Niel-Asher Technique

Simeon Niel-Asher graduated from the British School of Osteopaths in 1992 & is now a best-selling author in the field of Osteopathic Medicine & the treatment of the Frozen Shoulder.

He developed specific, systematic techniques for dealing with this particular complaint utilising advanced “Trigger Point Therapy”, following clinical research at Addenbrookes Hospital from 2000 – 2003, in association with the Rheumatology Research Council.

What exactly is a Frozen Shoulder?

“Adhesive Capsulitis”, to use medical terminology, will affect 2-5% of the general population but tends to be more prevalent in women & diabetics, especially between the ages of 50 & 60 with the non-dominant arm most likely affected.

Lasting for an average of 30 months, a frozen shoulder passes through 3 distinct phases: freezing, frozen & thawing. The pain is debilitating & will usually keep the sufferer awake at night. Yet once the 3 phases have been through their cycle, a frozen shoulder never returns to the same side of the body.

How does NAT (Niel-Asher Technique) work?

Traditional approaches to frozen shoulder either address the inflammation by the use of steroid injections &/or tablets, or alternatively attempt to push through the stiffness by using physical therapy &/or manipulation often under general anaesthetic thus forcing the shoulders’ range of motion through the blockage.

NAT works differently. Although the treatment can be very painful, especially during the freezing phase, it is no more painful than suffering with the actual condition itself. Using a sequence of pressure points to specific tissues, NAT attempts to stimulate groups of receptors situated within the muscle to alter messages sent to the brain. This includes trigger point work around the top of the shoulder blade, on its surface & around its outer edge. Surprisingly to the layperson, there are usually trigger points to be found in the belly of the bicep muscle and at its origin point, hidden away where the humerus of the upper arm meets the socket in which it articulates, which is why pain often radiates down the front of the arm.

At worst, the 3 phases are significantly accelerated. At best NAT can, in the very early stages of freezing, prevent the frozen shoulder from developing further thus allowing the body to heal itself. The last shoulder movement to be fully restored & usually the first to go is the ability to reach behind & up the back with the affected arm & reaching downwards between the shoulder blades. This is assessed by clinicians using “The Apley scratch test” – check it out on YouTube to see if you have a rotator cuff problem which can be assisted by Niel-Asher Technique.