Business, March 2021, Q & A

Behind the Pain Relief Method

March 1, 2021 | by LNE Magazine

With John Screiber, Founder and Owner of the Schreiber Pain Relief Institute in Miami, FL.

WHAT LED YOU TO A CAREER IN MASSAGE THERAPY?

When I was 20 years old, I was involved in a car accident. I sustained a lumbar strain and cervical whiplash. As a part of my recovery, I went for chiropractic care and while I was there, received massages for my injuries.

The massage therapist and I soon became friends. I shared that I was developing an interest in massage therapy because of the success of our sessions. She encouraged me to practice for a few minutes on her neck. Afterwards,

she told me that I had healing hands and that I was a natural for massage.

Shortly after I quit my job in the Florida Service Management Vending program for the visually impaired and enrolled in massage therapy school. That was 1984 and I have been a massage therapist for the last 35 years. I knew even then that there would be a benefit to being a blind therapist.

I was born sighted, but my vision gradually began to diminish at the age of 6. Eventually, it led to complete blindness. Nevertheless, as a visually impaired person, I always had an advantage in sports, art and other tactile activities because I was not distracted by visual cues. My hands became my eyes. As a massage therapist, my hands are precise tools, and I am more in tune with the body because of my heightened tactile perception.

“The body is all connected, and we miss an opportunity to bring lasting pain relief when we take the one-body area approach.”

WHAT KIND OF SERVICES DOES SCHREIBER PAIN RELIEF INSTITUTE OFFER?

For the last 28 years, we have offered a clinical approach to massage therapy. Our focus is corrective soft therapy, stretching and restorative massage for stress management. Corrective Soft Tissue therapy is a way to understand and evaluate the body and discover what muscles are pulling the body into a position that leads to pain and dysfunction.

We also incorporate Active Isolated Stretching and Strengthening (AIS) into our sessions. This modality is the brainchild of Aaron Mattes and it is a revolutionary approach to stretching. I had the honor of studying with Mattes for 25 years and continually witness the incredible healing this technique brings to the body.

A relaxation massage is what many people are familiar with when they have a treatment in a spa setting. The benefit of working with our Schreiber massage therapists is that they are all trained in the Schreiber Pain Relief Method (PRM) and, therefore, bring a greater awareness of how to reestablish muscular balance. This ultimately leads to a greater relaxation experience than most would have in a typical Swedish massage.

WHAT SETS YOU APART FROM OTHER MASSAGE THERAPISTS?

We get results at the Schreiber Pain Institute. Results bring loyal clients and loyal clients refer their family and friends. We have an incredible referral base. For example, from April December 2020, we averaged 30 new clients a month. I have the fortune of building a successful massage therapy practice. One of my passions is to teach massage therapists how they can also build a profitable business regardless if they work for themselves or within a spa setting.

CAN YOU TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOUR PAIN RELIEF METHOD?

I studied Neuromuscular Therapy with Judith DeLany and Paul St. John and other modalities such as Trager, Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) and Active Isolated Stretching (AIS). PRM is the integration of these modalities combined with tried-and-true approaches developed from working on thousands of clients. We also developed unique assessment protocols to quickly assess the source and condition of the muscular imbalance. For 28 years, PRM has helped clients resolve conditions like lumbar pain, sciatica, temporal-mandibular joint disease, carpal tunnel syndrome and migraines.

HOW IS THIS METHOD DIFFERENT FROM OTHER THERAPEUTIC PAIN RELIEF MODALITIES?

We have a full-body approach with multiple modalities vs a one-body area approach with a single modality. For example, when someone goes to a therapeutic session for neck pain, the therapist often exclusively focuses on the neck. When they come to us with neck pain, we focus on treating all of the body because we understand that neck pain does not always originate in the neck. We have also discovered that working the internal and external jaw helps to alleviate lower back pain. The body is all connected, and we miss an opportunity to bring lasting pain relief when we take the one-body area approach.

WHAT TYPE OF PAIN CAN BE TREATED WITH THESE METHODS?

We use PRM to treat any type of pain from head to toe. We help runners, for example with their lower back, hip, knee and leg restrictions. We help people with tingling in the upper and lower extremities. I recently worked with a client who developed pain radiating down her leg during the 6-month COVID shelter-in-place time. She did a series of MRIs and ultrasounds. They tested her for leg conditions, blood clots, etc. The results all came back negative. When we assessed her, we discovered that her pain stemmed from a nerve entrapment. We treated her in a 60-minute session, and she was able walk out of my office pain free for the first time in months.

HOW QUICKLY DO PEOPLE TYPICALLY FEEL RESULTS FOR YOUR PRM METHOD?

It depends on the severity of the condition. Nevertheless, more than 90% of the time clients get pain relief immediately. After the initial series of treatments, most patients get on a maintenance schedule where they come in for sessions once every 3-4 weeks. The length of the results depends on how committed they are to the home care routines we recommend at the session.

HOW CAN THIS TECHNIQUE BE INTEGRATED INTO THE SPA SETTING?

The spa setting is a perfect place to integrate PRM because it allows spas to truly support the wellness of the guest. Most people in America suffer from chronic pain. Spas play an important role as a bridge between beauty and health/wellness. As people come to receive other modalities, they can be introduced to an opportunity that can help them get out of pain.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO TRAIN MASSAGE THERAPISTS IN A SPA SETTING WITH PRM?

There are different levels of training for a spa therapist. The initial recommendation is to complete the 12-hour PRM Assessment course. After completing this course, the effectiveness of their massage therapy sessions will increase. PRM’s aim is to help therapists understand and treat the causes and effects of pain in common chronic conditions. This involves more training in order for the therapist to be proficient.

DOES PRM OFFER CEUS?

Yes, we are a NCBTMB Approved Provider for massage therapy. We are also a Florida state approved CEU provider for massage therapists, physical therapists, physical therapy assistants, occupational therapists, occupational therapy assistants as well as a member of the Alliance For Massage Therapy Educators (AFMTE).