Matrix Repatterning

Proposed Research: Efficacy of Matrix Repatterning in promoting health

Proposed Research: Efficacy of Matrix Repatterning in promoting Health

Prepared by:

John H Page MBBS(Hons) MSc ScD Diplomate ABIM

Internist, Epidemiologist, Biostatistician

Harvard University School of Public Health

Outline of Research Proposal

1. Specific Aims

Specific Aim 1:  To validate the measurements to be used in evaluating Matrix Repatterning.  This includes measures of ranges of motion at joints, size of organs, length and width of bone measures, biomarkers, other clinical measurements, and a measure of overall well-being

Specific Aim 2:  To collect case reports and compare outcomes to what would have been expected with the standard of routine medical care

Specific Aim 3:  To evaluate before and after clinical outcomes in an unselected group of clients

Specific Aim 4:  To evaluate the efficacy of matrix repatterning in a controlled clinical trial

2. Background and Significance

Definition of Matrix Repatterning

Clinical Experience with Matrix Repatterning

Alternatives to Matrix Repatterning

Evaluation of select organ function:

            Heart: N-terminal prohormone brain natriuretic peptide

            Liver: Gamma glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), C-reactive protein

Kidney: Serum Creatinine, Creatinine Clearance

            Blood vessel: Blood pressure

            The matrix:  Range of motion at joints, muscle tone

Heart Lesions Demonstrated in Crash Study

P. Löwenhielm¹   , G. E. Voigt¹, C. B. A. Ljung¹ and B. G. Wihlberg¹

(1)	Division of Solid Mechanics Institute of Technology, Department of Forensic Medicine University of Lund/Sweden, Lund/, Sweden

Received: 4 February 1977 

Summary  Belt protected car occupants involved in head-on collisions do not seem to suffer as severe injuries as unembalmed cadavers subjected to comparable simulated head-on collisions. Therefore it has been questioned if cadavers constitute adequate test specimens for study of thoracic tolerances. This investigation compares injuries in safety belt wearing living and dead pigs which have been subjected to simulated head-on collisions on an acceleration track. Tests were performed on all 20 pigs (10 living and 10 dead). The arterial side of the circulatory system of the dead pigs was infused. The force in the safety belts, the intraaortic pressure, the impact velocity and the deceleration of the sled were recorded. The tests were high speed filmed. Post mortem examination of the pigs revealed differences in injury severity. Dead pigs more easily suffered rib fractures. Deformation of the rib cage due to stripping of the periosteum and laceration of surrounding tissue occurred mainly in the dead pigs. Laceration of intrathoracic blood vessels was seen in dead pigs while isolated heart lesions were seen only in living animals. The main cause of these differences in tolerance level seems to be post mortem changes of the mechanical properties of the different tissues. The results are valid for pigs but indicate that great care has to be exercised when results obtained from cadaver experiments are evaluated concerning thoracic tolerance.

Key words  Thoracic tolerance, head-on collisions using pigs - safety belts, head-on collision experiments - traffic medicine, head-on collision experiments, thoracic tolerance in dead and living pigs

Proposed Research: Role of Matrix Repatterning in improving cardiac function

Proposed Research: Role of Matrix Repatterning in improving cardiac function

John H Page MBBS (Hons) MSc ScD 

Department of Epidemiology, Harvard University School of Public Health

George Roth BSc DC ND

Matrix Repatterning Center, Aurora, Ontario

1. Specific Aim To evaluate the effect of Matrix Repatterning on B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) in adults with primary restrictions* involving the heart.

2. Background and Significance

Matrix Repatterning

Matrix repatterning is a diagnostic and therapeutic strategy(1) that was developed by Dr George Roth, and has been used for the past 15 years to treat individuals with functional disorders and/or symptoms of pain. Matrix repatterning recognizes that the whole body, including sub-cellular structures, cells, organs, and bone is connected through the cytoskeleton, and connective tissue through the principle of tensegrity (2). It uses the energetic properties of normally functioning hands(3) to detect areas of primary restrictions in the body’s interconnected framework (the matrix), and uses pressure on the tissues to effect structural changes in organs and bones with resultant improvement in health(1). It is thought that these structural changes occur through the effect of pressure on tissues to induce piezoelectricity (3-5).

Clinical Experience with Matrix Repatterning

Matrix repatterning has been successfully used to eliminate various pain syndromes including low-back pain, neck pain, and headaches(1), as well as pain resulting from various injuries. Simultaneous with many of these improvements, individuals have also discovered that other symptoms have improved, including musculoskeletal and athletic performance, hearing loss, gastro-esophageal reflux, numbness, muscle weakness, snoring and apnea, as well as general levels of energy. It has been found that one of the most frequent primary restrictions found in clients is one involving the region of the heart. In some cases, these individuals had clinically apparent murmurs on clinical examination pre-treatment that disappeared after treating the heart using matrix repatterning. Many of these patients have also reported much improved energy levels and improved functioning in their day-to-day activities. We therefore seek to determine the efficacy of matrix repatterning in improving markers of cardiac function in clients with primary restrictions in the region of the heart.

Heart Disease in the North-American population

Heart disease is the number one cause of death in North America(6, 7). The majority of this heart disease is due to coronary artery disease. Congestive heart failure is also common and is the most common cause of hospitalization in individuals aged 65 or over(7). Though less common, valvular heart disease occurs frequently in the North American population(6). One of the most common valvular defects found on examination is mitral valve prolapse, which is often associated with mid-systolic clicks and a systolic murmer on clinical examination. It occurs in as many as 10% of young women and the need for surgical valve repair increases with age and is also more common in men(6). Although there are well-established biological models and prevention strategies for heart disease, its incidence remains high. There have been few studies on the role of trauma in heart disease. However, animal studies suggest that the heart may be a frequent site of injury in motor vehicle accidents(8).

B-type Natriuretic Peptide in the evaluation of heart disease

Brain (B-type) natriuretic peptide (BNP) is a hormone that is released mainly from the left ventricle of the heart in response to stretch of heart cells(9, 10). The biological effects include increased urination (diuresis), vasodilatation, inhibition of renin and aldosterone production and of cardiac and vascular myocyte growth(9). Its concentration in the blood is measured as a marker of cardiac function, and it is now widely used as a biochemical marker of heart failure(11-14). Changes in plasma concentration of BNP is also useful in monitoring adequacy of therapy in heart failure(12). The Triage BNP assay system is a fluorescence immunoassay for quantitative determination in whole blood and plasma specimens(15), and has now been approved by the USA Federal Drug Administration (FDA). The system consists of a Triage BNP Test device that is the size of a Popsicle stick and contains all the reagents sufficient for immunoassay measurements of BNP. EDTA whole blood or plasma is placed on the device, which contains two internal positive controls to indicate that sufficient sample was applied to the device. After a 10-minute incubation the BNP Test device is inserted into the Triage Meter, an instrument the size of a telephone, for reading and result printout. The analytical sensitivity of the Triage BNP Test was < 5 pg/mL (95% confidence interval: 0.2-4.8 pg/mL) and the measurement range is 5 to 5000 pg/mL. The coefficients of variations at mean BNP concentratios of 29.1 pg/ml and 1128 pg/mL were 10.4% and 15.8% respectively(10, 16). BNP concentrations also vary in the normal population. The levels vary according to age (greater with older age), sex (greater in women), physical activity and circadian rhythm(10, 17-19). It is therefore important to focus on intra-individual changes and time of day in measurement.

The effect of matrix repatterning on myocardial stress

Our aim in this study is to determine the effect of matrix repatterning on cardiac stress as measured by B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) in a randomized clinical trial. The demonstration that matrix repatterning effects changes in this way would improve our understanding of the efficacy of this therapeutic strategy, increase awareness among the wider medical community, and allow a wider cross section of the population to benefit from this therapy. It would also open the door to further clinical and laboratory research of this important technique.

Dr. John Page and Dr. George Roth

Knee Instability as an Extension of Pelvic Dysfunction

Many of you have experienced the problems associated with instability of the femoro-tibial joint (knee) and its relationship to the development of OA of the knee.  Many of you have also witnessed or experienced the interesting phenomenon of treating a pelvic primary fixation (e.g. ilium), and finding that a previously sloppy, unstable knee becomes immediately stable!

New Blood Test May Hold Key to Heart Disease Breakthrough

A recent study has demonstrated a clear correlation between the presence of a protein marker and the risk of serious cardiovascular disease.  Most interesting, from the Matrix Repatterning perspective, is the fact that this protein is directly affected by mechanical stretch or stress on the myocardium.

The Promise of Matrix Repatterning

At six years of age, she had fallen twenty feet out of a ski lift.  Typical of this feisty lady, she had landed on her feet.  Unfortunately, her tiny body could not support the force of her landing.  Her legs and pelvis were smashed and this little girl would begin a new life, one that would see her endure numerous surgeries and hospitalizations, not to mention constant, agonizing pain, as well as ongoing problems including dizziness, digestive problems and reproductive disorders, and a lack of sensation in her pelvis.

I outlined the basic premise behind Matrix Repatterning.  I explained that the tensegrity matrix (the basic molecular structure of all life on the planet) could account for how the body stores and locks in the pattern of strain at the molecular level.  I went on to tell her how the body is one continuous fabric made up of tiny triangular elements, sort of like a geodesic dome, and that a source of tension in one area is transmitted throughout the entire body.

A New Perspective on the Treatment of Athletes

I have worked with many elite athletes over the years and have always found the experience challenging and enlightening.  I say 'challenging' because of the level of excellence they demand.  It is not good enough simply to get a top-level athlete out of pain.  The demands they place on their bodies require that every part work at its optimal level.  Joints, muscles, ligaments and bone are required to perform at or near the limit of their tolerances, and are continually being subjected to tremendous forces of strain and impact.

I have found that, in order to meet these challenges and provide for the needs of these patients, it is essential to address the fundamental causes of structural imbalance.  Disturbances of muscle tone and fascial tension asymmetries are time bombs waiting to explode in the form of muscle and ligament tears and serious joint injury.  These events can destroy an athlete's career and, in my opinion, they are highly preventable.