ELDOA

What is ELDOA and why should it be part of your daily routine?

The most important mechanism for communication within the body is the nervous system. If a nerve is physically compromised—for example, compressed, even by a minuscule amount—nerve signals are impeded. While some communication gets through, the transmission rate suffers, the message may be jumbled, and dysfunction manifests. 

Whatever tissue, glands, or organs are associated with that nerve can experience a decrease in function. Proper nerve function is one of the foundations of optimal health as well as optimal physical performance.

How would your body’s health and performance improve if you had a methodology at your disposal that you could perform on your own that could:

• Improve posture, even reduce scoliosis

• Improve joint mechanics

• Build muscle tone

• Increase your sense of well-being

• Enhance self-awareness

Maybe performance is not your primary objective. Maybe your goal is pain relief, or at least pain reduction or symptom management without pharmaceuticals drugs and/or surgery. How would your body feel if you could:

• Create more space between the vertebrae

• Create more space for the intervertebral discs

• Decompress the nerves between the vertebrae

• Improve proprioception of the vertebral joint segment

• Improve proprioception of the Functional Spinal Unit (FSU)

• Hydrate the intervertebral disc

• Move all the parts of the annulus fibrosis (intervertebral disk) to stimulate water intake

• What new endeavors would you attempt if your body was up to the task?

ELDOAs can accomplish these feats and more. 

ELDOA was developed by French Osteopath Guy VOYER. ELDOA is an acronym from French words which translated to English means “longitudinal osteoarticular  decoaptation stretches.” “Osteoarticular” means bones and joints. “Decoaptation” means opening. 

ELDOA is both the name of the method and the postures involved. 

Each posture is designed to create space within a precise joint or segment of the spine using myofascial tension and muscle contraction. Using these exercises, you can literally “create space” between L5 and S1, the most commonly injured and herniated disc in the spine. Imagine the benefit for someone suffering from pain or impaired movement. 

ELDOAs exist for the spine, hips, ribs, shoulders and skull.

ELDOA postures may resemble some Yoga poses. That is the only similarity. Where Yoga focuses on stretching and gaining flexibility by elongating a muscle, ELDOAs work through tension and contracting a muscle.  

The ELDOA pictured in the header doesn’t function to simply “stretch your arms over your head.” This posture, called T8-T9, is considered the “sportsman test” ELDOA. The T8-T9 joint is where most thoracic rotation occurs, or should occur. If there is restriction in this joint, movement will be compromised and joint stress will be increased above and below this restriction. 

To ensure optimal benefit to the nervous system and spinal posture, it is important to be assessed and trained by a skilled ELDOA practitioner. Merely mimicking a posture in an image will accomplish very little, if anything. Initial cuing or direction is relatively simple. As one’s self-awareness and body control improves, through practice, layers are added, each initiating greater change. 

Once you achieve the proper posture, holding that posture is truly challenging. Precision is vital for success. Regardless of your skill level, the goal is the same: to apply maximum tension within the posture. A novice will generate as much tension, relatively speaking, as an advanced client. There always exists the opportunity to benefit from wherever you begin. Everyone can do ELDOA and everyone can receive positive effects. Even better is that it requires no equipment. All you really need is some space on the floor and access to an area of wall.  

HOW I INTEGRATE ELDOA INTO MY PRACTICE

As everyone can benefit, I integrate specific ELDOAs into a client’s program based upon their specific needs. This may not be appropriate on day one, but I do introduce them at the right time. Not doing ELDOAs is a major opportunity missed. I can’t image any individual, athlete or not, who would not want to move and feel better and in turn increase their overall quality of life.

Considering the great number of individuals, especially athletes, who have a functional scoliosis, there are tremendous opportunities to enhance performance by optimizing spinal alignment, body mechanics, and nerve function.

I also have clients where all we work on is the ELDOAs. These clients receive the full ELDOA experience where we dig deep, turning over every rock as we take advantage of every healing opportunity possible. 

Small group classes are also available. These classes are not as personalized, but we do focus on those ELDOAs most appropriate for the group’s needs. We start with a warm up, proceed into the ELDOAs, and conclude with a cool down. Education is also worked into the class. 

Achieving true health and optimal performance is an individualized process; there is no one-size-fits-all solution. However, there are general principles that do apply to everyone. A healthy nervous system and proper spinal posture are essential to optimizing movement and longevity. ELDOAs offer tremendous opportunities for growth in this regard that should not be missed.