Seen At 11: New Method Helps 'Melt' Away Pain, Other Health Conditions

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – For many of us, aches and pains are an unpleasant part of everyday life.

But now, as CBS2's Dr. Max Gomez reported, gentle movements may be all you need to get rid of them for good, with a technique that helps to roll away the pain.

A class for the "melt method" may look like your average workout class is actually much more. The class helps treat pain, insomnia and other conditions.

"I literally live in a pain-free way," one class participant said.

"It keeps me so alive and moving the youthful and I'm 68," another said.

Movements are small, require little physical exertion and use only a few pieces of equipment.

"We use soft rollers and soft balls to rejuvenate and juice up the tissue," melt method creator Sue Hitzmann said.

The tissue that Hitzmann is talking about is the connective tissue between joints.

"It's what gives your joints shock absorption, it keeps your organs tucked back in your belly, it keeps your skin lifted," Hitzmann said.

Here's how it works: specific areas are targeted using a ball or roller with subtle but distinct movements. The movements help connective tissue to be rehydrated, allowing fluids to get into joints and relieve chronic pain.

Pain Specialist Dr. Houman Danesh says keeping joints healthy is key to pain relief and good health.

"A lot of the points that she's using to overlap with acupuncture points and also trigger points," Dr. Danesh said.

Often, the focus in a gym is on getting bigger and stronger. Experts agree regularly targeting key spots with gentle pressure can be just as important both at preventing injury and getting rid of pain.

"It's a modality being adopted by physical therapists to stretch patients along connective tissue lines," Dr. Danesh said.

"It feels good when you do it, it feels great when you're done, so it keeps people doing it and it keeps people coming back time and again," Hitzmann said.

Just like any exercise or therapy program, doing it regularly is always the key to success.

However, if you're dealing with chronic pain or any other medical condition, make sure you consult your doctor before starting any new therapy or exercise program.

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