About the gluing together and fascial hardening, and SI

When one considers how SI has travelled some significant distance
from its most radical early days to a gentler approach, perhaps we
ralized collectively that in many cases SI can be helpfull without
really directly actively separating the connective tissue from being
glued togeher from poor movement patterns and old trauma.

We are now taught to more simply allow the natural sense of the body
to re-harmonize its tension levels all accross its fabric of
myofacsial sensory-motor loops. We are now to work more in a way that
effecively places Trigger Points more directly in our scope: we are
now asking them to be treated and release the tension preventing
harmonious movement. We are no longer trying to mechanically induce
the relase of the connective tissue. We have matured to realize that
the connective tissue is only part of what is happening immediately.

We have higher hopes for the connective tissue itsel in the long
term, when the posture-movement are better integrated, then the
longer process of distroying and regenerating collagen throughout the
fascial fabric can take plece, reorgnizing itself efficiently along
the lines of tensions (collagen is a pizoelectric material: electro
magnetic particles organize themswelves along the lines of mechanical
stress, like other christals, and the fiber regeration occurs
following these electically active lines, making bones stronger
exactely where they need to be, etc.).

This of course doesn't man that we do not have a direct imnpact on
the collagen during the hands on. But the real impact is by shifting
the stress patterns affecting these fibers in the log run. And I must
say SI does that pretty well by design: by sticking with the recipe,
these long term benefits are rather inevitable. As Martha Sewart
would say: It is a good thing.
I am not negating the fact that focussing exclusively on the
connective tissue is still a unique approach. Knowing that collagen
does respond to direct mechanical input, soften with movement and
warmth etc., opens up a significant range of options along the lines
of tissues that have actually hardened.
Also I am of course fairly open to complementary systems, such as
looking deeper into the central nervous system, psychological
considerations, etc.

What I am saying is that the tenegrity model needs to be looked at
with the fascial system extended into a myofascial system capable of
actively varying the forces and lengths it contributes to the
tensegrity model. It just so happens that most chronic problems have
a strong muscular (or rather myofacial) component, that we are
dealing not only with a fascial web, but a myofascial web, and that
our wotk affects this web primarily, not just the fascial web, which
responds in a more 'inert' way if I may.

What happens more immediately during the work is more dynamic than
only tissue regeneration, or tissues slightly more elastic from
extensive manipulation (although that does happen). It also involves
the nervous system through the Myofascial fabric, both sensory and
motor. It involves also the way the NeuroMuscular dynamic works (the
muscle cells nucleous travelling in the cell, the cell responding or
not to nervous control, etc.). It involves how harmony can be brought
back within the myofascial fabric, including its dynamic
NeuroMuscular component.

Those are some of the reasons, I consider NMT and SI so complimentary.

Sincerely,

Reda





--- In Structure_Integrator@yahoogroups.com, "redaelandaloussi
<redaelandaloussi@y...>" <redaelandaloussi@y...> wrote:
> > bodyworkers very often are given the
> > chance and responsability of challenging
> > the nerve theory
>
> NMT (NeuroMuscular Therapy) actually also challenges and
complements
> the fibrous theories as well. When considering the time frame it
> takes to begin the process of 'gluing' together fascial structures
> from poor movement patterns and old traumas, and considering the
> effect of deep tissue work on chronic conditions as young as 2
weeks
> old, then it becomes apparent that somnething else must explain how
> these sheeths of connective tissue got released (besides fibrous
> release). Trigger Points and myofascial therapies offer such an
> alternative explaination, and leverage the complex musculo-fascial
> interaction.
>
> It just so happens that focussing on the fascial system almost
> excusively during treatment offers also some of the best practical
> treatment. Trigger Points respond to the reharmonization of
> connective tissue because the connective tissue is where the forces
> are transmitted, eventually reaching sensor cells for the muscle-
> central nervous loop to do its job at adjusting tension levels.
>
> Trigger Points have a distinct cellular level activity (the many
> nucleous of a muscle fiber (more often group of fibers) tend to
> concentrate towards the Trigger Point, travelling the great
distance
> along muscle the long muscle cells. There is also the fact that
> somehow the muscle cell doesn't respond to lowering of nervous
> signals (relaxation) from the central nervous system, producing a
> local self sustaining tension level. There are also chemical
> components, psychological, latent states versus active, etc. There
is
> also the long term effect of tension on connective tissues
mentioned
> above (hardening of tissues, gluing together, and in extreme cases
> ossification of normally soft collagen).
>
> However, the degree harmonization can reach depends also on what
> state of tension the whole system 'thinks' it is. The structures
> providing this sense are locally the sensors that tell the nervous
> system how long/short a fiber group is, if in which direction and
how
> fast movement in thses fibers is occuring, etc. These cells are in
> direct alignment with muscle cells and the connective tissue inside
> the muscle and extending to the tendons, effectivelly giving the
> central nervous system relevant states of tension and length. It is
> because the nervous system is contantly responding to these
signals,
> and because the techniques we use for instance in SI effectively
make
> use of this muscle-nervous loop that SI is so effective
immediately.
>
> It takes however a longer time to really affect how hardened and
> glued together the collagen is.
>
> Therefore NMT offers an important piece of the rationale of what is
> happening during the process of SI, and why it is so effective with
> many common NeuroMuscular conditions.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Reda
>
>
> --- In Structure_Integrator@yahoogroups.com, "redaelandaloussi
> <redaelandaloussi@y...>" <redaelandaloussi@y...> wrote:
> > I would tend to follow Tony on the neck (the SCM has the most
> direct
> > NeuroMuscular impact on the eye). Previously, I have explained
that
> > in the case of the SCM (Trigger Point Manual, Travell and
previous
> > discussions), it seems that reducing the load on the neck
(posture
> > and movement patterns, or after the first 7-10 SI sessions) helps
> > bringing the neck to be more 'workable', and the symptoms to
> diminish.
> >
> > Actually keeping in mind that other tensions may be going on in
the
> > neck is a good idea. Other areas in the neck actually correspond
> with
> > the arms for instance. I am thinking of the scalenes for exapmle
> > which may trigger direct and indirect symptoms in the arms. Other
> > muscles of the shoulder and chest may also trigger symptoms in
the
> > arm. For proper tracking of the symptoms, it helps to exactely
know
> > what that felt correspondance is between the arm and eyes, and
also
> > the neurological condition she has been diagnosed with. If trhe
> > scalenes are involved, then it may come with other confusing
> > symptoms: seemingly cardiac symptoms, breathing problems (panic
of
> > the breath), ...
> > Perhaps both SCM and Scalens are involved together in this arm-
eye
> > correspondance: the scalenes between the arms and neck, and the
SCM
> > between neck and eyes. I'd imagine that there should be good
> evidence
> > of chronic neck problem in this case (visible and palpable
tension,
> > limitted range of motion etc).
> >
> > Anyway SCM and Scalenes are very often present in long term
chronic
> > situations in the neck. SI work actually nicely addresses the
> > foundations of chronic neck problems in general and these 2
muscle
> > groups specifically, by releasing tension, by providing a
> foundation
> > to the breath and re-educating the breath (scalenes), and by
> reducing
> > the load from postural imbalances and re-educating movement (both
> SCM
> > and scalenes).
> >
> > About NeuroAnatomy
> >
> > As far as as NeuroAnatomy, it is important to note that
> NeuroMuscular
> > Therapy often challenges NeuroAnatomy and pathology on common
> chronic
> > pains and symptoms. There are historical reasons for that. Direct
> > correspondances between symptoms and nerve paths have
historically
> > been used to explain all kinds of chronic situations.
> >
> > In the last 100 some years, that explaination has been
thouroughly
> > used, and endorsed by the established medical world in a tandem
> type
> > of partnership: surgeons like to stick with the nerve trheory,
> > because it validates surgery, and chiropractors like it also
> because
> > it validates their approach. Unfortunately, this tandem has
caused
> > many undue real damages.
> >
> > The terrain itself is not clear. NeuroMuscular problems can be
> rather
> > confusing. Also, despite the fact that they do not follow
exactely
> > direct neurological connections, most of the symptoms often are
> close
> > to these patterns. As a result the Neurological explaination can
> > often seem to 'kind of work'. And of course, even if
chiropractics
> > doesn't quite do it as far as treatment, surgery can always cut
out
> > the nerves that bring the whole thing to awareness, further
> > validating the nerve theory...
> >
> > In the late 20th century, though, the case has been built against
> > these misconceptions, using state of the art scientific analysis
> and
> > extensive empirical evidence, in a medical approach called
Trigger
> > Point Therapy, or Neuro-Muscular Therapy, or Myofascial-Therapy.
> This
> > challenge has been explicitely made very clear with extremely
> common
> > cases such as
> > sciatica: a nerve pinched by a protruded spinal disc causes
> extremely
> > rare and excruciating syptoms located in specific regions of the
> > pelvis, and not allowing the subject to move at all (pain is too
> > much, and any movement is a killer pain); these symtoms are
> extremely
> > rare and are not commonly chronic the same way most sciatica
> behave:
> > this nerve comndition may come and go, but every time it is
> present,
> > it is paralizing.
> > By contrast the most common sciaticas follow pain patterns that
are
> > documented neuromuscular symptoms, often organizing into chain
> > reactions; subjects are only paralized in extreme cases, most of
> the
> > time some movements are still possible during the acute phase.
> > ...
> > Anyway, the list is long, of symtoms commonly confused as nerve
> > problems versus their more likely NeuroMuscular explaination. The
> > funny thing is that when Ostheopathy was created, the same
> confusion
> > was likely present in the founder's mind. This student in
medicine
> > was handed a baby dying from digestive problems. As he held the
> baby,
> > he noticed that the skin was cold somewhere in the lower trunk.
He
> > equated the region with the corresponding nerves, and then
massaged
> > around the corresponding nerve paths and vertebraes. As the
tissues
> > warmed up, reportedely, the baby was healed from his/her diarea
and
> > from the resulting dehydration. That is the official history (in
> > essence). Originally, this student thought that the nerve had
been
> > freed from some sort of spinal nerve entrapment. But today it is
> > still not clear that the nerve explaination is correct. A more
> likly
> > explaination here would be NeuroMuscular, at the very leat an
> equally
> > important candidate explaination. In my mind it is a more likely
> > explaination, for 3 simple reasons:
> > - the warmin-up of tissues did the trick then. Cold tissues are a
> > signature of TriggerPoints, not really nerve conditions.
> > - There Trigger Points in the back (and all around the belly),
> which
> > trigger digestive problems (and also by the way other internal or
> > visceral symptoms such as menstrual problems, belching, etc)
> > - Trigger Points are overwhelmingly the most common reason for
all
> > kinds of symptoms. The chances of seeing a true neurologiocal
> > conditions in this case are statistically very slim compared to
the
> > chances of seing a muscular-neuromuscular one.
> >
> > In other words, To, be real cautious with the nerve theories.
They
> > are used as a waste basked for all kinds of chronic situations
with
> > very different roots. Really, one should be also cautious of
> > NeuroMuscular Therapy. However, the overwhelming source of common
> > chronic symtoms has a NeuroMuscular component. Therefore NMT is
to
> be
> > considered right away in many cases. Also, the other health
> > professions are often too prone to use the nerve theory,
therefore,
> > the kinds of tips we get from other healthn professions will not
> help
> > examine the NMT approach. In other words bodyworkers very often
are
> > given the chance and responsability of challenging the nerve
> theory,
> > and examining the Muscular Therapy approach in priority
> >
> > Good luck.
> >
> > Reda
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > --- In Structure_Integrator@yahoogroups.com, "Tony"
<thorstar@e...>
> > wrote:
> > > Sensei,
> > > As per your inquiry, my Ancestors were reminding me that the
> throat
> > chakra ( the neck) is where "the arms meet the eyes". The arms
are
> > how we reach into this physical world. They then carry to us,
that
> > which the eyes see and desire. It might not be the movement part
> but
> > the desire part.
> > >
> >
>
>
> > Peace
to
> > you all,
> >
>
>
> >
> > Antonio de Pax
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: Thomas Myers
> > > To: Structure_Integrator@yahoogroups.com
> > > Sent: Sunday, December 15, 2002 8:14 AM
> > > Subject: [Structure_Integrator] Neuroanatomy?
> > >
> > >
> > > SI-ers all:
> > >
> > > A client of mine with neurological problems says her
intuition
> > and a dream tell her the problem lies "where the arms meet the
> eyes".
> > I hit the books, but my neuroanatomy is too poor to parse this
out.
> > Can anyone help me with this? I would presume that we were
talking
> > about where the movement of the eyes meets the movement of the
> arms,
> > therefor I am looking for where the cervical nerves intertwine
with
> > oculomotor and abducens...somewhere in the brainstem, but where?
> > >
> > > Thanks, Tom Myers