Foundations Blog #3

In the Foundations course we cover a wide swath of application and modalities to integrate a fundamental understanding of how the fascial form can be influenced.

Beginning with the Autonomic Nervous System which is the mediator of all soft-tissue change, we engage the body as a whole system.

What does this mean? If I borrow from Micheal Shea in Myofascial Release Therapy, we take a ‘holistic’ view with holistic skills.

“Myofascial release is usually taught as a positioning technique or stroke intent. As a technique or intention, its primary focus is the soft tissues of the body, especially the fascia. The approaches are either direct techniques, such as Rolfing developed by Dr. Ida Rolf, or indirect techniques, such as muscle energy and strain/counter-strain (Greenman, 1989). When joint biomechanical rules, called arthrokinematics, are integrated into the treatment, the treatment is a myofascial manipulation. The presenting symptoms of the client, the physician’s orders, and the evaluation skills of the therapists are combined to determine the techniques used. The continuity of treatment methods and strategies depends upon feedback from the client, clinical observations about the client’s physical and emotional demeanor, and the subjective experience of the therapist. Although presenting symptoms and physician’s orders are key factors, the background and training of the therapist influences the decision to use direct or indirect techniques.”

Holistic skills require the practitioner to take some time to listen to your clients story, both the verbal and non verbal information.

“Failure to listen carefully and sensitively leads a therapist to make judgments that are academic and lack subjective understanding of the unique story each client brings to the treatment room. A client’s body can inform the therapist about many things that can only be found out by listening to the client’s words (Maitland, 1986). Listening at this depth requires a therapist to commit time to the process and to offer belief to even the most subtle remarks. Every word and body movement has purpose as clients unfold their story for the willing therapist.”

“Listening at this depth requires a therapist to suspend judgment until the story is told. Leaping prematurely to the end with a quick fix negates the client’s uniqueness. What is very real for the client may be completely irrelevant for the therapist unless the therapist shifts perception.”

Shea Ph.D., Michael J.. Myofascial Release Therapy: A Visual Guide to Clinical Applications (p. 5). (Function). Kindle Edition.

Holistic or whole-body approach is utilized in all aspects of the session. From being open to the myriad of possibilities of why the client is in pain, to understanding if it is soft-tissue based? To the selection of techniques whether direct or indirect.

Also the understanding that the entire system is inter-related. Thus relationships, patterns that you discern are relational.

That is why I’ve continued, although dated, the myofascial line perspective in the Foundation course, because it allows the practitioner to look at the various soft-tissue components of the line and understand that they are relational. Therefore when one tissue does not change or yield the desired results, you have other structures to explore and connect relationally.

Our application of technique is considered depending on the soft-tissue we wish to influence.

The ubiquitousness of the fascial form allows for a global approach. Wiithin the abundant connectiveness of the form, is all the other soft-tissue and bone. Some anatomists now believe bone to be connective tissue. It certainly can be influenced by the manual therapist.

An evidence based perspective would have you believe that all you can touch is the skin. And that is true in and of itself. However, with the study of anatomy we can place an ‘intentional’ construct to effect tissue we ‘believe’ we can palpate and influence.

This soft-tissue pretty much includes all tissue; muscle, tendon, ligament, joint, connective tissue transverse planes, vascular neural and lymphatic tissue.

And with application of technique, this is one of the areas we have control of. The variations of applied technique is what Burman And Friedland referred to as ‘Touch Abilities’.

If as Micheal Shea states, all soft-tissue release is predicated on the discharge of the autonomic nervous system, then the receptor response to our intelligent application of touch is what facilitates any change, or no change.

What variables we control, are the initial contact of touch to the skin, the amount of force used to increase depth into the surface of skin to penetrate below the surface. The direction of that touch, the speed in which we apply this touch, and then the duration or amount of time we remain wither static or in motion to then evaluate what this touch has influenced.

This is just a small snippet of the instruction in my Foundations course.