Litchfield Integrative Healing Arts Lisa Avnet LMT

What is Hoshino Therapy?

The theoretical basis of Hoshino Therapy stems from traditional Oriental medicine.  Several thousand years ago, East Asian practitioners discovered that the body forms disharmonies as a result of the various physical and mental stresses of life. Oriental medical theory explains these disharmonies as an imbalance of opposing forces called yin and yang. This imbalance disrupts the movement of the body's vital energy (qi) along the meridian pathways, which are channels through which the body's energy is thought to flow.   Hoshino Therapy restores the smooth flow of qi. Manipulating muscles, tendons, and ligaments at specific points on the body, returns the body to its natural balance and promotes the body's ability to heal itself.

Hoshino Therapy® is a unique and highly effective pressure point system of deep muscle and tendon therapy developed by Tomezo Hoshino in the 1940s as a treatment for musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction.  The underlying theory of the therapy is simple: Arthrosis is a degenerative join condition characterized by hardening of the soft tissue, muscles, tendons (which connect muscle to bone), and ligaments (which connect bone to bone).

Arthrosis is caused by several factors, including physical inactivity, overuse of the muscles, poor posture and age. It is the underlying cause of a variety of musculoskeletal problems. Specific ailments as well as nonspecific problems such as numbness, tingling, shooting pain, muscle fatigue, and tension originate in this hardening and shortening of the soft tissue.

The aim of Hoshino Therapy is to reverse the arthrosis and to restore the resiliency and flexibility of the soft tissue. When this is achieved, the painless, normal functioning of the body returns.

The Need for Hoshino Therapy®

Today more and more people suffer from painful and disabling conditions that affect the moving parts of the body. These problems, which arise with advancing age, are to a great extent influenced by our sedentary life style and habits of poor posture and inadequate exercise. We develop uncoordinated movement patterns that cause muscles, tendons, and ligaments to contract and harden. This can result in pain and restricted movement. This process of hardening or aging of soft tissues is called arthrosis, and it is this condition that underlies soft tissue disorders such as bursitis, tendinitis, back pain, and muscular tension. When left uncorrected for a period of many years, such conditions may eventually lead to degenerative joint diseases such as osteoarthritis and spinal disc disorders.

While symptoms of arthrosis most often appear after ages of 40 or 50, excessive use or misuse of body parts, such as in strenuous sports and work related stress, can also cause aging of soft tissues in younger age groups. Persons of almost any age whose body movement is restricted or impaired and who have not found relief in conventional forms of treatment, should seriously consider Hoshino Therapy®.

Benefits

• Relief of chronic and acute musculoskeletal pain
• Increased flexibility and range of motion
• Improved alignment and posture
• Enhanced sports performance
• faster recovery from physical stress
• faster healing

Hoshino Therapy® is an effective treatment for a variety of conditions involving musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction

What Does Hoshino Therapy Feel Like?

Many first-time clients are concerned that deep muscle and tendon therapy may be uncomfortable.  Some points, in particular the points located on the areas of dysfunction, may be momentarily uncomfortable.  They may produce a unique sensation that Oriental medicine calls de qi. Clients often describe de qi as a heavy, achy pressure, or spreading, traveling feeling. You may also feel an "electrical" sensation moving down the meridian pathways, though this is less common. Most clients find these acupressure sensations deeply satisfying and leave the treatment feeling relaxed and invigorated both mentally and physically.

How Many Treatments Will I Need?

The benefits of Hoshino Therapy are cumulative, so more than one treatment is necessary. For acute conditions you can expect to have 10 to 15 treatments, but you will usually begin to feel relief after just the first few. Chronic conditions may take longer to respond, depending on the type, severity, and duration of the condition. Preventative treatments and treatments for general well-being may also be scheduled on an as-needed basis.

Is Hoshino Therapy Safe?

Yes. Hoshino Therapy has helped many thousands of people since the development of the form in 1948.   Therapists are required to undergo extensive education, including detailed study of human anatomy and physiology, pathology, neurology, and kinesthesiology, as part of their training and certification by an accredited massage school.  To become a Hoshino Therapist also requires a rigorous hands-on extended apprenticeship with a master of the work.   I have passed comprehensive national board examinations administered by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTB) and am licensed by the state of CT.  I am a Professional member of the ABMP (Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals) and have many years of clinical experience working with soft tissue injury and dysfunction.

Your First Visit

When you arrive for your first appointment I will ask you to complete a comprehensive intake form. The intake form asks questions about your current state of health, as well as past illnesses. These questions are important because the holistic approach of Oriental medicine takes everything into account. Your current symptoms may not seem related to past health issues, but our bodies are complex landscapes and everything that happens to them leaves its mark.

After reviewing your intake form, we will discuss your condition.  The acupuncture points I choose will depend on your condition.  The treatment is a full body session and will last about 50 minutes.

What Can HoshinoTreat?

Below are some common conditions that can benefit from this type of work, but please feel free to contact me about your specific health condition.

Pain

• Sports injuries
• Muscle pain
• Back, neck and shoulder pain
• Leg, ankle and foot pain
• Arm, wrist and hand pain
• Knee pain
• Hip pain
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Tennis Elbow
• Repetitive strain injuries
• Jaw pain (TMJ)
• Sciatica
• Arthritis
• Tendonitis
• Myofascial pain syndrome
• Headaches and migraines
• Plantar Fascitis 

Mental and Emotional Wellbeing

• Stress
• Anxiety
• Insomnia
• Depression