Philosophy

Kleiman’s philosophy of treatment has developed over 30 years of clinical practice and has served as a guide for development of BCT.
  1. The body desires balance (homeostasis) and seeks the path of least resistance.
  2. The body is designed for movement; when limited internally, it may attempt compensation through external movement patterns.  "Rocking" is a natural external motion that increases internal movement.
  3. Our amazing bodies have the ability to "right the wrong," to release, repair, and remodel.  Congenital is not synonymous with irreversible.
  4. Symptoms often occur when the body has reached its compensatory threshold. Compensatory changes can extend from the original involved site to adjacent structures and beyond.
  5. BCT focuses on skeletal-muscular restrictions, not symptoms, but uses pain and other symptoms as guides when progressing treatment.
  6. BCT takes a skeletal-muscular view. The joint’s position influences adjacent muscle length.  Muscle length is reflected in muscle tension.  A change in muscle length/tension will impact joint performance.
  7. BCT takes a whole body approach with primary focus on pelvic girdle, shoulder girdle and the spine.  The secondary focus is on extremities. No restriction (or correction) is thought to occur in isolation.
  8. The BCT approach does not classify joints as hyper-mobile or hypo-mobile.  Joint position influences joint mobility.  A joint’s ability to stabilize is primarily intrinsic.  If the joint is unstable or restricted, BCT can help restore the central axis of motion.
  9. BCT leads to freer movement with joint stability. Joints influenced through the use of BCT are quiet, require less effort to move, and achieve a sense of weightlessness.
  10. Duration of a joint restriction does not directly correlate to the length of time required to reverse it. Residual symptoms may persist following joint correction if they are the result of soft tissue or systemic changes.
  11. Biomechanical correction enhances soft tissue healing.  Maintaining correction through functional activity can accelerate the healing process. “ The healing begins when the joint stays in”.
  12. The long-term goal of BCT is external movement with internal stability. It does not rely on long-term external supports (i.e. taping. bracing, orthotics, etc.)  Internal fixation (i.e. bony remodeling or surgical hardware) may decrease the full benefits available with BCT.
  13. BCT views joint degeneration as a normal aging process void of pain.  Joint deterioration, on the other hand, is viewed as an abnormal change in tissues and joints that can present with symptoms.
  14. Sharing evaluation results with allied health professionals can help identify mechanical versus non-mechanical restrictions.
  15. BCT believes the greatest gift to a patient is not the treatment itself but the tools for a lifetime of self-treatment.
In summary,
Kleiman’s philosophy and treatment techniques used in BCT continue to evolve as research findings and clinical practice are integrated.