   Photo by Lacey R. March 3, 2023 Supporting Recovery after Joint Replacement Surgery with the Feldenkrais Method® From the Editors Every year, thousands of people undergo joint replacement surgery to get a new lease on life. For example, in 2020, 800,000 knee replacement and 498,000 hip replacement surgeries were performed. The number of these procedures, as well as primary and reverse total shoulder arthroplasties, are on the rise, in part because of the aging of the population and the increased efficiency of prosthetic technologies and medical knowledge. In this edition of SenseAbility, our contributors explore how the Feldenkrais Method can be a powerful support for a person going through joint replacement at every stage of the process. By working privately with a practitioner and incorporating the practice of Awareness Through Movement® into one’s own routine – especially during recovery – one can maximize the feeling of one’s own autonomy, even when surgical intervention is a necessity. Stacy Barrows, who is both a Feldenkrais® practitioner and a physical therapist, shares her expertise and common questions that come up when working with clients with joint replacements in her interview with Joe Webster. Becci Parsons tells the story of helping a client with a recent knee replacement to discover a feeling of “embodied ownership” of her new joint. Jane Johnston, a Feldenkrais practitioner, who has personally undergone five different joint replacements, tells her story. Jane, Joe and Seth Pain Science, Arthritis and Joint Replacement Surgery: Improving Mobility and Self Use with the Feldenkrais Method® An Interview with Stacy Barrows, GCFPCM, PT  This month Joe Webster interviews Stacy Barrows about her work with clients recovering from joint replacement surgery. Watch Now  About Stacy: Stacy Barrows is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, Feldenkrais® Practitioner and National PMA Pilates Instructor. Stacy owns Smart Somatic Solutions, Inc., an independent clinic serving West Los Angeles, Beverly Hills and surrounding communities. She specializes in movement re-education, Pilates and integrative rehab, conditioning and sports training. She is the creator of the Smartroller,® and sister products, LINKS and SITS. She also authored “The Smartroller® Guide to Optimal Movement”, second edition, based on the Feldenkrais Method® and contributed a chapter to the recently published book titled THE FELDENKRAIS METHOD® . More information at https://www.smartroller.net/ Coming Home: Trusting the Leg We Stand On  Photo by Laura Margarita By Becci Parsons, GCFPCM I’m a collaborator and life-long learner by nature. As a dancer I loved the process of solving movement and choreography problems as a group. Through good fortune, I’ve managed to bring that spirit to my practice as a Guild Certified Feldenkrais® Teacher.I’ve learned that it sometimes takes a village to support the brave person who has elected to have joint replacement surgery. The path back home to healing, thriving and doing the things that bring joy can be challenging. I am thankful for the role I play in such a village of skilled professionals. Read More  About Becci: Becci Parsons is a Guild Certified Feldenkrais® Teacher and dancer with over 40 years of experience in the movement arts. She teaches community Awareness Through Movement® classes and workshops while maintaining a private practice in Seattle, consulting with clients online and in person. Becci also leads study groups and mentoring programs for local practitioners. Her work is dedicated to the mindful exploration of human vitality, grace and elegance through the study of ‘self in motion’. Her website is www.BecciParsons.com My Feldenkrais® Journey Through Five Joint Replacements  Photo by by Serhii Bobyk By Jane Johnston, GCFPCM When I was in my 30s I was told that I would need knee replacements in the future due to osteoarthritis and cartilage deterioration in both of my knees. The idea of surgery was scary, especially at that age, and I tried to put it off for as long as possible. I had been working as a movement teacher since the 1970s and I trained in the Feldenkrais Method®, graduating in 2005. I wanted to be able to continue with that work, and the pain was making that difficult, so I eventually decided to go ahead with the first of five joint replacement surgeries in 2009. My knees had begun to bother me a great deal by that point and then I began to have a pain in my right hip as well. Actually it was pretty difficult to tell if the pain was in my hip or my back. But standing had become my biggest issue, even just standing to cook or at a party was very uncomfortable. Read More  About Jane: Jane Johnston began teaching Feldenkrais Method® Awareness Through Movement® classes in 2003 and graduated in 2005. The Feldenkrais Method is her passion and influences all area of her life. Jane specializes in seniors and special needs students and uses the Feldenkrais Method in all her teaching. Jane Johnston began teaching group fitness classes on land and in the water in the 1970s, yoga classes in 1995, personal fitness training in 1996, the Feldenkrais Method in 2003 and Taiji in 2012. Jane is a Guild Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner, holds several advanced land and water pre/post rehab certifications, is a Certified/Registered Yoga Teacher and a Certified Yang Family Tai Chi Instructor. Her website is https://fitoverfortyvirginia.com/ Contact Jane at fitoverforty@jesed.com Resources Pelvic Clock, a miniature Awareness Through Movement® lesson by Stacy Barrows. Click here to listen Stacy Barrows offers an in-person & online class series, Strengthen Your Mind, Educate Your Body with Smartroller®, May 6-June 10. More information here Connecting Your Feet to the Floor, a Awareness Through Movement® lesson by Jane Johnston. Click here to listen The December 2020 edition of SenseAbility took up the theme of Surgery Stories & Strategies. Click here to read.  Did You Know?You can access free lessons on Feldenkrais.com Listen to them now You can rewatch previous SenseAbility interviews on our Youtube Channel You can find hundreds of Feldenkrais® classes taught online. Go here to find a class you will enjoy.    |