Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/82405
Other mammals, however, leave the startle response behind when they perceive the danger is gone. Humans are 100,000 times (count the neurons) more sensitive to our inner self-created environment than we are to our outer surroundings. Uniquely, we humans can maintain the attitude of threat response even years after the original danger is gone, because we re-create it in our minds. Therefore, the most common The Superficial Front Line protects very sensitive areas—the breasts, genitals, groin, soft underbelly, throat—so it is associated with defense against shock and trauma. Whichever way you view it, there is a structural and functional continuity running up the front of the body. In terms of assessing the health The startle response can be seen as a sudden shortening of the Superficial Front Line. Here we see a man just before and just after someone fired a blank pistol behind him. Notice how in the right-hand photo the line from the mastoid process to the pubic bone is straightened and short. of this line, there is one overriding consideration: the protective nature of the SFL. This line runs along some of the most sensitive bits of the human anatomy: the breasts, genitals, groin, soft underbelly, and the throat (Image 4). The skin over this line is very sensitive; for millennia of our evolutionary history, it was against the ground, listening to the vibes from the earth. Now it is our front, sensing the space into which we are moving. Given all this, it is no surprise that this line is highly reactive to threat. The startle response can be seen as a strong contraction of the SFL, drawing the mastoid process and the pubic bone closer together (Image 5). This a) presents the less sensitive back to the bully's fist, the policeman's baton, or a predator's teeth, b) protects the spine in a fall, and c) still keeps our eyes and ears up so we can tell what's going on. It is a mammalian response, not just a human one. Fallen arches. bodyread for the SFL is this fear response pattern: a forward head, a sunken chest, a shortened belly, and a tucked-under pelvis. Variations of this response walk into your office every week, more likely every day. Whatever your method of easing this tension, it is a worthwhile goal. BODYREADING RED FLAGS Let us work our way upward to these considerations from the bottom. We will use a series of questions to consider issues related to the SFL: IS THE ARCH FALLEN, THE FOOT PRONATED? If the arch has fallen and the foot is medially tilted (Image 6), stimulation of the deeper aspect of the tibialis anterior can sometimes awaken the ability of the muscle to better support the arch, in conjunction with exercises, orthotics, or postural adjustments. Boost your practice with ABMP's Website Builder—free for members on ABMP.com 77