ABOUT SSL CERTIFICATES

Register online or call toll free 888-463-4668     Fax 414-355-6837

Who We Are

BOEHME WORKSHOPS was founded by Regi and John Boehme to provide educational programs in Neuro-Developmental Treatment, Myofascial Release and Cranial Sacral Therapy.

Regi Boehme, head instructor of Boehme Workshops, graduated from Western Michigan University with a B.S. in occupational therapy. She is a certified occupational therapy instructor in Neuro-Developmental Treatment and has lectured internationally on topics related to neurological dysfunction. Her Milwaukee-based treatment clinic provides assessment, treatment, and consultation services for both pediatric and adult patients from around the world.

John Boehme, executive director of Boehme Workshops, graduated from St. Norberts College with a B.S. in psychology. He has also documented many of the treatment procedures taught at Boehme Workshops by sketching them for Regi Boehme's many books and instructional manuals.

What is Neuro-Developmental Treatment?

Originally developed by Berta Bobath in the early 40's, Neuro-Developmental Treatment (NDT) is an innovative alternative to the more traditional orthopedic physiotherapy utilized with children and adults challenged by neurological conditions such as Cerebral Vascular Accidents and Cerebral Palsy.

NDT looks at the whole individual, including motivation of the client, environmental factors and the special needs within the family.

An in depth understanding of normal movement allows the therapist to assess muscle length, alignment, analysis of functional skills components and preparation for independent function. Gentle hands-on techniques, strategically timed and proprioceptively graded, are utilized in a way that allows for the emergence in the patient of new better adapted motor strategies for functional skills.

Our focus is to increase independent living by gaining greater range of motion of muscles with subsequent improved skeletal alignment as well as activate and strengthen weak muscles for safe and efficient postural control. Amultidiciplinary approach is used, including physical, occupational and speech therapy. This team approach is further integrated into the learning environment of the client.

What is Myofascial Release?

Soft tissue manipulation dates back at least as far as the work of Ida Rolf of the Rolf Institute and has always been a primary goal in massage. More recently, the work of John Barnes, creator of Myofascial Release treatment, has given practitioners a new understanding of the fascial system and how it can be used to successfully treat clients with chronic pain.

Our work carries Myofascial Release a step further, adapting techniques to apply specifically to the neurologically challenged.

The fascial system is a single continuous structure of collagenous fibers woven throughout the body. When stress injury or postural habits restrict this weave, it impacts on all systems within the body including the flexibility and glideability of muscles, bones, blood vessels, nerves and organs.

This is a non-invasive, self-correcting process in which light but focused and prolonged inputs of compression and traction in a specific area of the body can begin a chain reaction of releases in the fascial system.

Since the neurologically challenged client tends to move with atypical patterns and postures, myofascial shortening can occur early in the developmental process, preventing the client from following a normal developmental sequence. Obtaining functional changes in therapy may then require releasing these structural blocks.

Combining myofascial release with neuro-developmental treatment assists the client in gaining alignment and using that new alignment in function immediately. Initially, these techniques often produce dramatic changes in posture, skills and more consistent carry-over. These changes usually occur in the first few sessions and then taper off as the underlying tonal problems are revealed.

What is Cranial Sacral Therapy?

This therapeutic work focus on the deepest layer of the fascial system. Its clinical use was originally presented by Dr. John Upledger at the Upledger Institute.

The cranial sacral system is a semi-closed hydraulic system located within a tough non-permeable tissue called the dural mata. Its purpose is to produce, circulate and reabsorb cerebral spinal fluid. Each spinal nerve is covered with a dural sleeve and exits through the spinal column making this deep layer of tissue continuous with the fascial system throughout the body.

During the production and reabsorbsion process, a continuous rise and fall of fluid pressure takes place and can be felt by well-trained hands anywhere on the body.

The amplitude, rate, symmetry and quality of the cranial sacral rhythm can be evaluated and altered with light, focused forces.

Clinically, we have seen positive results with these techniques in the areas of movement and, sensory impairment, seizures and sensory organization.