One Giant Step for MELT

I have great news. The IRB (Institutional Review Board) approved the very first MELT Low Back Pain Away Study. In the upcoming months NJIT (New Jersey Institute of Technology) will embark with us to initiate this study.

It’s a big step for MELT as I’ve spent so much time and energy over the past two decades learning and researching anything related to pain, fascia, aging, and the nervous system. This has led me down an amazing path to helping people prevent and eliminate many chronic issues.

As a founding member of the Fascial Research Society, I’ve continuously applied the research I’ve learned and developed methods to apply the science into a self-care method anyone could understand and use.

It’s been my dream to step into developing a research study for MELT directly.

Using a Dynamic Ultrasound Machine and basic flexibility tests and pain-scale tests we will measure the thickness and echogenicity of the lumbar fascia of 30-50 participants, men and women, ages 25-65. If you are reading this, you know MELT has made remarkable changes in pain levels for people with low back pain. The question has remained a hypothesis as to what is really causing the changes. Our educated guess is that there is a change in the hydration levels of the fascia causing both neurological and physiological changes. Our first and obvious step is to measure the physiological changes. This will be done by testing all participants by MELTing only half of the group and then resting them all, so the student who is administering the ultrasound won’t be biased. This brings a randomized element to the test.

This first testing is to measure any short-term adaptability that MELT has. Then all participants will follow a step-by-step MELT Map to self-care a minimum of 3x a week for 10 weeks. A follow-up test will then occur to see if there are any measurable long-term changes.

Why this is big step

What’s exciting is that regardless of the outcome, it opens the door to test and measure other possible changes such as adaptability in neurotransmission, brain response, sympathetic tone, and other variables that are far more complex to measure and needing MRI and other avenues of testing. One thing at a time. This is a HUGE step that I’ve been dreaming of for years.

Thanks to Tom Findley, Ph.D., founder of the Fascial Research Society, and Hans Chaudhry, Ph.D., for being our advisors on this project amidst their busy schedule. I feel honored and privileged to have this amazing opportunity, which would not have come about if it weren’t for these amazing researchers and educators. There’s much to do, but we are up for the task! I will keep you all updated as we embark on our study and share with you our findings over the course of the upcoming months!