Dale G. Alexander

LMT, MA, PhD

Dale G. Alexander, PhD, LMT, is author of the Inside-Out Paradigm© and the Adaptive Mechanisms Concept©. He has had a clinical massage therapy practice in Key West, Fla., for more than 35 years. His comprehensive approach to bodywork has evolved from his work with clients, personal research, extensive training in Osteopathic Manual Therapy with the Upledger Institute, Soma Bodywork and Integrated Awareness.®

Further, Dale has evolved an understanding of how underlying degradations that typically accompany the aging process are typical drivers of the persistence of chronic somatic dysfunction. He has outlined these in his Massage Today column as they evolved from what his clients presented to him over the years. The most common are cardiovascular disease, spinal stenosis (especially cervical stenosis), and gall bladder dysfunction/disease. Other physiological degradations also include; subclinical infections, osteoporosis, kidney stones and infections, dehydration/desiccation, and the many forms of dementia that are emerging in our aging population. He has distilled a comprehension of the major variables that those within our profession need to develop skill sets to address; compression, congestion, and dis-coordination of the nervous system.

He believes that cancer emerges from varying states of congestion produced by compression and dis-coordination within the nervous system. It has been his clinical experience that such physiological problems usually emerge most frequently between the ages of 45 - 65 and often have a genetic pre-dispostion. His column continues to expand on the theme that we as a profession become part of our clients early detection team. We serve our clients as well as the health care delivery system in our country as we heighten our awareness to this crucial role. We listen to our clients and we touch them. This provides us with a foundation for making timely referrals and to suggest to clients that they seek appropriate medical examination(s).

An interesting statistic emerged recently suggesting that the various forms of cardiovascular disease eclipse all forms of cancer combined as a cause of death. Of course, the essence of our profession is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for our clients. None of us cheat death, we simply assist others and ourselves to enjoy life more until that eventual end occurs.