The MELT Method

[Grace]

Has anyone tried this method for chronic pain? The website presentation, blog writing, and videos don't inspire confidence, but I think this woman is on to something. As I understand it, the concept is self-treatment with gentle touches that stimulate the "neurofascia." Hmmm...

None of the explanations I've found have been super helpful, but the website organization isn't dynamite, so I may have just missed clearer explanations just because I'm tired. I'm afraid to waste money on the book because sometimes books that go along with methods like this can be really disappointing -- just one long commercial ... And a lot of the talk is about anti-aging--the LAST thing on my mind right now and has always been a big turn off for me.

If you have any experience of this method or know a bit, would you mind sharing? After 21 years of managing chronic pain, I'm seriously interested in trying something I haven't tried before. Since PN started, I can no longer do the activities that had helped me and I'm hurting badly from head to toe and starting to wake in the night from crazy pain.

Website: www.meltmethod.com

[HerMajesty]

I have no specific experience with MELT, but looked over some of the website material and it seems very similar (including use of foam rolls) to the core strengthening, stretching, and myofascial release techniques I learned in Physical Therapy. I believe you have had PT already so I am wondering if any of this looks familiar to you, or if the PT you had was based on a totally different set of techniques? I think it is telling that this is being advertised as a wellness program vs. a cure for a neurologic condition. I would call that truth in advertising.
Having done this kind of thing, I can say it made me more functional within the confines of my pathology. After a few years of slow deterioration, I abruptly became fully disabled / nonfunctional in 2009 after driving a 3600 mile road trip. Within a couple of months, this kind of PT had me functional again, but I discontinued it in 4 to 5 months because I was making no further progress beyond the initial gains; and the program was very time consuming, eating up a big chunk of every day.
If this program is what it appears to me to be, it might be helpful within limits which are dependent on your underlying pathology. If your major symptom is pain, it might or might not be helpful at all - might even make you feel worse depending on whether the source of pain conflicts with the type of movements they are asking you to perform. I was nonfuntional due to severe neurogenic bladder spasms causing me to be very close to incontinent, whereas I could bring myself to wear an adult diaper due to allodynia. This kind of program helped me a lot with neurogenic bladder but did not dramatically reduce my pain levels.

[Grace]

This is helpful insight. Thank you.
About 4 months of PT-all internal, no functional improvement.
Pain is my symptom. Pain of all sorts limit walking and standing; prohibit sitting.
I'll give it short trial.

[HerMajesty]

I agree - either give that a short trial, or re-enter a PT program which is more comprehensive vs. internal: Whichever is more cost effective. I got internal PT as part of my overall PT program, but it was NOT the helpful part. the helpful aspects were core strengthening, particularly of transverse abdominals; stretching, external bell-button-to-knees deep tissue massage with work on lower abdomen and inner thighs most beneficial; and manual therapy to realign my pelvis. The stretching and manual therapy were the parts that helped most specifically with pain, and i still use them to recover from flares.