Body Awareness in Survivors of Trauma
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Top Contributors - Naomi O'Reilly, Jess Bell and Nupur Smit Shah
Introduction[edit | edit source]
Body awareness is an approach often used within rehabilitation for individuals with persistent / complex pain [1][2] and / or psychosomatic / psychiatric conditions,[3][4][5][6] that explores and uses the mind-body-(spirit) connection to develop a more positive experience of the body and self through reflection of our bodily experiences.[7][8]
Body awareness has been defined as a treatment directed towards an awareness of how the body is used in terms of body function, behaviour, and interaction with self and others,[9] and can be influenced by both our emotional regulation, which is is our ability to exert control over our emotional state and interoception, which is the perception of sensations from inside the body and includes the perception of physical sensations related to internal organ function such as heart beat, respiration, satiety, as well as the autonomic nervous system activity related to our emotions.[10]
People affected by trauma or displacement frequently experience persistent or complex pain with wide ranging bodily symptoms including but not limited to altered breathing, posture and resting muscle tone with a lack of trust or confidence in their body with some feeling unsafe in their bodies and in their relationships with others.[9] Body awareness therapies aim to normalise and restore breathing, posture, balance, and muscular tension, which are commonly experienced and visible in the movement behavior of individuals who have experienced trauma or displacement.[9][11]
Rehabilitation Professionals Understanding of Body Awareness[edit | edit source]
Use of Body Awareness in Clinical Practice[edit | edit source]
The importance of body awareness therapy for health has been established for different patient groups (Gard,
As a Whole Body Treatment[edit | edit source]
To Promote Balance and Stability[edit | edit source]
To Teach About the Body and How to Practice Movement[edit | edit source]
To Coach Coping with Pain and Anxiety[edit | edit source]
To interact with the patients in a therapeutic approach[edit | edit source]
Resources[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Gard G. Body awareness therapy for patients with fibromyalgia and chronic pain. Disability and rehabilitation. 2005 Jun 17;27(12):725-8.
- ↑ Ferro Moura Franco K, Lenoir D, dos Santos Franco YR, Jandre Reis FJ, Nunes Cabral CM, Meeus M. Prescription of exercises for the treatment of chronic pain along the continuum of nociplastic pain: A systematic review with meta‐analysis. European Journal of Pain. 2021 Jan;25(1):51-70.
- ↑ Gyllensten AL, Ekdahl C, Hansson L. Long-term effectiveness of basic body awareness therapy in psychiatric out-patient care. A randomised controlled study. Adv Physiother. 2009;11:2–12.
- ↑ Gyllensten AL, Ekdahl C, Hansson L 2009 Long-term effectiveness of Basic Body Awareness Therapy in psychiatric outpatient care. A randomized controlled study. Advances in Physiotherapy 11: 2–12
- ↑ Gyllensten AL, Jacobsen LN, Gard G. Clinician perspectives of Basic Body Awareness Therapy (BBAT) in mental health physical therapy: An international qualitative study. Journal of Bodywork and movement therapies. 2019 Oct 1;23(4):746-51.
- ↑ Solano Lopez AL, Moore S. Dimensions of body-awareness and depressed mood and anxiety. Western journal of nursing research. 2019 Jun;41(6):834-53.
- ↑ Mehling W, Wrubel J, Daubenmier J. Body awareness: a phenomenological inquiry into the common ground of mind-body therapies. Philos Ethics Humanit Med. 2011;6:6.
- ↑ Gyllensten AL, Hansson L, Ekdahl C 2003a Patient experiences of basic body awareness therapy and the relationship with the physiotherapist. Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies 7: 173–183
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Gard G, Nyboe L, Gyllensten AL. Clinical reasoning and clinical use of basic body awareness therapy in physiotherapy–a qualitative study?. European Journal of Physiotherapy. 2020 Jan 2;22(1):29-35.
- ↑ Barrett L. F., Quigley K., Bliss-Moreau E., Aronson K. (2004). Interoceptive sensitivity and self-reports of emotional experience. J. Pers. Soc. Psychol. 87 684–697. 10.1037/0022-3514.87.5.684
- ↑ Solano Lopez AL, Moore S. Dimensions of body-awareness and depressed mood and anxiety. Western journal of nursing research. 2019 Jun;41(6):834-53.
