Gentle Legacy Of A Boxing Doctor

   Evening Advertiser 28th July 1998

In 1925 a young boxer began developing a more gentle massage system.

SHIRLEY MATHIAS meets one of the UK’s 14 practitioners: -  It’s called “psychophysical integration” and it was devised by a Chicago boxer who later became a doctor.

Former nurse Julie Nicholls, of the Natural Therapy Centre in Shrivenham Road, Swindon, is one of only 14 people in Britain who are qualified to do it professionally. Actually it’s muscle movement and hands-on therapy named after Dr Milton Trager, who discovered it by accident and intuition when he was an 18-year-old fighter in training to be a professional in the ring.

Dr. Trager, who spent most of his life developing and teaching his touch therapy alongside this medical practice, died a year ago at the age of 90.

His system uses light, rhythmical hand contact and gentle manipulation instead of the heavy pressure of other massage systems.

The aim is to influence and interrupt deep-seated psychological and emotional patterns which can cause bad posture, distortion of muscles and joints and eventually physical pain. The therapy also improves posture.

 Julie, 30, is planning a series of introductory and training courses to introduce the unique therapy to Swindon people. She has helped to sort out everything from bad backs and bad temper. She hopes other people will be interested in becoming Trager practitioners.  Julie is the only one in Wiltshire,  “And there’s more work in this area than I can do,” she said. Julie, who was born in Belgium and has worked in Switzerland, came to Swindon five years ago to be with her boyfriend Chris Brown, who is now her husband. Treatment sessions last for at least 90 minutes. Her first introduction to Trager course is on Saturday, from 9.30am until 5pm.

More information from Julie Nicholls, Natural Therapy Centre, Swindon (01793 495551) or visit body-mind-coaching.co.uk

HOW THE TRAGER SYSTEM WORKS

The Trager system aims to release tight muscles, locked joints and even taut emotions
by manipulating the body within a pain-free range of movement.

No massage oils are used and the client doesn’t even need to undress completely. Besides the gentle massage, clients are taught Mentastics – Trager’s word for mental gymnastics, a system of effortless movement sequences designed to maintain and enhance the improvements which are produced on the massage table. 

“It’s more of a lesson than a treatment,” said Julie. “Pain is the last symptom which appears and the first to disappear. You might well be left with injured muscles, even though you aren’t feeling any more pain, so it is important to know how to maintain the benefits of the treatment.”