Troy Stallman's abilities and talents in the field of physical health and bio mechanics are a rarity. It is hard to find people in our modern world who think so holistically about bodies. People who care about the big picture, and not just the isolated symptoms, are a true treasure. Troy is the most attentive, caring, and skilled body worker I have ever witnessed. My trust in his skills and ideas can best be shown by the fact that almost every person I know has heard his name from me for either their own, or a friend's, body/pain issue. Besides being an amazing healer, Troy also thinks ahead and designs exercises for future upkeep. He helps people build upon their new-found muscle health and prevent the recurrence of pain. In the tradition of all great healers, he loves teaching people ways to grow and be more connected to their bodies. I have learned so much from him, in all areas of health. Because he is constantly bettering himself, there is always new knowledge to be shared with his clients and patients. He is an amazing trainer as well, knowing both how to be creative and engaging, without the risk of hurting eager amateurs (like me), as well as training the highest level of professional athletes. My full appreciation of him cannot be put into words, but suffice it to say i recommend his work to anyone and everyone.

                    Sincerely,
                    Regina Spektor
                    Singer/ Songwriter/ Pianist

      When I began working with Troy, I had no idea how quickly and effectively I would achieve relief from the chronic back pain of a previous lumbo-sacral disc injury. The pain from the injury was so severe that I was contemplating a second operation. After only three sessions with Troy I had dramatic improvements in my back. Troy’s emphasis on strengthening the key core musculature needed to effectively heal the old injury, stabilize the area, and prevent recurrence did what my previous, traditional therapy could not. Before long, I found myself doing training exercises that my injury had prevented me from doing for years, and am now 95% free of the pain that I had.  Troy is both skillful and intuitive in his approach. He has the ability to quickly and accurately identify weak muscle groups and stimulate recovery through both MAT and directed core training exercises. I have continued to work with Troy because the results are undeniable. I have total confidence in Troy’s ability because of my experience with him and I am equally confident that he can help others achieve similar results.

                    Mark Clark, M.D.
                    Associate Progam Director, Emergency Medicine Residency Program
                    St. Luke’s/Roosevelt Hospital Center
                    Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine
                    Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons

 

 

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     I began working with Troy a year ago. I had already been working to address my neck and shoulder pain for 3 years. I had tried just about every approach out there that eastern and western medicine had to offer -  physical therapy, yoga, pilates, medication, meditation, chiropractic, massage of all types, accupuncture, exercise, rest, heat, ice, supplements, healers...As a practicing psychoanalyst for 20 years I was also acutely aware of the emotional/psychological aspect of the pain...not to mention the fact that my livelihood depended on my ability to sit and focus for several hours at a time. Knowing my trouble was probably a combination of scoliosis and stress, went so far as to take a six week sabbatical to determine how much my lifestyle was contributing to the pain.
It helped a little, but then again, EVERYTHING helped a LITTLE.

     I got into a vicious cycle of frustration, anger and pain that started to dominate my life. I felt betrayed and confused by my body and unable to get relief through anything I tried--physical, emotional or spiritual.

     Luckily a well-known physiatrist I consulted heard all the things I had tried and referred me straight to Troy Stallman. He said he usually required that people try physical therapy first but I think he knew I had had it.

     I could tell right up front that Troy was a consummate clinician. His careful, thorough, confident yet humble approach to diagnostics was comforting and refreshing.  Troy is an independent thinker who has immersed himself in his study of the body, developed his expertise to the point that he can apply the science as well as the art required to treat each case in a responsive and individual way. Almost like a psychoanalyst of the body, he works through physical armouring the body has developed to try and protect the core weakness or injury. In order to heal, you first have to understand what is wrong and then GENTLY and SYSTEMATICALLY provide the support and treatment to allow the original source of pain/injury to resolve (you have to know what something is in order to change it).

     As with any comprehensive treatment of a complex problem, the process required commitment, trust, and dedication on my part. I never felt like he was asking me to do anything unreasonable and his steady support and realistic goal setting helped me through the plateaus of healing when I got scared or frustrated.
Best of all, Troy taught me basic yet essential things about the workings of my body so that I could understand and begin to trust myself again. The pain has diminished considerably and is often absent all together. I no longer panic and make it worse if I have a minor setback and can even use the tools I've learned to alleviate it.

     I recently had an abdominal surgery for an unrelated issue to the neck and shoulder pain and I would even go so far as to say that my overall fitness level significantly influenced the speed of my recovery. The increased strength and balance in my legs, upper body and core allowed more stability and took stress off of my abdominals. I was able to walk and drive much sooner than expected due to my overall strength. P.S. I have also never looked as fit as I do now so that has been an added bonus.

             Elizabeth Fagan
             Psychotherapist, Private Practice, Manhattan NY (22 years)
             Faculty at Manhattan Institute for Psychoanalysis
             Field Advisor at Columbia University

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     My life has changed drastically since a year ago when I met Troy Stallman. For 2 1/2 years I suffered from shoulder pain, severe neck inflammation and had little mobility to these muscles. I had tried many diverse treatments to deal with my ailments. They included a kinesiologist chiropractor who helped me deal with my pain but it was a temporary fix that I needed weekly. I went to a rotator cuff specialist who sent me to a rehab therapist to strengthen my shoulder and neck muscles. I still had pain. Next, I tried going to a rolpher that told me he could help. That did not work. At my worst point I needed an MRI that showed I had an herniated disc in my neck. I resorted to muscle relaxors and anti-inflammatories that were prescribed by a doctor.

     At that point a friend introduced me to Troy and told me that that this person would be able to help me. Troy explained that he uses a technique called muscle activation therapy that activates the muscles that are weak.

     After only a few sessions I was substantially better. I listened to everything that Troy said I should do to get the best results that I could get. As a part o Troy’s rehabilitation program Troy introduced me to fitness training to progressively build up my neck and shoulder muscles and to get a complete core workout. I am a different person today due to the strength that Troy has given me. I am able to try things that I was never able to do. Today I surf, swim, power walk, dance, weight train and do core stability workouts. I love my routine and thank Troy constantly for my health and fitness.

                    Nellie Haddad
                    Mother of 4 and Housewife

 

 
     Troy Stallman and MAT gave me my life back.

     I have Chronic Myofasicial Pain, also know as trigger points.  For those of you who do not know what this is, think of having painful “knots” in your muscles all the time.  The pain from these “knots” can be excruciating.  Often it felt like I had a kitchen knife stuck in my back.  I became a couch potato because just moving around was very painful.  As anyone who has chronic pain knows, you are not the most pleasant person to be around.

     I went to a lot of doctors – neurologists, orthopedists, sports medicine specialists.  None of them could help me – no one knows exactly why it happens and there is no cure.  I ended up being treated for my symptoms by a pain specialist with narcotics, neuropathic pain medications, muscle relaxants, and anti-depressants.  This gave me limited pain relief, at the cost of putting on 50 pounds.
Then I found Troy and MAT.  While the treatment can be uncomfortable (sometimes that is a real understatement), it has provided the only real relief I have found from my condition.  I am now mostly pain free, and what pain I have is manageable.  I lost the 50 pounds, have returned to the gym for the first time in years, and am active with my daughters and wife. 

     Troy and MAT brought me out of a very bad place.  To anyone who has any kind of pain or muscular condition, I urge you to find a MAT practitioner.  For those of you in the New York City area, you can do no better than Troy Stallman.

                    Jerome L. Hanifin, Esq.
                    Counsel, Import/Export Compliance
                    Legal Department

 

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     After all those months of physical therapy twice a week, plus the two  cortisone shots, I was still having shoulder issues up through early October.  Nothing I was doing really seemed to alleviate the pain or, more importantly, lasted very long. My pilates instructor kept telling me about MAT and how she's had several clients who benefited from it tremendously after nothing else worked for their various isues (shoulders, knees, hips, etc), but I put off calling the guy she recommended for months.

     Once the PT ran out for the second time and my shoulder health seemed to be slipping backwards again, I called Troy Stallman and made an appointment. I saw him exactly three times and it's made the biggest difference - no more tightness and no more pain. Some of what he did  elt similar to the acupressure-like methods that were used during several of my PT sessions, only he went deeper (aka, it hurt more) and spent more time doing it. I've even started doing some of the pilates excercises that use the arms and shoulders that I wasn't able to do for the last several months without intense pain or numbness. So, I'm pretty much a believer now! 


                    Lisa Donegan
                    Community Manager
                    World Economic Forum