Why You Have Pain & What Myofascia Has to Do With It

Presented by: Kathleen Keller

Original Lecture/ Publication Date: October 14, 2026 (Webinar Series)

Course Description:

What if some of the aches, stiffness and postural changes you’ve come to accept as part of dentistry don’t have to be? Myofascial educator Kat Keller introduces you to the fascinating interconnected system that runs from your tongue to your toes—and reveals why what happens in one part of your body can influence another. You’ll discover how three of the body’s major myofascial lines can become imbalanced by the postures and repetitive patterns of dental practice, and how restoring strength and length within these lines can help prevent and remediate practice-related pain. Along the way, you’ll experience some of these remarkable connections in your own body. It’s the kind of information that leaves dental professionals saying, “I wish I’d known this when I started practicing.

Learning Objectives:

• Illuminate the structure and function of the myofascial system and its role in posture, movement, and musculoskeletal health
  
• Identify daily habits of myofascial holding patterns that contribute to chronic tension - especially forward head posture, upper-body imbalances, and spinal stiffness
  
• Practice effective core engagement and pelvic alignment techniques that support functional movement and joint stability
  
• Evaluate common exercises and movement habits to avoid unintentionally causing long-term harm
  
• Discover fascia-focused techniques to re-hydrate connective tissue at a cellular level
  
• Explore how habitually gazing downward, coupled with repeated spinal flexion, dramatically increases overall spinal tension
  
• Learn why fascia-friendly movements support mobility and how full-body functional fitness maintains myofascial health

Participants will learn how to:

• Recognize how everyday dental postures and repetitive movement patterns can create myofascial holding patterns that contribute to tension, pain, and postural changes.
  
• Use simple vision-shifting techniques during the workday to help improve neck and spinal mobility and counter the effects of prolonged visual and postural habits.
  
• Identify the most effective types of exercise for creating the myofascial strength and length needed to support a healthier spine.

Speaker Bio:

Kathleen Keller is an internationally recognized educator, speaker, and master teacher with over 40 years of experience in therapeutic exercise and professional education. She helps health professionals move better, feel stronger, and stay in practice longer. A pioneer in Rehabilitative Pilates, Kathleen specializes in injury prevention, stress reduction, and sustainable movement strategies rooted in fascia-focused training and nervous system regulation.

Her programs blend evidence-based techniques from Pilates, Fascial Fitness, Self-Myofascial Release (SMR), and TRE® - Tension & Trauma Release Exercise. She has trained more than 3,000 health professionals and teachers across North America, Asia, and Europe. Kat collaborates with and continues to learn from top physiotherapists.

Known for her clarity, compassion, and engaging teaching style, she brings warmth and humor to every learning environment. As founder of Keller Method Vitality Inc., Kathleen teaches in person, virtually, and on-site. Her lectures and experiential workshops deliver practical tools to help resolve and prevent pain and release deeply held tension. Many professionals say they wish they'd learned these techniques years earlier.

From 2002 to 2007, Kathleen led the first international Pilates certification programs in Malaysia and Indonesia - regions where Pilates was virtually unknown. She mentored local apprentices who went on to open studios and train others. While navigating intense political and cultural pressures, she endured multiple traumas and chronic stress-related pain. The experience transformed her approach to teaching and trauma recovery - and remains the most meaningful achievement of her 40+ year career.