The Shapiro Method

Over many years of clinical practice Dr. Shapiro developed a process that has worked extremely well for him in his physical medicine and rehabilitation office practice. At the core of this process, manual muscle testing is used to determine the presence of small joint malalignments, called subluxations, causing what osteopathic physicians have termed somatic dysfunctions. Those found are corrected with gentle hands-on treatment. Corrective exercises, if indicated, are added to develop a home program of management. The use of manual muscle testing to identify these somatic dysfunctions appears to be a novel approach when compared to a variety of other muscle testing methods in use today, such as Applied Kinesiology. What probably has served him even better with this approach is the ability to provide patients with a logical explanation of the causes of their symptoms and  the reasons why the gentle manipulations and simple exercises effect improvement. Patients are often relieved to learn that the source of their symptoms may not be dire. Such patients often are delighted to see immediate improvement of symptoms and strength with treatment. These experiences tend to engender the trust of patients to follow instructions for further management.