Irene Diamond is the founder and creator of
The Diamond Method®

AMT® originated as a result of breaking my neck when I was 15 years old. I needed to find relief from chronic pain, migraine, and restricted, tight muscles. 

My spinal cord injury was from a tragic fall while I was practicing a form of gymnastics called Acro-sports. I was standing on the shoulders of my (adult) partner, about to perform a somersault into what's called a 'fish' position, caught in his arms.

Instead of a graceful flip, I fell from that 10-foot height, head-first, straight onto the gymnastics mat.

As I lay there unable to move, I could talk and breathe, but had no sensation in my fingers and toes, and control over my limbs. My acro-partner was a medical doctor (anesthesiologist) and immediately suspected I had suffered a spinal cord injury. His wife, a nurse, was there as well.

Luckily, no one moved me until the emergency team arrived. The medics did all the "right things” to prevent my injury from becoming a life-long paralysis. 

They rushed me to the hospital and diagnosed a compression fracture of my cervical spine at C-5 and C-6.

Although I was a quadriplegic, completely paralyzed, after 2 months in the hospital in a halo traction flat on my back, I eventually had spinal surgery. Over the next few years, I went on to regain my ability to use my arms and legs, walk, and move again. Although there was residual nerve damage, muscle weakness, and I was in chronic pain... I was lucky to be mobile. 

Fortunately, I was able to finish high school as I rehabbed myself and then earn my degree in Therapeutic Recreation with Dance. (I used myself and my clients as the first “guinea pigs” to develop the AMT approach and saw first-hand the effects it had to support clients diagnosed with various musculoskeletal conditions, symptoms and simply a desire to move and play more easily.)

My private practice began in 1988 in San Francisco, California, and I went on to establish the multi-practitioner, Diamond Pain Relief & Wellness Center in 1995 where we're still located today.

Over the years, I fine-tuned Active Myofascial Therapy (now called Active Modulation Therapy®)  into a recognized 7-step protocol and therapy approach that I use in practice and teach to other therapists and healthcare professionals. I'm honored that other providers and clinics in cities across the globe now provide their clients and patients with both Diamond Active Massage and Active Modulation Therapy so more people can experience long-lasting, powerful results and benefits.

(More details of the science behind Active Modulation Therapy® can be found here)

Originally my goal was to use dance and movement as therapy for kids. I knew how empowering movement was for me and wanted to help other children and teens have fun and move their bodies, even if they were limited. 

Now, my focus is helping all people live more full, functional lives, through exercise and movement,  manual therapy, 'positional awareness,' and neuro-retraining.

I'm grateful to be recognized as an industry leader for my pioneering work in the health and wellness profession. I was inducted into the Massage World Hall of Fame in August 2013, aboard the Queen Mary ocean liner in Long Beach, California. The physical therapy, personal fitness, massage, and chiropractic professions invite me to consult and teach on both clinical and business strategy, and I have classes approved for Continuing Education.

Between supporting clinic owners and therapists through both Diamond Active Massage® and Active Modulation Therapy® and helping them design their dream practice, it still thrills me to continue practicing, providing Active Modulation Therapy to a few hand-selected patients each month in San Francisco, California, and via video visits internationally.

Patients and therapists deserve to enjoy higher quality lives!

Reach out and request a complimentary consultation to see if Active Modulation Therapy® is a good fit for you.