Massage & Bodywork

SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2023

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Attention When you notice any of the signs of communication described earlier (or other signs that were not covered; there are many), bring these to the client's attention. For example, I was recently working on a client who reported low-back pain. He was lying prone, and I was warming up his erector spinae muscles. With each pass of simple gliding strokes, the client arched his mid-thoracic region and the muscles felt like they were in full contraction. As the practitioner, I found myself instantly feeling fatigued because not only could I not sink into the tissue, I felt pushed out by it. I said to the client (while tracing the region with my fingertips), "Can you feel that each time I glide down these muscles, your back is arching in this area?" He said no, so I asked him to notice this. A few moments later he said, "Gosh, you're right! I can feel my body doing that spontaneously on its own." At first, we worked simply with awareness and attention. It helped some, but not completely. So, knowing the abdominal muscles are responsible for f lexing the spine (which causes the arch in the mid-thoracic region), I cued him to direct his attention to his belly and anterior rib cage and imagine them surrendering (you can also use words like drop, melt, release, etc.) heavily into the table. Sure enough, with this directed thought, the erectors surrendered, and I was allowed to sink in. Thought After making the client aware by bringing his body's automatic response to his attention, I gave him a direct, body-centered thought to internally communicate. The power of thought is often overlooked in nervous system communication; thought alone is a strong stimulus, and literally asking one's body to do something can cause the response to occur immediately. L i s te n to T h e A B M P Po d c a s t a t a b m p.co m /p o d c a s t s o r w h e reve r yo u a cce s s yo u r favo r i te p o d c a s t s 89 TAKEAWAY: The power of thought is often overlooked in nervous system communication. Thoughts also create cues that can be used outside the session. Now that the client is aware of his rounded spine (which is also present in his standing posture), he can notice it at any given time and actively work with it in the self-care recommendations I've offered him. Emotion Research also suggests that, while thought alone can produce change and learning, accompanying thought with emotion significantly elevates the brain's response to learning through building and strengthening the neural network. After cuing this client to surrender his belly and rib cage, I asked, "How does it feel when you do that? Is there a positive sensation?" He responded, "Yes. My abs have been sore and tight because of some challenging core exercises I did earlier this week. I had a feeling after I did them that maybe I had done too many reps. It feels really good to let those muscles go." The emotion doesn't have to be big. It can be as simple as "This feels good" or "What a relief." A bonus from this session is that we have also likely linked to a root cause, or at least found a guidepost along the path. Repetition Not only does this approach make our therapeutic work smarter and more effective, but it can also uncover global patterns that inform self-care practices that, through repetition, reeducate the body. In this case, I guided the client to counter the effects of his abdominal work with spinal strengthening and abdominal lengthening so he could work toward a more balanced body (and, over time, improved daily posture). I also encouraged him to talk to his body in the process and tell it exactly what he's aiming for. Even simply saying in conjunction with spinal extensions, "It's OK to let go, abdominals," or "You can lengthen, I know you can!" or "Spinal muscles, I'm going to lift you upright with this contraction, and when I let go, you can let go too," will cause the brain to direct the muscles to respond. If you really want to go to the next level, add imagery. I asked a few more questions about his daily routines, which involved sitting at a desk. I cued and we practiced a healthy sitting posture so he could feel what a more neutral and supportive position would feel like. During this client education, I used all the learning stages of attention, thought, and emotion. The daily repetition is up to him. OFFER A DYNAMIC PERSPECTIVE I want to acknowledge that this is a basic overview and launching point for a variety of treatment approaches. What is most important is to tune in to the brain- body communication, then use learning processes that offer a dynamic perspective. Working with the body is a conversation. While that conversation occurs between the practitioner, brain, and body through external stimulus and response, engaging the client in their own internal conversation is extremely effective and incredibly empowering. Since 2000, Cindy Williams, LMT, has been actively involved in the massage profession as a practitioner, school administrator, instructor, curriculum developer, and mentor. In addition to maintaining a part- time massage and bodywork practice and teaching yoga, she is a freelance content writer and educational consultant. Contact her at massagetherapyfortwayne@gmail.com.

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