How does the Dorn Method actually Work?

There is no magic about The Dorn Method, it's really all based on physics, fact and common sense, and a little help from the *client who assists the Dorn therapist.

The correction of a misaligned joint can sometimes prove quite difficult, and a forceful manual correction might cause more damage than good. To move the bones which are held by the inertia of our muscles we need to undertake any correction in a dynamic, moving action.

The client actively moves the joint while the therapist gently pushes or guides the bones back into proper position using only the thumb or the hand. Logical mechanical principles are at work, like counter pressure or levering forces, and this form of correction is usually readily accepted by our body.

During movement the muscles are in a distracted state and it is reasonably easy to realign the bones without having to overcome much muscle “resistance”. Step by step, the bone is guided back into its proper position. This is completely safe because it requires only light pressure and the correction pressure is stopped as soon as any pain arises.

The Dorn Method is a completely new form of manual therapy and to a great extend, distinct from therapies like Massage, Chiropractic etc., although the achieved results may be the same. Treatment with the Dorn Method does not unnecessarily stress muscles and ligaments through jerky manipulations that overextend them; it allows the spine to be adjusted much more frequently.

The above article taken from Thomas Zudrell’s book “The Dorn Method”.

*The use of the word 'client' refers to the person who is being treated. It's a common term used by complementary therapists.

Dorn Examples

This short video demonstrates some of the various Dorn Method techniques. As you can see, the moves are all very gentle and safe, but very effective.

Further reading

If you'd like to find out more, you can visit my Links page which contains several website links to Dorn Method resources.