• Tom studying anatomy

    Tom Abbott, cnmt

    Neuromuscular Therapy ~ Healing Pain at its Source

  • Welcome 

    Neuromuscular Therapy + Pain Relief

    Touch is the original, most innate, and relevant form of healing treatment for pain in nature.

    Neuromuscular therapy is touch brought to a high level of specificity, technique, and efficacy for relieving pain.

     

    Neuromuscular therapy (NMT) is an in-depth analysis and manual treatment of the body’s structure and soft

    tissues. This time-tested system is built upon and guided by a science-based foundation and clinical evidence.

    NMT deals with the root cause of musculoskeletal pain. It is highly effective for clients who present with chronic

    or acute pain and is often successful in reducing or eliminating even persistent and complex pain conditions. I use

    this work meticulously with a focus on eliminating pain, soft tissue-related dysfunctions, and easing the negative

    effects of aging. I offer neuromuscular therapy in Lafayette, Colorado.

  • My skill set is unique.

     

    I am a certified neuromuscular therapist, and more than that, I am a guide. You will be guided through your body

    and become aware of where you are hurting, where you are numb, where you store your history, tensions, traumas,

    everything from the intense pain you have not yet been able to solve to the aches and pains of life.

    broken image

    I will lead you through an

    individualized process, and we will

    understand your posture, find your

    areas of strength and clarity, and

    feel and learn where and why you

    are hurting.

    We will begin with a comprehensive

    postural analysis, which is the

    essential starting place for

    determining the causes of

    persistent pain issues. In our work

    together, you will learn much about

    how to help yourself on this journey.

     

  • Why Choose a Certified Neuromuscular Therapist?

    In the world of chronic pain relief, Tom does what most don't... get to the root cause. It's too bad that people often try

    medication and more invasive tactics first, then turn to Tom for relief. It should be the other way around. Tom's

    treatment can alleviate pain for some conditions permanently. Thank you Tom.

    ~Francine Schoenwetter, Director Content Marketing, New Hope Network

    A Certified Neuromuscular Therapist (CNMT) is versed in a comprehensive system for determining the

    imbalances and influences that create each person's unique pain conditions. Training includes a foundation in

    the physiology, precise anatomy, neurological laws, and biomechanics of how and why pain happens, at its

    root causes. Included are various types of manual treatment and the time-tested rehabilitation protocol that

    has shown success in ending pain and giving the best chance for lasting recovery.

     

    Clients have told me they are frustrated with the lack of results from pain management modalities covered by

    insurance. Unfortunately, the allopathic community classifies 80-90 percent of all pain as idiopathic, meaning

    "of obscure or unknown cause." Additionally, prominent pain researchers state that more than 80 percent of all

    pain is rooted in ischemia, meaning "lack of sufficient blood supply." Tension in muscles restricts the flow of

    blood. This tension is a primary part of what we are treating.

  • Conditions Treated

    This man has genius in his hands. He is the Mozart of bodywork.

    ~ Darce Brighthorse - traditional naturopath + healer

    Healthy athletic couple

    Pain Relief

    - headache + migraine - normalize tense, contracted muscles, and trigger points in the muscles of the neck and head allowing most headache clients to heal

    - earache - acute and chronic

    - hearing loss - for some people there is a real possibility of improving hearing loss

    - neck pain - spasm, whiplash, lost range of motion, cervical postural issues

    - TMJ dysfunction + facial spasm - jaw pain, clicking, mistracking, lost range of motion, trismus: limited ability to open mouth

    - throat - difficulty swallowing, tension from cough or injury, tongue spasm/pain

    - voice enhancement for singers

    - asthmatic symptoms - this manual treatment of the lungs can stop even intense attacks quickly

    - upper back, shoulder, arm, wrist, hand - chronic spasm and pain, partially frozen shoulder, carpal/and other tunnel syndromes, (I use my hands harder than most people and treat myself, so I use a highly thorough treatment protocol)

    - spine and back pain- meticulous treatment through the layers of the spinal muscles and tendons allows an opportunity for healing pain from whiplash, etc. and restoring mobility

    - abdomen - visceral treatment, abdominal cramps, spasm in colon

    - menstrual cramps - pain originating primarily from one specific area of the abdomen, (I have had surprisingly consistent results from the technique I have developed for this issue)

    - leg-length imbalance - determining and working with leg-length imbalance. I use our specific protocol for working with, and treating, the effects of leg length imbalance, and will talk with you to help you decide how you wish to progress with normalizing this issue

    - sciatic, sacro-iliac pain

    - injury, sprain, strain, rehabilitation

    - hip, leg, knee, calf pain

    Neuromuscular therapy trigger point chart

    Diagnostics

    I find diagnostic puzzles deeply intriguing. I love getting to the bottom of why someone is hurting. I extensively review the exact places of pain and discomfort, the activities that flare up those pain areas, the specifics of your structure, the tension in your muscles, and referred pain from possible trigger points and nerve entrapments. Manually working through the relevant soft tissues reveals the tension and begins normalizing the tissues. From there, what else can I say; Intuition and years of experience guide me in finding what hurts you.

    - postural assessment - I will give you a thorough analysis of the positions of your body posture as a whole. Doing this tells us a lot about how to treat you. Many people hold their body in stressful positions in an attempt to improve their posture. I will guide you in subtle movements you can use to reduce stress and balance your particular posture! I will show you what to do that will help and what you don't need to do.

    - dysfunctional gait patterns - we will look at what you can do to correct imbalances in your movement when walking. Doing this can help you profoundly reduce stress in your body.

    - ergonomics - if needed, we can adjust your body usage and posture for your daily life and work to reduce stress and pain.

    Friend in child's pose

    Self Care

    - stretching + posture + gait - Regular stretching practice is one of the most helpful things we can do to maintain vitality and youthfulness in our body. For most people, it is the only way to create flexibility and keep it as we mature. I teach a gentle, low-stress method that most people can do. I believe this method is the future of stretching. I will give you stretches that will help you balance your particular posture and movement as you are ready for them.

    - walking - Walking can be either the most relaxing thing we do in our daily life, or if not structurally aligned, a contributing factor to chronic pain and deterioration of the body. I highly recommend lots of it, at a quick but always comfortable pace. A slight to moderate incline gets your blood and breath flowing much better! We'll create awareness for you of what a healthy gait pattern feels and looks like if needed.

    - exercise for rehabilitation - Strengthening and movement exercises will help in your healing and staying healthy. I'll recommend these when you're ready, based on your progress.

    Person in wheel chair

    Multiple Sclerosis + Muscular Dystrophy

    paresthesias - Sensations in the absence of stimulation

    weakness and tremors

    fine motor movements, coordination

    muscle spams

    digestion, bowel regularity

     

    I am happily finding more and more how much this treatment can improve the quality of life for these people while reducing pain levels.

    Treating man's hand

    Bodywork for Body-workers

    We body-workers use the muscles and other soft tissues of our fingers and thumbs, hands, wrists, arms, and shoulders in rigorous ways for extended periods. I intimately know the wear and tear on our bodies from doing what we love. My work with body-workers is personally satisfying as there is a lot to share between us.

     

    Tom on alto sax

    Musicians + Bodywork

    That's me on alto sax...

    I am an avid music lover... drummer, sax and flute

    I personally understand the toll a musician's life can have on their body and posture

    These and other issues are treatable:

     

    - repetitive strain injuries (RSI) - Incorrect posture while playing your instrument, prolonged playing times without breaks, often in one position, being out of shape, sitting at computers for a long time, playing computer games hour after hour

    - carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) - Numbness and tingling on thumb side of hand and on the thumb, index finger, middle finger, and half of the ring finger. Fingers may feel tingly and weak, losing dexterity. Compression is in middle of wrist
    - cubital tunnel syndrome - Tingling and pain on inner elbow, especially when elbow is bent. Compression is at the elbow
    - guyon's canal syndrome - Ulnar nerve compression at the wrist. Decreased sensation on the palm side of the ring finger and little finger and/or weakness in the ring and little fingers.
    - pronator teres syndrome - Pain and weakness down the affected wrist and hand
    - wartenberg syndrome (radial sensory branch neuropathy) - Pain and numbness on the nail side of the thumb and the thumb side of the wrist
    - flexor tenosynovitis - Numbness of the median innervated fingers during and shortly after playing

    - thoracic outlet syndrome - Fatigue and numbness of the hand and/or arm with use, aching of limb, and coldness or discoloration of hand. Compression is where the shoulder, neck, and chest meet

    Tom's healing hands

    Intuitive Bodywork + Touch

    - touch - Increases blood flow, and decreases inflammation due to the phenomenon known as “gating,” in which sensory stimuli simply block out the transmission of pain stimuli in the spinal cord

    - human electromagnetic field - This is not conjecture. Technology exists to image these fields. Since the fields emanate around our bodies they overlap one another before ever we touch

  • About Me

    Tom embodies the definition of compassion: "a deep awareness of the suffering of another,

    coupled with the wish to relieve it". Thank you Tom!

    ~ Alice Rodgers - police stenographer

    Tom happy in the mountains

    I have treated and healed my own numerous injuries and pains that have occurred due to a substantial leg length difference from birth and many years of intense exercise in martial arts and cycling. I have experienced many of the pain conditions I've encountered in clients, in addition to having lived with headaches all my life until I found this work. My self-healing process has strengthened my belief in the concepts I've learned and has helped me relate to how people feel when they are hurting. My exercise mostly involves hiking, walking, stretching, and body-weight lifting. I certainly prefer exercises we can do without machines.

     

    I realize that this work comes very naturally to me, as childhood friends have reminded me that I was working on them when we were kids. I am grateful to have been certified personally by Paul St. John in his Neuromuscular Therapy St. John Method and to have taught this work under Paul and Judith DeLany. My years of training were exciting, and my curiosity and learning have never stopped. I love this work and find it deeply rewarding.

     

    I am nationally certified by the NCBTMB and have been in practice for over 36 years.

     

    My other technical studies include Maitland, Embodywork, Myofascial Release, and Zone therapy.

  • Video Testimonials

    Woody Drabousky, Multiple Sclerosis, and Tom's Work

    Jen's words... Tom is an "Awesome Rockstar of Body Fixing"

  • Let's Connect

    To contact me: Please call and leave a message or text me. Email also works but may yield a slower response. If you would like a free 15 minute phone consultation please ask.