic congenital disorder characterized by pain, stiffness, and localized tenderness.
• Parkinson’s: Neurological disorder characterized by bradykinesia tremors and rigidity. However, the effect is generalized.
• PTSD: Post-traumatic stress disorder-Psychiatric disorder results from failure to recover from trauma, generally childhood trauma.
• ADHD: Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder-Psychiatric disorder generally found in children.
• Autism: a developmental disorder with varying degrees of severity, generally impairment of communication and interaction is present.
• Anxiety: A mental health disorder characterized by a feeling of dread or unease caused by the anticipation of danger.
• Cerebral palsy: A non-progressive congenital movement, muscle tone, or posture disorder with abnormal brain development.
• Vertigo: Sudden spinning movement results due to head movement.

By using movement therapy, one can not only recover from these severe conditions but also stay fit and confident after that.

HOW TO USE MOVEMENT THERAPY?

MIRRORING

In this one person follows another person. This practice helps build empathy and connection with one another. It can help build cooperation and understanding.
For example –  One person follows another when he leaps or lags the movement.
In addition, the performance of the task can be changed accordingly.

Movement metaphors

Metaphors basically include the person dancing in the ways they feel. Just express what they feel through the movement. Generally, the use of props can extend the metaphor.

Hence,  celebrate the accomplishment, work through confusing emotions, or perform meaningful interactions between you and another person.
For example- In general, learn to express that feeling with a movement like rage with highly energetic movement.

JUMPING

Jumping is a way to bring more impact to your movements. Depressive people tend to have decreased vertical movements. Further practice moving in all directions. In addition to all this, the use of music can exaggerate the effect. For Example- skipping, stepping up and down on steps, and trampolines.
As there are many other ways like just moving fingers, laughing, running, crying, shaking, or vibrating your body. Do whatever you feel like doing. As a matter of fact, it is according to specific patients, like how they are feeling.

Types of Movement Therapy

There are various kind of movement therapy that are used by expert physical therapists. Few of them are mentioned below.

1. YOGA

Yoga is a holistic approach to treating chronic pain, and cancer, promoting mental health and postural awareness, spinal condition, and cardiopulmonary and Neurological rehabilitation.

2. PILATES

Pilates is a low-impact exercise based on movement. It stimulates body awareness, muscle recruitment, body alignment during movement, and posture awareness and control and stabilizes the core muscles during movement. Pilates uses isokinetic exercises with resistance to strengthen deep muscle groups.

3. TAI CHI

Tai chi is a Chinese, meditative, martial arts practice that gently strengthens and relaxes the body as well as the mind. It is a system featuring coordination of movements, meditation, and purposeful breathing.

4. QIGONG

Qigong uses the “mind” (or concentration) to coordinate breathing and smooth movements that promote the circulation of Qi.

5. FELDENKRAIS

The somatic learning method. Series of sensitizing body and perceptual feedback to choose between favorable and unfavorable positions. Hence, increases health conditions.

6. EYE MOVEMENT

Eye movements are used to relax the patient. Some conditions that can be treated by eye movements are PTSD, trauma, panic attacks, bipolar, anxiety, and ADHD.

7. CONSTRAINT-INDUCED MOVEMENT THERAPY

The neurological rehabilitation technique emphasizes the forced movement of the affected side by restraining the unaffected side. Mainly, in cerebrovascular accident cases or stroke and cerebral palsy (hemiplegia) treatment.

8. RHYTHMICAL AND FUNCTIONAL MOVEMENT THERAPY

Basically, based on the protocol of exercise that induces rhythmical movements, promotes coordination, and improves the functional ability of a person.

9. SOMATIC MOVEMENT THERAPY

This technique focuses on movement and mind-body coordination. The therapist performs the movement or manipulation and patients, feel the therapist is moving his hands on their body. Induction or Initiation of self-awareness, self-esteem, and self-knowledge in the person. Generally, it is used to promote relaxation and reduce pain and stress.

10. DANCE THERAPY

The most common way of movement therapy is generally used for treatment. Dance/movement therapy can aim to treat an individual, couple, family, or group session by observing and assessing clients and their own movements, using verbal and nonverbal communication to create and implement interventions that will improve the emotional, social, physical, and cognitive integration of an individual.

11. EXERCISE THERAPY

The form of physical therapy is used to promote social, mental, and physical well-being through exercise in any person. In order to make them functionally independent.

12. MUSCLE MOVEMENT THERAPY

The manipulation technique is done to release the muscle. In addition to the treatment, the therapist breaks the trigger point and adhesions. It is a form of physical therapy. For example – myofascial release, and deep friction massage.

13. VERTIGO MOVEMENT THERAPY

John Epleys is the scientist who basically designed a series of movements to bring back the crystals that were lodged in the semicircular canal into the utricle. Eg. Walking is a simple and very effective way to improve symptoms of vertigo.

14. CORRECTIVE MOVEMENT THERAPY

It is basically the technique that focuses on correcting impaired body movement. It is generally done for sudden and persistent pains from:

• Tense and painful muscles triggered by emotional stress
• Working from home with poor ergonomics (neck, shoulder, wrists, and back pain)
• Muscle pulls, strains, and other sports injuries

15. CRANIAL SACRAL THERAPY

Cranial sacral therapy (CST) is also referred to as craniosacral therapy. This is a hands-on technique that relieves compression in the bones of the head, sacrum, and spinal column. The non-invasive technique uses gentle pressure on the head, neck, and back to reduce the stress and pain due to compression.

16. BRUNNSTROM MOVEMENT THERAPY

It is a form of physical therapy used to treat stroke patients generally and cerebral palsy patients.

When to Choose Movement Therapy?

Movement therapy can be chosen for a variety of reasons, particularly when addressing both physical and emotional well-being. Here are key situations where movement therapy can be a suitable option:

1. Chronic Pain and Physical Rehabilitation¹: If you’re experiencing chronic pain or recovering from an injury, movement therapies like yoga, Pilates, or corrective movement therapy can help restore mobility, reduce pain, and promote healing without causing additional strain on the body. These therapies are particularly effective for conditions like arthritis, back pain, and post-surgery rehabilitation.
2. Stress and Emotional Well-being: Movement therapies such as dance therapy, tai chi, and qigong are excellent for reducing stress, anxiety, and depression. The meditative and expressive aspects of these therapies can help you release tension, manage emotions, and foster mental clarity and peace.
3. Neurological Rehabilitation: For conditions such as stroke recovery, cerebral palsy, or multiple sclerosis, neurological movement therapies like constraint-induced movement therapy can aid in retraining the brain to regain movement and function on the affected side.
4. Balance and Coordination Issues: If you are dealing with balance problems, fall risks, or coordination difficulties due to aging, injury, or neurological conditions, movement therapies such as tai chi or rhythmical and functional movement therapy can help improve stability and coordination.
5. Post-Traumatic Stress and Trauma Recovery: Eye movement therapies such as EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) or movement therapies designed to reduce the effects of trauma can be particularly helpful for those dealing with PTSD, trauma, or anxiety.
6. Holistic Wellness: If you’re looking for a holistic approach that addresses both your body and mind, movement therapies like yoga, Pilates, and somatic therapies offer a balanced approach to improving physical fitness, mental health, and overall well-being.

By understanding your specific needs—whether they are physical, emotional, or both—you can select the most appropriate movement therapy to enhance your quality of life.

Conclusion

Movement therapy, established in the 1950s by pioneers like Mark Starks Whitehouse, has evolved into a holistic and versatile form of treatment that bridges physical and emotional health. By recognizing the connection between mind, body, and spirit, movement therapy offers a comprehensive, patient-centered approach to healing and well-being. Whether you are seeking rehabilitation from chronic pain, managing stress, improving balance, or recovering from trauma, movement therapy provides tools that are accessible to everyone. With numerous methods ranging from yoga and Pilates to somatic therapies and dance therapy, this practice can be adapted to meet individual needs and promote overall health.

FAQs

References

1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24734859/ ↩︎

Muskan

Muskan Thakur is a skilled physical therapist based in Los Angeles, USA. She completed her Bachelor of Physical Therapy (BPT) from Delhi University in 2010. Ms. Thakur furthered her studies by completing a clinical residency program focused on orthopedic physical therapy at Duke University in the United States in 2012. She then attained her Master’s in Public Health (MPH) from the Institute of Public Health in Delhi in 2015. With over 10 years of experience, Ms. Thakur employs a holistic approach combining manual therapy, therapeutic exercise, education, and lifestyle modifications to treat neurological, orthopedic, and musculoskeletal conditions.