Erika Waly Bourne, RN, CMTPT - Erika has owned and operated Myofascial Pain Treatment Center in the Metrowest Boston area for over twenty five years. She is a Registered Nurse and is a Board Certified Myofascial Trigger Point Therapist. After completing the two year training at the Bonnie Prudden School/Academy of Myotherapy and Physical Fitness in Lenox, MA, she moved to Waltham, MA and started her practice in 1986.
Erika is certified in Dry Needling by the Travell Seminar Seriestmand certified with the American Academy of Pain Management. She was the president of the National Association of Myofascial Trigger Point Therapists from 2007-2011, and is a member of the International MyoPain Society, the American Society of Pain Management Nursing, the American Academy of Pain Management, the International Pelvic Pain Society and the Society of Urological Nurses and Associates.
My Story
Lemons into Lemonade
I have a lifelong relationship with pain. In the 1970s, when I was 11 years old I began having a deep aching pain in my neck and upper shoulders. It started only on the right side but over time the left side started to hurt too. Many mornings when I woke up my neck hurt so badly that I had to stay home from school.
In addition to physical pain, I suffered the pain of not knowing why my neck and shoulders hurt so much. My mother and I desperately made the rounds of all the top doctors in New York City, where I grew up. A battery of x-rays and other tests showed that my spine was aligned and ruled out any blatant physical problems. For lack of a clear-cut diagnosis, doctors began telling me that “too much stress” was the cause of my pain. I was given numerous medication prescriptions such as anti-inflammatory muscle relaxants and pain killers. They either didn’t work or the side effects (stomach upset and feeling groggy) were not worth the small amount of relief they gave me. I still had no real diagnosis or treatment plan. I tried physical therapy, chiropractic and even acupuncture and biofeedback treatments.
I tried more doctors, medications and injections. Still, I lived with pain, often severe, every day for nine years. I remember lying in bed at night and imagining that a surgeon could just “cut out” the painful areas (by the way, this is not an effective treatment).
Relief At Last
Fortunately for me, my grandmother had insomnia. One sleepless night she was listening to the radio and heard Bonnie Prudden talk about her new book Myotherapy: Pain Erasure (this book later became a NY Times Bestseller). Bonnie Prudden was a television fitness guru of the 1950’s and 1960’s. My grandmother bought me the book, and I read it eagerly. I realized almost immediately that Bonnie Prudden was talking about my pain and me. The focus of her book was myofascial trigger points, which are small irritable spots or “knots” in the muscles that cause pain. Trigger points are also known as “pressure points”.
I tried some of the self help-techniques described. I got enough relief that I found a professional trigger point therapist and went for my first treatment. I'll never forget that first appointment. After nine long years of living with pain I was afraid that, yet again, I would I be disappointed. Should I get my hopes up or should I guard myself against the letdown I was used to? I lay down on the treatment table and for an hour the therapist found spot after spot (trigger points) that when pressed replicated my pain. This therapist understood my pain, knew what caused it and knew how to get rid of it. Wow!
In November of 1983, at the age of 20, I walked out of that treatment with no pain for the first time in nine years. After two more treatments I knew that trigger point therapy was the key to the relief of my pain. I was so inspired that I wanted to become a trigger point therapist myself. Within the year I had entered a training program and became a myofascial trigger point therapist. Now I have the satisfaction of helping people get out of pain.
That's my lemonade.
Erika Waly Bourne
Curriculum Vitae
Work Experience:
• 1986- 2010 Myofascial Pain Treatment Center, own and operate
• Current President, National Association of Myofascial Trigger Point Therapists: 2007-2011
Education:
• Bronx High School of Science, New York, New York
• Hampshire College, Amherst, Massachusetts
• Bonnie Prudden School/Academy for Myotherapy and Physical Fitness, Lenox, Massachusetts
• Massachusetts Bay Community College –Degree in nursing.
Phi Theta Kappa Society, Wellesley, Massachusetts
Certifications:
• Board Certified in Dry Needling and Manual Trigger Point Therapy - Janet G. Travell, MD Seminar Series
• Board Certified Myofascial Trigger Point Therapist - CBMTPT
• Certified Clinical Affiliate - American Academy of Pain Management
• Certified Physical Fitness Instructor- Academy of Myotherapy and Physical Fitness
• Certified Trigger Point Myotherapist -Academy of Myotherapy and Physical Fitness
Continuing Education:
• Myopain Seminars: Robert Gerwin, MD and Jan Dommerhalt , PT
• Training with Janet Travell, MD
and David Simons, MD in Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction
at Palm Spring Seminars 1987, 1988 and Janet Travell, MD in Plymouth, MA 1989
• Fundamentals of Peripheral Biofeedback: Didactic Training Program at Cambridge Health Alliance affiliated with Harvard Medical School - preparation for BCIA certification
• Hollis Herman, PT female and male pelvic pain and incontinence training
• Barbara Woolner, RN pelvic muscle dysfunction and urinary incontinence – Biofeedback Foundation of Europe
• Intensive Human Dissection Workshop with Somanautics - Gil Headley, PhD
• Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Rehabilitation: Harvard Medical School
• International Conference on Neuropathic and Musculoskeletal Pain
• Clinical Management of Enignatic Pain at the Cranio-facial Pain Center
Additional courses with:
Judith Delaney, NMT (Neuromuscular Therapy)
Eric Peper, PhD (Biofeedback and Computer Ergonomics)
Upledger Institute (Craniosacral Therapy)
John Barnes Myofascial Release (Myofascial Release)
Tom Myers, Rolfer (Anatomy Trains Structural Integration)
Craig Liebenson, DC
Hal Blatman, MD (Myofascial Pain and Ergonomics)
Professional Memberships:
• National Association of Myofascial Trigger Point Therapists
• International Myopain Society
• American Academy of Pain Management
• Association of Bodywork and Massage Professionals
• Society of Urological Nurses and Associates
• International Pelvic Pain Society
• American Association of Pain Management Nurses
