The Satanic Verses of Frank Wildman

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I spent a considerable amount of time last month scanning documents and books and such into my computer, getting ready for my cross-border move. In the process, I came across an article that Frank Wildman published in the Physical Therapy Forum called, “Learning – The Missing Link In Physical Therapy: A Radical View of the Feldenkrais Method.” I was told that someone in the field of Physical Therapy, called the article “Satanic.” I find that rather humorous. Here’s a brief sample of the article:

“Today, there are a large variety of techniques available in physical therapy and many diverse schools of thought brought to bear upon the patient population. However, the many theoretical and clinical inconsistencies and occasional discrepancies between techniques point up to a lack of agreement as to what basic principles of human functioning underlie effective treatment. I observe an unfortunate lack of any integrated, comprehensive theory pertaining to the function of the brain and body that could include all modalities of patient care.

Many therapists resolve this dilemma by using an eclectic approach. They might problem solve a particular neurological case by using some NDT here and a little PNF there, depending on the type of condition, or sometimes according to what seems to work best at the moment. This can create problems, since assumptions underlying the operational models of PNF about how the brain actually functions are quite different than the models used for NDT. It is as though there are two different brains with mutually exclusive principles of operation in the same patient’s head.”

And later:

“In order to develop a conceptual framework to integrate the current procedures in Physical Therapy, a model must be developed that would include all aspects of human functioning from motion to emotion. As is the current focus in physics, there is a need to discover a unified “field theory” to encompass all the types of clinical cases that are worked with piecemeal in the hospital and clinic today.

At the heart of this more potent conceptual framework for physical therapy should lie the recognition of not only the enormous capacity for learning that exists in the human being but also the overwhelming need for it.”

Though the article is over 20 years old, it’s still an interesting read. The ideas in the article could be extended to psychology and medicine and a variety of other fields. Hell, you could even take a look around the larger Feldenkrais communities and apply it there as well. I don’t know where Frank stands on the issues now, or even if he considers them at all, but here’s a link to the article if you want to view the pdf: Wildman Learning Feldenkrais. You can also find the full text version on Frank’s website: Radical View of the Feldenkrais Method

Enjoy – Ryan

DISCLAIMER: No actual physical therapists were harmed in the creation of this blog post. Any resemblance to actual theories, living or dead is purely coincidental. Avoid contact with skin. Sanitized for your protection. No anchovies unless otherwise specified.

Tags: feldenkrais, Feldenkrais research, Frank Wildman