Treating the symptoms and not asking the question Why

I find it interesting how the way medicine is sometimes practiced in this part of the world.  As a broad generalization it still often focus on treating the symptoms of a problem without even considering the cause or trying to prevent further recurrences in the future.

As a typical example a patient who has unilateral nerve root impingement at C5/6 due to non traumatic aetiology will possibly opt to have an anterior stabilization/fusion procedure. The symptoms are resolved after and the surgery is declared a success. The underlying cause which is often poor posture, ergonomics and body awareness is never addressed so the problem then repeats itself at the level above. Now this may or may not be a slightly more challenging prospect to have to deal with. My experience has been that the “trauma” of the surgery often leaves the tissues in a slightly hypersensitive state so when the level above start playing up the resulting pain and inflammation is more difficult to reduce.

 

myofascial unwinding

The body is always striving for balance or homeostasis, it is trying to find its optimal state of being, given its immediate environment. Balance within itself and balance with itself and its environment. A simple example of this is if the body temperature is too hot we sweat to cool ourselves down. If we are too cold we shiver to heat up.

In the same way our bodies are trying to maintain the optimal tension within the tissue structures.Enough tension to move efficiently and precisely. The facial system has been called the organ of structure, so it is this organ which is responsible primarily for maintaining the correct tention in the human body.

Myofascial unwinding is the facilitation of this “tension optimization” process by which the therapist placing his hands on the body and feeling the reorganization vectors that are being played out under the gentle touch and moving with them to then assist the body in this reorganization. It is mainly  involved with relaxation of tissue with excessive tension and the gentle support allows the body to rest and the neural afferent discharge to be dampened. The sympathetic nervous system is affected and the body moves out of a painful flight or fight state to a para sympathetic state. Deep relaxation occurs within the body/mind and the body has raised energyto heal itself.

What does this technique feel like? A patient of mine described it beautifully  as “Tai Chi on the body”, as your body unravels in 3 dimensions with slow graceful movements.