Soft Tissue Release is the innovation of Stuart Taws who has been teaching the technique and accelerated healing for over 10 years along with many other traditional therapies.

STR is a sports injury technique used by the world's fastest sprinters that has been developed over the last 10 years into a 30-minute, chronic pain, repetitive strain injury release system that can change the nature of carpal tunnel pain in as little as 15 minutes.

Local Sports/Massage Therapist Dick Johnson, who recently completed a 28-hour workshop on Soft Tissue Release techniques in Toronto, Canada is excited about the possibilities in Bermuda where the number of cases are on the increase.

The four-day workshop included treatment on low back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome and whiplash, with Mr. Johnson specifically interested in carpal tunnel. Now he has begun treating people in Bermuda with carpal tunnel syndrome with outstanding results.

"You should notice a difference in the first session,'' said Mr. Johnson who stressed the importance of sticking with the exercises he shares with the clients.

"What you're doing is working on all the different movements of the wrist.'' The injury is common in those who hold their hands at too high an angle when typing, those who ride motorbikes and draftsmen. That 20-minute session also includes teaching the person three basic exercises that they can perform themselves as follow-up to the treatment.

Emily DeSilva has been suffering from carpel tunnel syndrome for four or five years. She went to a couple of doctors, one who recommended surgery, before she met Mr. Johnson and became his first carpal tunnel syndrome client.

"I tried the injections and also went to one doctor who recommended surgery,'' said Ms DeSilva.

"I met Mr. Johnson who showed me the exercises and I noticed a big change with the treatment. I wouldn't say it's completely cured but there is a remarkable change.

"I haven't been running back to the doctors like I used to. As long as I do the exercises and not try to overdo it I'm fine.'' Maria Anello is also pleased with what Mr. Johnson has done for her condition, which she described as "a severe case'' in both wrists.

"I have had different people treating me and spent so much money,'' said Ms Anello whose prior treatments had included corticosteroid injections and acupuncture. Surgery was her absolute last alternative.

She met Mr. Johnson at her job at Down to Earth where he sometimes does massages and agreed to a session. She has had three sessions with Mr. Johnson and is feeling much better.

"It's fantastic what he's doing,'' she says.

"The key is the exercises and if I do them three or four times a day, no problem. I'm lazy and keep forgetting but if I do it three times a day there is no discomfort, nothing.

"I didn't think I would believe. I was getting accupuncture and going nowhere but spending a lot of money.'' Ms Anello says she has had the condition about three years but doctors have told her it has been developing over the years with the amount of sewing she has been doing over the last 20 years.

Sheelagh Mullan came across Mr. Johnson by chance, after visiting Chiropractor Donald Ray in the office next to Mr. Johnson's when he noticed she was wearing a wristband and suggested she see Mr. Johnson. She, too, is pleased with the results.

"He worked on my arm for awhile and I actually had a weekend without any problems,'' she explained.

"A couple of days later it started tingling again but he treated me again and showed me some exercises to do. It definitely did some good. It used to keep me awake at night, it was so bad.'' Ms Mullan said she has had problems with both wrists for a number of years, brought on, she thinks, from riding her bike. "It's in both wrists but the worst one is my right wrist,'' she stated.

"I have seen an improvement overnight. "He has shown me how to stretch the arm and flex the wrist. It's a matter of stretching the muscles in the arm because they shrink apparently.'' The carpal tunnel is an opening under the carpal ligament on the palmer side of the carpal bones in the wrist. The median nerve, finger flexor tendons and blood vessels all pass through this `tunnel'.

Previously there were four treatments of the injury; rest, immobilisation with splints, Corticosteroid injections, physical therapy, stretching and bio-mechanical modifications and, if symptoms persist, surgery.

In the United States it has been estimated that one carpal tunnel syndrome injury amounts to as much as $100,000 in lost work, surgery and retraining. It has become one of the major sources of lost productivity and financial drains in this country, according to the Chiropractic Sports Medicine, volume 9, number 1, printed in 1995.

Mr. Taws says that during the 10 years of teaching Soft Tissue Release he has not found another single therapy that has such fast results that are so permanent.

He used STR in a pain clinic for many years where recovery rates obtained were previously thought to be impossible. The technique is based on active isolated stretching originally formulated by Aaron Mattes some 30 years ago.

STR was common in treating athletes in Britain in the 1980s where, if a world class sprinter had a race in one or two weeks, the treatment would enable them to recover in time. With so much money at stake for a gold medal winner, the athletes were reluctant to let the injury heal by itself.

"Prize money can be $100,000 and they can win this amount of money two or three times in one month and yet they are told to `take a rest','' said Mr.

Taws.

"If they break a world record, the endorsement money by the running shoe companies alone can be worth millions. Resting is not the answer, you have to have a therapy that works through movements.

"Bracing and splinting not only have little effect, but after one week statistics have shown that the problem gets worse. If bracing and splinting did help we would not have the overwhelming amount of surgical procedures.

Movement is the answer, fixation is not.'' Added Mr. Taws: "The answer to carpal tunnel problems is simply this: regain muscle memory to the flexors and extensors of the hand, the supinators and pronators...everthing to do with rotation of the wrist.'' Mr. Johnson, the vice president of the Bermuda Massage Therapy Association, is also the medic for Premier Division club Devonshire Colts. He uses the Soft Tissue Release techniques to treat injuries to his players and is able to get them playing again quicker.

"I had great success with the hamstring injuries and got them back playing again in 10 days,'' he says of one of the more common sports injuries which is often caused by not properly stretching and warming up.

"Colts have not had many serious injuries this season,'' said Mr. Johnson who has been with the team for three years.

"When you get an injury the muscle shortens and tightens up and the idea is to get it back to the proper length.'' Johnson has become a proud Devonshire Colts man with pictures and cup winning medals on the wall in his Hamilton office.

"Colts really do look after their players and I encourage them to do the right things with diet and things like that,'' he says.

"Colts pride themselves on unity, character and sportsmanship. Their theme is sportsmanship, unity, sports education and opportunity.

"I played a lot of sports and this is the only way I could give back. I played rugby with Police going back many years and I was expecting to get involved with rugby but I didn't, I got involved with a football team which I don't find a problem.'' Healing touch: Dick Johnson shows client Emily DeSilva one of the exercises she can use for carpal tunnel syndrome. Mr. Johnson demonstrates Soft Tissue Release (top photo).