Developer
Counterstrain
Developer: Dott. Lawrence H. Jones
Strain Counterstrain was developed by an American osteopath Dr. Lawrence H. Jones, in the 1950's. At first named Spontaneous Release by Positioning than later turned into Strain Counterstrain (SCS). Dr. Jones developed this innovative approach for the treatment of neuromuscular and musculo-skeletal disorders. Dr. Jones was frustrated with the small results achieved by the classical osteopathic techniques, until one day as he said: "I eventually tripped over what was a lucky accident and nothing more". In fact trying to help a patient who was suffering of a severe back pain from several months, which asked Dr. Jones if he could at least help him to sleep at night since this pain was so harsh. Dr. Jones helped him to assume the most comfortable position he could set him in, after several direction of ease he was finally able to position the patient in an almost completely relaxed free pain position. Dr. Jones left the patient in that posture for around twenty minutes while he checked upon other patients. After that time he came back to the room and saw that the patient was steel comfortable. Trying to help him out of the position in a gentle way so not to hurt him and trying to explain to the patient how to find that comfortable position that night, he saw that the patient could stand erect for the first time in months and was almost pain free. Dr. Jones sustained that the patient was delighted, but he was dumbfounded. From that day on, Jones tried to find comfortable position for every complain and it took him more than twenty years of study to develop the full and mature strain and counterstrain technique, with its anterior and posterior TP (tender points), it's ninety second hold and the correct sequential treatment procedure.
At the time Dr. Jones passed away, there where around 180 tender points and techniques. Now the instructors formed by him at the Jones Institute have further developed and improved the technique covering over 300 tender points and created new and advanced courses. The Jones Institute is the only organization that provides instructors who are certified and authorized to teach Strain Counterstrain technique by Dr. Jones and the Jones Institute.
