Couple Helping Relieve Chronic Pain With New Health Technique
A health modality that targets the central nervous system is relieving pain for people with a variety of chronic health issues after minimal treatments. RAPID Neurofascial reset was developed by Sherry and Rob Routlege out of a rural Canadian town. Now they teach their technique to thousands of health practitioners internationally.
They were both certified massage therapists when Rob started to mix and match different techniques looking for something that would have longer lasting results for his clients. At first Sherry was skeptical, however the evidence began to build that Rob was helping a lot of people live pain free lives after just one session.
“A lot of our friends and colleagues were asking us to teach them what we were doing, in order to best teach them, we decided to learn a lot about the science of what we were doing. We found research showed going to the vascular tissue near the bone in treatment has a profound effect in healing. At that point, we knew we were on to something.”
Sherry Routlege
The technique is not meant to be a relaxing massage. It's an uncomfortable process that focuses on the vascular connective tissue around the bones, however it is the stimulus of the pain that signals your body to release chemicals that support healing. Regardless of the discomfort, it works, and their client feedback and willingness to continue therapy is the proof.
“If RAPID didn’t work there would be no one out there that would be doing it, nobody would come back because it hurts. But more people want to learn, and people recommend the treatment to friends and family - so something's working."
Rob Routlege
With RAPID, practitioners don't see people for the same problem over and over again. The aim is for between one and six sessions to resolve the issue being treated. If the client doesn't feel pain following any treatment, the work is done, and no further sessions are required.
Although the technique is focused on removing physical pain, it also helps with addressing emotional trauma as well. Functional MRI’s have shown that the emotion and pain centres of the brain are closely connected, which suggests that the neurological system plays an important role in emotional healing as well.
"Sometimes we are working on somebody and they will start to cry. They will then vividly explain their experience to us of what happened to them when they were five that they completely forgot about. Something like a traumatic head or neck injury, and we don’t know why but it [trauma story] seems that when it is brought up in the RAPID session it is released very easily.”
Sherry Routlege
With a thirst from others to learn the technique, the couple started to officially teach their method in 2016. Their courses are designed for people that are already licensed health practitioners like massage therapists, physiotherapists, chiropractors, osteo practitioners, nurses and doctors.
Some of the core messages expressed in RAPID Neurofascial Reset is that you're not broken and that you can live a pain free life, empowering concepts that may assist in the healing process.
“It is nice to be able to help the world get rid of pain, but it's also meaningful to give therapists more tools to help their clients, have more success and a more fulfilling career. That means a lot to us.”
Sherry Routlege
Natalie Hill-McLaughlin, a massage therapist for four years before becoming a RAPID practitioner, had her own profound experience after a single treatment with Rob Routlege. She had been suffering with chronic health issues after a traumatic experience during the birth of her first child which led to 40 stitches. After almost 8 years of pain and discomfort, in just one treatment, she was pain free.
Since offering RAPID to her clients she has been able to help people in ways she couldn't have dreamed of.
One of her clients, a man who suffered with daily headaches for 30 years after being hit in the eye with a baseball, had tried all different kinds of modalities to relieve his pain. After three sessions with Hill-McLaughlin his headaches were gone.
Another woman diagnosed with complex pain syndrome walked into Hill-McLaughlin's office on crutches and left without them. After three sessions she was pain free as well.
“The reason I use it is because it is so effective and clients who I typically wouldn't be able to help. I am now more able to help, but relieve them of their pain and symptoms as well.”
Natalie Hill-McLaughlin
As pictured below, sometimes increasing range of motion in a single session is the result.
Before and after a RAPID session with Natalie Hill-McLaughlin.
“Work is not work for me. And when I get to help someone with things like that [chronic pain] it blows my mind, but confirms that I have a gift...The tools that Rob and Sherry have given me to change people’s lives that for me brings so much gratification and satisfaction.”
Natalie Hill-McLaughlin
To learn more about RAPID Neurofascial reset or to find a practitioner near you, check out their website here.