This is where courage, experience, and listening (with my hands) come into play and prove valuable -sometimes beyond medicine.

I began, like always, by touching and assessing the fluidity of the body or lack of it. Keeping mindful of the symptoms, but knowing they were simply the background of something closer, something more tangible. You see, the body will always express an imbalance on any level (physical, mental, emotional, etc.) as a symptom or a group of symptoms in the muscles and soft tissue. Why? Because symptoms are simply a pysical articulation o fsome inner imbalance. In my limited experience of 13 years, it is more frequent than not that symptoms stem from a structural imbalance(s) than from a viral or bacterial illness. It is sad that the treatment of such things isn’t referred more to people who do the type of work I do.

I didn’t touch the head or neck that session, even though at the end of the session those areas remained in pain. What I did do was go to where the body and my hands felt the most structural restrictions. Which happened to be the sacrum and low back, but my hands could tell this wasn’t simple. I worked right along the spine, in deep joint crevices of the sacro-illium, and around the mid-back where both head/neck and shoulders were not feeling connected to the lower spine and pelvis. In about 30 min I can tell by tissue changes whether or not I can help a person. Things were progressing well so I knew I needed to trust the work, my hands, and the healing potential of the body. By the end of the session movement was flowing as I rocked the hips I could see and feel movement through the spine move all the way up to the head. The ribcage was soft again, breathing more complete. I had to trust my clinical experience (backed that up with hundreds of years of knowledge passed from bodyworker to bodyworker through the ages) that the spine reflects itself vertebrae to vertebrae, the top most reflecting the bottom most, the base of the skull reflecting the sacrum – I left him in expert care.

I went for a second session the next day. I went with an open mind but I admit I was slightly haunted with thoughts that I would have to do direct work on the neck. So much was better, the symptoms were gone or at least very, very bearable. The suffering was gone from an observer’s view and that was expressed subjectively. When clients are suffering and tests fail to confirm than get  under the scrupulous knowledge of expert hands. Hands which know they are not perfect and will quickly and humbly bow out of any situation too much to bear.

I am thankful for my teachers, I am thankful for those who have the courage to take a different almost untrodden path, I do hope that people out there read this and come to structural bodyworkers like myself. If you aren’t in my area I will try my best to connect you with someone who maybe qualified closer to you. I was on the other side of the table years ago, this gave me my life back and I truly believe that others need this opportunity. Cutting people off from this type of work is oppression, it is selfish, it is insane.

December 2011
Massage Therapy May Improve Asthma Symptoms in Children

Massage therapy may improve lung function for children with asthma, according to a new study.

Numerous theories exist on how massage therapy may be beneficial, although there is limited research on the mechanism of action. There is promising preliminary evidence that suggests massage therapy may be beneficial to the lung function of children with asthma; however, data are not conclusive.

In a new study, 60 children with asthma were randomly assigned to receive 20 minutes of massage therapy from their parents at home for five weeks in addition to standard asthma care, or to a control group of only standard care. Several lung function tests, including spirometry, which measures the volume of air that can be inhaled or exhaled, forced expiratory flow in one second, which is the speed of air coming out of the lung, were performed on the first and last day of treatment.

The researchers found that at the end of the study, forced expiratory flow was significantly higher for children in the massage therapy group when compared to the control group. There was also a significant improvement in the forced respiratory flow to forced vital capacity (volume of air that can be forced out after full inspiration) ratio. No significant improvements were found for other lung function tests, including the peak expiratory flow.

The authors concluded that massage therapy may improve lung function for children with asthma. However, further well-designed studies are necessary to confirm these findings.

For more information about integrative therapies for asthma, please visit Natural Standard’s Comparative Effectiveness Database.

To comment on this story, please visit Natural Standard’s blog.
References

Abdel Fattah M, Hamdy B. Pulmonary functions of children with asthma improve following massage therapy. J Altern Complement Med. 2011 Nov;17(11):1065-8. View Abstract
Natural Standard: The Authority on Integrative Medicine. www.naturalstandard.com

The information in this brief report is intended for informational purposes only, and is meant to help users better understand health concerns. This information should not be interpreted as specific medical advice. Users should consult with a qualified healthcare provider for specific questions regarding therapies, diagnosis and/or health conditions, prior to making therapeutic decisions. Copyright © 2012 Natural Standard Inc. Commercial distribution or reproduction prohibited.

What I want to see.
I want to see a better triage process for people seeking health care needs. I want to see an enlightenment and better understanding of alternative and complimentary therapies including diet/nutrition, exercise, etc. I want to see more accurate referrals. Better communication between practitioners and more accessible patient notes and history of treatments and medicines used in order to narrow the chances of prescribing mistakes. A more holistic consideration and application of the causes and root sources of disease. An integrated mind-body approach. Healthier practitioners. A slower pace of patient intake and historical inquiry. Openness to the possibility of how healing may occur. I want the erasure of viewing disease as something to combat and disassociate from to accepting it as a reality and using it as a catalyst to move forward in various human aspects. I want to see people grow and become empowered by their experience of illness, trauma, etc.

The following is a compilation of data gathered by the American Massage Therapy Association® (AMTA®) from U.S. government statistics, surveys of consumers and massage therapists and recent clinical studies on the efficacy of massage.

Who Gets Massage, Where and Why?

According to the 2010 AMTA consumer survey, an average of 18 percent of adult Americans received at least one massage between July 2009 and July 2010, and an average of 28 percent of adult Americans received a massage in the previous five years.6
In July 2010, 25 percent of women and 10 percent of men reported having a massage in the past twelve months.4
Spas are where most people continue to receive massage, with 24 percent of those surveyed in July 2009 saying they had their last massage at a spa.4

While the use of massage decreased in 2010, people still recognize it as an important element in overall health and wellness. 4

Twenty-nine (29) percent of adult Americans who had a massage between July 2009 and July 2010 received it for medical or health reasons.
Of those that have ever had a massage, fifty-four (54) percent say they’ve used massage therapy at least one time for pain relief.
Of the people who had at least one massage in the last five years, 31 percent reported they did so for health conditions such as pain management, injury rehabilitation, migraine control, or overall wellness.
Eighty-six (86) percent agree that massage can be effective in reducing pain.
Eighty-five (85) percent agree that massage can be beneficial to health and wellness.

Consumers are increasingly seeking massage for stress reduction and relaxation.

In July 2010, 40 percent of adult Americans said they had at least one massage in the last five years to reduce stress or relax—up from 22 percent reported in 2007.

Massage and Healthcare
Healthcare providers promoted the benefits of massage to their patients slightly less in 2010.

In July 2010, over thirty-nine million American adults (16 percent) had discussed massage therapy with their doctors or health care providers, compared to 18 percent in 2009.4
Of those 16 percent, 31 percent of their health care providers strongly recommended massage therapy, compared to 35 percent in 2009. While physicians led the way in recommending massage (50 percent vs. 55 percent in 2009), chiropractors (35 percent vs. 48 percent in 2009) and physical therapists (42 percent vs. 40 percent in 2008) also recommended massage therapy when their patients discussed it with them.4
Nearly three quarters of massage therapists (73 percent) indicate they receive referrals from health care professionals, averaging 1.5 referrals per month.

Massage therapists and consumers favor integration of massage into healthcare.

More than half of adult Americans (58 percent) would like to see their insurance cover massage therapy.4
The vast majority of massage therapists (96 percent) believe massage therapy should be considered part of the health care field.5

Massage Therapy Research

The therapeutic benefits of massage continue to be researched and studied. Recent research has shown the effectiveness of massage for the following conditions:

Cancer-related fatigue.11
Low back pain.12
Osteoarthritis of the knee.13
Reducing post-operative pain.14
Boosting the body’s immune system functioning.15
Decreasing the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome.16
Lowering blood pressure.17
Reducing headache frequency.18
Easing alcohol withdrawal symptoms.19
Decreasing pain in cancer patients.20

The American Massage Therapy Association® (AMTA®) is the largest non-profit, professional association serving more than 56,000 massage therapists, massage students and massage schools. The association is directed by volunteer leadership and fosters ongoing, direct member-involvement through its 51 chapters. AMTA works to advance the profession through ethics and standards, the promotion of fair and consistent licensing of massage therapists in all states, and public education on the benefits of massage.

To encourage overcoming “the box” MedicinEvolution sponsors the Tri-Valley Triathlon Club. Here’s the link: http://trivalleytriclub.com/sponsors

www.tremoraction.org/pdfs/DEC-2011.pdf

Here’s an article on Rolfing Structural Integration and asthma. www.mybodyworks.com/feature.html

For the most part, medical issues don’t appear randomly, they’re the result of a string of events.  When a client is telling me about an ailment or a symptom I take a step back and refocus, I broaden my attention.  Of course, my interest is in the symptom because it’s a sign, but I really want to know why it’s present, why the body has manifested it, what factors have caused it?  I want to understand the symptoms, signs, themes and processes that have been happening – especially those that have been happening for a long time.  I want to see and understand the probable factors, tendencies, and habitual patterns that have contributed to the problem.  I want to know who a person is mentally, physically, and emotionally.   Symptoms are nothing more than patterns, as Dr. Rolf insightfully said, “patterns that perpetuate themselves.”  By the time a pattern presents itself as a symptom the chronic stage has moved on to what’s called the acute (of the chronic) stage, at this point outside intervention is be appreciated.

Here are two cases treated successfully with unconventional medicine.

1.)  Case of asthma.  Client complains of having trouble with asthma for 25+ years.  Must keep inhaler nearby at all times.  Uses inhaler 3-6 times daily.  Upon further inquiry other (seemingly unrelated) symptoms were present: stress from work and family, allergies, digestive issues, feels better traveling, wheezing cough, feelings of loneliness, sleepless, runny nose, tired, takes longer than what’s expected to recover from colds and flus.  I put together a time line which showed the asthma began at about 5-6 years old – a time of serious family discord – a key causation. Conventional drugs helped to manage the asthma, but with time and without a holistic approach life patterns would become more deeply ingrained and symptoms would probably become worse and eventually more difficult to treat.
After one homeopathic remedy, most symptoms have subsided, very little need for inhaler for the first time in many many years, needs to travel less.

2.)   Back pain.  Client complains of having thrown out back after reaching up for a light object.  On structural analysis left leg appears longer, right hip higher, left shoulder higher, strong curves especially in lower cervical/upper thoracic region of spine indicate spinal instability (when viewed from client’s back side.  The back pain was at the area of spinal vertebrae C-6, C-7, T 1-3, where the spine seemed to have the greatest degree of curve.  The right side of the spine looked “shorter” on visual analysis.  In movement assessment I perceived that the client had little movement through the painful area, breath was also compromised here.  The acute pain seemed to be a culmination of years of structural imbalances and asymmetrical use. It’s no wonder why simply reaching up caused such severe pain.

A process of Structural Integration allowed deviated spinal patterns and major body segments to come to a better state of balance, the result – pain relief.

Dr. A.T. Still said, “Anyone can find disease, it is the job of the doctor to find health.”  To supplement homeopathic remedies and structural bodywork I give insight, understanding, and homework for the habit patterns that I perceive.  I believe that a client’s participation is the key to good health. Those who can unwind from the grind and schedule time throughout their day for themselves really progress.  Change is coming, medicine is evolving.