Celebrating the life and legacy of Erik Dalton, PhD

We at Chiropractic Economics join the massage, bodywork and manual therapy community in expressing our deepest condolences to the family of Erik Dalton, PhD, who passed away January 11 at his home in Santiago, Costa Rica, according to a LinkedIn update posted by his daughter, Adrienne Kesinger, on January 13. He was 81.

“I will miss him greatly, but I know he passed away in a place that he loved and made beautiful memories with my mom,” Kesinger wrote.

“As my dad intended, I am stepping into the leadership role at the Freedom from Pain Institute and Dalton Myoskeletal. The Dalton Myoskeletal team and Dad’s MAT educators will continue to share his work in the future. I know my dad has touched many of your lives with his work. Please share your memories and thoughts as we celebrate his remarkable life.”

Dalton, founder of the Freedom from Pain Institute and the developer of Myoskeletal Alignment Techniques, was a favorite contributor of MASSAGE Magazine readers; his most recent articles for that publication include “The Alligator Sway: Undulation Restores Myoskeletal Flexibility,” and “Myoskeletal Techniques for Hip and Back Pain.”

In 2018 he was inducted into MASSAGE Magazine All-Stars, a program recognizing innovative practitioners and educators in the field. In connection with the honor, MASSAGE guest interviewer Eric Brown, a popular industry podcaster, interviewed Dalton about the evolution of his work.

Diane Matkowski of the Massage Mentor Institute also interviewed Dalton for MASSAGE Magazine in 2022.

Development of Dalton’s signature techniques

Dalton, who earned philosophy and clinical psychology degrees from the University of Oklahoma, began intensively studying bodywork after attending a 1972 seminar conducted by Ida Rolf; he became a Certified Rolfer in 1980 and continued his bodywork studies with Philip Greenman at Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine. His passion for blending mind and body therapies led him to develop Myoskeletal Alignment Techniques (MAT), an integrative approach designed to address chronic pain by combining elements of massage therapy, Rolfing and manipulative osteopathy.

Contributions to massage therapy education

Dalton has been a successful bodywork educator for more than 30 years. One of his most popular continuing education workshops, Pain Relief in Paradise, took place annually in Costa Rica and combined education with activities and local cultural experiences; the 25th installment of the sold-out seminar series wrapped up on December 7.

Dalton began educating bodywork practitioners in 1998, when after the successful launch of his MAT home study course, he established the Freedom From Pain Institute, a school committed to the research and treatment of chronic pain conditions. The institute offers bodywork therapists educational workshops, home study courses, books and videos; his YouTube channel features numerous instructional videos on pain relief techniques. He authored several bestselling textbooks and developed a comprehensive range of online continuing education courses, as well as a Master Myoskeletal Therapist advanced certification.

Dalton also developed the Advanced Myoskeletal Massage Therapy program offered at Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Indiana; it is the first massage therapy minor degree offered by a major US university. The Freedom from Pain Institute funds a scholarship for students pursuing that program of study.

The Chiropractic Economics team extends deepest sympathies to Erik Dalton’s loved ones. The massage and manual therapy communities will miss him but are encouraged by the fact that his family and team will carry on his work so it may continue to touch and change people’s lives.