Tag Archives: fascia

It’s All About The Fascia!

If you are physically hurt, if your body isn’t moving, if you are in pain, you need to know at least a bit about fascia so that you can get the right kind of work done with the least amount of invasive procedures and pain killers.

Fascia is a thin casing of connective tissue that surrounds and holds every organ, blood vessel, bone, nerve fiber and muscle in place. The tissue does more than provide internal structure; fascia has nerves that make it almost as sensitive as skin. When stressed, it tightens up.

Let me repeat that so that you understand the importance of fascia regarding the functioning of the body. It is NOT the bones that hold the body and its structures in place and functioning properly. IT IS THE FASCIA. Unfortunately this is not typically understood in Western medicine. It has historically not been taught in the medical arena. Doctors and physical therapists alike have not been educated on the functioning of this all important system.

The term fascia itself translates to the word “unorganized”. This is because when it was discovered nobody knew of it’s function. It was considered unimportant. Only the bones and muscles/tendons/ligaments were considered important to the structure and function of the body. NOT TRUE.

I tell you this because if you have a body part that is injured (for example, a knee or low back issues), you need to have the fascia addressed because this is what is causing the pain, lack of mobility or compression of joints or disks. Find a physical therapist that actually hands-on addresses the fascia in the surrounding tissue. Unfortunately, most times physical therapy is geared toward strengthening the muscles around the injured area. THIS MAKES NO SENSE and I will tell you why: If the connective tissue, the fascia, is restricted you are only going to restrict it more if you try to strengthen muscles before releasing the fascia (and you are likely going to do more damage).

Here’s more: by having the fascia worked properly many joint or disc surgeries can be avoided. Find a therapist that is trained in fascial work- a rolfer, a medical massage therapist, a Tom Meyer’s student (Anatomy Trains instructor and author), and some Bowen Therapists. You will be glad you did!

The Bowen Technique (submitted to Massage & Bodywork Magazine Feb 2020)

The Bowen Technique

The Bowen Technique is a soft tissue therapy developed in Australia in the 1980’s by an Osteopath named Thomas Ambrose Bowen. Today the technique is practiced in over thirty countries and taught in more than twenty.

The four basic tenets of Osteopathy may be summarized as follows:

1-The human body functions as an integrated, interrelated whole unit.

2-Structure and function share a reciprocal relationship.

3-There exists in the human body an innate capacity for self-regulation and healing.

4-Therapeutic intervention is based upon an understanding of these three points.

Structure and Function

In his book A Textbook of Bowen Technique Mr. Graham Pennington, Australian Bowen therapist, Naturopathic physician, and Acupuncture physician writes:

From the perspective of a Bowen therapist, we are particularly interested in recognizing the interrelationships that exist between the nervous system, muscle tension and the skeletal system, and how the interplay of these factors can create or compromise the structural integrity of the spine and its related structures. The following points illustrate this complexity:

-The tension within a muscle or tendon is produced by the nerve which supplies it. The nervous system is ultimately responsible for the tension of the muscles and tendons.

-The muscles and tendons exert force upon the bones and joints and thus abnormal tensions in the body may lead to joint dysfunction.

-Joint dysfunction at the spinal level (vertebral subluxation) may result in changes in the way the nervous system operates. The resulting nerve dysfunction may generate abnormal tensions in the muscles and tendons…and so the cycle continues.

-On the one hand, the structural integrity of the spine may be disturbed by the presence of a vertebral subluxation, but, on the other hand, dysfunction of the related tissues can result in the development of a vertebral subluxation.

The relationship between function and structure is particularly important to the Bowen therapist, who seeks to identify and correct dysfunction within the various systems of the body. Observation of symmetry forms the basis on which the therapist can develop specific therapeutic interventions and target them to resolve any abnormal tissue tensions. Correctly applied, these interventions restore function and associated symmetry.¹

Fascia

Fascia is currently being widely researched as it is now evident that it plays a key role in the structure and function of the body. French surgeon Jean-Claude Guimbertear’ s ground breaking discovery that fascia, due to its piezoelectric nature, governs thousands of processes throughout the body- a true engineering system. ‘Strolling under the skin’ ², a documentary made by Dr. Guimbertears and his colleagues, visually depicts the tremendous array of processes that occur in the human tissue simply due to the pressure of the scalpel. Blood vessels disappear and others appear, fluid exchange occurs- all due to the piezoelectric nature of the fascia.

The Bowen Technique relies heavily on this fascial system. Piezoelectricity is defined as the electric polarization in a substance resulting from the application of mechanical stress. The fascia consists mainly of collagen and elastin- both peizoelectric materials. For bodyworkers this translates to the application of pressure applied to the fascia creates an electrical impulse that is sent to the brain. The brain in response sends a host of chemical messengers back to the origin of the electrical impulse with the result being the restoration of homeostasis. During a Bowen session the client is visually and tactally assessed. Functional asymmetry is determined followed by treatment. At the end of the session a reassessment is performed to determine that functional symmetry has been restored. Structure and function have been restored. Pharmaceutical and surgical intervention is no longer required.

The work of Tom Myers , author of the book Anatomy Trains³, maps out the main fascial lines in the body teaching us the important connections throughout the body. In recent years due to several important discoveries it has become evident that the meridian system may in fact run through these fascial lines. This work is evolving our knowledge of how the human body is put together and how it truly functions on an anatomical, mechanical, chemical and energetic level.

As Mr. Myers quotes in his book, “the close relationship between acupuncture and similar meridians and the anatomical basics of these continuities is inescapable.” Significant overlap between fascial lines and energetic continuities of the various meridians are obvious. Additionally, Mr. Myers states that Dr. Helene Langevin and others have shown that connective tissue winds around the end of the acupuncture needle when it is rotated in place, creating detectable mechanical tissue effects. ³Drawing these fields of study together we find a “unified field” theory appears and we begin to understand the intricacies of the body’s self-regulation with proper mechanical stimulation.

Meridian Theory

Graham Pennington’s evolution of the Bowen Technique resulted in his most recent class titled “Targeting Primary Dysfunction” in which he introduces meridian theory into the technique. As an acupuncture physician he understands how deeply connected these bodies of work are. As he states “meanwhile East and West continue to collide…” Many scholars now believe the meridians of Chinese medicine are actually ‘pathways’ through the fascia. In his book, A Textbook of The Bowen Technique, Mr. Pennington declares that fascia serves to provide structures which transmit mechanical tensions, whether generated by muscular activities or external forces through the body. Andrew Taylor Still “Philosophy of Osteopathy” (1899)….”all… nerves go to and terminate in that great system, the fascia.” Osteopathic theory holds that, in a state of health, fluids flow freely from one fascial compartment to the next states Mr. Pennington. As a result of traumatic injury the fascia may twist, constrict, and compress. The exchange of fluids through the fascial medium becomes compromised. Osteopathic treatments (as in the Bowen Technique) attempt to unravel these fascial strains to re-establish fluid continuity throughout the body.

“By its action (the fascia) we live and by its failure we…die” Andrew Taylor Still, founder of Osteopathy

The Bowen Technique

Many Bowen therapists follow a standardized approach to treatment. Today however, the technique has evolved because of some brilliant therapists such as Mr. Pennington. Mr. Pennington teaches these advanced techniques worldwide and has a handful of students who also teach his work. The first vast difference between the original Bowen method and today’s technique used by Mr. Pennington and his students is the visual assessment which allows for a more intelligent approach and effective outcomes. Fascial strains occur in the body and result in asymmetrical patterns. These asymmetries can be seen visually as leg length discrepancy. Leg length discrepancies are a key aspect of this visual assessment. As we now know the fascia dictates the stresses and strains put on the various tissues. These stresses and strains result in functional asymmetry throughout the body. Mr. Pennington’s technique uses this information to determine where in the body the restrictions are so that they can be targeted and released using the Bowen “move.” The Bowen “move” is unique in its simplicity and complexity. It is a very simple move across muscles and tendons yet the complexity comes with palpation skills which develop over time with intention and practice. This tactile recognition skill is the second difference between the original technique and that used by Mr. Pennington and students. Tactile recognition is the ability to delineate between various conditions of the tissue being palpated. The condition of the tissue determines the speed and depth of the Bowen move that is required. Tissue that has become hardened or stuck requires more time and depth than tissue that is soft and pliable. Differences in temperature of the tissue also lend information. The quality of the move determines the quality of the electrical signal sent to the brain and Central Nervous System. Every “move” is an assessment. Continual assessment during the treatment is a must to determine the course of treatment. Being able to put the pieces of the puzzle together along the way during treatment is what allows the therapist to determine the appropriate approach to treatment and to achieve desired results. Applying these skills to the practice exponentially increases the success of the therapy. Once identified, the asymmetry can quite simply be remedied using The Bowen Technique. Important fascial connections are addressed in a hierarchal order and the body is systematically brought back into balance, aka symmetry.

“We seek to find the site at which we can deliver a targeted intervention that will activate and benefit the nervous system and illicit a profound healing response from the body.” –Graham Pennington

The pathology (examples: disc herniations, torn meniscus, tennis elbow, plantar fascitis, migraine, back pain, knee pain) results from compressions in the fascial system clamping down on nerves creating pain, dysfunction and deterioration. Restoring symmetry using The Bowen Technique balances the tensional forces in the various planes of fascia and releases the compression on various nerves eliminating pain. The result visually is leg length symmetry validating the therapists success in restoring symmetry to the body. The number of treatments required to remedy a chronic or acute situation vary but often a handful of treatments is all that is necessary to remedy the condition. This is another remarkable trait of The Bowen Technique. Once a client comes in for treatment (once per week typically) with no pathology and visual assessment shows symmetry is still in tact, the condition is remedied. The pathology no longer resides in the body and the condition no longer exists. There is no need for further treatment. This distinguishes The Bowen Technique from virtually all other therapies. Most therapies in practice today provide only temporary relief treating symptoms but never accomplishing healing. With The Bowen Technique a true remedy is accomplished. Maintenance appointments are encouraged to keep the body in alignment.

Notes

1. Graham Pennington, A Textbook of the Bowen Technique, 2012, A Comprehensive Guide to the Practice of Bowen Therapy. Www.bowenseminars.com

2. Dr. Jean-Claude Guimbertears, “Strolling under the skin”, 2015 , www.youtube.com.

3. Thomas W. Myers, Anatomy Trains, 2014, Myofascial Meridians & Movement Therapists.www.myersmyofascialmeridians.com

About Penny:

As an engineer, educator and bodyworker for thirty seven years Penny Michaels brings a unique combination of science, technology, and bodywork skills for an intelligent conversation on the state of bodywork. She teaches nationally as an NCBTMB Approved Provider for Continuing Education to massage therapists through The Cortiva Institute. She holds private practice in Vero Beach, Florida. Visit her website at www. pennymichaels.com to read more of her articles and email her.

New Science shows how Bowen Therapy works!

New Science demonstrates how Bowen Therapy works!

I am constantly looking for new and better ways of describing how and why Bowen Therapy works. Clients call it “odd”, “strange”, they don’t know why it works, they just know it works. Often, a client will say to someone who is in pain, “Just go see Penny, I don’t know what she does-it barely feels like anything- but she is able to fix a lot of stuff.” Thankfully, I have worked on enough people that the word has spread and more clients keep coming- albeit usually out of desperation!

So, once again I am going to refer to my two favorite hands-on bodyworkers: French Hand surgeon Dr. Guimberteau and Anatomist Thomas W. Myers, Author of my favorite book Anatomy Trains.

My background is in Materials Science & Engineering, so when Mr. Myers started talking about the soft tissues in the body being mostly collagen (and elastin) and that this is piezoelectric substance- my brain fired. You see adding mechanical pressure to these materials produces an immediate electrical charge. Same with quartz crystals, for instance. So yahoo- what does this have to do with the reason the light touch of Bowen Therapy creates such profound changes in the body? When we touch lightly on the fascia (that surrounds our muscles, tendons, and ligaments) , that is piezoelectric in nature, it sends off electrical signals to the brain and the brain instantaneously responds with a host of signals that changes/corrects the environment of the muscle, tendon, or ligament that we just touched. Changes in tension or density-tensegrity-for instance are made. The muscle that was too tight clamping down on that nerve or pulling that bone off center is now brought back to balance- bye bye pain and dysfunction!

This is about as simple as I can get on this subject- I hope it helps you to at least begin to understand that this is how the body works, and this is why Bowen Therapy is so Billiant!

I will leave you with this paragraph from Mr. Myers in his brilliant book Anatomy Trains: “Guimberteau’s work brings together the tensegrity concepts on both a macroscopic and microscopic level. It shows how the entire organismic system is built around the pressure balloons common to both cranial osteropathy and visceral manipulation. It suggests a mechanism whereby even light touch on the skin could reach deeply into the body’s structure. It demonstrates how economical use of materials can result in a dynamically self-adjusting mechanism.”

And this is how ‘I fix stuff’ 🙂

Penny Michaels, Bowen Therapist

Explaining Bowen Therapy- Take 5

Image result for tom myers anatomy images When it comes to explaining Bowen Therapy, one size does not fit all. I can explain it to some in a simplistic manner, to others in a technical manner but so far not one description works for everyone. Given the fact that as a society we are not used to the idea of fixing a body by attending to the soft tissues in a manipulative but very light touch kind of way, and add to that the truth that we have only just begun to understand the functioning of the connective tissue systems in the body, it gets difficult to comprehend pretty quickly. It is just foreign to us.

THAT BEING SAID, IT WORKS BEAUTIFULLY.

I will continue to offer different approaches to explaining why Bowen Therapy works as they come to me. Eventually there will be enough documented science of the inner workings of the connective tissue-the fascia in particular-that some brilliant anatomist will be able to successfully explain it to everyone.

In the meantime, I will use some images from my very favorite anatomist, Tom Myers to help give you a visual. The book by Tom Myers, Anatomy Trains, is far the best book on functional anatomy to date. Image result for tom myers anatomy images

Think of the body as put together via ropes and pulleys (think bringing a pail of water out of a well- pull down on one side of the rope causes the other side of the rope to shorten bringing up the pail of water). Same with connective tissues in the body. Image result for tom myers anatomy images You pull something tighter over here and the opposite end – or the antagonist muscle HAS to lengthen. (Remember those toys some of us had that were put together this way? push on the bottom of the feet and the whole thing collapses?) On a superficial level, this is what we are doing in Bowen Therapy. We are telling the brain to tighten this one, loosen this one and so forth, balancing the tension in all of these opposing soft tissue structures. This imbalance in the structures is what causes us much of our pain and our parts to not function properly. In addition, once an imbalance is present in one area, guess what? Eventually other structures get imbalanced as well BECAUSE ALL STRUCTURES ARE CONNECTED. There is actually, a “rope” of connective tissue that connects from the heel, up the back and around the top of the head!

Image result for tom myers anatomy images It gets more complicated than that. The connective tissue called fascia that wraps around and through everything actually has 10 times the nerve endings as muscles do! So when you say your bicep hurts, it’s probably the fascia surrounding the bicep that is actually givinig out the pain signals. The fascia is the super highway of communication between the muscles and so forth and the brain.Here is what it looks like:

Image result for tom myers anatomy images A spidery web of collagen. Collagen happens to be a piezoelectric material which means you put any strain or pressure on it and it sends out an electrical signal- to the brain. Follow me? This is why Bowen Therapy works- we send signals via pressure to the fascia which sends electrical signals to the brain to tell the brain something is out of whack in this area, and please fix it.

That’s probably far enough for today…hopefully the visuals help!

Thank you Tom Myers!

At your Service~

Penny

plantar fasciitis

Illustration showing plantar fascia and location of heel pain

On the internet the Mayo Clinic described plantar fasciitis as one of the most common causes of heel pain.”It involves inflammation of a thick band of tissue that runs across the bottom of your foot and connects your heel bone to your toes (plantar fascia).” The article goes on to say that the cause is not known and that it can lead to back and hip problems. (address of the article: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/plantar-fasciitis/symptoms-causes/dxc-20268536).

In the world of Bowen Therapy (Osteopaths get this), we see the body as a whole, not pieces and parts. For us, everything is connected and therefore intimately involved with everything else. When someone comes to me with plantar fasciitis, the first thing I am going to address is balance in the hip structures. A “conventional” medicine person would probably not look above the ankle.

You see if the hips are out of balance, it causes one leg to appear shorter than the other, and you end of putting much more pressure on the “long leg” foot thereby straining the muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia on that leg. All of those soft tissues transfer weight/pressure/strain to the foot causing tightening of the fascia in the foot. You can massage that foot all you want (and this is good! don’t get me wrong) but you are not fixing the initial problem in most cases. You have to address balance in tension of the soft tissues from the hips down, and sometimes from the neck down. It’s all connected!

So, if plantar fasciitis is a problem for you- come see me!

This will Blow Your Mind! How intelligent our Fascial network is

Attached is a youtube video showing very clearly the importance of and incredible function of the Fascial system. THIS is the system that we are addressing during a Bowen Therapy session. Enjoy actually SEEING how incredibly complex and intelligent the tissues of our body are ! Bowen Therapy is incredibly difficult to define and you can see why as this is just the tip of the iceberg so to speak. We are truly just now gaining insight into the incredible complexity of the connective tissue system and its intelligence.

The bottom line to the trained observer is that even the slightest pressure to the connective tissue sends signals to the brain and a multitude of changes in the structure begins to happen! This is EXACTLY what happens during a Bowen Session that results in amazing changes to the structures of the body- simply with light touch, things move, shift, balance, and heal. Enjoy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eW0lvOVKDxE

Explaining Bowen Therapy

I’ve been practicing Bowen Therapy for years-and for just as long I have been struggling with explaining Bowen Therapy in a way that actually makes sense to people. One of my instructors, An Australian Acupuncturist/Bowen Therapist, doesn’t have this problem. That is because in Australia, the UK, and much of Europe, Bowen Therapists are as abundant and well-known as chiropractors are here. Unfortunately, this is not the case (yet) in the U.S. I think that is about to change, and this is why: Tons of research regarding fascia that has been conducted over the last decade is being published everywhere you look! Fascinating research that explains much of what Bowen Therapists see everyday.

What is fascia? Well, again, that definition is in flux. It is getting more complex everyday with more and more information becoming available. From Anatomy Trains author Tom Myers regarding fascia: “Fascia is the biological fabric that holds us together, the connective tissue network. You are about 70 trillion cells – neurons, muscle cells, epithelia – all humming in relative harmony; fascia is the 3-D spider web of fibrous, gluey, and wet proteins that binds them all together in their proper placement. Our biomechanical regulatory system is highly complex and under-studied – though new research is filling in the gap. Understanding fascia is essential to the dance between stability and movement – crucial in high performance, central in recovery from injury and disability, and ever-present in our daily life from our embryological beginnings to the last breath we take”.

Image result for image fascia system

(image from MacKay Center for Health and Healing)

So how does this help in explaining Bowen Therapy? When a Bowen Therapist puts her hands on people and lightly manipulates “pieces and parts”, she is directily manipulating fascia. Fascia to me is like the communication superhighway of the body. Every signal sent through it through direct pressure, sends signals back and forth between the brain and the rest of the body. This is how we “tell” the brain to change tension in various muscles, tendons, and ligaments. And this is how we restore the body to balance; thereby eliminating pain and dysfunction! And voila! Our clients are no longer in pain, no longer have to look to invasive procedures or drugs, and they return to their normal activities.

The other part of fascia that I want to talk briefly about is how it runs through the body. The reason for this is it is an odd thing to come to a therapist for a frozen shoulder say, and have them working on your knees! I know! More than once people have thought ‘what the heck is this lunatic doing’? The explanation is that every part of our body is connected to and affected by every other part. How? FASCIA. It runs through and wraps around virtually every piece of our body, oftentimes criss-crossing along the way. So, when you say to us during a treatment, “uh, I told you it’s the LEFT shoulder” (as we work on the right)- yeah we know:)

So, there you have it- My latest attempt at explaining our trade. My hope is that at least some of this is starting to make sense to you. I will continue my efforts until everyone says – “Yay Bowen”! Like my clients do! (And by the way, be careful in promising your house to your Bowen Therapist if she fixes your ailment!:)

Until next time- health and happiness to you!

Penny Michaels, Bowen Therapist