Dominique Daly studied mechanical engineering early in life, and later he was instructed in the field of orthopedics. So when he ultimately decided on a career in bodywork, he had to change the way he thought about the physiological root of pain.

“I was operating on the assumption that most pain and injury problems could be traced back to structural stresses, or muscular tension and imbalances bearing on the skeletal system,” he says. “But the majority of chronic pain is actually caused by injuries to ligaments, joints, tendons and fibrous connective tissue.”

While the most common problems doctors treat relate to aches and pains and restrictions of the musculoskeletal system—the “machinery” of the body—the field of bodywork encompasses a wide range of styles and approaches to treatment, Daly says. “Each manual therapist or movement educator brings a unique combination of skills that are found to be effective in areas ranging from sports medicine, myofascial massage, craniosacral therapy, postural and somatic methodologies and ancient healing arts, to name just a few.”

Body workers assess and treat connective tissue injuries, “re-educating” the supporting fascial web of the body and stimulating the nerves with specific movements—a combination that can radically reduce suffering from painful traumatic and chronic conditions and other musculoskeletal problems, Daly says.

As a board-certified bodywork therapist and corrective exercise educator, Daly teaches injury prevention, rehabilitation and performance enhancement. He conducts professional workshops for manual therapists and offers Mindful Movement and Meditation educational lectures and workshops jointly with Vijaya Nair, M.D., in New York and Connecticut.

At his private practice in Bedford, Daly meets individuals at their current fitness level and lifestyle, from sedentary to very active, and encourages them to be engaged participants in their own recovery process.

“Self-correction arises from self-discovery,” he says. “There’s a great deal that individuals can do for themselves to help in treatment and rehabilitation once those problems have occurred — as well as preventing such problems from reoccurring in the future.”

For more information, call 860.751.2048 or visit BodyworkTherapeutics.com.