Pamela has a depth of knowledge about the body, and sensitivity to the individual needs of students, that is hard-won and difficult to find. I highly recommend her.

The [Columbia U.] neurologist was impressed with my shoulders…She was all jazzed up…She said, ‘I’ve never seen you in such a good state....I’ve never seen your neck and shoulders  look and feel so relaxed.’ Normally there is Botox left in the vials after my injections and my shoulders always needed it. But this time there were no knots. It’s always been extremely tight….I was doing my thing in the chair. And she wrote it all down.

I love Pam's teaching. She is very much a hands on teacher which I really like - and she really makes a difference for every one she touches….She is a particularly gifted teacher.

From learning better posture from you, I have a lot more stamina. Sitting properly allows me to sit for a long period of timeat my accounting job with no discomfort. I could also play piano much longer, virtually no pain when playing for long periods of time.

Pam's genius is her vision of where you can be posturally, her ability to assess with radar-like accuracy the deviation and apply her guidance in carefully measured steps that are easy to follow for correction. After 8 sessions I can say my glutes are really firing, my feet are stronger and engaged more fully in the gait, I sit correctly with more frequency and feel better overall. I made improvements that no yoga class, chiro visit or exercise physiologist was able to accomplish. Pamela is vivacious, keenly observant, and her method cuts to the chase to get results where other approaches fall short.

Before I saw Pamela, I had noticeable back and hip pain almost every day, which would stop me from going out and doing certain exercises and activities. Since seeing her, however, I hardly notice any kind of pain any more.

I am writing to introduce you to Pamela Rief, a health educator who specializes in a unique form of musculoskeletal re-education. Pamela is a bright, articulate professional who uses her extensive scientific background to help individuals become aware of how their particular neuro-musculoskeletal habits “re-shape” form and function. She helps clients replace poor habits with more physiologic habits, optimize mobility, and reduce tension and pain.

Pamela has keen observational skills that she applies to improve the skeletal and muscle function of her clients—including my patients and myself.

I find her to be an excellent teacher with incredible compassion and a sincere interest in each of her client’s progress and overall well-being. Pamela often has some surprising answers that can significantly help your patients who have chronic issues.

Pamela’s methodology involves the visual and palpatory evaluation as a client moves through activities of daily living. This detective work allows Pamela to appreciate the individual effects of deleterious neuro-musculoskeletal habits on the each particular patient. She then tailors a movement re-education program designed to return each patient to a more natural movement. Unlike traditional physical therapy, her work focuses on whole body musculoskeletal function and takes advantage of primitive neural pathways, which, when re-discovered, allow a patient to have improved posture, gait and, in many cases, decreased pain. Sometimes this occurs immediately; other times it occurs after a period of repeated practice in the office or at home.

The positioning Pamela teaches also engages and increases baseline tone in otherwise poorly used musculature—without repetitive weight lifting or lunges or other toning devices. This leads me to suspect that she is improving the alignment the neuro-musculoskeletal system, which then optimizes neural feedback and skeletal and muscle function. When Pamela’s lessons begin to discard the incorrect postural habits we have developed over time and reveal the pattern originally set up by nature, we begin to find it easier to move with greater comfort and better posture. With the correct alignment, neurological feedback and cortical understanding blended together in the lesson, we also have the significant opportunity to function in a more physiologic and painless way. Of course Pamela’s lessons and their outcomes are tailored to the specific needs of each client.

In my own experience, I was most impressed by how aberrant my posture had become after suffering a sacral fracture at S-2 across my innominate. The compensatory postures necessary to handle the initial pain and healing process resulted in a variety of sequelae. Pamela’s lessons resulted in renewed lower extremity and trunk function. Muscles that had been in spasm since the accident (e.g., quadriceps) returned to normal tone. Muscles that hadn’t worked properly became activated and continue to engage naturally a couple years later.

I highly recommend Pamela as someone who might supplement the care you provide to your patients.

I wanted to thank you for all the great posture and running advice that you have given me so far. I think they have really helped me to stay healthy and run fast this spring…. I actually ran 16 seconds faster.

Had a crisis earlier this week. Could hardly put my socks on, the day before leaving to ski in Utah with [my son]….thanks to Pamela Rief showing me how to fix my back in 4 steps that took under 20 minutes the evening before my departure, was able to carry all my gear and luggage early the next AM, sit comfortably on the flights, and ski 4 full days loose as a goose on loose powder.

Yesterday I was with friends and we talked about you and your work. They said I was not stooping over, but standing much straighter. Thanks you, Pamela. You are a wonder.

I wanted to write a brief note to thank you for your work with our son. It's impressive to me what you have been able to accomplish with his understanding, awareness, posture and movement over the course of a handful of sessions. You seem to have synthesized a great deal of anatomic and physiologic background into some very targeted and effective interventions. Your suggestions and corrections are easy to understand and implement. I also like the way you communicate your respect and enthusiasm to our son – your positive approach has kept him motivated.

Grateful to Pamela and her expertise!...I am getting used to my "new body"…my voice sounds deeper and more peaceful and more beautiful. My diaphragm feels "open" and moving with ease. Thank you, Thank you, thank you!!!

Several years ago she saw a patient [of mine] who had been struggling with worsening circulation of her legs. This downward trend had been documented by ultrasound over 3-5 years. Her circulation is now normal, documented by the same ultrasound technique, and has maintained 3 years later!!!

I was recovering from one of my many surgeries and also thinking about my knee injury. Somehow when I came across Pamela and I looked through her website, it was just an instinct that I should work with her. I am so so glad I did…We talked briefly about my concerns...recurrent right sided sports injuries, my hunched over posture and biomechanics (that only got worse after mastectomy)....

After a few Skype sessions and finally getting to meet her face to face this weekend, the changes have been amazing! We have been working on how to position my pelvis during everyday life and working out, how to reposition my ribs and slowly working on my shoulders! It has been amazing and truly life changing! It was amazing working with you today Pamela! 

It has helped my day to day activities! I haven’t had knee pain for months even as I add more weight to my lifts! I haven’t had back or hip pain! 

If you have been concerned or wondered if you are biomechanically doing things correctly, If you are a doctor or someone that sits for hours and want to improve your posture, if you are a powerlifter or an athlete and want to stay injury free, she can help, if you had recent surgery or mastectomy this is life changing! There are correct ways to lift, walk, and just live life, and she can help!

“Pamela helped me immensely with pain in my back, hips, feet/ankles etc. that I've struggled with for years. I noticed almost immediate relief with my lower back pain. I'm very optimistic that Pamela will be able to offer you some very valuable guidance.” 

Pamela has an intuitive feel for what a body needs.  She is the real deal.  She really cares and has the will to help others overcome their hurdles.I work in a medical office. A physician in my office (he didn't know I was working with Pamela) noticed that my knee was tracking properly for the first time after 14 years of knee pain and swelling. That is how he learned of Pamela's work and began sending many patients to her too. Aside from my knee getting realigned, new muscles started working from my feet to my pelvic floor.

With Pamela’s help, I feel like I’ve learned so many lessons that will stay with me forever. I had always thought that my hunched shoulders were genetic, but Pamela made me see that the way I sit and hold myself, right down to my foot placement, was contributing to this rounded shape. Even after the first lesson, I already felt more lifted, more integrated and more at ease.

When Pamela showed me, with photos, how I had been holding myself, I was able to see so clearly why my whole body felt tense all the time. Pamela showing me how to sit and move in a way that respects the spine and its shape. She explained how natural breathing is soft and low and how that aids in lowering my rib cage, which juts out from years of incorrect posture.

She has a talent for communicating concepts and will not stop until the client has fully understood. On top of all of that, she has a fantastic personality and imparts such a sense of optimism and confidence in her clients that is empowering and effective.

And if that wasn’t enough, she has texted me just to remind me of a few lessons for the office, home, and my yoga mat. She really cares deeply about the people she works with, and we can feel that.

I first experienced Pamela’s work when I badly hurt my back and my usual treatments didn’t work. I could hardly sit, stand, or walk; it was so painful that I could only lie down on my back. I felt a relief from the pain during and after our first session, able to stand, walk, and sit again about 20 minutes into the session.

Being treated by Pamela not only helped me get rid of my pain but also taught me how to prevent future body aches. Pamela re-aligned my lower back by teaching me to be aware of the basic movements of my body, and how to well-align it in various common activities.

As a therapist who works with the body myself, I was amazed at what Pamela had taught me. My body still remembers how to use my spine and pelvis to prevent injuries.

It was a great gift to be treated by Pamela and to learn from her.

I've been astonished at [Pamela's] abilities to figure out an individual's underlying habits...which cause a wide variety of physical problems. She has a remarkable ability to work with people of all ages to affect long-lasting change in their functional status (e.g., improved balance, pelvic floor rehabilitation), reduced pain levels, and safety from injury in activity.

The other main change I have noticed is that I can now feel when my lower back and torso slip out of 'neutral spine'  

I have had chronic heel pain called plantar fasciitis. I had two (absolutely horrible) bouts of this condition, each time lasting over one year. I went to an orthopedist and a podiatrist. I had cortisone shots for it, used a cane, and finally the doctor had to cast my leg for six weeks to get it to go away. Since working with you I haven't had an episode of it [plantar fasciitis].

The pain in my backside was very severe and it woke me up regularly. My pain started at least four years ago when I fell hard on the floor on my rear end....I've consulted a gynecologist, two orthopedists, and a proctologist. No one helped me, but they did rule out cancer. Thanks to you teaching me how to sit, lie down, and what to sit and sleep on, the pain rarely comes.

Tendonitis-I had this also for years! Before working with you, my chronic tendonitis basically hurt almost all the time. I did consult an orthopedist for this tendonitis (before my hip stress fracture)....He did not tell me how to get rid of it. He gave me a cortisone shot. With your lessons, it took (probably) just a few weeks to go away, so I just don't have this annoying, painful and embarrassing (because it often caused a slight limp) chronic tendonitis at all anymore.

I can balance on one leg at a time for a minute or two. I couldn't do this before I worked with you.…I had much, much more trouble balancing before working with you. Many thanks. Balance is so important to prevent falling as you get older.  ”  

5.5 years later (in her late 70s):

“Whenever I walk well down and up stairs, I think of you.   I thank you many times each week. My balance is good- also thanks to you. I am pain free.  And my stress incontinence is much improved. You improved my life very much….

I go to Jazzercise 3-5 times a week and love it.

Pamela showed me how to be aware of my body and break habits that would affect me negatively. She considered all aspects of my personal activities and encouraged healthy and effortless posture in my daily life. I am more mindful of my movement and feel the difference her guidance has done for my body. For example, long-term knee pain went away in the first week of lessons and it hasn’t returned. I not only feel more confident in my posture, but I am able to maintain my correct posture comfortably. Before my lessons with Pamela, I was constantly seeking comfort, but it eluded me.

I came to Pamela after two years of suffering through increasing levels of hip pain caused in large part by a two-decade career as an elite level gymnast. Like many gymnasts’ careers, mine was plagued by sports injuries….

Before working with Pamela, I had seemingly tried everything short of labral repair surgery – multiple sports doctors, painkillers, physical therapy, massage, acupuncture and various kinds of Eastern medicine. All of these were treatments for the pain but not the root cause. After the first session with Pamela I didn’t have a whole lot of pain – a real difference. Through Pamela, I have spent the last four months focusing on learning techniques to protecting the hip joint for the long term ….My massage therapist has been astonished by the improvement in my psoas and other patterns of tightness and dysfunction: 'A night and day difference…'

The decrease in the pain levels has been dramatic. I now feel that, through these non-invasive techniques, I have the tools I need to live without the constant pain and discomfort of this injury or fear of new injuries, and I can continue to live a sports-filled, active life for years to come. Thanks Pamela!

The work Pamela did with me was life-changing.  Before I started working with Pamela, I had gone to numerous doctors and physical therapists to deal with my hip and lower back pain.  None of them was able to get me back to the lifestyle I wanted (i.e. working out regularly and running marathons.)  After 1 week of lessons, my hip pain improved significantly. After 3 weeks, my lower back pain and radiating pain into my leg disappeared.  Pamela's patience, dedication and immense reservoir of knowledge have completely transformed my posture and my gait.  She was extremely attentive and…she paid a lot of attention to the verbal cues she used to ensure they resonated with me.  As a result, I was able to complete two full marathons and numerous half marathons since I started working with her.  I cannot recommend Pamela more highly enough!

[Over a year later, during the last trimester of pregnancy]...it occurred to me that as much as my big belly is making me feel uncomfortable, my back and hips have been feeling decent, probably the result of better posture thanks to you [Pamela].

Pamela is a sensitive teacher, with a quick grasp of a student's structural weaknesses.  With this ability Pam is able to personalize her teaching instead of applying a 'one size fits all' formula. It empowers students to heal themselves with clear guidelines that are specific to their needs.

Pamela is an amazing resource bringing incredible knowledge of the human body and her personal experience healing the human body using proper body mechanics “...I came to her unable to stand or walk or even lie in bed without pain in my hips and legs, and after 5 sessions, I stand and walk pain free, and am working towards normal walking and beyond.” Pamela also consults with my doctor about my case to help make his treatment most effective for me.

There’s no question that I’m walking with great ease…I have none of the same problems. It’s easy for me to get out of a chair and even a low sofa. I used to begin any social gathering by scanning the room to figure out which chair I could get out of before sitting down….And it’s certainly helped with getting off the toilet, even my daughter-in-law’s low toilet. Everyone I know my age can’t get up out of a toilet seat without handrails, that is, except me since working with you!

Pamela teaches postural approaches with a clear, no nonsense approach. She models the behaviors, then trains the person, and shows a lot of knowledge of body dynamics and physiology. I was impressed with her abilities to teach me, as I've studied similar approaches…, and didn't find them as helpful. I'd highly recommend Pamela, especially if you are having back pain. Since I worked with her, I've found myself using her guidelines to sit and move with less strain on my body.

My sessions with Pamela improved my posture and body awareness during walking, running, and cycling, and helped resolve a nagging pain in my neck. Her technique is based on sound biomechanics principles and can complement work with physical therapists and athletic trainers. I would recommend her to any one interested in optimizing their performance.