Struggles Before DIT
As massage therapists, we’ve all been there: you’re working on a muscle that feels rock-hard, like it’s fighting you every step of the way. You’ve tried everything, from deep tissue techniques to stretches, but the muscle just won’t let go. Sound familiar?
This struggle is a huge frustration for many bodyworkers. And here’s the thing – it’s not just about the muscle. It’s about the nervous system.
Jean-Pierre Barral has been known to say, “The body hugs the lesion.” What does this mean?
When there is dysfunction in or around an organ, or an injury that affects an organ, the organ feeds back to the brain to let the brain know that the organ is struggling. Then the brain does what it needs to do to put that organ or area in ease (slack), using the musculoskeletal system to create that ease. So you will see muscles that are shortened or tight, around the area that needs the ease, because that will put all of the ligaments and connective tissue in slack, making it so the organ can do its motion.
Along comes a well-meaning, and very effective, bodyworker who is able to get those muscles to relax, if the brain will even allow that. When the client gets up off the table, though, the feedback loop gets started again, usually by the end of the day, or within a couple of days. Then the muscles that you worked so hard to get to relax turn on again, become hypertonic and short, to put that organ or that area in slack again, creating ease.
Ease, you say? But my client is in a lot of pain!
Which is more important? For the client to not have pain, or for their organs to be able to function as well as possible? The answer is clear.
So your body has innate wisdom and systems in place to keep you in the best health possible, given the past history of injuries, surgeries, illnesses, and other challenges to health.
Knowing all of this can make us want to drastically change our practice. I wanted to learn to work with the body rather than against it. Doing this has proven to be far more effective than the hard work I was doing before. Also I should mention that it is a lot easier on my body as well.
