Physical therapist John Iams from San Diego, California has developed this method for treatment of a wide variety of painful syndromes. In describing his method and the 35 year journey to develop the technique John writes:

Could there be a missing piece to the puzzle of pain currently not being examined by even the most competent practitioners? The answer is a resounding, YES! Over the decades clinicians have examined and treated most components of the musculoskeletal system including techniques to release muscle, fascia, joint and neural tissues. Why not techniques to release abnormal reflexes in those tissues? Reflexes are an integral part of our complex nervous system that is hard-wired at birth. Two primal reflexes that seem to have the greatest potential for problems of pain and motion restriction are the startle reflex and withdrawal reflex. Although these and other reflexes have been gifted to us for survival, they may represent a previously unrecognized source of pain. I’ve discovered how these two reflexes can be found in virtually all musculoskeletal pain patients. I’ve termed this finding the Pain Reflex. I have described my findings as Trigger Regions, defined as an area of hypersensitivity, found when sliding one’s fingers over predictable areas. These areas have been found to fit certain patterns. It appears that once an injury occurs, healing either progresses to full resolution or not. An injury may be nothing more than sustained stress or repetitive injury accumulated over time. Evaluation of a patient begins with the One Minute Nocioceptive Exam during which the body is scanned with rather light palpation for the presence of withdrawal and startle reflexes. During this exam, finding the Pain Reflex response will be a surprise to the patient as the areas of hypersensitivity are frequently very distant from their perception of pain. Usually one side of the body is more affected than the other. Treatment involves a Primal Reflex Release Technique (PRRT) designed to downregulate (relax) the two reflexes. Upon reexamination of the hypersensitive areas after applying the techniques, there is frequently a remarkable change in tenderness and pain. This translates into instantly improved spontaneity of range of motion and speed of motion, and the results are usually lasting.

As John describes above, the PRRT method is remarkable when chosen with the right patient. Perhaps most importantly, it is rapid to produce results and responders are easily detected, usually within three visits.