Specific Adjustment Technique: A Gentle and Effective Approach to Whiplash Recovery
SAT, or Specific Adjustment Technique, is an osteopathic method developed in the 1950s by Tom Dummer, co-founder of the European School of Osteopathy. Unlike conventional techniques focused on physical manipulation, SAT works at a much deeper level—tapping into the body’s inherent intelligence to release long-held patterns of tension and trauma. It’s not about force or cracking joints; it’s about sensing the precise moment when the body is ready to shift, allowing for a subtle but powerful reorganisation from within.
This approach is particularly effective for cases of whiplash. Injuries like whiplash often involve more than just strained muscles or misaligned vertebrae—they can create lingering dysfunction in the connective tissues, the nervous system, and even the emotional memory stored in the body. SAT meets this complexity by addressing not only physical restriction but also the neurological and emotional layers. The technique helps re-establish the body’s own rhythm and regulation, often leading to profound and lasting changes.
Although SAT is not widely practiced—there are still relatively few trained practitioners—it continues to be taught through specialist-level training led by experienced osteopaths like Gez Lamb D.O., one of Tom Dummer’s students. The method isn’t a standardized protocol; rather, it’s a nuanced and intuitive skill that develops over years of practice. Practitioners learn to sense when the body invites change, and how to respond in a way that supports deep integration and healing.
For those recovering from trauma such as whiplash, SAT offers a gentle, respectful, and highly effective path forward. It's a reminder that healing doesn’t always require force—sometimes, it just needs the right presence at the right time.
I first met Gez Lamb at the European School of Osteopathy when he was the course leader for the subject ‘Language of Osteopathy’. I was fascinated by the way Gez Lamb saw osteopathy and how he taught it. I followed him during my studies, getting private treatment from him and then, I’ve studied SAT and Fields and Levels Courses twice, under the expert guidance of Gez Lamb D.O., a direct student of Tom Dummer, co‑founder of the European School of Osteopathy. Through those two complete trainings, the method revealed itself to me as something far beyond traditional manipulation—it’s a profoundly intelligent process that engages the body’s innate capacity to rearrange and release patterns of tension and trauma.
