Massage & Bodywork

MARCH | APRIL 2017

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MYOFASCIAL TECHNIQUES effects. In other words, I don't see evidence that the actual motor, vascular, or visceral effects of the neurons of the sacral plexus were considered—solely their origin, genetics, and structure. This makes me wonder: is the sympathetic/parasympathetic distinction functional or anatomical? As University of Chicago neurobiology professor Peggy Mason, PhD, suggests in her video and blog posts on this topic, it doesn't look like observations of function played much of a role (if any) in classifying these structures as sympathetic or parasympathetic, even to begin with. 10 It was British physiologist Walter Gaskell who first proposed the sympathetic/parasympathetic model in the late 1880s, and it seems that it was their anatomy, rather than their function, that he (and those who built on his concept) used to assign various nerves their sympathetic/parasympathetic classification in the first place. Even though this obscure little news event is probably something only a few of us get excited about, I personally enjoy the questioning and rethinking this new finding (and the other recent "disruptive" ideas) brings to my own work and to our field as a whole. Just as we aim to foster greater physical ease and adaptability in our clients, it is our own openness to possibility and change—that is, our own flexibility of mind and concept—that helps us learn and grow, and keeps our work current, relevant, and effective. a pelvic lift, what happens if we think of down-regulating the sympathetic autonomic nervous system via our less-direct version, the Floating the Sacrum technique? In other words, would we touch differently, and notice different effects, if we imagined we were calming the sympathetic system, rather than stimulating the parasympathetic? In the specialized world of neurobiology, this change is big news. 9 Time will tell if it is independently confirmed, and even then, it will take more time for the change to become widely accepted (there are a lot of anatomy charts out there that will need changing). But in all likelihood, the difference this information makes in our actual hands-on practice, as interesting as it is to us anatomy geeks, is probably fairly minor. We'll still be able to get the results we got before, maybe even more effectively now; and this may even open up more possibilities. (And at this point, thankfully, it doesn't look like I'll have to revise more than a couple of paragraphs for the next printing of my book, even if this new model proves accurate.) The only question I still have about the reclassification study itself is this: although the study (which was done on mice) used a very sophisticated comparison of these nerves' physical features, it did not include observations of the nerves' functional Author note: Thanks to Pedro Prado, PhD, Kate Dennington, CAMT, and Michael Shea, PhD, for their conversations and input in this article. Notes I. Espinosa-Medina et al., "The Sacral Autonomic Outflow is Sympathetic," Science 354, no. 6,314 (November 18, 2016): 893–7. 2. M. Bond, "The Pelvic Lift: Theme and Variations," accessed February 2017, www.bit.ly/2iKc6OS. 3. Thomas Myers, "The Pelvic Lift: A Rolf-Approved Session Finisher," Massage & Bodywork 28, no. 1 (January/February 2013): 96–101. 4. Thomas Attlee, Cranio-Sacral Integration: Foundation (London: Singing Dragon, 2012): 363. 5. Til Luchau, Advanced Myofascial Techniques, Volume II, Chapter 19: "The Sacrum" (Scotland: Handspring Publications, 2016). 6. D. S. Butler and G. L. Moseley, Explain Pain, 2nd ed. (Adelaide: Noigroup Publications, 2013). 7. J. Chew (producer), The Physio Matters Podcast, "Biomechanics and Pain: The Ongoing Dilemma with Greg Lehman," podcast audio, April 6, 2015, http://chewshealth.co.uk/tpmpsession16/. 8. D. Jacobs, Dermo Neuro Modulating: Manual Treatment for Peripheral Nerves and Especially Cutaneous Nerves (Tellwell Talent, 2016), Kindle Edition: Kindle Location 3419. 9. P. Mason, "A Revolution in Neuroanatomy!" November 16, 2016, accessed February 2017, www.thebrainissocool.com/2016/11/18/a- revolution-in-neuroanatomy. 10. A. Freeman (producer), "Prof. Peggy Mason Excited About a Neuroscience Mind-Blow!" November 25, 2016, video file, accessed January 2016, www.youtu. be/uV0RRlazx-Y; P. Mason, "Fight or Flight Gets Joined by F—, Pee, & Poop," November 25, 2016, accessed February 2017, www.thebrainissocool.com/2016/11/25/ fight-or-flight-gets-joined-by-f-pee-poop. Til Luchau is a Certified Advanced Rolfer, the author of Advanced Myofascial Techniques (Handspring Publishing, 2016) and a member of the Advanced-Trainings.com faculty, which offers distance learning and in-person seminars throughout the United States and abroad. Contact him via info@advanced-trainings.com and via Advanced-Trainings.com's Facebook page. The pelvic lift, taught by Ida Rolf and others as a way to "stimulate parasympathetic autonomic tone," is among the many sacrum- based methodologies that may now need revised explanations. Image courtesy Advanced- Trainings.com. 3 C h e c k o u t A B M P 's l a t e s t n e w s a n d b l o g p o s t s . Av a i l a b l e a t w w w. a b m p . c o m . 99

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