November
10, 2000
I
have been living with chronic neck pain for 15 years. Nearly every remedy I have tried, including surgery, has
produced little to no relief. It had gotten to the point where I
assumed; coping with pain on a daily basis was part of my life.
For
the past two months I’ve been getting “neuromuscular
therapy” treatments from Allen Willette in Corte Madera. It
has been tremendously helpful. I had completely forgotten what it felt like to be pain
free.
It
has been amazing to realize that at the end of a day, I have
been pain free all day. In
fact, this has changed my life.
I
wish someone had told me about this kind of therapy sooner. I
wouldn’t have had to be in pain all these years. Hopefully, my
story and this information will be helpful to you and those you
know.
Kind
regards,
Joyce
Exec.
V.P. Intl. Telecom.
February
25, 2002
I
originally went to see Allen Willette of Body In Balance because
of a very stiff and sore shoulder and neck on one side. I
thought sleeping on my side incorrectly caused the injury.
I had
been to a chiropractor who told me that my problem was caused by
sitting too much. He treated me. He then gave me some exercises
to do and a list of things not to do. He also told me that it
would take a year to heal.
I
saw the Body In Balance ad and called Allen. A year sounded like
a long time to be in pain. After one treatment, I felt immediate
relief from the excruciating pain in my neck and shoulder. After
just a few more, it was gone.
I
have had neck and back problems for years that are now
exacerbated by working at the computer. My neck, shoulders,
upper back, lower back and hips get stiff and ache. My mouse
hand also tingles and aches.
I have tried many different
approaches to relieve the pain such as massage, chiropractic
treatments, traditional therapy, hospital “therapy/exercise
classes”, reflexology, Feldenkrais bodywork, acupuncture, and
acupressure. I also do yoga semi-regularly.
All of these methods
did relieve some of the pain. Yoga, Feldenkrais, and the
preventative exercises were the best help. But when the pain got
really bad, none of them helped.
The
only treatment that really took care of the pain was the
neuromuscular therapy that Allen employed. When you are in
constant pain, relief is an incredible feeling. It was just this
close to a miracle. It really worked.
Jacquelynn
Kathleen
Monte Rio
May
17, 2001
I
suffered a lower back "sprain" over 20 years ago,
which would come and go, sometimes lasting weeks. The latest
occurrence lasted for months and was severely disabling, to say
the least. I
feared the slightest wrong move, which could drop me to the
ground instantly.
After
trying massage therapy, neuromuscular therapy, hot tubs, cold
packs, and muscle relaxants, I found Allen Willette in Corte
Madera.
In
a few visits, I was completely pain free in my lower back and
have been able to stay that way now for months.
Allen
has also been able to relieve much of the pain of "overuse
syndrome" in my right forearm with his soft tissue release
work.
I
recommend Allen highly to anyone suffering from this kind of
pain.
Jim
Deen
Project Manager
Mill Valley
May
20, 2002
When
I stumbled onto Allen's website 9 months ago, I had spent the
last three years in and out of doctor's office's trying to get
to the bottom of nagging pain in my right groin, leg and lower
back. I visited chiropractors, acupuncturists and rolfers, and
still could not shake this thing.
I
was aware of the pain and discomfort every time I took a
step--my muscles were so tight that they were pulling my body
out of alignment and had made walking feel awkward. I was so
frustrated and scared that I was going to have to live with this
pain and discomfort for my whole life (and I am only 27).
After
just a few sessions with Allen, I started to feel like my old
self for the first time in three years. Allen helped me stretch
out the affected muscles and retrain them so that they wouldn't
keep pulling all of my other muscles out of whack.
All the
doctors I had been to had suggested that my pain was in my head,
because they couldn't find a medical explanation for what was
going on.
Allen was so caring and patient and he always
consulted with me before he tried a new technique.
Now,
weeks go by without me feeling any discomfort. I am still seeing
Allen once a month to make sure that we have this thing nabbed,
but I really believe that I am on my way to being 100% pain
free.
Allen's treatments have allowed me to start exercising
again and to focus my energies on the good things in life,
instead of focusing on the pain.
Alexandria
Social Worker, CPMC
San Francisco
January
29, 2001
Over
a period of ten years I suffered a series of mishaps including
two car accidents where I was hit very hard from behind. These
incidents left me in chronic pain. I was constantly adjusting
and readjusting my posture and sleeping positions because of the
interminable pain and stiffness in my back.
I
attempted to resolve the pain with muscle relaxants, traditional
massage therapy, acupressure, chiropractic, simple yoga
exercises, and even by buying a new bed.
Although all of these
approaches generally made me feel better, nothing seemed to
relieve the major source of the discomfort for any length of
time.
After
just three sessions with Allen Willette at Body In Balance, a
substantial amount of my chronic pain began to disappear, and the
energy I had been expending to maintain my maladjusted posture
began to return.
It was clear to me that this new technique,
which could best be described as a combination of yoga, massage,
and acupressure, was accelerating my healing process.
Thanks
to the effectiveness of this technique, two months of treatments
was all I needed to make the difference I was looking for.
Although I no longer require regular treatments, I now know
where to turn and where to refer my friends for all types of
muscular aches and pains.
Suzanne
Alford
Legal Professional
San Francisco
February 13, 2000
I have been the fortunate recipient of
Allen Willette's care for the past year, resulting in a marked
decrease in my pain and discomfort due to an auto accident.
Before I was referred by my doctor to Allen for bodytherapy, I
had tried numerous other therapies including physical therapy,
massage therapy, and chiropractic care.
My symptoms included deep discomfort,
pain, and stiffness in my neck and upper back, and a dulling of
sensation in the area.
Because of Allen, I am now experiencing
normal sensations in my neck and back. I feel much looser and
much less tense, and my range of motion is greatly increased.
I feel grateful to have found such a
sensitive, respectful, and talented practitioner, and have
recommended him with pride and confidence to my friends and
family.
A.N.Z.
Mother/Musician
Richmond
July
13, 2003
In
early April of 2003 I was mountain biking in Marin County. It
was my first attempt at "single track".
At
one point I must have hit something because I was thrown over
the handlebars of my bike.
They
helicoptered me to John Muir Medical center. I had suffered a
bad concussion and had obviously landed on my shoulder as well
as my head.
X-rays
showed that nothing in my shoulder was broken, but I couldn't
move my arm and was in pain.
A
close friend mentioned Allen Willette as someone who could
help restore my shoulder.
In
only 4 treatments Allen completely rehabilitated my
shoulder.
One
method he used was to work with muscles near the injury that had
gone dormant. By triggering them with slight manipulation he was
able to bring them back into use.
I
found Allen gentle, thoughtful and obviously very effective.
Marje Helfet
Marin
County
DatabaseHelp.com
490 Headlands Ct.
Sausalito, CA 94965
Dear Allen,
I wanted to take a moment to thank you. Your therapy has
really made a remarkable difference in my comfort. My shoulder
and neck feel much better than a few months ago and I have no
doubt that I have you to thank for a large part of my progress.
I have to admit, when I first came to see you I was more than
a little skeptical of what bodywork could do for me. I have seen
many chiropractors and massage therapists over the past year. I’m
sure you sensed my frustration during our first few sessions.
Needless to say,
I feel better than I have felt in a long
time. I can sleep comfortably at night now. I can also work on
the computer for long periods, which, as you know, is how I make
my living.
Allen, thank you again for all you’ve done. I know I’ll
continue to see you from time as the need arises–and for a
little prevention!
All the best,
Joe Lambert, Owner
DatabaseHelp.com
July
17, 2001
As a
former collegiate cross country/track runner and now as a runner
and triathlete, I have had my fair share of injuries over the
years. One particular injury, an ilio-tibial band tendonitis,
had chronically limited my running/biking and swimming and
frustrated my long-term goals.
I had
been battling this particular injury since running the Grand
Canyon rim to rim to rim ultra marathon in 1992. Each time I re-injured
my leg, I would dutifully rest/ice/stretch/buy new
shoes/purchase “gizmos” like ilio-tibial bands, and
ultimately fall short of my running or triathlon goals.
Last
summer, following another re-injury on the bike leg of the
Wildflower Triathlon, I found myself limited to swimming as my
only workout. Both running and biking became physically
impossible secondary to the continued pain and inflammation
around my lateral/posterior knee. Needless to say, my
frustration level was sky high as I have become accustomed over
the years to the endorphin rush and challenge of high intensity
workouts.
Throughout
the fall I once again began biking but found that I had to
compensate for my injury by using my left leg as the power
stroke. This new biking “technique” began to cause other
compensation injuries making me wonder whether I would ever be
able to train without severe limitations.
As an
emergency physician and spinal cord injury researcher, I take
care of patients daily with both acute sports injuries and
over-use syndromes. Over the past several years I have become
convinced that “modern medicine” offers little hope of full
recovery for certain sports injuries and musculoskeletal
disorders.
Although I do prescribe RICE therapy (Rest, Ice,
Compression, Elevation) to patients with acute injuries, I
strongly believe that chronic injuries require a more balanced
muscular/movement based approach to both heal the injury and
prevent re-injury.
After
performing an extensive search of all massage therapy and sports
medicine practitioners, I arranged an appointment this spring
with Allen Willette.
On our first meeting I was impressed by his
thoroughness and ability to quickly discover my muscular
asymmetry and various compensation patterns that I had created
over the years.
I was
struck by my right leg weakness and his thoughts as to how I had
worsened the original injury. I was also impressed by his
confidence in restoring the strength and function to my right
leg.
By the end of our third session, I had begun noticing
amazing results. Instead of experiencing the familiar
tightening painful sensation around my IT-band while running or
cycling, I began to feel a stretching sensation.
As
Allen continued to “release” certain antagonist muscles, I
was able to dramatically increase my runs to 12-14 miles, a
distance I hadn’t been able to run for 6 years. My biking
distances and efforts also improved dramatically.
In
addition to the weekly sessions, Allen has given me new
stretches and self-massage techniques that help me take control
over my injuries.
I cannot recommend Allen Willette more highly
as I feel that his body therapy techniques have given me a new
opportunity to attain my lifelong athletic goals.
Sincerely,
William
D. Whetstone M.D.
Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine
Division of Emergency Medicine
University of
California San Francisco
March
3, 2005
Before
I came to Allen, I had been under the mistaken impression that
the human body could properly heal itself from the average
sports injury. However, my pain continually got worse to
the point where I was forced to seek help.
I
looked for help on the internet, and Allen’s site was the best
one I came across for information on muscular/sciatic pain.
I was stunned to discover that Allen’s office was only a
couple of miles from my house! How fortunate I was.
The
first thing Allen did was to help me understand what was going
on with my body.
My
muscular problems had evolved over several years from a
combination of causes. Two sports injuries on the same leg
had taken away my ability to exercise well. This, combined
with a sedentary computer job, had weakened my lower back, and
tightened my left posterior fascial band. Also, there was
an entrenched “muscle compensation pattern” in place that
was overworking certain muscles in my left leg.
My
problems were quite complicated, but uncovering the truth about
them was a crucial step on the road to recovery.
Allen’s
process of re-programming my muscles was like peeling away the
layers of an onion. I always felt great after his
treatments… so much so that I had to guard against getting
over-anxious to rush my recovery.
Allen
showed me several exercises I could do at home, which aided the
process of putting my body back in balance tremendously.
With Allen’s therapy, and an appropriate exercise regimen, I
feel I am just about completely healed.
What
I got from Allen was invaluable, and he has dramatically changed
the course of my life for the better.
Thank
you, Allen!
Steve
Means
Kentfield, CA
September
27, 2001
Running is my passion. I ran
track in high school and began running long distance as a young adult.
With the goal of a marathon in mind, I began training intensely. I was never able to compete,
however, due to various injuries.
After learning the importance
of cross training, I was convinced that it was the key to many years
of endurance training. I competed in several triathlons, including a
1/2 Ironman distance triathlon.
Then one day after a 23 mile
run, my shins ached. I thought I had shin splints, so I rested for 3
weeks, then for 6 weeks. From this day on, I was unable to run without
pain in my shins. That was 8 years ago.
In the meantime, I searched
for diagnosis and treatment from 2 different orthopedic surgeons (both
who specialized in sports medicine), 2 podiatrists, 2 massage
therapists, and one doctor of physical medicine.
I spent lots of money
on orthotics,
support braces and visits to practitioners not covered by insurance—which I wouldn't have minded if something worked.
Anyone who is passionate
about running and endurance training can understand the frustration
and disappointment of a chronic injury.
An
acute back injury led me to Allen Willette. We discussed my aches and
pains from years of training.
I was pleased that my back pain
dissipated almost immediately, and I am totally ecstatic that I am now
running without pain for the first time in 8 years.
Without
the bodywork with Allen, I would still be the frustrated athlete with
a longer list of aches and pains—Instead, I have other plans.....Ironman.
Laurie
Jurkiewicz
Certified Nurse Midwife
San
Anselmo
July
11, 2002
My
feet were a mess when friends referred me to Allen. To
this day I have no idea where the pain came from or why, but the
podiatrist I saw only made things worse, so I was desperate.
Even in running shoes and with custom orthotics, my feet hurt
all the time.
I
had always been very active, but my feet were so painful that I
had to cut out all the high impact activities I had always
enjoyed—kickboxing,
running, dancing—and
was pretty much limited to short walks, cycling and yoga.
Eventually
the pain got so bad that I had trouble sleeping at night. That
was when I called Allen and made my first appointment.
Allen
was wonderful. I have no doubt that his bodywork cut my
recovery time by a huge amount.
My
feet are not altogether pain free, but 90% of the time, I don't
even think about them any more, and just as Allen predicted in
the beginning, I no longer need my orthotics. Eventually, I even
see high heels and dancing in my life again!
Lee
Callaham
Orinda
Allen Willette has provided me with
muscular therapy for over one year now, and the results have
been remarkable.
I have a slight
curvature of the spine and am constantly working to stand erect.
Allen's therapy improved my posture so that I now stand tall
with ease.
I previously
suffered from daily tension headaches, now they are virtually
gone. I can't express how much this has improved the quality of
my life.
I have had many bodyworkers
over the years, and lots of relaxation massage, but none of the
work I have received compares to the quality of Allen's
muscular therapy.
A.
Smith
Yoga Instructor
Diablo Health &
Rehabilitation Center
115E Town & Country Drive
Danville, CA 94526
To whom it may concern:
I have had the opportunity to work closely with Allen
Willette in a clinical setting. I have found Allen to be
extremely focused in his work and professional at all times.
My
patients have benefited from his in depth knowledge of anatomy,
and ability to apply the appropriate techniques to individual
cases.
Allen’s ability to fill a soft tissue therapy
prescription and understand how his care integrates with other
forms of therapy makes him a valuable addition to any health
care
team.
I highly recommend the services of Allen Willette and only
regret that the new location of practice makes it impossible for
my patients to utilize his remarkable skills and passion for
soft tissue therapy.
Sincerely,
Jeffrey S. Johnson, D.C., D.A.C.N.B.
Board Certified Chiropractic Neurologist
