Introduction

Dear friends. Over the span of thirty-two years that I worked in the massage-therapy field, I’ve performed myself and have seen many of my colleges performing many different types of massage with the wide range of results. Interestingly, physiological effect of massage alone, couldn’t explain the obtained results. There were always additional effects caused by none other than what we would call now as “energy work”.

The effect of “energy” on body became evident for me back in my postgraduate days, when the group of my colleges and I conducted an energy related experiment. Several people had the amount of arterial blood supply to the extremities measured two times by the special ultra sound equipment. The first time after standing still on one spot for ten minutes. The second time after each of them performed extensive visualizing of vein blood drainage and arterial blood supply process through their lower extremities. Surprisingly, the second measurement recorded much higher blood supply for all the testers despite the fact that none of them have moved.( as you know when we staying steel blood supply to the extremity significant decrease)

Effects of “energy work” are unavoidable in performing massage, thus practitioners have to be prepared to channel it properly. Without practical understanding of what’s involved in “energy work” many practitioners might inadvertently hurt their patients and themselves.

Because “energy work” is so practically important I decided to start my book The Simple approach to Sports and Medical Massage from the chapter Science of Massage & Energy Work.

Mysteries and metaphysics surrounds energy issue; different esoteric theories have been built around this subject. My purpose here is not to create another theory and or break down the dependency between “mind and matter” to the Quantum Mechanics level. My purpose is to share my practical experience in “energy work” and to give manual therapy practitioners a practical tool that will help him/her to deal with “energy work” in their daily practice. This method relies not on quantum mechanics, but on the knowledge of basic anatomy, physiology and physics.

Below I will summarize these necessary facts in the light of their connection to massage in order use them as reference for further discussion of “energy work” process. This time I will exclude classic academic approach of “gross anatomy and physiology”. Because of practical need of today discussion I am offering practical approach to the science. In other words exited to referring to anatomical names of body parts I will offer you the structural anatomy and practical physiology approach.

Anatomy and Physiology of cardiovascular system

The cardiovascular system consists of heart, arteries, arterioles, capillary networks, venules, and veins. Blood itself is also an anatomical part of the cardiovascular system. The human heart is a very energetic-p fishotential muscle. The fact is that for an average of about 80 years, without taking a break, the heart performs a pumping action approximately 80 times per minute. Blood is pumped out of the heart through the arterial blood vessels (those that carry blood away from the heart), towards the periphery under pressure, so even structures such as the brain, which are topographically located above heart, will get blood supply. Normal blood pressure is considered 120/80. The duty of blood supply is firstly to deliver oxygen, nutrients, and hormones to all 55 trillions cells in the body, which compose our different tissues.

Arterial Blood Flow

Arterial blood distribution first goes through arteries, then arterioles, and then thru the huge network of capillaries - tiny blood vessels, some so small that they will only allow the passage of one red blood cell at a time. It is on this microscopic level of vessels where the basic metabolism - the gas exchange, occurs. The surrounding cells consume everything they need (oxygen, nutrients, etc.) from the capillary blood supply. When this exchange of material happens, the arterial blood is spent of its supplies and will be given up to the venous blood circulation.

Venous Blood Flow

Venous blood flows toward the heart slower than arterial blood flows, and is under less pressure. As venous circulation works its way toward the heart, it will be cleaned passing thru the liver and kidneys, allowing metabolic waste products to be removed from the body. It will then flow thru the lungs, satiate with oxygen, and will be ready to repeat the circulation cycle again and again, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Venous blood drainage is supported mechanically by muscular contraction, which occurs whenever we move. All the way throughout the venous circulation there are valves located on the interior of the vessels. Valves open only when blood flows towards the heart. Rhythmic contraction of the muscles supports venous blood drainage. During massage, we activate a similar mechanical action by performing squeezing techniques only towards the heart, in the direction of venous blood flow. Thus, we mechanically accelerate the flow of venous blood drainage significantly and substantially increase local arterial blood supply to the tissue. This movement goes against the flow of arterial blood, but its influence can’t disrupt arterial blood flow as it is under the superior pressure.

The acceleration of venous blood drainage described above belongs to one of the factors of the physiological effect of massage: direct, local mechanical factor. The second factor is an indirect effect, achieved through the nervous system pathways, and is not limited to the local area being massaged. Neuro-reflexive aspect is the main power of massage therapy.

Structural anatomy of the Central Nervous System

The central nervous system is composed of the spinal cord and the brain. Much processing of afferent perception information and efferent responses happen in both upper and lower centers. The peripheral nervous system originates from the spinal cord and provides innervation to inner organs and systems, to the somatic parts, such as skin, connective tissue, muscles, etc. At the very endings of the peripheral nervous system, there are proprioreceptors located in skin, muscles, connective tissues, etc, that respond to touch, pressure, temperature, vibration, pain, etc.

The moment you touch proprioreceptors, you cause generation of action potentials (afferent impulses), which will stream and stimulate the central nervous system including motor, vasomotor, and other centers. Due to this stimulation, organs and systems of our body reflect by vasodilation, increased blood supply, relaxation of muscles, etc. This is what reflexive therapy is. Reflex is the body’s involuntary reaction to an original stimulus.

In the case of reflexive therapy, this reaction is expressed by the above-mentioned positive changes in functions of organs and systems, which will include reduction of left atria work due to vasodilation. Please keep in mind that stress causes vessels to constrict (arteries carry enough smooth muscles and nerves to constrict).

Peripheral vascular constriction amplifies peripheral vascular resistance. Peripheral vascular resistance is a main opposition to the left atria work ( left part of the hard responsible for ejection of arterial blood to the circulatory system). Increased peripheral vascular resistance immediately responds by increasing left atria work in order to overcome such resistance.

Significant increase of cardio work can lead to stress-related heart attacks, and can accelerate the development of arteriosclerosis. In order to achieve reflexive therapy results, massage therapist must perform massage in the inhibitory regime.

Inhibitory Regime

Every nerve receptor has its own level of adaptation - its ability to produce electrical activities, also known as impulse or action potential. To work in the inhibitory regime means to keep massage manipulation in a rhythm of 70-80 movements per minute while gradually increasing pressure and minimizing disconnection. Consequently, receptors will not increasing production of action potential, but the flow of afferent neural impulses from the contact area of our hands will continue.
The motor and vasomotor centers include pain-analyzing systems, responding to this kind of stimulation by vasodilation, muscular relaxation and other positive changes in functions of organs and systems do to re-polarization of the neurons. This approach aims at reducing the sympathetic tone and restoring balance in activities, between the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions of the autonomic nervous system.

The status of these systems functioning in balance is one of ultimate health. To bring about this balance is the bottom line goal of stress management massage therapy.

The philosophy and ultimate goal of Chinese medicine treatments is to balance the activities of yin and yang (active and passive energy). Disorders are most often defined as stagnations, or blocks of chi flow. In my opinion there is a direct correlation between the conventional explanation of the mechanism of massage and the oriental medicine explanation. The electrical stream that we create via massage, causing flow- distribution of the chi- energy, what in turn leads to balance of sympathetic and parasympathetic activities; balance of yin and yang.

Phenomenon of Piezoelectricity

The piezoelectric phenomenon is described as the ability of both inorganic and organic substances to generate electrical potential in response to purely mechanical deformation. During the performance of massage therapy, we are deforming the tissues, cells, and molecules thereby generating/creating piezoelectric charges. In massage, the main cause of piezoelectric phenomenon is the deformation of collagen molecules (elastin and keratin also carry piezoelectric properties). As we know, molecules are surrounded by large amounts of extra-cellular fluid (at least 70-75% of our body is water). By performing massage we not only generate electrical impulses that travel thru peripheral nerves, which in term make their way to the central nervous system, but also generate piezoelectric charges of electricity. These piezoelectric streams move out in all directions, thru extra-cellular fluid and other molecular structures, creating streaming potentials that travel to the inner organs and there create massive additional afferent impulses. These afferent impulses from inner organs in turn further stimulate centers within the central nervous system and increase the power of reflexive therapy (positive changes in function of organs and system due to original stimulation by massage). This phenomenon of piezoelectricity also explains much in the mechanisms of acupuncture and acupressure. I have always believed that the oriental methods of the treatments are bottom line, reflexive therapy. When performing massage techniques, especially kneading/petrissage, try to imagine (to see with your hands what eyes cannot see) the massive phenomenon of piezoelectricity on top of the action potential formation from the deformation of proprioreceptors. Whenever we touch the body, we are causing the creation of these electrical charges. Please always imagine these energetic streamings and you will heal your clients much more effectively.

Sense of Touch

A therapist while doing massage cannot observe the aforementioned facts about anatomy, physiology and the factors of reflexive therapy. Therefore a massage therapist has to be able to maintain a mental picture of anatomical and physiological processes based on his/her preexisting knowledge. This mental picture helps a massage therapist to be in control of what his/her hands are doing and why are they doing it. It assists practitioners in developing their sense of touch.

Sense of touch is ability to sense with our hands what our eyes cannot see. For instance, when we look at our client, we cannot see what an anatomical chart of the cardiovascular system would show us, but we have the ability to imagine the physiology of the cardiovascular system under our hands. We can develop our sense of touch to the degree that will allow us to perform energy work.

Using Sense of Touch for Energy Work

Thought is energy. Thinking, envisioning, imagining, projecting, are all electrical activities in our brain, and these impulses create energy fields (electromagnetic fields) around us. These electromagnetic fields can protect your personal state of energy from disturbances and will increase the power of all activities caused by your hands-on massage. Energy work positively influences our hands-on therapy efforts and allows us to manipulate the energy of our client(s). By focusing and projecting our understanding of anatomy and physiological processes transpired in our patient while we’re doing massage, allows us to increase our powers of healing to the maximum extent.

Pathology & Energy Work

Our skeleton consists of about 206 bones. Everywhere where two bones meet they create a joint, held together by ligaments - very strong, elastic, belt-like, soft connective tissue - which hold the two bones in place, surrounding and stabilizing the joint. Cartilage covering the surface areas of the ends of bones where they come together creating joint-arthra. Cartilage, providing a smooth, frictionless apparatus to allow the surfaces to articulate against one another. If this cartilage becomes inflamed, deformed, or develops fissuring, and/or erosion, this kind of pathology is called arthritis; inflammation in the joint (-its meaning inflammation). If a joint region is sprained (pulled), or strained (overloaded), very possible that tendons - extensions of muscles attaching them to the bones - can develop inflammation, as well as ligaments, bursa, muscles, etc. In the case of sport-related injury in the knee region for example, there may be physical effect such as contusion, twist, and sprain, strain, which can cause a person to develop arthritis, periarthritis and more.

For a therapist it is extremely important to understand that in any case of inflammation, whether it be arthritis, tendonitis, or bursitis, the _expression of these pathologies will be swelling of the tissues, excessive volume of extracellular fluid accumulation, and stasis of venous blood, which disallows arterial blood supply (oxygen and anti-inflammatory hormones like hydrocortisone). In the inflamed areas the demand of blood supply, will be increased much more than the regular blood supply can deliver. Pain is a signal/message about swelling of the tissue, stasis of venous blood, which decreases arterial blood supply (oxygen supply), accumulation of excessive amount of extracellular fluid, and constriction of muscles.

Bear in mind that all these processes and physical _expression of pathology in most cases, cannot be seen from the outside.
It is extremely important for the massage therapist to understand the pathology to the degree that he/she can begin to heal by simply placing the hands on the region and imagining all the above-mentioned expressions of pathology. There is no doubt, that if, additional to energy work that I described before, we will perform techniques for acceleration of venous blood drainage, edema reduction, trigger point therapy, etc. then rapid and sustained results can be expected.

To make all of the things mentioned above a little more organized, I Kahan proposes the following structure in massage therapy approach:

A. Knowledge - this is your memory of the facts, i.e., structural anatomy and physiology, as well as pathological developments in cases of disorders.

B. Understanding of Knowledge - this means more than just memorizing the dry facts about the structure and function of the region, or the symptoms and signs of a disorder. It refers to your capability to picture these components living and functioning in the normal situation and to picture what is occurring in the pathology situation.

C. Knowledge and Visualization. When knowledge and understanding are combined inside of you (this place could be in your heart, or your soul, somewhere inside where your sense of touch lives) it is transported to your hands, with which you perform soft-tissue mobilization as well as energy work.

A person may have knowledge about _expression of pathologies such as bursitis, tendonitis, arthritis, etc, but if he/she applies excessive pressure on the region, we can all agree, his/her understanding of this knowledge is apparently very limited. By placing our hands on a sick/injured area and imagining what is going on under our hands, we are creating active thoughts (energy matter) that, in addition to all positive physiological effects of massage therapy, allow us to manipulate chi in such a way that the healing process will be amplified to the greatest extent possible.

Placebo and Energy Work

Human body has a boundless potential to heal itself. In any double-blind study, approximately 20-28% of study subjects respond with a great deal of improvement to the placebo. Mind is ready to accept either the real medication or other therapy. For example, there are many documented cases where patients cure themselves of cancer by eating, or drinking, or doing what they believe the cure is. This means that the placebo can help a person to activate some mechanism, (yet undefined by medicine), that has a possibly unlimited power to heal the body. There might be many other, similar to placebo, built in mechanisms that can activate the natural power of a human body to heal itself.

I surmise that this healing power can be activated through our manipulation of chi, and I also believe that it is some dominantly psychological aspect, which would allow us to do this. Somehow, at the time of energy work, our patients own ultimate self-healing powers are activated, by passing psychological- placebo starter. The very important for us to understand, that therapist heal the client, by stimulating the clients power to heal their own self.

Hippocrates said that the nature of the human body is to heal illness, and the doctor (or anyone involved in health care) should be a servant to this capability.
Dear fellow therapists. Please view the material I presented in this article as a puzzle that you have to piece together. Electrical activities occur in our body 24/7. All organs and systems communicate with the central nervous system as well as with each other through electrical impulses and biochemical reactions. Constant movement of electrical charges in our body induces electromagnetic fields around us. The task of a massage therapist is to adjust and channel this energy toward self-healing/stimulation, as well as toward increasing the power of a massage therapy session.

Why and what precisely is the mechanism of “energy work?” How exactly it happens that directed flow of our thoughts penetrates the barrier between the body of the therapist and the patient and affects positively the electro-magnetic field in the patient body?

The answer to this question is similar to the answer of why moving magnetic field indices electrical current – that’s how our Universe is constructed. We all agree that massage therapy is about results. As a massage therapist just like an electrical engineer we can use these phenomena to obtain stable and consistent results, with or without complete understanding of its microcosmic nature.

I would highly recommend that you start from practicing self chi manipulation. Therefore please pull out an anatomical chart and while you re-read the article try to imagine structural anatomy and physiology. Focus on stomach area and imagine the clockwise peristaltic action of the digestive system for a few minutes. In doing this, you already start manipulation/distribution of your own energy. As you read the material on physiological effect of massage, imagine the acceleration of venous blood drainage, arterial blood supply process, and electric streams. All proposed techniques for self chi manipulation will help you to stay healthier and will create your protective electro-magnetic field. At the time of a hands-on massage imagine all the processes that you stimulate in your clients body. During your hands-on performance, combine the imagination of the processes (energy work). Your electro magnetic fields will not only protect you from energetic influence of your clients, but will also increase your healer power.

In summary:

Please remember that: what sets therapists apart is the level of sense of touch. A more developed sense of touch will allow a therapist to achieve better and faster results do to energy work.
Dear practitioners.
It is no secret that sometimes clients complain that after receiving a treatment they feel more pain and stiffness than they felt before the treatment. Many massage therapists ask themselves why this happened, what was done differently this time compared to previous treatments, etc.
In next newsletter I will share with you my thought in the article
“ reaction vs. aggravation”
We are welcome your questions, comments, requests, commentary and more.
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