BODYWORK

noun
noun: bodywork

1. the metal outer shell of a vehicle.

2. therapies and techniques in complementary medicine which involve touching or manipulating the body.

Therapeutically, bodywork is a term that describes an approach to hands on treatment using a combination of different techniques and approaches. In my treatments I integrate Myofascial Release, Craniosacral Therapy, and Structural Integration techniques. The term Massage is usually applied when one technique or tradition is used such as Thai Massage, Swedish Massage, Aromatherapy Massage etc.

MYOFASCIAL RELEASE

Myofascial Release is a technique that allows the therapist to contact the fascia or connective tissue. Fascia is the thin connective tissue that covers all myo or muscle, including each individual muscle fibre, the body's organs, bones, tendons and ligaments and organs and viscera. It is an uninterrupted web of tissue: continuous throughout our bodies.

If you are a vegan or vegetarian, look away! When you prepare a piece of chicken for cooking, the fascia is that shiny white fibrous material just under the skin, the material that is strong and fairly difficult to cut through. It is very obvious just under the skin but you can notice that it also wraps around each muscle and muscle fiber and connects to ligaments and tendons.

For a great description of Fascia check out these Youtube movies by Sarah Tacy
- Sarah Tacy Clip 1
- Sarah Tacy Clip 2

Fascia acts with muscle fibres to create movement, maintain posture, and transport nutrients to the muscles. In a healthy, pain free body, our fascia should move and stretch and glide unrestricted, hydration is key for this.

However Fascia can get stuck, the fibres get stuck together, to other fascial fibres, to the muscles it wraps around and to boney surfaces. This restricts flow throughout the body, restricting flow of movement; flow of fluid, flow of nerve paths and this can create pain or discomfort.

Injuries, surgery, simple repetitive postural habits, anxiety and stress can all affect our fascia.

WORKING WITH FASCIA

To start with fascial work feels like the touch applied in massage, with finger tips, a hand or a forearm the therapists contacts the skin. Then, as gentle pressure is applied, the fascia starts to soften and open, allowing the therapist to contact the upper dermis of the skin, through each 'layer' of the tissue until contacting the fascia. Using a mixture of long, slow movements and applied specific pressure the therapist work to stretch, release and bring movement back in to the fascia.

IS FASCIAL WORK PAINFUL?

Not always!
When there is pain in the body, applying contact to meet this pain can cause sensation. There is a point of pressure and facial contact that feels like 'good pain'; a release, rather than an acute pain. Stepping over this threshold of 'good pain' activates the nervous system, causing the body to tense up. With this in mind there is a place to meet the system where there is sensation, but it is a releasing sensation rather than a painful sensation.

ROLFING

noun
noun: Rolfing

A technique of deep tissue manipulation aimed at the release and realignment of the body, and the reduction of muscular and psychical tension. Also called structural integration.

Structural Integration (SI) is a type of bodywork that focuses predominantly on the fascia, using the Myofascial Release technique. Working to lengthen, stretch and soften the fascia, SI practitioners aim to restore ease to the body through postural alignment and integration of the body in the gravitational field. Based on the work of Dr Ida P Rolf the traditional 10 series approach is an organised series of sessions.
- https://www.rolfguild.org/about/ida-p-rolf-phd
- http://www.theiasi.net/dr--ida-rolf

Starting with the superficial fascia of the body the sessions build on each other. Each one focusing on a particular part of the body, from the feet and lower leg through to the pelvis and torso, up to the chest and arms to the neck, jaw and face. The 10 series finishes with integrating sessions.

It was Ida Rolf who first proposed the idea that connective tissue or fascia is a colloid substance in which the ground substance can be influenced by the application of energy, heat or pressure to change state from dense gel to a more fluid sol state. Go Ida!

CRANIOSACRAL THERAPY

Craniosacral therapy is technique developed by Dr John Upledger DO in the early 70’s following on from the research of Osteopath, Dr William Sutherland.

In the 1930’s Sutherland discovered that rather than being fixed the sutures of the cranial bones express a degree of movement. Further research led him to discover the understanding that cycles of movement are expressed throughout the whole body, his focus the cranium, spine and sacrum. Sutherland named this movement primary respiration.

Described eloquently by Micheal Kearn, 'life expresses itself as motion. At a deep level of our physiology functioning, all healthy living tissues subtly breathe with the motion of life.'

Making contact with the body, Craniosacral therapists use their hands to palpate these subtle movements. Focus can be throughout all the tissue, the bones, viscera and organs of the body. Traditionally CS therapists start by making contact with the body at the feet, followed with a sacral hold at the base of the spine.

With varying touch from feather light to deeper contact, practitioners work to observe, follow and support the subtle movements (primary respiration) throughout the body. This informed palpation allows the body to express and release restrictions or contracted tissue to bring back optimal flow to all the systems of the body.

MY APPROACH TO BODYWORK

My aim as a bodyworker is to establish what is creating discomfort in your body and/or system i.e., the nervous system, the digestive system, the organs and viscera etc.

Using the bodywork techniques that I have learned, I plan an approach to explore and meet both your symptom(s) and what is underlying the symptoms that are being expressed.

I will conduct an initial consultation during which we will explore what you are experiencing, perhaps stress, anxiety, a recent injury or a long-term pattern or trauma. Together we establish the best approach in treatment, going forwards.

I tend to start treatments by making contact with and assessing the nervous system and adrenals using CST.

Often the adrenals are either working overtime or are underactive and fatigued. This could be due to stress, or the result of a recent or past injury or trauma. Working to soften adrenal activity and bringing relaxation to the system is a fundamental starting point for most of my sessions. Once the NS is settled, depending on what treatment we have decided upon, we would embark on the approach that meets you best.

Sessions can be an on-going process orientated basis or as and when you need.