My Approach
While we can certainly keep things simple, I use a comprehensive, trauma-informed approach to finding the source of your pain and movement limitations. Following an evaluation, if there are any pain points or symptoms that need to be addressed, we will zoom into those areas and treat them as needed.
From our evaluation, we will be able to determine:
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Do your pelvis and rib cage remain naturally stacked during daily activities and exercise? (This contributes to normal breathing, standing, walking, and movement.)
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Is one or both sides of your neck overactive when you breathe in? (Your diaphragms should lead inhalation and upon exhalation will assist in core activation to stack the pelvis and rib cage. Without this normal pattern, your brain relies on neck muscles to lead breathing and suspend your body.)
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Do your pelvis, spine, and rib cage naturally rotate when you walk? (Spinal rotation promotes changes in pressures in the body. By design, muscle tone changes when pressures in the body change.)
When there is too much stress on one or multiple systems in the body, we tend to hold our breath. As our brain does its best to process different stressors, it cannot always prevent compensation in how we breathe, rest and move. Over time, compensating affects the functions listed above. The more we compensate, the more our bodies become dysfunctional and symptomatic, leading our nervous system to rely on specific patterns to breathe and not fall over vs. moving freely.
Our evaluation will shed light on the patterns your nervous system relies on so we can find the best place to start in helping your body recalibrate. While biasing techniques from the Postural Restoration Institute®, we will steadily reposition your body to ensure that your brain knows exactly where your head and body are in space, working toward normalizing structure and function. We will cover how to use these tune-ups throughout your day and how to carry them over into exercise. In doing so, you can maximize this treatment approach, reducing the impact of stressors and reducing the need for frequent body tune-ups.
Every session is tailored specifically to your individual needs and goals, particularly on the day of treatment. You will receive detailed education regarding the root causes of any pain or movement dysfunction, as well as strategies to become more independent and successful in managing your symptoms and performance. Please bring all of your questions, and we will address each one to ensure you can utilize this knowledge for the rest of your life.
For more complex cases, I collaborate with an airway dentist, a behavioral neuro-optometrist, a podiatrist, and a counselor specializing in trauma management who also provides neurofeedback. These providers understand the importance of total body integration and perform appropriate assessments to determine if an external device or other intervention is necessary to support you in reaching your goals. When sequenced correctly, patients generally experience significant pain reduction and/or more effortless movement as your nervous system receives the support it needs to integrate with your body and different environments. These referrals are made on a case-by-case basis.
About me
My name is Brandon Le Burkien and I am both a movement rehabilitation and performance specialist. While using movement as medicine, I teach people how to work toward effortless movement.
My experience comes from practicing as:
• Doctor of Physical Therapy in orthopedics and neurology for the past six years with a focus in spinal rehabilitation
• Postdoctoral certification from the Postural Restoration Institute® with a focus on sensory and motor system integration
• Personal training for twenty-three years in everything from sports performance, boxing and body building to yoga, weight loss, and designing cardiovascular endurance programs
• Coached and competed in the sport of weightlifting for ten years with a focus in strength and reflex development
From these practices I have earned the bulk of my expertise in teaching human movement and rehabilitation. The feel and understanding of how to move without stress really drives me to continue to learn so I can help others feel the same sort of effortless movement that I experience. I also enjoy helping those with more complex signs and symptoms who have not been able to find answers or help for their persistent pain and/or limitations with movement.
Getting Help
Sometimes our bodies do not cooperate with our minds. The School of Movement has taken the sciences of human movement, the literature on rehabilitation and performance, the clinical practice of pain management, and the dynamics of strength and conditioning to synthesize the material into a program that teaches you how to use your body so that it follows your mind.
The School of Movement offers multiple programs written by a Doctor of Physical Therapy who is also a strength and conditioning coach. Whether you are looking for one on one care or you are up for the home study programs, you are in good hands. These Programs range from repositioning your body, to airway management, and tuning up all the components of your balance system. For those seeking performance enhancement, personal training and exercise programming will carry over the concepts and techniques from physical therapy to ensure proper body mechanics and injury prevention.
If you are interested in working with me and would like to learn more, click the button below to schedule a free consultation.